Cyclists with bikes crossing a wooden bridge over a canal in Stavoren. Historic buildings and church tower visible in background.

Itinerary

Embarkation and check-in where the crew will welcome you on board is from 2 p.m. in the center of Amsterdam. After unpacking your luggage in your cabin an introduction to the tour will take place at 3 p.m. After that your rental bicycles will be distributed and your tour leader will invite you to a short test-ride. Upon your return your first dinner on board will be served.

After a short cruise on board the barge, you are finally off and cycling today after first visiting the lovely open-air museum ‘Zaanse Schans’ in Zaandam where an authentic 18th and 19th century Dutch village has been reconstructed. In the museum you will learn about iconic Dutch traditions such as windmills and cheese and clog making. You will then cycle to Haarlem where celebrated portraitist and genre painter Frans Hals lived and worked in the 16th century. In the evening you can stroll through the lovely city center and the Grote Markt (market square). If preferred, today’s cycling tour can also be extended with a visit to the sea locks of IJmuiden and the Kennemer Dunes. During this cycling tour you can visit some forts of the Defense Line of Amsterdam (UNESCO World Heritage Site).

After enjoying breakfast with your newfound cycling friends, you will pedal today along the North Sea coast through seaside dunes via the resorts of Noordwijk and Katwijk aan Zee to the vibrant university city of Leiden, the birthplace of celebrated artist Rembrandt van Rijn. The city’s picturesque old city center is crisscrossed with canals lined by beautiful 17th-century buildings and is very definitely a must to see. The longer cycling tour leads you from Haarlem to Cruquius (steam engine museum) and Hillegom (several flower nurseries) to Leiden.

From Leiden you will cycle to Delft, famous for its Blue porcelain (Delftware), where you will have the opportunity to visit a porcelain studio. Another major attraction in the beautiful city center of Delft is the royal crypt of the House of Orange. The longer cycling tour brings you to seaside resort Scheveningen and to The Hague, where you can visit the Binnenhof (Parliament) and the Peace Palace (Vredespaleis) and then continues to end in Delft.

This morning you will sail from Delft on the barge through the remarkable international port of Rotterdam. From here you can start cycling or you can hop on the “Waterbus”, a fast ferry that will bring you and your bicycle over the river in 30-40 minutes to Alblasserdam. From there you cycle just a few miles to Kinderdijk, world famous for an impressive row of 19 large windmills. These 19 windmills have a UNESCO cultural heritage listing and are a definite highlight – you will have the opportunity to visit one so don’t forget to bring your camera! From Kinderdijk you will cycle directly to the cheese city of Gouda, or if you prefer, on a longer tour via the silver city of Schoonhoven to Gouda, your destination for the day. Dinner tonight (not included) will be in town in a restaurant of your choice (recommendations available on board).

The highlight of today’s cycling tour is the naturally idyllic beauty of the South Holland landscape. Your destination for the day is the village of Kudelstaart where the barge will be waiting for you. Along the way you will cycle along numerous small canals and past picture-perfect farms and small villages. At the mooring place on the banks of the Westeinder Plassen (‘West End’ lakes) there is a beautiful view to savor while enjoying a wine during or after dinner.

If you are keen for an early start to the day you can visit the largest trade center for plants and flowers in the world at Aalsmeer (optional extra, not included). The market is a hive of activity; it is guaranteed that you will never have seen so many flowers in the one place. After a late breakfast you can either stay on board the barge as it cruises through the City of Amsterdam to its mooring place or you can cycle into the city through the city park ‘Amsterdamse Bos’ or along the Amstel river. Once you reach Amsterdam take the opportunity during the afternoon and evening to go for a canal cruise, discover Anne Frank’s House, the Rembrandt House Museum, the Royal Palace of Amsterdam and Dam Square, the very center and heart of the city.

Enjoy your last breakfast on board before check out and disembarkation at 09:30. End of the tour.

Tour character

Easy

Easy bike tour in flat terrain, no noteworthy climbs or with shorter daily stages which can be managed also from untrained cyclists.

Map showing cycling route through Dutch cities including Amsterdam, Haarlem, Leiden, Delft, Rotterdam, Gouda, and Zaanse Schans with red line.

Prices & Dates

Prices per person in EUR

Services & extras

Services

Included Services

7 nights in outside cabins with shower/WC in the booked category
Programme as per itinerary
Welcome drink
Daily cabin cleaning
Use of bed linen and towels
Meals: 7x breakfast, 6x packed lunch for bike tours, coffee and tea on board, 6x 3-course evening meal
All harbour, bridge and lock fees
Daily cycle tour briefing on board
Cycle maps and information material 1x per cabin (only available on site)

Not included Services

Drinks
Rental bicycle (optional)
Helmet rental (optional)
Personal insurance
Gratuities (at your discretion)
Entrance fee and excursions
Fees for ferries / waterbus
Transfer to/from the docking place
Parking fees

Extras

parking Amsterdam, ca. € 200 / 8 days
Valet-parking: Get information from us

Please note: If a bike rack is mounted on your car and remains on the vehicle while it is parked, an additional fee of €45 will apply. You can select this option when making your reservation.

Embarkation: from 14:00
Disembarkation: After breakfast until 09:30.
Rental bikes on board: Smooth-running 7-speed unisex touring bikes from Velo de Ville with hand and coaster brakes or freewheel and pannier bag. 7-speed electric bikes from Velo de Ville with freewheel and pannier bag (limited number - early booking required). Please state your height when booking. Bringing your own bike: Due to the limited space available on the sun deck, bringing your own bike is only possible on request and only to a limited extent.
Cycle tours: Guided or individual. A cycle tour guide (two cycle tour guides for groups of 18 or more) is available for a guided cycle tour every day. If there are two cycle tour guides on board, on some days you can choose between short or long routes or between faster and slower cycling.
Please note: Not all the places/sights mentioned are visited during the shorter tours. Maps are available on board for individual cycle tours (only available on board). All kilometres mentioned are approximate distances of the recommended cycle tours
On-board language: English, German and Dutch
Cycle routes/level of difficulty: Pleasure cycling - the quality of the cycle paths is excellent, so this tour is also suitable for cyclists with a basic level of fitness
Vacation luggage: We recommend good rainwear, cycle helmet, sun hat and sports shoes.
Timetable and programme changes: Subject to change without notice. If, for example, a route cannot be travelled due to low water, high water or bad weather, the captain reserves the right to change the route for your safety (this is not a reason for cancellation free of charge).
Travel documents: EU nationals (with no special circumstances, e.g. dual citizenship, primary residence abroad or provisionally issued travel documents) require a valid identity card or passport for this trip, which must be valid for at least 6 months after the end of the trip. If you have another nationality or several nationalities or if you have to observe special legal regulations, please contact your local consulate for information on the relevant visa and entry requirements.