Amsterdam to Bruges - 11 days

Amsterdam to Bruges

Day 1: Amsterdam – Weesp | Test ride in Weesp, 6 mi. (11 km)
Day 2: Weesp – Utrecht, 28 mi. (47 km) | Utrecht – Vianen
Day 3: Vianen – Schoonhoven – Kinderdijk – Alblasserdam, 13 or 36 mi. (22 or 57 km) | Alblasserdam – Dordrecht (Waterbus)
Day 4: Dordrecht – Willemstad | Willemstad – Tholen, 28 mi. (44 km)
Day 5: Tholen – Kreekrak lock, 13 or 23 mi. (20 or 36 km) | Kreekrak lock – Antwerp
Day 6: Antwerp (Layover day)
Day 7: Antwerp – Temse – St. Amands, 21 or 31 mi. (34 or 49 km)
Day 8: St. Amands – Dendermonde | Dendermonde – Ghent, 32 mi. (52 km)
Day 9: Ghent – Bruges, 13 or 28 mi. (22 or 45 km)
Day 10: Bruges – North Sea Loop, 23 mi. (38 km)
Day 11: Departure from Bruges

Distances are approximate. All itineraries are subject to change due to variables in wind and weather and other unforeseen circumstances having to do with mooring requirements, lock repairs, etc. Parts in Italics are by boat.

Day 1: Amsterdam – Weesp | Test ride in Weesp, 6 mi. (11 km)
Check-in takes place between 1 pm and 2 pm in Amsterdam. After a warm welcome from the crew, the ship departs for Weesp, a small town along the Vecht River with historic buildings, canals, and traditional windmills. Upon arrival, the tour leader will organize a short test ride. After dinner, enjoy a relaxed walk through this charming town.

Day 2: Weesp – Utrecht, 28 mi. (47 km) | Utrecht – Vianen
Begin cycling from Weesp along the winding Vecht River, lined with manor houses and scenic countryside. Visit a traditional cheese farm before reaching Utrecht, where the ship will be waiting. In the afternoon, sail the Amsterdam–Rhine Canal to Vianen, a fortified town on the Lek River.

Day 3: Vianen – Schoonhoven – Kinderdijk – Alblasserdam, 13 or 36 mi. (22 or 57 km) | Alblasserdam – Dordrecht (Waterbus)
Cycle along the Lek River to Schoonhoven, known for its silversmithing heritage. Continue through the Alblasserwaard region to Kinderdijk, famous for its row of historic windmills that form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit one of the windmills, then take the Waterbus ferry to Dordrecht. In the evening, join your guide for a short walk through the town’s historic center.

Day 4: Dordrecht – Willemstad | Willemstad – Tholen, 28 mi. (44 km)
Enjoy breakfast while the ship sails to Willemstad, a beautifully preserved fortress town. Begin cycling toward Tholen, which was once an island surrounded by Zeeland’s waterways. Today, it remains a quiet and picturesque village with reminders of its maritime past.

Day 5: Tholen – Kreekrak lock, 13 or 23 mi. (20 or 36 km) | Kreekrak lock – Antwerp
Start cycling through the Wouwse Plantage forest toward the Kreekrak lock. In the afternoon, rejoin the ship for the journey to Antwerp. Known for its diamond district and cultural heritage, Antwerp offers many highlights, including the Grote Markt, City Hall, the Cathedral of Our Lady, and the medieval Steen Castle.

Day 6: Antwerp
Spend today exploring Antwerp at your own pace. Possible visits include the Rubens House, the Cathedral of Our Lady, the MAS museum, or the De Koninck brewery. Dinner is not included tonight so you have the opportunity to dine at a restaurant of your choice.

Day 7: Antwerp – Temse – St. Amands, 21 or 31 mi. (34 or 49 km)
Cycle out of Antwerp along a beautiful stretch of the Schelde River toward St. Amands. This section of the river is peaceful and scenic, and is considered one of the highlights of the tour. In the evening, enjoy the quiet riverside setting as the ship remains docked here overnight.

Day 8: St. Amands – Dendermonde | Dendermonde – Ghent, 32 mi. (52 km)
During breakfast, the ship sails to Dendermonde. Begin cycling from here along the Schelde River toward Ghent, a vibrant university city with a long history. Highlights include St. Bavo Cathedral, home to the famous “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb,” and the medieval belfry. The ship docks near the center, giving you time to explore on your own.

Day 9: Ghent – Bruges, 13 or 28 mi. (22 or 45 km)
Today’s ride takes you through the gentle countryside of Western Flanders before reaching Bruges, known for its beautifully preserved medieval center and romantic canals. In the evening, your guide will lead a walk through the city’s historic streets.

