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Find your tourLevel 1: easy tours, very flat terrain
The duration of the tour
It doesnβt get any better than the Southern Tour of Holland on board your home away from home, ships De Amsterdam or De Holland. 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 β the countryβs βGreen Heartβ. It is here that you will see a landscape of water, meadows, grazing cows, windmills and picturesque farmsβ¦ 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 βtypicalβ central Holland as is possible in one week. What you will come away with at the end of the tour β¦
Monday to Friday
Amsterdam: 08:30 to 22:00
New York: 6:00AM to 7:00PM
It doesnβt get any better than the Southern Tour of Holland on board your home away from home, ships De Amsterdam or Arkona. 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 β the countryβs βGreen Heartβ.
It is here that you will see a landscape of water, meadows, grazing cows, windmills and picturesque farmsβ¦ 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 βtypicalβ 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. As well as being able to discover the natural beauty of Hollandβs Green Heart you will visit:
Other attractions over the course of the tour include the cheese city of Gouda, the windmills at Kinderdijk (Unesco World Heritage Site), the silver city of Schoonhoven, the dunes and beaches of the North Sea coastline and the open air museum βZaanse Schansβ.
The ship β 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. Youβll receive a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. Itβs 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.
You cycle independently
During this trip there is an expert and experienced tour leader on board. He or she will discuss the next dayβs cycling routes on a daily basis and provide you with tips and information about the route. You will cycle the tours independently and at your own pace using a detailed cycling map, GPS directions via the free Ride With GPS app and printed route descriptions (available on board). The tour leader will also cycle the routes, so they will be riding nearby and can be reached by phone in case of emergencies, problems or questions.
Embarkation and check-in between 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. in Amsterdam. Take the opportunity to go shopping, to explore downtown Amsterdam, to make a canal cruise or to visit a museum. At 5 p.m. welcome drink and safety instructions. Dinner and first briefing on board. First night on board in Amsterdam.
Your first cycling tour starts in Breukelen. Youβll tour along the beautiful and winding river Vecht with its enchanting background of imposing castles, country houses and quaint tearooms. You will follow the Vecht into the center of Utrecht where you will have the opportunity to explore the beautiful historical city center: the Dom Cathedral with its tower, the canals, special shops and nice cafes. In the afternoon you will continue by ship from Utrecht to Rotterdam.
Today you will cycle via the βjenever cityβ of Schiedam and through the Delfland area to Delft, famous, of course, 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.
Today you can cycle the first part or the βwaterbusβ will take you and your bicycle to Alblasserdam. After just a few minutes of cycling you will reach Kinderdijk (UNESCO cultural heritage, with its impressive row of 19 large windmills). You then have the choice between a longer cycling tour with a visit to the beautiful cheese city of Gouda and a short cycling tour through the Alblasserwaard. Both tours end in the βsilver cityβ of Schoonhoven, where you can visit a silversmith.
*On some departures, the night in Schoonhoven is not possible. The ship will dock in the cheese city of Gouda instead. All cycling highlights will remain in the program.
Today you will cycle from Schoonhoven through the beautiful βGreen Heartβ 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.
Today you can choose from 2 cycling tours. 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 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.
* Departures dates between March 27 and incl. May 3: From Haarlem you have the opportunity to visit the world famous Tulip exhibition park βKeukenhofβ in Lisse (by bicycle or public transport; transfers/tickets/entrance fee not included).
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 βTwiskeβ back to Amsterdam. The afternoon and evening are yours to enjoy everything Amsterdam has to offer. If you didnβt go for a canal tour on the first day, you will have the opportunity to do so today.
End of your tour: Disembarkation after breakfast until 9.30 a.m.
The rental bikes on our ships are unisex bicycles with a low bar and a comfortable upright sitting position. These are stable and dependable bikes, good for miles in the saddle. Decide which kind of bike you want to rent and simply fill in your preference with your reservation. Weβll make sure you get the right bike for you. On most of our tours, the bike rental cost is not included in the tourβs price.
Every Boat Bike Tour rental bike is well equipped. The bikes consist of a lightweight aluminum frame and have highly-responsive handbrakes, at least seven speeds, an adjustable gel seat, normal flat pedals (no clips), an easy-to-use lock attached to the frame, and special puncture-resistant tires. All told, this is a light, stable and reliable bike, very suitable for touring long distances pleasantly.
