Description

Cycling Tour Bruges – Amsterdam

Cycling Tour Bruges – Amsterdam – Self-Guided Cycling Holiday from Bruges to Amsterdam
Daily from April 1 to September 23
8 Days – 7 Nights
Total distance – 325km – 200 miles

Join a wonderful cycling holiday that kicks off in Belgium and leads up through the Netherlands to Amsterdam. Recurring themes include historical architecture, pastoral countryside and water vistas. In eight days you will discover a great many delightful places you otherwise wouldn’t have chanced upon.

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Set off from Bruges heading southwest, capturing postcard-worthy scenes of some of the most picturesque towns in Flanders and the Netherlands: Damme, Sluis, Vlissingen, Middelburg, Zierikzee, Willemstad, Papendrecht, Gouda, and finally Amsterdam. Each is a beautifully preserved treasure, rich with echoes of centuries past. Adding to the appeal, this largely rural cycling tour also passes through several tranquil nature reserves.

Cycling from Bruges to Amsterdam: A Journey Through Belgium and the Netherlands

Cycling from Bruges to Amsterdam is a delightful journey that offers a perfect blend of scenic landscapes, historic charm, and the joy of outdoor exploration! This cycling route takes you through some of the most picturesque regions of Belgium and the Netherlands. Start your cycling adventure in Bruges, one of Belgium’s most beautiful medieval cities. As you leave the historic center behind, the route leads through the peaceful Belgian countryside, passing charming villages, cobblestone streets, and landscapes shaped by rolling fields and historic architecture. The slower pace and timeless scenery create a captivating introduction to the journey.

Crossing the Belgian–Dutch border, the landscape gradually flattens and the Netherlands’ world-famous cycling infrastructure takes over. Well-maintained bike paths—often fully separated from traffic—make cycling safe, smooth, and enjoyable for riders of all ages. Traditional windmills, tranquil canals, and picturesque villages line the route, with colorful tulip fields adding extra beauty during springtime. As you continue north, the sense of ease and efficiency on the Dutch cycle network becomes unmistakable. The flat terrain and clear signage allow you to focus on the scenery and the rhythm of cycling. Each day brings a blend of nature, culture, and everyday Dutch life.

The tour concludes in Amsterdam, the vibrant capital of the Netherlands. After days of riding through countryside and historic towns, arriving in this lively city of canals, museums, and cafés is a rewarding finale. Combining the medieval charm of Belgium with the cycling perfection of the Netherlands, this journey offers an unforgettable way to explore two European gems by bike.

Happy Cycling!

Team Cycle Classic Tours

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Day 1

Arrival in Bruges

Bruges is known as the pearl of Flanders. It’s a truly enchanting town that has been welcoming tourists for about 150 years. With most of its medieval architecture intact, it remains exceptionally well preserved and can really give you a sense of times gone by when it was at the centre of the European wool and cloth trade.

Day 2

Bruges - Middelburg/Vlissingen - 60km

After a hearty breakfast, hit the tracks and pedal to the charming little town of Damme on the banks of the Damse Vaart. Then continue to the border and enter Zeeland, a Dutch province marked by light, wind, water and lots of space. It is mostly made up of islands so bridges and ferries will be taking you across the waters as you drift north east. Picture-book towns with ancient houses and cobbled streets are lined up for the coming days. But first you will pass through Zeelandic Flanders with its winding country roads, pollard willows, wet meadows and scattered villages. At the end of the day, hop on a ferry boat to the maritime town of Vlissingen. Cruising further north, you will discover the nostalgic splendour of the city of Middelburg, capital of Zeeland. In the 16th and 17th centuries it was one of the most important centres of trade in the Netherlands.

Day 3

Middelburg/Vlissingen - Zierikzee/Schuddebeurs - 42km

Discover the charming village of Veere. From 1541 everything that was exported to Holland from Scotland (mainly wool) came ashore in and was distributed from Veere. This contract brought the town not only prosperity but also a very lively Scottish expat community that stayed for 300 years. Walk in their footsteps as you take a tour of the sights. 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 for the Baltic and Mediterranean to sell salt, wool, fish, grain and red dye.

Day 4

Zierikzee/Schuddebeurs - Willemstad - 50km

Enjoying your last day in Zeeland, traverse a patchwork landscape of vast polders, idyllic countryside, rolling dunes and golden sand flats. Round off the day in Willemstad, a fortified town shaped like a seven-point star.

