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Netherlands

Netherlands: Green Heart of Holland – Guided

History and Holland's Green Heart
Amsterdam Round tour.
From €1119 p.p.
Cyclists at the windmill Haarlem with boats, water and swans
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Netherlands: Green Heart of Holland – Guided
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Highlights of this tour

During this eight day/seven night, tour on board of one of the charming barges you will discover the ‘Green Heart’ of Holland by bike, a region steeped in history, natural attractions, world famous cities and beautiful scenery. Along the way you will visit historical cities such as Amsterdam, Haarlem, Rotterdam, Leiden and Gouda. You will discover many culturally historic attractions and, more importantly, you will be able to immerse yourself in the heart of this fascinating and very Dutch part of Holland. Also, if you are an art lover, you […]

Bike through the Green Heart of Holland

Historical cities Amsterdam & Leiden

Rijksmuseum & Delft porcelain studio

Barges with max. 24 passengers

Guidance
  • Guided cycling: A tour leader will guide you during the cycling days
  • Independent cycling: No tour leader, the ships’ crew does daily briefing, independent cycling
guidance Guided cycling
Difficulty
  • Level 1: easy tours, very flat terrain
  • Level 2: quite easy tours, mostly flat terrain
  • Level 3: requires a higher level of exertion, medium hilly terrain
  • Level 4: for experienced cyclists, hilly terrain with climbs
Difficulty level 1 Difficulty level 1
Duration of the tour.
tijd2 Created with Sketch.
8 days

About this tour

During this eight day/seven night, tour on board of one of the charming barges you will discover the ‘Green Heart’ of Holland by bike, a region steeped in history, natural attractions, world famous cities and beautiful scenery.

Along the way you will visit historical cities such as Amsterdam, Haarlem, Rotterdam, Leiden and Gouda. You will discover many culturally historic attractions and, more importantly, you will be able to immerse yourself in the heart of this fascinating and very Dutch part of Holland.

Also, if you are an art lover, you will enjoy the visits to Leiden, Haarlem and Delft where painters such as Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Vermeer lived and worked. But far from just being about big cities and Dutch history, this tour is also about the picturesque villages and beautiful scenery of the ‘green lung’ districts of central part and South-Holland province. One thing is certain: by the end of the tour you will not only go home with a new-found appreciation for bike and barge cruising, but for everything that is Dutch.

A bonus during this tour is the fact that the barges docks in and around the city center of the various cities and villages visited at the end of each day’s cycling, giving you the opportunity to visit and explore at your leisure at night.

The ship – Your sailing hotel
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. You’ll receive a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. It’s also possible to spend a day on board if you like. There are rental bikes on board, but you can also bring your own if you mention it when booking.

Fully Guided
Accompanied by a competent, professional and multilingual tour leader, you and the group will visit interesting sights and places on the daily cycling tours. During the bike tour, they will explain the local history and culture behind the things you encounter along the way. You can also choose to ride individually with the help of the Ride with GPS app and our BBT cycling map (available on board).

Prepare yourself for this tour with our Travel Prep-tips

Preparation is half the fun, so why not start straight away?
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Day to day program

Parts that are printed in italics parts will be covered by the ship.

All distances are “approximate distances” of recommended bike tours.
The tour details are barring changes, a.o. as a result of nautical, technical or meteorological reasons.

Day 1: Amsterdam

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.

Day 2: Amsterdam – Zaandam | Zaandam – Zaanse Schans – Haarlem (40 km/24 mi. or 55 km/34 mi.)

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).

Day 3: Haarlem – North Sea coast – Leiden (42 km/25 mi. or 50 km/34 mi.)

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.

Day 4: Leiden – Delft (35 km/22 mi. or 41 km/34 mi.)

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.

Day 5: Delft – Rotterdam – Kinderdijk | Kinderdijk – Schoonhoven – Gouda (several options from 23 km/15 mi. to  66 km/41 mi.)

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).

Day 6: Gouda – Kudelstaart (45 km/28 mi or 55 km/34 mi)

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.

Day 7: Kudelstaart – Aalsmeer – Amsterdam (32 km/19 mi.)

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.

Day 8: Amsterdam

End of your tour: Disembarkation after breakfast until 9.30 a.m.

Good to know
  • Cycling route distances in the travel program are approximate.
  • On some days you can choose between a longer and a shorter cycling route. Please note that on the shorter routes you may not be able to visit all the highlights mentioned.
  • If you prefer not to cycle on a particular day, you’re welcome to stay on board and relax while the ship cruises to the next landing place.
  • The tour itinerary and route are subject to possible changes due to nautical, technical or meteorological reasons, or other unforeseen events.
  • On the arrival day, you can leave your luggage on board the ship from 11.00 am.
  • A detailed cycling map and a GPS app are available for guests who wish to cycle individually and at their own pace. The tour guide is always available via cell phone in case of questions, breakdowns or emergencies.

