Heart of Holland Bike and Boat Tour
Location: Netherlands
Distance: 210 km (36 km/day)
Type: guided
Interest:
Type of Biking: Hybrid
Duration: 8 days / 7 nights
About your bike tour
This cycling cruise takes us through the best of the Netherlands. We cruise and cycle through Holland's many small canals, along lakes and dock in its historic cities. Traveling by bike on land and barge on the water, we enjoy a unique perspective on this wonderfully diverse country.
Highlights include cruising through beautiful Amsterdam, Utrecht and its fabulous dome and the harbor city Rotterdam. We visit the towns of Delft with it’s famous Delftware factories, Gouda, home of the famous cheese, the windmills at Kinderdijk, the silver city Schoonhoven, the historical centre of Haarlem, and the beautiful dunes and beaches on the North Sea.
What we love
- the small canals
- cruising through Amsterdam
- watch the tallest old windmills in the world
- the outside cafes in Amsterdam
What to know
- Holland has over 29.000 km of bike paths
- every body has a bike in Holland
- there are two times as many bikes as cars
Photos of this bike tour
Travel destinations on the map
— Day 1: Amsterdam (North Holland)
Check-in in at the dock in center of Amsterdam. After getting settled in, you can explore downtown Amsterdam, one of Europe's most lively cities.
Take a canal tour to get a romantic view of Amsterdam by boat, we provide you with discounted tickets until 10pm.
Enjoy a night out in Amsterdam and overnight on-board in Amsterdam.
30 km / alternative route: 40 km Day 2: Rotterdam (South Holland)
Enjoy breakfast as our ship takes off and we cruise from Amsterdam to Breukelen (yes, it's the original Brooklyn!).
We cycle from Breukelen along the beautiful Vecht River past nice villas, cottages and small castles. We ride along the Vecht into the center of Utrecht with its impressive cathedral tower at 111 meters high.
In Utrecht, we board our ship and cruise to Rotterdam.
Dinner on-board and we're free to check out Rotterdam or relax on-board with a fresh Dutch beer or glass of wine. Overnight in Rotterdam.
40 km Day 3: Dordrecht (South Holland)
Our cycle ride takes us through Schiedam, home to the tallest old windmills in the world and famous for its gin production (Ketel One vodka is produced here).
Our next stop is Delft, and enjoy the historic city center, its beautiful canals and picturesque streets. Optional visit to the Delftware pottery factory and check out the famous blue and white “Royal Delft” designs, before returning to Rotterdam.
We're on-board for a “dinner cruise” as the ship heads to Gouda. We arrive around 8:00pm, plenty of time to get out for a stroll of town. Overnight in Dordrecht.
30 km / alternative route: 50 km Day 4: Schoonhoven (South Holland)
You have a choice of cycling from Gouda through the quiet Dutch countryside to Kinderdijk or stay on-board and cruise on take the trip there relaxing in a deck chair.
Kinderdijk is a Unesco-world heritage site and home to the famous 19 windmills in a row, a picturesque site to see by bike. We continue cycling to Schoonhoven on the Lek River, famous for it's silver smiths and watch making.
Overnight in Schoonhoven.
50 km Day 5: Beverwijk (North Holland)
We cycle from Schoonhoven through the beautiful "Green Heart" of Holland to Utrecht and meet up with the ship. Spend a few hours discovering Utrecht, with its ancient city center and impressive Dom church.
In the late afternoon we sail from Utrecht to Beverwijk, where we dock for the evening.
35 km / alternative route: 50 km Day 6: Zaandam (North Holland)
We've got a choice of two rides today, both leading to Haarlem - good thing since some of the world's most popular beers are brewed here.
The longer route goes through spectacular dunes via Bloemendaal and Zandvoort and along the North Sea coast; the shorter route goes through the inland (optional: a stop over in Poldermuseum Cruquius) back to Beverwijk.
In the evening your ship will sail to Zaandam, where we'll dock for the night.
30 km Day 7: Amsterdam (North Holland)
From Zaandam we cycle to the open air museum „Zaanse Schans“ and view traditional wooden houses, windmills, cheese and wooden shoe „clog“ manufacturing.
Back on the bikes, we ride through the beautiful and relaxing „Twiske“ area to Amsterdam.
Dinner on-board in Amsterdam and then head to town to celebrate a great cycle cruise!
— Day 8: Amsterdam (North Holland)
After breakfast on-board, the tour comes to an end. Hope you had a wonderful time!
Arrival Info
Airport and central train station in Amsterdam
Departure Info
Airport and central train station in Amsterdam
The bicycles on board are mostly unisex touring or. trekking bikes with normal mount (ladies model), 7 gears, hand brake and/or pedal brake and pannier bag. E-bikes have to be ordered at least 14 days before departure: prices on request. Bike rent is optional. Guests are also allowed to bring their own bicycles (at no extra cost). However, the crew or tour operator are in no way responsible for any damage, loss or theft of such bicycles.
In the Netherlands bikers are not obligated by law to wear a bike helmet. Bike helmets are not available on board.
7 gear, hand- and/or pedal brakes, pannier bag
$90.00
E- Bike
$217.50
bicycle 7 speed ZOR2
Included
- Welcome drink the first evening
- Accommodation on the ship, ANNA MARIA AGNES: Twin cabin with at least 1 window and air conditioning, private bath, light cabin cleaning during tour; salon with restaurant, bar and lounge area; partially roofed sun deck with tables + chairs
- 7 x breakfast buffet on board
- 7 x three-course dinner on board
- 6 x packed picnic lunch for bike tours
- Coffee and tea till 4 PM
- Tour guide who gives a daily preliminary review of the bike tours and a few short guided tours
- Detailed maps and route description for bicycling
Not included
- Reservation fee: €15.00 per booking/group
- Surcharge cabin upper deck - please ask us for details
- bicycle rental
- entrance fees & other optional excursions
- fees for ferries,
- drinks on board
- personal insurances
- gratuities (at your discretion)
Description of Accomodation during the bike tour
We sail on the mid-size river cruiser ANNA MARIA AGNES. It's 72 meters long and accomodates max. 65 guests. On board are 34 cabins (approx. 10 M² = 108 square feet ) with private bath, all with single low beds and air-conditioning; there are 12 cabins on the upper deck (extra cost) and 22 on the lower deck. All cabins have windows (at least 1 window can be opened). There are some single and triple cabins. The spacious salon has a restaurant area, a lounge and a bar. We have a large and partially roofed sun deck with tables and chairs for lounging and a storage room for bikes.
Accommodation & Rates
- $1,181: Double Room (1 bed)
- $1,181: Double Room (2 beds)
- $1,528: Single Room
Photos of Accommodation
Photos are examples, actual hotel & room may vary.
Tour Season
April 21st – October 8th 2012
Check-in
- Saturday
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