Holland by Bike and Boat, Southern Tour
7 nights from €890
4.56
Cruise the Green Heart of central and southern Holland as you cycle your way through picturesque farmland and captivating cities.
It doesn't get any better than this tour on board the De Amsterdam. Not only will you get the chance to visit a number of famous Dutch cities, but you will also uncover another side of Holland as you cycle through the country's "Green Heart."
You will see a landscape of water, meadows, grazing cows, windmills, and picturesque farms. It is a landscape that could not feel or look any more Dutch. In short, the Southern tour is the perfect tour for anyone wanting to see as much of "typical" central Holland as is possible in one week. What you will come away with at the end of the tour is a greater appreciation of why this part of the Netherlands attracts so many visitors from all corners of the globe every year.
Cycling cruises are a unique and "typical Dutch" concept, where a cycling holiday and a journey on a comfortable ship are combined. Cycling cruises are ideal for those who like to cycle during the day and explore beautiful areas without giving up a comfortable way of traveling. During our tours, you don’t have to pack and unpack your suitcases every day to travel from one beautiful place to the next! Explore the western part and the "Green Heart" of Holland during this exciting cycling cruise and enjoy many famous towns, interesting highlights, windmills, water, and beautiful scenery.
Dutch Delight
“Amazing tour and incredible way to discover this amazing country. Our guides Bart and Andreas were excellent hosts and did a great job making sure everything went smoothly. The De…” Full Review
“Amazing tour and incredible way to discover this amazing country. Our guides Bart and Andreas were excellent hosts and did a great job making sure everything went smoothly. The De Amsterdam boat was clean, crew was excellent and meals were very good. The bikes all seemed quite new and functioned very well. The daily routines were well organized for scenic rides with perfect amount of time and distance to enjoy many stops along the way. I would easily recommend this tour to anyone looking for a relaxing week of sightseeing and moderate cycling. Looking forward to more adventures in the future with bikeboat tours!” Less
—Ollie S
Lowlands Adventure
“Fantastic trip. Incredible tour in a beautiful country on an extensive bicycle infrastructure. In fact there are so many bike routes that navigation was sometimes a challenge. The…” Full Review
“Fantastic trip. Incredible tour in a beautiful country on an extensive bicycle infrastructure. In fact there are so many bike routes that navigation was sometimes a challenge. The download navigation option would have been helpful. The planned routes through the countryside were excellent. The bike/ boat approach is a great way to travel avoiding the daily packing. The accommodations were very nice, the staff was excellent, and the bicycles were well maintained. The dinners were good though basic with small portion size (a common observation in Europe). Breakfast was a very good buffet with fixings to make a sandwich for lunch. Definitely recommend this tour.” Less
—Team Wuss
Cheese, cocoa, windmills, clogs, delft, tulips...
“So many things to see that represent the Netherland: cheese, tulips, windmills, cocoa, clogs and delft pottery. It was amazing to see the bike culture there and that bikes have…” Full Review
“So many things to see that represent the Netherland: cheese, tulips, windmills, cocoa, clogs and delft pottery. It was amazing to see the bike culture there and that bikes have the right of way over everything! The network of bike paths was amazing too! It was a fun combination of boat and bike. Most of our meals were provided too, which was nice after a full day of riding and exploring!” Less
—Julie
Daily Program
Cycling route distances are approximate.
Day 1: Arrival in Amsterdam
Arrive at the boat between 2:00-4:30pm in Amsterdam. Explore downtown Amsterdam; you'll have time to shop, visit a museum, or take a canal tour (discount tickets available; please reserve in advance). A canal tour is a unique way to see the capital of Holland from another side. Welcome drink, dinner and first briefing on board at 5:00pm.
Overnight in Amsterdam.
Day 2: Cruise Amsterdam – Breukelen | Cycle Breukelen – Utrecht | Cruise Utrecht – Rotterdam
12 miles/20 km or 24 miles/39 km
During breakfast, you'll cruise to Breukelen where, following the distribution of bicycles, your first day of cycling will lead you along the beautiful and winding Vecht River with its enchanting background of imposing castles, country houses, and quaint tea rooms. There is simply no better way to start a cycle tour.