Prices & availability

To view the availability of this tour and/or book online please click on the button below. A new screen will open.

Below you see an overview of the available (blue) dates; the yellow dot means that this date has 2 or less cabins available, orange is ‘on request’ and red means that on this date there aren’t any cabins available. Then click on the preferred date. After this, choose your ship (some tours have only one ship, and therefore there is no choice), the number of cabins in the required (and available) category, any desired additional products, and ‘local costs’ (such as special dietary needs, which you usually pay for onboard). On the right side, you’ll find the ‘Booking Summary.’ After completing your preferences and necessary information click ‘Book now’ to finalize your booking.

  • Available
  • 2 or less available
  • On request
  • Not available
Departure date -

Choose preferred ship

Please select your cabin(s)


Prices & information

Pricing overview - 2023
Cabin type For April May - Sept.
Twin cabin lower deck 2 pers. € 1119 € 1169 Triple cabin, price 3rd person (max. 2, 3de bed only for a child) 3 pers. € 1059 € 1069 Twin for single use (max. 1) 1 pers. € 1643.50 € 1718.50
Pricing overview - 2024
Cabin type For April May - Sept.
Twin cabin 2 pers. € 1199 € 1249 Twin cabin for single use (max. 2) 1 pers. € 1798.50 € 1873.50 Triple cabin, price 3rd person (max. 2, 3de bed only for a child) 3 pers. € 1099 € 1149
Included in this tour
  • 8 days/7 nights
  • 7 x breakfast
  • Packed lunches
  • 6 x 3-course dinner
  • Coffee and tea on board
  • Welcome drink
  • Use of bed linen and towels
  • Daily cleaning of the cabin
  • Daily briefings by the tour leader
  • Fully guided cycling tours
  • Fees for ferries
  • BBT cycling map (1 per cabin)
  • GPS tracks
  • Use of a waterproof pannier bag
  • Biodegradable water bottle
  • Wi-Fi
  • Carbon offset payment to the non-profit organization Justdiggit
Excluded in this tour
  • 1x diner
  • Drinks
  • Bicycle rental or E-bike rental
  • Helmet rental
  • Personal insurances
  • Gratuities (at your discretion)
  • Entrance fees and excursions
  • Transfers to/from the docking place
  • Parking fees
  • SGR Insolvency protection
Bicycles/E-Bikes

Flora

  • On board are bicycles of the brand Trek X300 with easy-to-handle Shimano 24-speed gears, handbrakes, gel-saddle (height adjustable), a lock on the frame and a pannier bag. All bikes have 28 inch wheels.
    For large gentlemen (from 1.90m and above) we have a few traditional men’s models (with a horizontal bar) available.
  • The e-bike is a Trek TM2+ with 9 gears, 3 support levels and hand breaks only (or a comparable brand/model).

 

Gandalf

  • The bicycles on board are unisex city bikes of the brand Velo de Ville C100, with lightweight frames and normal mount (ladies model), with easy-to-handle Shimano 7 gears, hand brakes, 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 for smaller persons. For large gentlemen (from 1.90m and above) we have a few traditional men’s models (with a horizontal bar) available.
  • The e-bike is a Velo de Ville CEB 200 with Nexus 7 gears, 4 support levels and hand breaks only (or a comparable brand/model). E-bikes available (on request, limited stock, pending availability).

 

Sarah

  • The bicycles on board are touring/trekking bikes of the brand Velo de Ville with 7 speed and handbrakes, a lock and pannier bag.
  • E-Bikes of the brand Velo de Ville CEB 200 with Nexus 7 gears, 4 support levels and hand breaks only (or a comparable brand/model). E-Bikes are only on request, limited number available, early bookings strongly recommended.

 

All barges

  • Bicycle rent is optional. Guests are also allowed to bring their own bicycles/e-bikes (limited number of parking places available). Guests can book a parking place for a normal bicycle or a parking and charge station for an e-bike for a small additional fee. For safety reasons it is no longer possible to charge the batteries of your own e-bikes in the cabin. The crew will inform you where on deck/ on board you can recharge your battery. However, the crew or tour operators are in no way responsible for any damage, loss or theft of guests own bicycles or e-bikes.
  • Prices of other bikes (e.g. children’s bikes, “slip streamers”/tag-a-long, tandem bicycles etc. and child’s saddles (rear) are on request.

