Southern tour bike and boat on Wending

Holland by bike and by boat between Amsterdam and Rotterdam on the Wending

Discover the green and cultural heart of Holland by bike for an unforgettable stay. Take a leap back to the 17th century and imagine yourself in the center of Haarlem, Leiden or Delft. In these historic towns you can visit museums and follow in the footsteps of great Dutch painters like Vermeer, Rembrandt and Van Gogh. On board the Wending, you will see one of the largest seaports in the world, Rotterdam. Then you can admire the impressive 18 mills of Kinderdijk, built around 1750 and indispensable for the polders. A visit to Amsterdam will complete this one-of-a-kind trip!

Highlights of the stay:

• Historic towns Haarlem, Leiden, Delft
• Gouda, city of cheese
• The world port of Rotterdam
• The 18 windmills of Kinderdijk

Day 1 - Amsterdam

Boarding between 12h30 p.m. and 1.30 p.m and navigation to Spaarndam then bike to Haarlem for about 15 km.
On board, drop your belongings in the cabin then meet the guide, the captain and his crew as well as the other passengers.
This first river ride takes you to Spaarndam where you make your first cycle tour to the city of Haarlem. Back on board, the week's program will be detailed for you at dinner time.

Day 2 - Haarlem - over the dunes - Leiden. 38/48 km

Today visit the streets of Haarlem and the “Cruquius Gemaal” (Cruquius Pumping Station) which is one of the three steam pumping stations that regulated the level of Lake Haarlemmer between 1849 and 1852. Then drive along from the dunes to the beach.

Day 3 - Leiden - Delft. 41 km

Leave the city heading south and walk along the Vliet canal. In Voorschoten you set off towards the “Wassenaarse Slag” coast. You can go to the beach by Meijendel in the south or by Wassenaar. The route to Delft takes you along the canals to the ancient medieval city, a magnificent town hall and the royal tomb of the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church of Amsterdam).

Day 4 - Delft

Free day. You can stay in Delft to explore the old center and / or visit The Hague using public transport.
Delft is a beautiful city to discover, famous for the blue color of its pottery. You can learn all about the painter Vermeer at the Vermeer center or visit the Nieuwe Kerk. From the Nieuwe Kerk, the view is impressive!

Day 5 - Delft - navigation to Rotterdam / Kinderdijk - then bike to Gouda. 42 km

The first part of the route is done by river to admire the modern architecture of the center of Rotterdam and its famous port. The cycle route starts in Kinderdijk until reaching the Alblasserwaard region. This region is completely surrounded by water, its name comes from the river that crosses it: Alblas. The numerous floods have made water management an essential element in this marsh.
The long route passes through the “stork village” of Groot-Ammers, crosses the Lek river and then continues into Schoonhoven, a town known for its silver industry. The route ends in Gouda. Who says Gouda, known for its cheese and its "stroopwafels" (Dutch wafers), its pottery, or its stained glass windows.

Day 6 - Gouda - Oude Wetering. 45 km

From Gouda you drive through country lanes, canals, polders, to Uithoorn. Here, people used to depend on agriculture and animal husbandry, which has become increasingly difficult due to subsidence of the soil.
A polder was built around 1885 and several fortifications around Uithoorn, as part of Amsterdam's defense line. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a circle of nearly 135 km of fortifications around Amsterdam.

Day 7 - Oude Wetering - Amsterdam. 45 km

Cycle through the polders, along the Waver River and the Amstel River. The name Amsterdam, derived from Amstelredamme, indicates that the city was originally a dam (dam) of the Amstel.
You enter Amsterdam along the Amstel. The wide network of cycle paths allow you an easy and pleasant return to the city, and you can see remarkable sites in the center.
It's time to leave your bikes. Before and / or after the farewell dinner, you can still walk around the city center or navigate the canal thanks to the many boats offering this service.

Day 8 - Amsterdam

The trip ends with breakfast (before 10am).

Due to the navigation plan, the route may be reversed or changed.

General information :

• 8 days and 7 nights
• Comfort level of the barge : Standard
• Child prices : please contact us

Dates :

Departure dates 2024 : 

• 20/06/2024

Included :

• Full board (picnic lunch)
• coffee and tea on board
• tour guide
• at least 3 guided city tours
• free wifi (limited to the lounge and on the deck)
• road book in English 
• gps tracks on request 

Not included :

• Transport to the place of departure
• Personal expenses
• Visits

Options :

• Bike rental (helmet included)
• Theft insurance for rented bikes
• Cancellation insurance
• Extra night(s) at the start or end of the tour in a hotel in Amsterdam

Level :

1 2 3 4 5 6

Ground :

Flat, very smooth roads and paths. 90% program on cycle paths.

Weather :

Contrary to popular belief, the temperature in the Netherlands is similar to the temperature in France. Near the coast, the weather is sometimes windy.

Technicality :

0 to 49 km of cycling per day, or about 3 to 4 hours of cycling.

Bibliography :

Guide and maps about the Netherlands on cartovelo.fr

Participants :

On board, you will meet an international community of all ages, men, women, singles and couples with children. We offer boats with 20 to 26 places in cabins of 2 and 3 people.

Accompaniment :

People responsible for your bike and boat holidays are : 
On board, the captain and his mate. They are responsible for the smooth running of the vacation on the boat, and bring the boat from stage to stage. The cook prepares the meals.
Participants are accompanied by a guide. This will help you in the event of a breakdown, advise you on the route to follow and give you the necessary tourist information. He or she is multilingual.

Meals :

Breakfast : on board, you will find a substantial and dutch breakfast, worthy of a cyclist.
Lunch : after the breakfast, you will prepare by yourself a “lunch” (sandwich, fruit, snack, drinks).
Snack : after the daily route, you will find, when you arrive on the boat, various drinks such as tea and coffee prepared for your return, with a cake.
Dinner : at least three very good quality dishes. After dinner, you will have a choice of coffee and tea.
Other drinks, such as wine, beer, lemonade and mineral water, are not included but can be purchased on board at a reasonable price.

Bike :

At the beginning, on Saturday afternoon, a bike corresponding to your height, will be assigned to you. After a test ride, you will sign a receipt. The bike (21-speed bike) will be at your disposal all week until Friday afternoon, when the bike is handed over. The bike will be fitted with panniers as well as an anti-theft device, a container and a tire repair kit. If you prefer a 7-speed bike, please let us know (this must be specified when booking). It will not be possible to order a bicycle once on the boat. If you take your own bike, it cannot be insured against theft by our company, you will have to make the necessary arrangements with your usual insurer. Do not forget your anti-theft. The return of your bike will be at your expense.

Personal electric bikes not allowed on board.

Transport : 

By train : the departure towns for the bike and boat tours are served by the railway.
Amsterdam train station is very well connected : several trains daily run to and from France.
Thalys is faster.
By plane : AMSTERDAM international airport.

Your vehicle : 

We strongly advise against parking cars on the streets of Amsterdam. Information on guarded parking lots in the city can be found on the following website : https://parkingcentrumoosterdok.nl.

Cancellation insurance :

In order to guarantee the refund of costs in the event of cancellation of your stay, you can take out cancellation insurance. 

Board description : click here.