You will follow the Vecht into the center of Utrecht where you will have the opportunity to explore the Dom Cathedral tower and the beautiful center of the old village. In the afternoon you will continue by ship from Utrecht to Rotterdam, your destination for the day.
Overnight in Rotterdam.
Day 3: Rotterdam – Schiedam – Delft – Rotterdam
28.8 miles/48 km
You will cycle today via the "jenever" city of Schiedam (jenever is a traditional Dutch gin) and through the Delfland area to Delft, famous for its blue pottery. Visit the beautiful city center with its small canals, picturesque streets, bridges and alleys. For many of our guests a visit to the Delftware factory is one of the highlights of their tour. Afterwards, you will cycle back to Rotterdam, where you can enjoy a short city walk in the evening.
Overnight in Rotterdam.
Day 4: Ferry Rotterdam – Alblasserdam | Cycle Kinderdijk –
Gouda – Schoonhoven (19 miles/30km or 36 miles/58 km
Today you will start your tour with the "waterbus," a fast ferry that will take you and your bike to Alblasserdam. After just a few minutes of cycling you will reach Kinderdijk, a village famous for its impressive row of 19 large windmills. All 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!
You then have the choice between a longer bike tour with a visit to the beautiful cheese city of Gouda or a short bike tour through the Alblasserwaard. Both tours end in the "silver city" of Schoonhoven on the Lek River, where you can visit a silversmith.
Overnight in Schoonhoven.
Day 5: Cycle Schoonhoven – Oudewater – Utrecht | Cruise Utrecht – Haarlem
22 miles/36 km or 27 miles/44 km
Cycle tour from Schoonhoven through the beautiful "Green Heart" of Holland along small villages and quiet roads to Utrecht. On your way you can visit a traditional cheese farm and in Oudewater you can visit the Witches Weigh House. In the late afternoon the ship will sail from Utrecht to Haarlem.
Overnight in Haarlem.
Day 6: Cycle Haarlem – North Sea coast – Haarlem | Cruise Haarlem – Zaandam
25 miles/40 km or 31 miles/50 km
Today you can choose from 2 bike tours. Both tours take you through the beautiful Kennemer dunes, a national park where you can spot several bird species, Scottish Highland cows and Shetland ponies. After a visit to the seaside resorts Bloemendaal and Zandvoort you cycle through the forests and the center of Haarlem back to the ship. The longer cycling tour leads to the largest steam engine of the world, the Cruquius pumping station and back to Haarlem. During dinner your ship will cruise to Zaandam.
Overnight in Zaandam.
*Departure dates between Mar 27-May 1: On this day, you have the opportunity to visit the world-famous tulip exhibition park "Keukenhof" in Lisse (by bicycle or public transportation; transfers/tickets/entrance fee not included).
Day 7: Zaandam – Amsterdam
19 miles/30 km or 32 miles/53 km
From Zaandam your final day of cycling will take you to the open-air museum the Zaanse Schans (free entry), with its beautiful windmills, an Old Dutch village with traditional wooden houses, a cheese farm, and a traditional wooden clog maker. After exploring the museum you cycle through the recreational area “Twiske” back to Amsterdam. The afternoon and evening are yours to enjoy everything Amsterdam has to offer. If you didn’t go for a canal tour on the first day, you will have the opportunity to do so today.
Overnight in Amsterdam.
Day 8: Amsterdam
After breakfast: disembarkation by 9:30am and end of tour.
Please note that on the shorter routes you may not be able to visit all the highlights mentioned.
