Bike and Barge
Amsterdam and the Southern Tour

Individual arrival in Amsterdam. Embarkation is from 2 to 4:30 p.m.: the captain and crew will welcome you aboard the riverboat, ready to start your week on the pedals. We recommend that you take advantage of your free time in the afternoon for an initial tour of the center of the bustling capital: along the “canal ring” admire the architecture of the Dutch Golden Age and then detour to the famous Dam Square.

Your first biking leg starts from Breukelen, a picturesque town on the outskirts of Utrecht. Start cycling along the course of the winding Vecht River among imposing castles and country houses. The course of the river leads you to Utrecht and its charming old town, which you’ll have time to explore. Be enchanted by its canals, small shops and quaint cafes, all the way to the city’s cathedral and its tower, from the top of which, on sunny days, you can see Amsterdam. In the afternoon, you’ll be back on the barge for the passage to Rotterdam. This city with a strong modern soul was almost entirely destroyed by World War II bombings and then rebuilt between the 1950s and 1970s.

*There is the possibility to shorten the stage by 20 kilometers.

Today, a circular bike tour around Rotterdam awaits you. Start cycling in the direction of Delft, passing through Schiedam, “the city of Gever,” the ancient Dutch spirit, considered the father of gin. When you arrive in Delft, a town famous for its distinctive blue pottery, you can visit its charming old town among small canals, bridges and picturesque alleys. In Delft, we recommend an interesting visit to the Royal Delft factory, the only remaining manufacturer of traditional pottery in the city. In the afternoon, return to Rotterdam and after dinner you can enjoy a leisurely stroll through its modern neighborhoods of skyscrapers and cubic houses.

In the morning, you set off for Alblasserdam, which you can choose to reach on your bike or by waterbus. From here, a short ride takes you to Kinderdijk, a traditional village, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its 19 traditional windmills. From Kinderdijk you can choose between two routes to complete the stage: a shorter one through the green Alblasserwaard region or a longer one (60 kilometers), passing through the famous cheese town of Gouda. In either case, your day on the pedals ends in Schoonhoven, where the boat awaits you for an overnight stay.

*There is the possibility to shorten the bike stage by about 30 kilometers.

Today’s stage runs through the “Green Heart” of Holland: pedaling along quiet roads and through quaint rural villages to Utrecht. On the way, you can visit a traditional dairy and in downtown Oudewater, the Witches Weigh House, where people accused of being witches in the 16th and 17th centuries could prove their innocence by being weighed. The story goes that women who weighed less than 50 kilograms were accused of witchcraft because they were light enough to fly on a broomstick. In the late afternoon, the boat takes you from Utrecht to Haarlem, the city of flowers, jazz and sports, also famous for its characteristic Hofjes, housing complexes grouped around a courtyard.

This day on the bike is dedicated to the North Sea in the fascinating coastal region of Kennemerland in northeastern Holland. You’ll cycle through a magnificent natural landscape of dunes, where a variety of bird species can be spotted. Reach the renowned seaside resorts of Bloemendaal and Zandvoort and then return through verdant forests to Haarlem. Before returning, it’s possible to extend the route about by 10 kilometers to the Cruquius pumping station, the largest steam engine in the world. During dinner, the boat takes you to Zaandam.

*There is the possibility to shorten the bike stage by about 10 kilometers.

In the morning you set off on your final bike ride to Zaanse Schans, a unique open-air museum structured as a small village with windmills, farms that produce cheese, and a wooden shoe factory. After the visit, you’ll cycle on to Amsterdam, where the barge awaits you for your final overnight stay.

*There is the possibility to shorten the bike stage by about 20 kilometers.

Unfortunately, the holiday is over… You’ll disembark after breakfast, until 9.30 a.m. Say goodbye to the crew and your fellow passengers. Goodbye Holland and see you again soon!