Day one is boarding in Copenhagen from 17:30, a welcome drink, dinner and a briefing on the ship and its safety arrangements. Bikes are handed out that evening or the next morning. From there the pattern settles: breakfast on board, a route briefing, then a ride of somewhere between 26 and 58 km, a packed lunch eaten wherever you stop, and dinner back on the ship — often while it sails to the next harbour.

The route is genuinely varied. The first ride leaves Copenhagen past the Kastellet and the Little Mermaid and follows the water north to Helsingør, with the option of stopping at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art about 10 km before town. Another day runs along the beaches of the Danish Riviera to Hornbæk, turns inland to the medieval monastery at Lake Esrum, then returns through farmland and past country houses. On the Swedish side you ride the Skåne coast to the fortified town of Landskrona and its intact 16th-century citadel, then take the ferry to Ven.

Ven is the standout. It's 7.5 km² with fewer than 400 residents, steep limestone cliffs, farmhouses, a whisky distillery and the 16th-century observatory of the astronomer Tycho Brahe. Artists and goldsmiths work there now. The harbour is too small for the ship, so the crew collect you by dinghy in the late afternoon and you sleep at anchor offshore.

One full day is spent sailing rather than cycling, from Ven south under the Øresund Bridge towards Køge or Rødvig, depending on the weather. That stretch of coast is a designated dark-sky area, so clear nights are worth staying up for. The next day's ride takes in Stevns Klint, the UNESCO-listed white limestone cliff, and the cliff church at Højerup.

The last riding day offers a half-day loop around Malmö — including a view of the Øresund Bridge — or a full day inland to Lund, one of Sweden's oldest cities, with its 12th-century cathedral. Either way you finish with the captain's farewell dinner on board. Disembarkation is by 09:30 the next morning, and Malmö central station is a couple of minutes' walk away for trains to Copenhagen airport.

Two experienced tour leaders ride with the group and give briefings on the route and sights. If you'd rather go at your own pace, you can take the free GPS tracks and the cycling map provided and ride independently, with the guide reachable by phone.

What's included

- 8 days / 7 nights on board - 7 breakfasts - 6 packed lunches - 7 three-course dinners on board - Coffee and tea on board - Welcome drink - Bed linen and towels - Short cabin clean twice a week - Daily route briefings - Fully guided cycling tours with two tour leaders - Cycling maps (one per cabin) - GPS tracks - Waterproof pannier bag - Biodegradable water bottle - Wi-Fi in the salon

What's not included

- Drinks - Bicycle or e-bike rental - Helmet rental - Personal insurance - Gratuities - Entrance fees and excursions - Transfers to and from the docking place - Parking fees - SGR insolvency protection contribution (€5 per person)