Pearls of Holland Cycling

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7 Days from

USD 1,749

Cycling

Ways to Travel :

Self-Guided Holidays

Activity :

Cycling

Activity Levels :

2 out of 7 - Leisurely / Moderate

Group Size :

1 - 12

Ages :

12+

Trip Code :

C06HP

Discover the cities of Amsterdam, Haarlem, Leiden, Delft and Gouda with easy cycling between.

Discover the Pearls of Holland on this mostly gentle circular cycling trip, starting and ending in the delightful city of Amsterdam with its UNESCO World Heritage canal ring area, its bustling squares and cultural hotspots, including the Anne Frank and Van Gogh museums. The varied countryside of Holland beckons with a mix of rectangular polders (low-lying land reclaimed from rivers and protected by dykes), woodland, country estates and wild gardens. Cycle through beautiful traditional villages, past windmills and farmhouses and on to the famous flower fields near Haarlem (visit in April and early May for the full effect of the blooms).

As well as Amsterdam and the archetypal countryside of the Netherlands, you get to explore the cities of Haarlem, Leiden, Delft and Gouda, all with their own histories and cultural characters. Haarlem has a wealth of culture with the Frans Hals museum a must-see for art lovers with works from the Dutch Golden Age, as well as plenty of shopping, cafes and restaurants to choose from. The Keukenhof botanical gardens are worth a visit with over 7 million flowers in spring. Leiden is Holland's oldest university town and has a lively events calendar and canals, monuments windmills and museums offer some great sightseeing. Delft is world famous for its Delftware, the blue and white hand-painted pottery, but was also home to the artist Vermeer. Gouda, as well as being the venue for the famous summer cheese market (Thursday mornings April - August), has a fabulous, gothic town hall in the main square, romantic canals and even more food options with warm syrup waffles - perfect to try after a day of cycling. All the better to prepare you for the route back to Amsterdam.

Highlights

Discover the cities of Amsterdam, Haarlem, Leiden, Delft and Gouda with easy cycling between
Visit the Van Gogh and Vermeer museums, Delft potteries and the Gouda cheese market
If travelling in April and early May take in Holland's famous Tulip fields

Key Information

6 nights hotel to hotel accommodation in a mix of 3* & 4* hotels
5 days cycling
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
E-bike hire available on request (supplement applies)

Countries visited: The Netherlands

What's Included

All breakfasts
Luggage transfers
Route notes and maps
Hybrid bike hire

What's Not Included

Dinners
Travel insurance
Single accommodation (available on request)
Visas or vaccinations
Arrival & departure transfers
Upgrade to e-bike

5 Days of Cycling

Terrain:

Cycle paths and tarmac roads

Day 2

30 km / 18.6 miles

Day 3

43 km / 26.7 miles

Day 4

29 km / 18 miles

Day 5

34 km / 21.1 miles

Day 6

79 km / 49.1 miles

Itinerary

Wander around the iconic and surprisingly peaceful 17th century canal ring area of the city (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). For hustle and bustle, make your way to the city's famous squares or head off the beaten track along Brouwersgracht. Alternatively find out what the city looks like from the canals.
Stay at the Westcord Art Hotel with breakfast.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Get an early start today and beat the queues at the Van Gogh or Anne Frank museum. Then, say 'farewell” or “tot ziens!” to Amsterdam and ride through Kennemerland with its lovely variety of countryside, from vast polders and country estates to woods and beautiful peatland. The attractive city centre of Haarlem offers a wealth of shopping, art and culture, or the option to just relax in cafes and restaurants.
In April and early May, you have the option of cycling a longer route of c.60 km where you can see the tulip fields today.
Stay at the Hotel Lion d'Or with breakfast.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Downtown Haarlem is worth exploring - discover the city’s hidden 'hofjes” (squares of tiny almshouses set around idyllic courtyards) and the Frans Hals Museum for Dutch Golden Age artworks. Continue on your journey to Leiden through the colourful Dune and Bulb Region. To capture the bulb flower fields in their full splendour try to time this holiday before mid-May. Tulips, crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths are grown here commercially, for bulb export, and temporarily transform the landscape into one of the country’s best-loved tourist attractions. Should you want to spend a day at world famous Keukenhof flower exhibition, we recommend you book an extra night in Leiden. Leiden is Holland’s oldest university town and has a very busy cultural events calendar with a friendly city centre of canals, monuments, windmills and museums. The historical botanical gardens are definitely worth a visit.
Stay at the Best Western Hotel Leiden with breakfast.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today provides typically Dutch scenery with orderly, man-made rectangles in the polders (mostly peatland reclamations). You pedal past shining lakes, green pastures, old windmills and farmhouses on your way to the famous city of Delft. The melancholy charm of this historical city is breath-taking. Most will associate Delft with its blue and white hand-painted pottery: Delftware, however it was also home to painter Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675). The Vermeer Centre gives illuminating insights into his life, works and city (no original paintings on show here).
Stay at the Best Western Museumhotel with breakfast.