Boats
Arkona
58 cabins, 2 decks, 2 tours The Arkona was completely refurbished in 2018, prioritizing comfort and elegance. It has two deck levels, a lovely dining room, and a partially shaded sundeck, making it the perfect place…
De Amsterdam
56 cabins, 3 decks, 1 tour De Amsterdam is a very well-equipped river cruise ship. From dining in the restaraunt to enjoying the cozy upper deck’s lounge/bar with dance floor and large panoramic windows, this is a…
Bikes
Depending on the boat, different bikes may be available. Select a boat below:
Touring Bicycle
- Unisex, aluminum frame
- Handbrakes
- Shimano 7-speed nexus drive
- Selle-Royal gel saddle
- Fixed lock
- Schwalbe Marathon tires
Electrical Bicycle
Azor Steps (or similar)
- Nexus 7-gears
- Handbrakes
- Selle-Royal gel saddle
- Shimano motor (400 WH) with 4 levels of support
- Gel saddle
- Fixed lock
Accessories
- Pannier bag
- Helmet rental available onboard (10 EUR)
- Pump & repair kit available
Touring bicycle rental is included in tour pricing. There are bike helmets available onboard but please request them when booking.
Other bikes (e.g. bikes with back pedal brakes, children’s bikes, “slip streamers”, tandems, etc.) and rear child seats may be possible upon request and are in very limited numbers.
*NOTE: E-bikes feature a small electrical engine and battery that assist and ease your pedaling but you still have to pedal yourself. While riding an e-bike can greatly contribute to the enjoyment of your trip, it is not intended for untrained cyclists as it is not easy to handle such a bike. The engine and battery make the bike much heavier than a regular bike and it also accelerates faster. Handling it well requires good basic cycling skills and confidence.
Touring Bicycle
Hybrid Velo de Ville C100 (or similar)
- Aluminum step-through frame
- Shimano Nexus gearing
- 7 speeds
- V-Brakes
- Impac Streetpac 47-622 tires
- VDV City saddle
- 28" Wheels
Hybrid Gazelle Chamonix (or similar)
- Step-through frame
- Shimano gearing
- 7 speeds
- Gel-saddle (adjustable)
- Handbrakes
- Frame lock
- 28" Wheels
Electrical Bicycle
Velo de Ville CEB 200 (or similar)
- Limited number available, request at the time of booking
- Wh 400 battery
- Bosch Intuvia, Bosch Purion display
- Max. 25 km/h motor speed
- Bosch Active line motor version
- Hydraulic rim brake
Accessories
- Pannier bag
- Helmet rental available onboard (10 EUR)
- Pump & repair kit available
Touring bicycle rental is included in tour pricing. There are bike helmets available onboard but please request them when booking.
Other bikes (e.g. bikes with back pedal brakes, children’s bikes, “slip streamers”, tandems, etc.) and rear child seats may be possible upon request and are in very limited numbers.
*NOTE: E-bikes feature a small electrical engine and battery that assist and ease your pedaling but you still have to pedal yourself. While riding an e-bike can greatly contribute to the enjoyment of your trip, it is not intended for untrained cyclists as it is not easy to handle such a bike. The engine and battery make the bike much heavier than a regular bike and it also accelerates faster. Handling it well requires good basic cycling skills and confidence.
Surface and terrain
The terrain is flat and the cycle paths are mostly concrete or paved roads.
If a guest does not wish to cycle, he/she can skip the bike tour and relax on board while cruising to the next harbor.
How to get there
Tour start and end
Nearest airport: Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)
Nearest train station: Amsterdam Centraal
Tips on getting to and from your tour
Reviews
- ★★★★★ Ollie S
Dutch Delight
Amazing tour and incredible way to discover this amazing country. Our guides Bart and Andreas were excellent hosts and did a great job making sure everything went smoothly. The De Amsterdam boat was clean, crew was excellent and meals were very good. The bikes all seemed quite new and functioned very well. The daily routines were well organized for scenic rides with perfect amount of time and distance to enjoy many stops along the way. I would easily recommend this tour to anyone looking for a relaxing week of sightseeing and moderate cycling. Looking forward to more adventures in the future with bikeboat tours!
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- ★★★★★ Cindy
Great place for bike lovers
The biking was outstanding. The bike paths in the cities were crowded with some aggressive riders. I’n most places motor scooters are allowed on the bike paths. Bring a side/rear view mirror. Although not luxurious, the ship was clean and comfortable. The crew was friendly and helpful, especially the three biking guides. The breakfast buffet was plentiful but it was not set up efficiently so the lines were long. We asked for a carafe of hot water to be placed on our table at breakfast because there were 5 tea drinkers at our table. We were told this was not possible but there were carafes of hot water when tea and coffee was served in the afternoon. When the cookies and cakes in the afternoon were eaten, they were not replaced even though there was often another hour left to this snack time. We did not care for the dinners but most people at our table did like the dinners.
