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1
introductory
Activities
  • self guided cycle
Accommodation
  • 7 nights in a twin share cabin
Meals
  • 7 Dinners
  • 6 Lunches
  • 7 Breakfasts

8 Days£1150GBP

View Inclusions

Overview

Trip Code: HLS

Trip highlights

  • Discovering the south of the Netherlands by bike and on foot from Amsterdam
  • Visiting Zaanse Schans, an open-air museum with historical windmills and traditional Dutch houses
  • Exploring interesting towns and cities such as the university city of Utrecht, Gouda known for its cheese, Rotterdam with its modern architecture and Amsterdam with its vibrant nightlife and canals
  • Cycling through the 'Green Heart' of the Netherlands, enjoying the peace, green and waterways
  • Enjoying the camaraderie of your fellow passengers aboard a comfortable barge

Visit a number of famous Dutch cities including Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Gouda and Haarlem, and discover another side of the Netherlands – the country’s “Green Heart” - on this relaxing bike and barge tour. The Netherlands is a cyclists paradise - flat, green, scenic, with its leading edge cycling infrastructure. Mainly following cycle paths throughout, you'll visit southern towns and cities as well as Haarlem and the North sea coast. In Delft you can visit the museum where the classic blue & white porcelain is made. In Gouda and surrounds, try the local cheese. Explore Rotterdam with its interesting post-war architecture. Visit the Kinderdijk UNESCO listed windmills and find out more about Dutch water engineering. While the boat cruises between ports, you cycle or stay onboard to see the sights - a most relaxing way to see the southern part of the country. In the evenings enjoy the comfort of your boat, the camaraderie of the other cyclists, and the hospitality of the boat crew.

Countries:

The Netherlands

Starting Point:

Amsterdam

Finishing Point:

Amsterdam

Itinerary

Expand all | Collapse all

Embarkation is between 2pm and 4:30pm in Amsterdam. Take the opportunity to go shopping, to explore downtown Amsterdam, to make a canal cruise or to visit a museum. At 5pm there will be a welcome drink on board where you'll meet the onboard tour leader and crew and later there's dinner and first briefing. Overnight in Amsterdam.

Meals:  D

Your first cycling tour starts in Breukelen. You’ll cycle along the beautiful and winding river Vecht, with its enchanting background of imposing castles, country houses and quaint tearooms. Continue to follow the Vecht into the centre of Utrecht where you will have the opportunity to explore the beautiful historical city centre on foot: the Dom Cathedral with its tower, the canals, special shops and nice cafes. In the afternoon we will continue by boat from Utrecht to Rotterdam.

Meals:  B,L,D

Today you will cycle via the “jenever city” of Schiedam and through the Delfland area to Delft, famous for its blue pottery. Visit the beautiful city centre with its small canals, picturesque streets, bridges and alleys. For many guests, a visit to the Delftware museum and factory is a highlight of their tour. Afterwards, you will cycle back to Rotterdam, where you can enjoy a short city walk in the evening. Overnight in Rotterdam.

Meals:  B,L,D

Today you can cycle the first part, or the “waterbus” will take you and your bicycle, to Alblasserdam. After just a few minutes of cycling you will reach UNESCO cultural heritage listed Kinderdijk with its impressive row of 19 large windmills. Optional visit to the museum and windmill. You then have the choice between a longer ride with a visit to the beautiful cheese city of Gouda and a short cycle through the Alblasserwaard. Both tours end in the “silver city” of Schoonhoven, where you can visit a silversmith. *On some departures, the night in Schoonhoven is not possible and the boat will dock in the cheese city of Gouda instead. All cycling highlights will remain in the program.

Meals:  B,L,D

Today you will cycle from Schoonhoven through the beautiful “Green Heart” of Holland through 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. Later in the afternoon the boat will cruise from Utrecht to Haarlem.

Meals:  B,L,D

Today there are two cycling options. Both tours takes 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 centre of Haarlem back to the dock. There's usually time to explore the centre of Haarlem - the main square and St Bavokerk (church) are worth visiting. The longer cycling tour leads to the largest steam engine in the world, the Cruquius pumping station, and back to Haarlem. During dinner we will cruise to Zaandam. * Departures dates between March 27 and incl. May 1: From Haarlem you have the opportunity to visit the world famous Tulip exhibition park “Keukenhof” in Lisse (by bicycle or public transport. Transfers/tickets/entrance fee not included).

Meals:  B,L,D

From Zaandam your final day of cycling will take you to the open air museum of 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.

Meals:  B,L,D

The trip concludes after breakfast, disembark by 9.30 a.m.

Meals:  B

Map

Elevation

The map and elevation chart are for illustrative purposes only and meant to provide general guidelines.
On self guided trips, actual route information provided before departure will be more detailed.

Inclusions

What's included

  • 7 breakfasts, 6 picnic lunches, 7 dinners (does not include drinks)
  • Continental breakfasts are served and will usually consist of breads, cheese, ham, tea, coffee & juices. At breakfast you will prepare your packed lunch for the day which will be sandwiches, fruit & juice. If you choose not to cycle on a particular day, the crew will serve lunch on board. Dinner will consist of three courses inclusive of either a pasta, vegetarian or meat dish.
  • 7 nights accommodation aboard a Deluxe category barge (either Arkona or de Amsterdam) with ensuite facilities on a twin share basis. The trip price is based on a standard twin cabin below deck - supplement applies for other cabin categories (de Amsterdam: twin cabin upper deck, twin Suite upper deck or single cabin, Arkona: twin upper deck or single cabin). We do not match clients together so if you are travelling solo you will need to book a single cabin (limited and on a request basis - these are single use of a twin share cabin).
  • Rental bike with helmet, biodegradable water bottle and pannier (e-bike available on request - supplement applies)
  • Welcome drink and briefing on the first evening
  • Experienced multilingual tour leader for daily briefings (while the trip is self guided, the tour leader also cycles the tour and is available during the day to assist if required)
  • Information pack including route notes & maps (one set per cabin), navigational app with GPS tracks
  • Some short city walking tours
  • Linen and change of towels as required
  • Daily cabin cleaning
  • Tea and coffee during breakfast and after the cycling tours til 4pm
  • Semi guided cycle tours - cyclists navigate independently along a set route. The guide will also cycle.
  • Live music onboard
  • Carbon offset
  • Emergency hotline