Our e-bikes also have at least seven speeds and handbrakes. The motor runs on a 400Wh battery and offers three levels of power-assistance. The e-bikes include comfortable gel seats that can be adjusted for height, have a lock attached to the frame, and sport anti-puncture tires. Note that some of the ships have their own bikes on board. They may look a bit different, but qualitatively they are equal to Boat Bike Toursβs e-bikes.
Bicycle helmets
The use of bicycle helmets is not required in the Netherlands, but for safetyβs sake they are suggested. If you wish to rent one, you can do so during the booking process. If you book a premium tour and rent a bike or e-bike, then the helmet and a βlimit of liability for damage or lossβ for your bike or e-bike is included in the rental price.
Other rental items
Other items such as childrenβs bikes, tandems, family tandems (child & adult), tag-along, trailers to carry toddlers and child seats are available on request.
Taking your own bike or e-bike?
The fee for parking your own bicycle is β¬10 per week. For an e-bike the fee is β¬25 to cover parking and charging the battery. For safety reasons it is not always possible to charge your e-bike batteries in your cabin. The crew will tell you where you can charge the battery on board the ship. Neither the crew nor Boat Bike tours is responsible in any way for any damage, loss or theft of a guestβs own bike or e-bike or its accessories. Note: not all the ships are suitable or have enough room for extra bikes, so make sure you check with us well ahead of travel.
Our bicycles have a lightweight aluminum frame and are furnished with highly-responsive handbrakes, at least seven speeds and a gel seat whose height can be adjusted. Attached to the frame is an easy-to-use lock and the wheels carry puncture-resistant tires.
Our e-bikes also have highly-responsive handbrakes and a minimum of seven speeds. The motor runs on a 400Wh battery and offers three levels of power-assistance. The e-bikes include comfortable gel seats that can be adjusted for height, have a lock attached to the frame and special anti-puncture tires.
It is possible to take your own bike or e-bike with you, as long as it doesnβt have mirrors or other elements that stick out. Thereβs only limited space available on board for guestsβ bikes. You can reserve a place for your bike for a small fee. Boat Bike tours is not responsible for damage to your bike or for theft.
2026:
Explore our Loyalty Discount!
After your tour, youβll receive an exclusive discount code:
Check your post-tour email for details. You can combine this discount with other promotions for additional savings. Join us again for another adventure by boat and bike!
The Netherlands is a paradise for cycling and sailing enthusiasts. Discover more tours in the Netherlands with routes through tulip fields, historic cities, and scenic countryside.
| 5 star | 75 (63%) | |
| 4 star | 38 (32%) | |
| 3 star | 6 (5%) | |
| 2 star | 0 (0%) | |
| 1 star | 0 (0%) |
We were thinking the food would be just ok, but it was really good. The daily rides gave us different scenery each day which was beautiful. We were very lucky in that our weather was outstanding (chilly mornings, a lot of sun). Only the final day threatened rain, and had high winds, so that was a challenge, but ok. Tour guides were very friendly. Ship staff excellent. The bike paths in the Netherlands are outstanding. We will definitely do another tour with this company.
The ship staff and bike leaders were terrific, as were the bike routes chosen for us to ride through towns and cities including an UNESCO site and National Park trails. The walking tour of Rotterdam was a plus. The cabin rooms were comfortable, with hospitality tidying up each day while we we out riding.
This was my first river cruise ever and I loved combining it with the biking in such a fantastic, bike-friendly, and beautiful place. I found guide Franklin to be helpful, upbeat, encouraging, and mostly realistic regarding riding conditions due to weather. Hotel Manager Bogdan was very helpful in relocating us in a room that didnβt smell of headache-inducing petroleum-based byproduct. I was willing to stick it out, but he offered another cabin when I had rather given up. The staff were friendly, funny, and efficient. Our group was surprised by the coffee protocolβit felt like coffee was an exceedingly rare commodity, to be enjoyed only on schedule and in modest quantities. Overall, this was a verbazend experience!
This tour was wonderful! The crew went out of their way to make my trip exceptional. Thank you!
Thank you for your kind feedback. Weβre glad to hear you had a great experience and felt well looked after by the crew. We hope to welcome you on board again in the future. Kind regards, Boat Bike Tours
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