- ★★★★★ Joe Eberly
Great biking adventure
Holland is a beautiful country and there is no better way to see it and experience it than on a bike. We have never been on bike paths like they have, whether in a city or the middle of nowhere. We had great food at our lunch stops and everyone we met, passengers, crew and the locals were friendly. The boat was really nice as were the bikes. We plan to do another trip with BikeTours.
- ★★★★★ Terrell
The Best Way I can Think Of to See Holland!
This tour lived up to my expectations. Holland was beautiful. The boat accommodations and staff were great! The bike tour guides were knowledgeable, friendly, and very personable. The miles per day on the bike was not for the faint of heart. Do your research and get a e-bike (electric bike) for anyone who is not used to biking. If you are an American, bring your GPS.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 27 to May 4, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- one, including this one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- ★★★★★ 2pedallers
An enjoyable trip!
A good way to see some of the sights in southern Holland. Not enough time to see everything, but enough variety in the routes to get a sense of the culture, history and geography of southern Holland.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 23 - 30, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- ★★★★★ Team Wuss
Lowlands Adventure
Fantastic trip. Incredible tour in a beautiful country on an extensive bicycle infrastructure. In fact there are so many bike routes that navigation was sometimes a challenge. The download navigation option would have been helpful. The planned routes through the countryside were excellent. The bike/ boat approach is a great way to travel avoiding the daily packing. The accommodations were very nice, the staff was excellent, and the bicycles were well maintained. The dinners were good though basic with small portion size (a common observation in Europe). Breakfast was a very good buffet with fixings to make a sandwich for lunch. Definitely recommend this tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 9,2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- ★★★★★ Zaco
Great tour.
Excellent Setup, great way to see Holland.
Weather always a risk in Holland. It was cloudy, cold-ish, sometimes wet, and quite windy (but the following week, after our tour ended, was perfect with not a cloud in the sky.) The tour is well planned and you see different parts of Holland. We knew of course about the water ways, windmills and such, but we did not realise Holland is basically a swamp...
Bikes are very good and crew on the boat and tour guides were very friendly and helpful.
The soccer world cup was a bonus (being soccer mad), and provided excellent entertainment from our perspective. But I would suggest planning your social activities on/off the boat in advance as there is no entertainment - it's not a Caribbean cruise :) There are a few cruise legs in the evening so you can't really get off the boat.
Food is good, the bar is good - buy an open bar ticket if you like a drop, it is cheaper that way.
One surprising commission is a laundry facility on the boat, or at least dryers, and no information on an alternative off the boat. In any case, who'd want to spend 2 hours in a laundromat off the boat? They ought to have a facility because naturally you go through a lot more clothes in a week of cycling, especially if the weather is not kind to you.
Most people were "senior citizens" on our tour, myself included (but I was an outlier in my family group). So bear this in mind if you look for younger company. Choose a harder tour if you have keen athletes in your family. I was with three in their 20s, all fit and eager (I'm 60+). They formed a breakaway group a few times. I decided to stay with the peloton and give chase later. I soon discovered it does not work with a peloton of one rider.- What was the date of your tour?
- 16 June
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- ★★★★★ akvis
Celebrating 60
I looked forward to this trip for a long time and I was not disappointed. The tour guide was helpful; the meals had added touches; the staff serving were great; the bikes were well maintained.
We enjoyed the areas we biked through, seeing a variety of different sights and places.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 8-15, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- ★★★★★ Julie
Cheese, cocoa, windmills, clogs, delft, tulips...
So many things to see that represent the Netherland: cheese, tulips, windmills, cocoa, clogs and delft pottery. It was amazing to see the bike culture there and that bikes have the right of way over everything! The network of bike paths was amazing too! It was a fun combination of boat and bike. Most of our meals were provided too, which was nice after a full day of riding and exploring!
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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