Cycle tour from Amsterdam to Bruges

Your cycling tour from Amsterdam to Bruges:

Day 1 : Arrival in Amsterdam

Your bicycle holiday starts in Amsterdam, famous for its gorgeous 400-year-old canal district; museums; street artists and performers on Dam, Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein; This city is brimming with things to see and do and you couldn’t wish for a more dynamic beginning to your holiday. Try to arrive early so you have time to admire the elegant tree-lined canals and tall narrow townhouses and warehouses dating from the 17th century (World Heritage Site).

Please note that a minimum stay of 2 nights in a row could be required in the hotel in Amsterdam on some special dates : please contact us.

Day 2 : Amsterdam - Gouda | 80 km

Plunge into the peace and quiet of the “Groene Hart” or Green Heart, a pleasant rural area of low-lying polder. It’s a flat, open, spacious landscape where church spires and windmills touch the horizon and clouds are reflected in lakes and canals. We recommend an evening stroll around the old part of town to soak up the yesteryear atmosphere and marvel at the large and attractive market square.

Day 3 : Gouda - Papendrecht | 38 km

Hit the trail once again and head for the village of Kinderdijk where nineteen majestic windmills present a unique spectacle. In the age of wind, they were used to drain excess water out of the low-lying polder up into the River Lek. One of the mills is open to the public. Your destination, Papendrecht, is just a ferry crossing away from of one of Holland’s oldest towns; Dordrecht. Dordrecht is completely surrounded by water. The area around the marina is a true gem.

The hotel in Papendrecht is just 3km outside the center of Dordrecht on the north banks of the river.

Day 4 : Papendrecht - Wilemstad | 65 km

The result of a major flood in 1421, Biesbosch is one of the few remaining wetland habitats in Europe where the ecosystem has adapted both to saltwater coming in from the sea through tidal creeks, and to freshwater coming down in the rivers. It’s an ever-changing labyrinth of creeks and riverlets encompassing countless little islands of willow woods and reeds, a paradise for birds.

Please note you will only cycle through de Biesbosch park on days that the ferry departs. This ferry does not go daily. If the ferry
does not go you follow an alternative route.

Day 5 : Willemstad – Schuddebeurs | 50 km

Today you will enter Zeeland, a province of the Netherlands marked by light, wind, water and lots of space. It is made up of islands so bridges and ferries will be carrying you across the waters as you drift down towards Belgium (not included – to be reserved online in advance via https://www.westerscheldeferry.nl). Picture-book towns with ancient houses and cobbled streets are lined up for the coming days. Traverse a patchwork landscape of vast polders, idyllic countryside, rolling dunes and golden sand flats.

Day 6 : Schuddebeurs – Middelburg/Vlissingen | 43 km

A wander down the narrow streets of Zierikzee is an absolute delight. Quaint little old houses take you back in time to the town’s glory days when ships set sail to sell salt, wool, fish, grain and red dye as far afield as the Baltic and the Mediterranean. This contract brought the town not only prosperity but also a very lively Scottish expat community that stayed for 300 years. Cruising further south, you will discover the nostalgic splendour of the city of Middelburg, capital of Zeeland. At the end of the day, amble down to the beach in Vlissingen to watch the sun set into the sea.

Day 7 : Middelburg/Vlissingen – Bruges | 66 km

After a hearty breakfast, hop on a ferry boat to Zeelandic Flanders with its winding country roads, pollard willows, wet meadows and scattered villages. Having crossed the border into Belgium, you will reach the charming little town of Damme on the banks of the romantic Damse Vaart. From here, it’s only a short stretch to Bruges, known as the pearl of Flanders!

Day 8 : Departure during the day