Amsterdam and Bruges bike and boat - Magnifique II

The Netherlands by bike and boat from Amsterdam aboard the Magnifique II

This exceptional route takes you by bike between Holland and Belgium between Amsterdam and Bruges. Sail to the most beautiful cities in Flanders and the Netherlands like Dordrecht, Ghent or Antwerp. Pedal by day and cruise by night on the Magnifique II, a comfortable cruise ship.

Main interests:

• Amsterdam, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp
• the mills of Kinderdijk
• Explore the region of Flanders and its medieval towns
• Discovery of the Delta plan.

Day 1 - Amsterdam

Boarding the Magnifique II until 2 p.m. Take the time to explore the city after leaving your baggage in the cabin. Possibility to visit museums or go shopping. Return on board the boat at 5.30 p.m.

Day 2 - Amsterdam - Vianen / 36 or 46 km

First bike tour in the historic city of Amsterdam. Drive along the Vecht and admire the mansions, castles, typical houses and beautiful gardens. You can visit a cheese factory in Vreeland. Discovery of the villages of Loenen and Nieuwersluis. You arrive in Breukelen to join the boat. Departure to Vianen scheduled for 5 p.m. Dinner and overnight on board.

Day 3 - Vianen - Schoonhoven - Kinderdjik / 32 km or 56 km

Navigation: Kinderdjik - Dordrecht

You drive on a beautiful road to Schoonhoven, called Zilverstad ("Silver City"), a town renowned for its talented silver smiths since the 17th century. Then travel through the Alblasserwaard region to reach Kinderdijk, a village famous for its row of 19 large windmills, listed as a UNESCO cultural heritage. From Alblasserdam you will take the 'Waterbus', a fast ferry, which will take you with your bike near Dordrecht, one of Holland's oldest towns.

Day 4 - Dordrecht - Willemstad - Tholen / 36 or 44 km

Navigation: Tholen - Kreekrak Lock - Antwerp

While you have breakfast aboard the Magnificent II, it will sail to Willemstad where you will begin your cycling route. Willemstad is a beautiful old walled town on the Haringvliet Waterway. You cycle to Tholen, an ancient island in the middle of the great Zeeland streams, where many people used to fish for a living. Today, the city is connected to the mainland in various ways. But it is still a picturesque village with many vestiges of its turbulent past.

In the afternoon, return to the boat which will sail to the port city of Antwerp, located on the Scheldt. Antwerp is known to process up to 80% of the world's rough diamonds and it is an attractive city. Visit its town hall, one of the many buildings built during the Renaissance, the historic City Square Grote Market, Lieve-Vrouwe Cathedral and medieval Steen Castle. After dinner you can visit the beautiful historic city center.

Day 5 - Antwerp - Temse - St Amands / 34 or 49 km

This morning you will leave Antwerp by bicycle along a picturesque part of the Schelde River to Saint-Amands, where you will spend the night. The landscape is absolutely splendid. This is without a doubt one of the must-see points of your cycling trip.

Day 6 - St Amands - Dendermonde - Ghent / 52 km

Follow the Schelde river to Ghent where the ship will moor for the night as it leaves town. Since Roman times, Ghent's position at the junction of the Lys and the Scheldt has made it a prosperous trading port. The city has an opera house, 18 museums, over 100 churches and over 400 historic buildings! We advise you not to miss the Saint Bavo Cathedral, where a number of masterpieces of medieval art are kept, including the famous "Adoration of the mystical lamb" by Jan van Eyck and the belfry of 91 meters high of Ghent.

Before dinner, a small boat will take you on a guided tour of the historic city.

Day 7 - Ghent - Bruges / 22 or 45 km

Cycling tour from Ghent through the magnificent Flemish countryside of West Flanders to Bruges, described as the "Venice of the North" and arguably the most beautiful of all Flemish cities. Bruges attracts more than 2 million visitors each year who come to admire its medieval city center classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and many historical attractions. Do not hesitate to visit one of the many museums in Bruges or simply enjoy the amazing beauty and culture of this wonderful city over a coffee on the terrace.

Day 8 - Bruges

End of the tour after breakfast. Disembarkation until 9:30 am.

The Netherlands by bike and boat from Brugges aboard the Magnifique II

Day 1 : Bruges 15 km | Bruges - Ghent

You board the boat between 1:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. in the port of Bruges. After a welcome meeting with the crew, the ship departs at 2:00 p.m. You can try out cycling through the countryside around Bruges. During dinner the Magnifique sails to Ghent, an attractive bustling university town.
In the city center many old patrician houses have been preserved. Visit Saint Bavo's Cathedral, you can admire a number of masterpieces of medieval painting, including Jan van Eyck's 'The Adoration of the Lamb' which is the most famous.