Day 5

Willemstad - Papendrecht - 65km

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. Pedalling on, you will reach one of the oldest towns in Holland: Dordrecht, completely surrounded by water. The area around the marina is a true gem. This oldest part of town counts over a thousand historical buildings and three nostalgic canals. 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 6

Papendrecht - Gouda/Oudewater - 37km

Hit the trail once again and set off for the village of Kinderdijk where nineteen majestic windmills present a unique spectacle. They were used to drain excess water out of the low-lying polder up into the River Lek. As you ride your bike towards Gouda, cruising at about two meters below sea level, enjoy pastoral countryside and wonderful cloudscapes. For centuries, people flocked from far and wide to buy horses, cows, meat, turf, seed, cheese etc, at weekly and annual markets in Gouda. We recommend a stroll around the old part of town to soak up the yesteryear atmosphere. Walk all the way around St. John’s church and the market square boasting a 15th-century town hall and a Weighing House (“Waag”). For availability reasons it's possible you will stay in Oudewater instead of Gouda.

Day 7

Gouda/Oudewater - Amsterdam - 68km

Plunge into the “Groene Hart” (green heart), a pleasant rural area of low-lying polders with peat meadows and grazing cattle. It’s a flat, open, spacious landscape where church spires and windmills touch the horizon and clouds are reflected in lakes and canals. Your bicycle holiday ends in Amsterdam, famous for its gorgeous 400-year-old canal district. This city is brimming with things to see and do. As always, street artists and performers draw crowds on Dam, Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein. A new attraction is “Het Grachtenhuis” (Museum of the Canals). Have you been to the renovated Rijksmuseum and Maritime Museum?

Day 8

Departure day

After breakfast your cycling holiday has come to an end.

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Booking Information

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For inquiries, send an email to info@cycleclassictours.com

Hotels:

Velotel 4* (Brugge)
Loskade 45 4* (Middelburg)
Hotel Piccard 4* (Vlissingen)
Boutique Hotel Mondragon (Zierikzee)
Hostellerie Schuddebeurs 3* (Noordgouwe)
Hotel Mauritz 3* (Willemstad)
Hotel de Magistraat (Willemstad)
Leonardo Hotel Papendrecht 4* (Papendrecht)
Postillion Hotel Dordrecht 3* (Dordrecht)
City Hotel Gouda 4* (Gouda)
Hotel Broeck (Oudewater)
Westcord Art Hotel 3*/4* (Amsterdam)

The nearest Airports are Brussels Airport (BRU) or Luchthaven Oostende-Brugge (OST)

Extra Information

Please do not make travel plans until you receive our confirmation.
Please be advised that we make every effort to ensure that all the information given on this site is accurate. All statements and information have been researched and supplied by third parties.
The information given is accurate and reliable, to the best of our knowledge. Should errors be found, we will rectify them as quickly as possible. However, we accept no responsibility for errors or inaccuracies.

Included

3*/4* star hotels
7 Nights
Tourist tax
Breakfast
Detailed roadbooks with maps and tourist information
7-days a week service-hotline
Luggage transfer (Max. 1 piece 20kg p.p.)
Route information available in the app

Not Included

Road Bike Rental Carbon Ultegra Disc €325
Gravel Bike Rental €300
Child Bike €77
Hybrid €91
E-Bike €196
Child seat €35
Child trailer €126
Helmet €10
Extra piece of luggage €35
Train from Bruges to Amsterdam
Ferry crossings
Extra night double room €85 p.p.
Stay in Amsterdam on Saturday €25 p.p
Upgrade Fletcher Hotel Arion, Vlissingen €55 p.p.
Upgrade Hotel NH Brugge €30 p.p.
Upgrade Relais & Châteaux Weeshuis Gouda €100 p.p.
Upgrade Westcord Art Hotel, Amsterdam €10 p.p.

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Cycling Tour Bruges – Amsterdam

Combining the medieval charm of Belgium with the cycling perfection of the Netherlands

Moderate

Apr 1 - Sep 23

3/4 Hotels

(On request)

+ €525

Included

Included

+ €85

Included

Available

7 days a week

Description

Cycling Tour Bruges – Amsterdam