Canoe routes on Odense River
Our Canoe Routes on the Odense River
The City Route
Perfect if you don’t have the possibility to arrange transportation out or home. Start and stop in Munke Mose. Sail through the zoo to Skovsøen, where you can enjoy a picnic or ice cream before heading back to Munke Mose.
Bellinge
Sail from Bellinge towards Munke Mose in the center of Odense. On this trip, with the current, you can sail calmly and effortlessly through beautiful nature and rich wildlife, with the possibility of seeing kingfishers.
Skovsøen
On this short but beautiful trip, you’ll sail past Odense Zoo, where you can spot some of the animals from your canoe. You’ll also pass some of the large, beautiful houses on Langelinie.
Ejby Mill
Sail from Bellinge or Skovsøen to Ejby Mølle and experience Odense Zoo from the canoe. Along the way you’ll pass the beautiful houses at Langelinie, Munke Mose and Eventyrhaven before the tour ends at Ejby Mølle.
Stige Island
For those looking for a challenge. The trip includes two portages where the canoe must be transported on land. Sail past the Botanical Garden, where you can take a lunch break.
Two-day canoe trip
Two-day canoe trip with a unique overnight stay in the open air. After a day of canoeing, you can set up camp and spend the night in a shelter either at Kulturbotanisk Have, Stige Island or Vigelsø.
6 carefully selected routes
We have carefully selected 6 beautiful canoe routes on Odense River based on the starting and stopping points: Bellinge, Skovsøen, Munke Mose, Ejby Mølle and Stige Island. The canoe routes are designed to give you the best experience with the river’s natural current, so you don’t have to sail against strong currents. Please note that the current varies depending on the depth of the river and therefore some places are drop-off points only. For the ultimate experience, you can sail all the way from Bellinge to Stige Island and experience the river from its most spectacular perspective.
The canoe routes are indicative. You choose the desired starting and stopping points when you book your canoe.
Route map of Odense River by canoe
On the map you can see the starting and stopping points along Odense River, where the canoe adventure awaits you. The river runs from south to north, making the route from Bellinge to Stige Island the perfect day trip for those who want to experience the river in its full length.
The Most Popular Routes
City Tour (2–4 hours):
The best route for beginners and those who can’t arrange transportation to the start and stop.
Half-day tours (4-5 hours):
The most popular half-day tours are:
- Bellinge to Munke Mose (only after June 1)
- Skovsøen to Ejby Mølle
- Munke Mose to Stige Island
These routes offer beautiful scenery and pleasant stops along the way.
We recommend
The City Route
The perfect ride for beginners
The city route is ideal if you want an easy and accessible canoeing experience without the hassle of transportation to pick-up or drop-off points. The route starts and ends in Munke Mose in the heart of Odense. From here, you’ll sail through the idyllic landscape that takes you past Odense Zoo, where you can catch a glimpse of the kangaroos from the water. The trip continues to Skovsøen, where you can take a break and enjoy a picnic or an ice cream at the ice cream parlor before calmly returning to Munke Mose.
This route is ideal for beginners and those who want a relaxing day on the water with minimal planning.
The Bellinge Route
An adventure through Odense’s natural surroundings
For a truly unique canoeing experience, we recommend the Bellinge route. Here, you start in Bellinge and follow the current through beautiful natural scenery and rich wildlife as you paddle leisurely toward Munke Mose in downtown Odense. Along the way, you’ll paddle through narrow passages surrounded by trees, which gives you a special sense of being right in the heart of nature.
The route also offers historical and exciting sights, such as the old paper mill in Dalum. You’ll pass Skovsøen, where you can take a break, and continue past Odense Zoo before reaching Munke Mose. If you’re in the mood for a longer ride, you can extend the route all the way to Ejby Mølle or further out to Stige Island.
This route is perfect for slightly more experienced riders and those seeking a scenic and relaxing experience with the chance for adventure along the way.
A longer canoe experience with room for immersion
A two-day canoe trip on the Odense River gives you the chance to immerse yourselves in nature and experience the river over an extended period of time. This trip is ideal for those seeking a continuous canoeing experience with plenty of time on the water and opportunities for breaks along the way. Over the course of two days, you’ll have the peace of mind to find your rhythm and enjoy the scenery as the surroundings along the river change.
Many people choose a two-day canoe trip when they’re looking for an active yet relaxing outdoor experience on Funen. The trip is perfect for families, couples, and small groups who want more than just a short day trip and want to explore the Odense River at a leisurely pace.
We’ve put together a list of shelters along the Odense River so you can enjoy a unique two-day canoe trip with an overnight stay in a shelter. You can read more about the shelters along the river here:
Cultural-botanical location here
Stige Island shelter reservation here
Vigelsø shelter reservation here
We encourage you to start the tour in Bellinge to get the most out of the experience. We also recommend that you drop off the next day at Stige Island, so you have to sail back against the current.