Amsterdam to Bruges bike and boat tour – Holland meets Belgium

Itinerary of the bike and boat tour from Amsterdam to Bruges

Day 1 Saturday: Amsterdam individual arrival 10 km

Embarkation and checking in aboard the hotel barge. In the afternoon the barge crosses the Amsterdam centre and heads for the village of Oude Wetering. In the evening there’s a short testride on the bicycle.

Day 2: Oude Wetering – Gouda – 40 km

You enjoy an easy bike ride right through some real Dutch meadow lands and end your trip in cheese town Gouda. Free time in Gouda after your dinner. At most departures in April and May this day a visit to Flowerpark Keukenhof is planned, the cycling itinerary will be shorter.

Day 3: Kinderdijk – Willemstad – 40 km

The day starts with a nice sailing trip. On bike you visit the world famous windmills of Kinderdijk and the old Dutch town of Dordrecht. You embark the barge in the afternoon and sail to the beautiful walled town of Willemstad.

Day 4: Kreekrak-Antwerp – 45 km

Today the barge sails right across the impressive waterways of Zeeland. At the Kreekrak locks you’ll get on your bike to head for the lively town of Antwerp in Belgium. AIn the evening your guide invites you for a short city walk and you will have some free time to explore this lively port town.

Day 5: Antwerp – Dendermonde – 50 km

You cycle out of Antwerp for a ride through the pretty Flemish countryside alongside the river Schelde. You spend the night in the provincial town of Dendermonde.

Day 6: Dendermonde – Ghent – 50 km

The river Schelde is a tidal river and thus the barge may have to wait for the high tide to continue. Therefore you disembark and cycle directly to the old city of Ghent. The tour leader will invite you for a walk across the wonderful town centre.

Day 7: Free day – no cycling

By train you go to Bruges and your tour leader will make you acquainted with this unique town. Till halfway the afternoon you are free to discover Bruges. You return to Ghent by train. In the months of April and May a ride through the centre of Bruges in a horse-drawn carriage is planned.

Day 8: Bruges – Amsterdam – End of the bike and boat trip

Check out and transfer by bus to the Amsterdam airport.

Reverse itinerary of the bike and boat tour from Bruges to Amsterdam

Day 1 Saturday: Amsterdam individual-Transfer to Ghent

Transfer by bus from Amsterdam Airport to Ghent in Belgium. Embarkation and checking in aboard the hotel barge. The tour leader will invite you for a walk across the wonderful town centre.

Day 2: Bruges – Dendermonde – 15 km

By train you go to Bruges and your tour leader will make you acquainted with this unique town. In the months of April and May a ride through the centre of Bruges in a horse-drawn carriage is planned (see: exclusive). Till halfway the afternoon you are free to discover Bruges. By train you go to Dendermonde where the barge will stay for the night. In the evening there’s a short test ride in and around Dendermonde.

Day 3: Dendermonde – Antwerp – 50 km

From Dendermonde you ride through the pretty Flemish countryside alongside the river Schelde to Antwerp. In the afternoon your guide invites you for a short city walk and afterwards you have free time to explore the town centre. In the evening you may wish to visit some bars and have a good taste of Belgian beers.

Day 4: Antwerp – Kreekrak – 45 km

In the morning we will cycle from Antwerp over the Belgian-Dutch border to the large Kreekrak locks. From there a sailing trip over the wide waterways of Zeeland takes you to the beautiful walled town of Willemstad.

Day 5: Dordrecht – Gouda – 40 km

The first stretch of today’s route you will sail aboard your hotel ship. On bike you visit the beautiful old Dutch town of Dordrecht and the world famous windmills of Kinderdijk. The overnight stay is in the cheese town of Gouda, where you may wish to join your tour leader for a short city walk in the evening.

Day 6: Gouda – Oude Wetering – 50 km

You enjoy an easy bike ride right through some real Dutch meadowlands and end your trip in a small village called Oude Wetering. At most departures in April and May this day a visit to Flowerpark Keukenhof is planned (see: exclusive), the cycling itinerary will be shorter. You may enjoy the quietness of the rural Dutch countryside before you arrive in busy Amsterdam tomorrow.

Day 7: Oude Wetering – Amsterdam – 45 km

On the banks of the river Amstel you cycle in the direction of and then across the Amsterdam town centre to the mooring place of your barge. In the afternoon there’s time to explore the lively Dutch capital and do some shopping. In the evening there’s a city walk and you may wish to make a roundtrip of the famous Amsterdam canals.

Day 8: Amsterdam – End of the bike and boat trip

End of your bike and barge tour and check out.

Ship Clair of Lune

Since May 2014 Marco Pouw and his wife Astrid are the new owners of the barge CLAIR DE LUNE. This pretty ship has been sailing before under the names ‘Steile Bank’ and ‘Summerjazz’. The ship has been beautifully renovated and is now equipped for the Bike & Barge tour ‘Paris & Beyond’. Five cabins have each 2 split-level beds, 3 cabins have a double bed and one cabin is for single use. All cabins are provided with private facilities. Marco Pouw has a lot of experience as a captain on freighters sailing in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. He enjoys meeting and chatting to passengers from all over the world.

Ship Tijdgeest

Since 1897 the TIJDGEEST has been sailing with tourists, in the early years as a passenger ship on the river Rhine in Germany. More than 100 years later, in 1998, the ship has been completely renovated and rebuild into a nice hotel ship. Our ship TIJDGEEST is clasified as class B. On the lower deck you’ll find the cabins, all with private facilities. A number of cabins are provided with twin beds, in other cabins one sleeps in a bunk bed. On the upperdeck a very spacious living/dining room with panoramic view. This ship is mostly booked for bike & boat holidays but can also be booked as a party ship.

What´s included in the boat and bike trip?