Holland by Bike and Boat, Southern Tour

“Incredible tour in a beautiful country on an extensive bicycle infrastructure.” —T.W.

★★★★★★4.4/5 (7)

7 nights | 28 miles/day
Self guided from EUR € 739
Bike and Boat Tour aboard De Amsterdam
Countries: Holland

Book this tour

Ask a tour advisor

Why book with us?

Book this tour

Description
Photos
Program
Dates & Prices
Route map
Reviews
Book my tour now

Tap above to jump to different sections of this tour

Holland Bike & Boat Southern Tour

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 countryside – the country's "Green Heart."

You will see a landscape of water, meadows, grazing cows, windmills, and picturesque farms. It is a landscape that is impossible to 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: 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.

A guided service is available only May 7, 14, 21, 28; June 4, 11, 18; September 3, 10, 17, 2022 (€130 per person, bookable in advance).
View more photos
Highlights
- "Green Heart" of Holland
- Amsterdam and its canals
- Dom-city Utrecht
- Rotterdam
- Delft
- Gouda
- Windmills at Kinderdijk
- Schoonhoven, the silver city
- Haarlem
- North Sea Beach
- Open air museum "Zaanse Schans"
Learn More

Learn more about self-guided trips.
Traveler photos
Holland Bike & Boat Southern Tour

Tour Description Daily Program
Daily program

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 (16 miles/25 km or 25 miles/40 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 (17 miles/28 km or 31 miles/50 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 (28 miles/45 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 28 miles/45 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.
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.

Boats
- De Amsterdam
How to get there

Tour start and end
Nearest airport: Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)
Nearest train station: Amsterdam Centraal

Airport transfers

Tips on getting to and from your tour
Holland Bike & Boat Southern Tour

Tour Photos Dates & Prices

Dates

Saturdays: Apr 01, 08, 15, 22, 29; May 06, 13, 20, 27; Jun 03, 10, 17, 24; Jul 01, 08, 15, 22, 29; Aug 05, 12, 19, 26; Sep 02, 09, 16, 23, 30; Oct 07, 2023

Season A: Mar 25, 2023 - Apr 14, 2023, Oct 07, 2023 - Oct 14, 2023

Season B: Apr 15, 2023 - Apr 28, 2023; Sep 23, 2023 - Oct 06, 2023

Season C: Apr 29, 2023 - May 05, 2023, Sep 09, 2023 - Sep 22, 2023

Season D: May 06, 2023 - Sep 08, 2023

Prices

De Amsterdam

Per person/double occupancy	Season A	Season B	Season C	Season D
Lower deck, Standard cabin	€739	€899	€1029	€1099
Upper deck, Standard cabin	€939	€1099	€1229	€1349
Upper deck, Suite	€1189	€1349	€1479	€1599
Single use cabin (1 person/1 cabin)
Lower deck, Standard cabin	€1109	€1349	€1544	€1649
Upper deck, Standard cabin	€1409	€1649	€1844	€2024

Bike rentals

City touring bike, 7-speed	€90
Electrically assisted bike (limited number, only on request)	€195
Helmet	€10

Additional Services

Canal cruise in Amsterdam (1 hr)

€15

Included services

7 nights accommodation on board in climate-controlled cabin of chosen category
Full board (7x breakfast, 6x self-made picnic lunch during bike tours, 7x three course dinner)
Use of bed linen and towels (change of towels daily possible)
Daily short cleaning of the cabin
Welcome drink and speech on the first evening
Experienced tour leader (multilingual) with daily briefings of the bike tours, some short city tours, during the day the tour leader is cycling the daily bike tour and can be reached on his/her cell phone while guests are able to cycle on their own if they wish
Printed instructions and detailed maps for cycling tours (1 set per cabin); GPS tracks
Wifi available
Daily complimentary coffee and tea till 4:00pm

Please note that dietary restrictions may be accommodated for a surcharge. Please detail any requests at the time of booking.

Bike rentals

Bikes available to be rented (in advance at the time of booking) include:

Hybrid touring bikes, 7-speed
Electrically assisted bikes (limited number, upon request)*
Children's equipment and tandems, in limited quantities (please inquire for pricing)

*More about electrically-assisted bikes >

Equipment included with bike rental:

Pannier bag

You can bring your own bicycles (for a small fee and depending on deck space, please contact us for more details). However, the crew or tour operator are in no way responsible for any damage, loss or theft of such bicycles.

Pedals:
The bikes will have flat pedals.

Helmets:
In the Netherlands, bikers are not obligated by law to wear a bike helmet. Please bring your own – good fitting – helmet. Bike helmets are only available onboard with an advanced reservation. Please book your helmet via our booking form (€10 fee).

Bike Protection:
Bike protection can be purchased at the time of booking. You can read more about that HERE.

Tour Company

Holland Bike & Boat Southern Tour

Daily program Route Map

Route Map

Maps are for information purposes only and reflect typical routes between overnight locations. They may not reflect your actual route.

Holland Bike & Boat Southern Tour

Dates & Prices Tour Reviews
Reviews

Write a review
- ★★★★★ Joe Eberly 8 months ago
  
  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 May 17, 2019
  
  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
  - 3/5 Value
  - 4/5 Included meals
  - 4/5 Bikes + equipment
  - 4/5 Hotels or boat
  - 5/5 Scenery
  - 2/5 Ease of navigation
  - 4/5 Tour documents
  - 4/5 Local tour company services
  - 4/5 Route selection
  - 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
- ★★★★★ 2pedallers July 7, 2018
  
  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
  - 4/5 Value
  - 4/5 Included meals
  - 4/5 Bikes + equipment
  - 3/5 Hotels or boat
  - 4/5 Scenery
  - 4/5 Ease of navigation
  - 4/5 Tour documents
  - 4/5 Local tour company services
  - 4/5 Route selection
- ★★★★★ Team Wuss July 4, 2018
  
  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
  - 5/5 Value
  - 4/5 Included meals
  - 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  - 5/5 Hotels or boat
  - 5/5 Scenery
  - 3/5 Ease of navigation
  - 5/5 Tour documents
  - 5/5 Local tour company services
  - 5/5 Route selection
- ★★★★★ Zaco June 30, 2018
  
  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
  - 4/5 Value
  - 4/5 Included meals
  - 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  - 4/5 Hotels or boat
  - 5/5 Scenery
  - 5/5 Ease of navigation
  - 5/5 Tour documents
  - 5/5 Local tour company services
  - 5/5 Route selection
  - 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
- ★★★★★ akvis August 17, 2017
  
  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
  - 4/5 Value
  - 5/5 Included meals
  - 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  - 4/5 Hotels or boat
  - 5/5 Scenery
  - 4/5 Ease of navigation
  - 5/5 Tour documents
  - 5/5 Local tour company services
  - 5/5 Route selection
- ★★★★★ Julie November 4, 2015
  
  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
  - 5/5 Value
  - 5/5 Included meals
  - 4/5 Bikes + equipment
  - 5/5 Hotels or boat
  - 5/5 Scenery
  - 3/5 Ease of navigation
  - 4/5 Tour documents
  - 5/5 Local tour company services
  - 5/5 Route selection
  - 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
Holland Bike & Boat Southern Tour

Route Map Book This Tour

Holland by Bike and Boat, Southern Tour

Holland Bike & Boat Southern Tour

Highlights

Learn More

Traveler photos

Daily program

Surface and terrain

Boats

How to get there

Dates