  • Travel to and from Amsterdam docking location
  • Meals not mentioned as included, drinks
  • Drinks including water at dinner, coffee and tea after 4.00pm and other items of a personal nature
  • Special diets (excluding Vegetarian): Gluten & Lactose free require payment of a supplement of EUR 70 - must be requested in advance and paid on board. Note: vegan diets cannot be catered for on this trip.
  • Entrance fees and excursions not listed as included
  • Transfers not listed as included
  • Travel insurance - mandatory
  • Tips - while tipping is not obligatory, it is customary to offer a tip if the tour leader and crew have done a good job. As a guide we would recommend EUR30-60 per person (to be distributed between the guide/s, captain and crew).
  • Bike insurance. Optional bike insurance is available (Limitation of Liability for damage), fee applies, must be prepaid - ask our team
  • Fees for ferries/waterbus
  • WIFI - a fee applies, payable onboard if required - allow approx. EUR 10 for the week
  • Items of a personal nature

Bike information

Standard Bike

During the trip you will be provided with a 7 speed unisex (low bar) city bike with handbrakes, a gel-saddle (height adjustable), a lock on the frame and pannier bag. All bikes have 28 inch wheels. Some smaller frames are available on board. There are also a few bikes with a horizontal bar available (from 1.90m). Helmet rental is included.

Electric Bike

An electric bike is available on request (limited supply).

Electric bikes, or e-bikes, are designed to make cycling easier. The pedalling ‘boost’ provided by an e-bike opens up more options, allowing people of different fitness levels to cycle together or for cyclists to take on routes they may otherwise consider too tough for their current fitness capabilities. Please note that e-bikes are heavier than normal bikes and given the higher speed possible, should only be ridden by confident cyclists. Minimum age for e-bike rental is 12 years and a minimum height requirement is 150cm / 4ft11in.

Suitability

introductory

1

GRADE 1 - Daily cycling distances from 28 to 55km (17.5 to 34.5mi). As with all of our cycling programs, wind and poor weather could make the trip grade change. Should you not wish to cycle you are welcome to stay onboard. The accent is on keeping a relaxed pace to take in all of the attractions, with time to stop and take photos, visit a museum or enjoy the market places in many of the interesting towns visited. It is considered suitable for children, as long as they have road sense, are familiar with the workings of a bike (gear change etc) and are comfortable cycling alongside moving vehicles at times. Electric bikes are available for a supplement and when used will ensure the cycling is comfortable for less physical cyclists - however it is still essential that you are comfortable cycling on roads and in light traffic in variable weather conditions. E-bikes are fabulous for taking some of the effort out of cycling however they are heavier than normal bikes which is a consideration when lifting them up the kerb etc. *For safety reasons, we highly recommend that cycle helmets are worn during cycle sections.

Departure dates


Notes

M
Mid Season
H
High Season
P
Peak season supplement
Note:
Peak season is from 16 May to 10 Jul, 22 Aug to 5 Sep, High season is from 25 Apr to 15 May, 11 Jul to 21 Aug, 12 to 18 Sep. Mid season is from 18 to 24 Apr, 19 to 25 Sep. Supplement applies to peak, high and mid season departures.
1
Discount applies to 3 & 10 October departures on board de Amsterdam
Note:
Saturday departures on board De Amsterdam (DAM), Sunday departures on board Arkona (ARK)..
Note:
Prices on request for single upper deck cabin or Twin cabin for single use (upper or lower deck)

Priceper person from

£1150GBP

Options & Supplements*
  • Discount for departures 03 & 10 Oct - twin lower deckGBP£-81
  • Optional insurance (limitation of liability-damage) - standard bikeGBP£21
  • Optional insurance (limitation of liability-damage) - e-BikeGBP£36
  • E-bike supplementGBP£180
  • Upper deck twin cabin supplement (DAM) ppGBP£230
  • Upper deck twin cabin supplement (ARK) ppGBP£360
  • Upper deck suite supplement (DAM) ppGBP£500
  • Single Supplement - twin upper deck cabin (DAM)GBP£980
*Prices listed are per person

Trip reviews

Why travel with us

Personal Experience

We've been exploring the world on foot for over five decades, and our passion for walking runs deep. Having hiked nearly every corner of Europe, we take pride in sharing the joy, freedom and perspective that only travelling on foot can bring, all with the exceptional service and care our travellers know us for.

Great Value & Quality

Our trips offer excellent value for money, with everything you need for a seamless walking holiday. Each package includes detailed route notes, maps and navigation app, luggage transfers, and comfortable locally run accommodation. We take care of the planning, so you can simply enjoy the walk.

Self-Guided Specialists

We've been operating self-guided active holidays since 1973, taking care of every detail so you can relax and explore at your own pace. With many walking and hiking tours departing daily, you'll enjoy the freedom and flexibility to travel when it suits you.