 

Additional options & information - 2023

2023:

  • Rental bicycle: € 90 per week
  • Rental E-Bike: € 195 per week (only on request, limited number available)
  • Helmets: A helmet can be rented for € 10 per week, only on prior reservation and payment.
  • Limitation of liability (damage) rental bicycle €10/week (only bookable in advance)
  • Limitation of liability (damage) rental e-bike €25/week (only bookable in advance)
  • Please click on this link for more information
  • Parking own bicycle: € 10 per week (only a limited number of parking places available: pref. reservation by booking)
  • Parking + charge station own E-Bike: € 25 per week (only a limited number of parking places available: pref. reservation by booking)
  • Please click on this link for more information about the rental and own bicycles/E-bikes
  • Canal cruise Amsterdam: Ticket for a 1-hour canal cruise through Amsterdam – special price for our guests: € 15 (at the ticket desk approx.: € 19). Please book your ticket in advance and you can collect it on board of your ship on the first day of the tour.
  • Parking in Amsterdam (valet parking): prices and pre-booking here.
Additional options & information - 2024

2024:

  • Rental bicycle: € 90 per week
  • Rental E-Bike: € 225 per week (only on request, limited number available)
  • Helmets: A helmet can be rented for € 10 per week, only on prior reservation and payment.
  • Limitation of liability (damage) rental bicycle €10/week (only bookable in advance)
  • Limitation of liability (damage) rental e-bike €25/week (only bookable in advance)
  • Please click on this link for more information
  • Parking own bicycle: € 10 per week (only a limited number of parking places available: pref. reservation by booking)
  • Parking + charge station own E-Bike: € 25 per week (only a limited number of parking places available: pref. reservation by booking)
  • Please click on this link for more information about the rental and own bicycles/E-bikes
  • Canal cruise Amsterdam: Ticket for a 1-hour canal cruise through Amsterdam – special price for our guests: € 16 (at the ticket desk approx.: € 19). Please book your ticket in advance and you can collect it on board of your ship on the first day of the tour.
  • Parking in Amsterdam (valet parking): prices and pre-booking here.


Reviews

based on 9 reviews on
30 Sep 2022

Robert McGuinness

After a year of planning and anticipation, we were excited to arrive in Amsterdam and board our barge. The vessel certainly met our expectations and the meals provided throughout the week were varied and first rate. The Captain and crew were extremely welcoming and attentive to our needs and our tour guide excelled in both her guidance and knowledge of the areas. Would we do another bike/boat vacation? Absolutely!

Reply from Boat Bike Tours 27 Oct 2022

Your review made our day, Robert. We are very happy to read your kind words, they mean a lot to our entire team, it makes our work worthwhile and gives us an incentive to keep doing what we do. We look forward to seeing you again soon. Best, Romy

16 Jul 2022

Bradford Farrar

The trip overall was a great experience. I have a suggestion for going forward. If possible try to have everyone speak the same language. Our guide and staff had to say everything twice because of the language issue. It also made table conversation impossible until we separated everyone by language. Our room only had half its electric outlets working. The captain said he wasn’t able to fix it. This type of problem could have been fixed when we were gone for 9 hours a day. The food was good and plentiful. No one left the table hungry. The self serve bar had an ample variety beer and wine. The staff were friendly and very helpful. There was a lot of biking; perhaps more than I expected. I was lucky I elected to get an ebike. There were time especially when the wind was howling on the nose that I was grateful I had pedal assist. The staterooms are functional. This is glamping. The rooms get hot and needed a fan which was supplied. I’ll never understand why the Europeans don’t supply sheets and a blanket for the beds. in that way you can layer your covers when you sleep. Instead all you get is quilt like covering that has two sheets and a filler between them. I asked and got the sheet thing with out the filler. Otherwise like the other guests we would sweat all night.

Reply from Boat Bike Tours 21 Jul 2022

Thank you very much for your feedback, we will definitely work on that as soon as possible. Hopefully we get to welcome you on board again soon! Team Boat Bike Tours

4 Oct 2019

Margaret Gleeson

Our tour on the Lena Maria was excellent. The chef Lars was excellent and we all looked forward to our meals each evening. The storage space in our cabins was very good. Our tour guide Thomas was very good although busy crossings at streets was often stressful having to bunch up and cross quickly. I realise we had a big group to keep together. The facilities for dining and lounging were good.

3 Oct 2019

Phillip (Brett) Smith

This was a wonderful trip and incredible value. The boat was well appointed and our room exceeded our expectations. Our chef made amazing meals and our tour guide was world class. So nice to have the E bike option for my wife and the bikes were well-maintained and of good quality. We rode on our own at a different pace from the rest of the guided tour. The mapping app made this extremely easy for us. We will most definitely use this company again on one of its numerous tour options.


Available ships for this tour

Boutique ship Flora Germany, Netherlands

Openable windows

Free coffee and tea 24/7

Storage space under the beds

Third bed available

max. 24 passengers
11 cabins
5 tours available with this ship
Boutique ship Gandalf Belgium, Netherlands

Openable windows in cabins

Generator

Third bed available

Two sun decks

max. 20 passengers
10 cabins
4 tours available with this ship
Boutique ship Sarah Netherlands

Openable windows in cabins

Covered sundeck

Third bed available

Cozy lounge space

max. 22 passengers
10 cabins
4 tours available with this ship

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Netherlands: Green Heart of Holland – Guided

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