Meals Included: Breakfast

This stretch takes you through the Green Heart of Holland - a stronghold against urban sprawl. Balance your way along the top of polder dikes, delight in characteristic villages, far horizons and pleasingly strict rectangles cut by ditches in fields of vibrant green. As you wander around the city of Gouda at the end of the day, don’t miss the gothic town hall (1450); the Weighing House (1667); the romantic inner-city canals and the stained glass windows in St. John’s Church. Gouda is also famous for making syrup waffles (try one hot!) and candles. If you’re travelling in Summer, plan your trip so that you can witness the traditional Thursday morning cheese market at the start of Day 6 (early April till last Thursday in August).
Stay at the Best Western Hotel Gouda with breakfast.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Set off on the longest cycling leg today and bird lovers bring your binoculars! Once again, switch on your five senses to fully enjoy the characteristic countryside of the Green Heart. Drift past meadows, lakes and small villages whilst enjoying the wind in the rushes, the clouds reflected in the lakes and the picturesque River Amstel as you wend your way back to Amsterdam. Why not sample the famous Dutch style apple tart with your coffee en route?
Should the prospect of 80 km be rather daunting, opt to split this leg by booking an extra night in Woerden (making two legs: 43 km and 49 km).
Stay at the Westcord Art Hotel with breakfast.

Meals Included: Breakfast

After a hearty breakfast, depart Amsterdam.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Essential Info

Visa

The Netherlands

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter the Netherlands. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

Vaccination

The Netherlands

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, rabies (bat lyssavirus) and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Eating and Drinking

All breakfasts are included.

There are plenty of treats to be tried during your trip in the Netherlands with local specialities including stroopwafels, cheese and beer.

Is this trip for you?

Cycling Conditions
Classification: Self-Guided
Average daily distance: 43km (27 miles).
No. of days cycling: 5
Terrain and route: The suggested cycling mainly follows quiet cycling routes and tarmac roads. The terrain is mainly flat which means the distances achieved each day can be longer. Alternative shorter routes are available for day 6 with an extra day added if needed.

Vehicle Support: This is a self-guided trip for those who prefer to cycle independently, but with our assistance to take out the stress of the logistics and planning. We arrange your accommodations, provide you with a map and route notes so that you can cycle at your own pace, while your bags are transported from one hotel to the next. Your bikes will be delivered to the start hotel, all set up relevant to your height and ready to go. Our local agent will be on call throughout the trip should you need.

It is important that you are happy reading maps and following route notes, we make these as accurate as possible and they are regularly checked. Where possible we stick to cycle tracks and quiet roads to make the journeys as pleasant as possible, however, on occasion we have to use busier routes into larger towns and cities.

As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There maybe others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. The route notes contain a 24-hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the local agent is normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service.

Families
Self-guided cycling holidays are a perfect option for families as they offer the freedom for you to take your holiday at your own pace. You can stop as and when you want and need, at the cafes and restaurants that suit your family and the sites that interest you. We have suggested that 12yrs is the minimum age for this trip, but as it is self-guided and you will be leading your own family we will ultimately leave this decision up to you. The daily distances are all published in the trip notes along with a description of each day's cycling so you have a good idea of what to expect. However, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact one of our experts. The principle idea is that these holidays can be as flexible as you like, with logistical support but no group or leader to dictate the daily activities. Please consider the weather when choosing to book, temperatures can be high in the middle of summer.