We advise you to come to Bruges one or more days earlier, in order to have time to discover the city, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take the time to visit one of the many museums in Bruges or to enjoy the beauty of this unforgettable city.

Day 2 : Ghent - Dendermonde / St. Amands (40 km or 53 km)

In the morning you can spend time in Ghent. You will then take the bike through a varied landscape along the Schelde River to Dendermonde located at the confluence of the Dender and Schelde rivers. The landscape is splendid. You will travel from Dendermonde to Saint-Amands by bike or barge depending on the tides. Your floating hotel will be moored for the night in Saint-Amands

Day 3 : Saint-Amands - Temse - Antwerp (32 km or 49 km)

Today follow the Schelde River further downstream through the Temse region to Antwerp, your destination for the day. It is a port city renowned for processing up to 80% of the world's rough diamonds and the birthplace of famous painter Paul Rubens. To visit: the town hall, the historic City Square Grote Markt, the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe cathedral and the medieval Steen castle.

Day 4 : Antwerp

Today your ship remains in Antwerp. This means that you will have a whole day to discover this beautiful Flemish city. You can visit the Rubens House, the palace where the artist lived with his family. You will find some of his paintings to admire just a ten minute walk away in the “Onze Lieve Vrouwe (Notre Dame)” Cathedral.

Also visit the famous 'de Koninck' beer brewery and enjoy a tasting, explore the fascinating Museum on the Scheldt (MAS - Museum aan de Stroom) or go shopping in the welcoming shopping district of Antwerp. Evening dinner is not included and you can dine in the restaurant of your choice. Of course, the crew can provide restaurant recommendations.

Day 5 : Antwerp - Kreekrak locks | Locks of Kreekrak - Tholen (36 km or 20 km) | Tholen - Willemstad - Dordrecht

This morning the boat will sail along the Schelde-Rhine Canal and the huge Kreekrak lock system. Here your bike route begins through the beautiful “Wouwse Plantage” forest to Tholen, which was once an island in the middle of the great Zeeland streams. Today, Tholen is connected to the mainland in various ways. From Tholen, you will join the ship for an afternoon sailing to Dordrecht. Halfway, the ship passes the impressive Volkerak locking system.

Dordrecht, one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands is your destination for the day. The guide will accompany you on a night walk and tell you about the history of the Netherlands.

Day 6 : Dordrecht - Kinderdijk | Kinderdijk - Schoonhoven - Vianen (32 km or 57 km)

Today you will start your tour with the Waterbus, a fast ferry that will take you to Alblasserdam. You will arrive in Kinderdijk, the village famous for its impressive row of 19 UNESCO-listed windmills, built in the 18th century to pump water from the lower Alblasserwaard polder. You then cycle via Schoonhoven to Vianen, a small fortified town on the Lek (Bas-Rhin) river. You will spend the night here, so you can walk around after dinner.

Day 7 : Vianen - Breukelen | Breukelen - Amsterdam (36 km or 46 km)

During breakfast, the boat sails to Breukelen where you disembark to start your last day of cycling. Drive along the Vecht River in an area famous for its beautiful homes and large gardens. After passing through the villages of Nieuwersluis, Loenen and Vreeland, you will arrive in Nigtevecht where you can visit a traditional cheese factory. Drive through the historic town of Muiden and meet the boat for the last time in the port of Amsterdam.

Day 8 : Amsterdam

End of your visit: Disembarkation after breakfast until 9:30 am.

General information :

• 8 days and 7 nights
• Comfort level of the barge : Deluxe
• Spoken languages on board : English, Dutch and notions of French
• Child prices : please contact us

Dates :

Departure from Amsterdam, on Thursdays
From 06/05 to 07/10

• Low season : 07/10
• Mid season : 15 and 29/07, 12/08
• High season : 06 and 20/05, 03 and 17/06, 01/07, 26/08, 09 and 23/09

Departure from Bruges, on Thursdays

From 13/05 to 14/10

• Low season : 14/10
• Mid season : 08 and 22/07, 05 and 19/08
• High season : 13 and 27/05, 10 and 24/06, 02, 16 and 30/09

Included :

• Full board stay (picnic lunch)
• Travel documents : we will provide you with the information relating to the progress of your stay as well as the itinerary upon validation of your reservation, subject to change.
• Guided line tour

Not included :

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

Options :

• Bike rental
• Personal bike location (mandatory if no rented bike)
• 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 55 km of cycling per day, or about 3 to 4 hours of cycling.

Bibliography :

Guide and maps about the Netherlands on cartovelo.fr
Guide and maps about Belgium on cartovelo.fr

Participants :

On board, you will meet an international community of all ages.

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.
Each morning, if you wish, you can get benefit from advice on the route to follow and on additional tourist information.

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. There is no helmet on board.
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.

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 website Parking Centrum Oosterdok.

Cancellation insurance :

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

Boat description : click here.