Day 10: Bruges, 23 mi. (38 km)
The ship remains in Bruges today. Join the tour leader for a morning ride through the surrounding countryside, following quiet canals and passing through the green polder landscape. If you prefer, you can spend the day exploring Bruges at your own pace.

Day 11: Bruges
Enjoy your final breakfast on board before disembarking by 9:30 am.

Bruges to Amsterdam

Day 1: Bruges, 6 mi. (11 km)
Day 2: Roundtrip from/to Bruges and North Sea, 23 mi. (38 km)
Day 3: Bruges - Aalterbrug | Aalterbrug - Ghent, 23 or 28 mi. (37 or 45 km)
Day 4: Ghent - Dendermonde/St. Amands, 24 or 34 mi. (40 or 55 km)
Day 5: St. Amands - Temse - Antwerp, 21 or 31 mi. (33 or 49 km)
Day 6: Rest day in Antwerp
Day 7: Antwerp - Kreekrak Locks | Kreekrak Locks - Tholen, 13 or 23 mi. (20 or 36 km)
Day 8: Tholen – Willemstad, 23 or 26 mi. (36 or 44 km) | Willemstad – Dordrecht
Day 9: Dordrecht – Alblasserdam (Waterbus) | Alblasserdam – Kinderdijk – Schoonhoven – Vianen, 19 or 36 mi. (32 or 57 km)
Day 10: Vianen - Breukelen | Breukelen - Amsterdam, 22 or 29 mi. (37 or 47 km)
Day 11: Amsterdam

Parts in Italics are by boat.

Day 1: Bruges, 6 mi. (11 km)
Check-in takes place between 1 pm and 2 pm in Bruges, where your ship is moored in the harbor. After a warm welcome and introduction at 2 pm, bikes will be allocated and you’ll enjoy a short test ride through the nearby countryside. After dinner, your guide will take you on a relaxed walk through the beautifully preserved medieval center of Bruges.

Day 2: Roundtrip Bruges & North Sea, 23 mi. (38 km)
Begin the day with a guided ride along a quiet canal bordered by poplar trees and through the flat polder landscape dotted with farmhouses. On the return to Bruges, follow a scenic canal through peaceful countryside.
The afternoon is yours to enjoy Bruges at your leisure. With its UNESCO-listed historic center, museums, and inviting cafés, it is easy to understand why Bruges is often called the Pearl of Flanders.

Day 3: Bruges – Aalterbrug | Aalterbrug – Ghent, 23 or 28 mi. (37 or 45 km)
Cycle out of Bruges through wooded areas and open fields toward the canal that connects Bruges and Ghent. Your ship will be waiting halfway along the waterway. Once everyone is back on board, relax and enjoy the cruise to Ghent.
This evening, join a guided canal boat tour through Ghent’s atmospheric center, including the Graslei and Korenlei. Ghent is a lively university city with a rich history dating back to Roman times. Notable sights include preserved patrician houses, the Clothmakers’ Hall, and St. Bavo Cathedral, home to the famous “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.”

Day 4: Ghent – Dendermonde or St. Amands, 24 or 34 mi. (40 or 55 km)
After breakfast, cycle along the Schelde River toward Dendermonde. This stretch of the river is known for its quiet beauty and is considered a highlight of the tour. Depending on the tides, you will travel from Dendermonde to St. Amands by bike or by barge. Spend the night in St. Amands, a peaceful village along the river.

Day 5: St. Amands – Temse – Antwerp, 21 or 31 mi. (33 or 49 km)
Continue cycling along the Schelde River toward Antwerp, passing through the Temse region. This river has been strategically important throughout history and today offers a scenic route for cyclists.
Antwerp is known for its diamond district and for being the home of the painter, Peter Paul Rubens. Explore landmarks such as the Grote Markt, City Hall, the Cathedral of Our Lady, and Steen Castle.

Day 6: Antwerp
Enjoy a full day at leisure in Antwerp. You may visit the Rubens House, see the artworks inside the Cathedral of Our Lady, tour the De Koninck brewery, or explore the riverside MAS museum.
Dinner is not included tonight, giving you the opportunity to choose one of the many excellent restaurants in the city.

Day 7: Antwerp – Kreekrak locks | Kreekrak locks – Tholen, 13 or 23 mi. (20 or 36 km)
This morning begins with a sailing section through the Schelde–Rhine Canal and the Kreekrak lock system. From here, start cycling through the Wouwse Plantage forest toward Tholen. Once an island surrounded by Zeeland’s waterways, Tholen still has the charm of a traditional Dutch village.

Day 8: Tholen – Willemstad, 23 or 26 mi. (36 or 44 km) | Willemstad – Dordrecht
Cycle from Tholen through Oud-Vossemeer to Willemstad, a well-preserved fortress town along the Haringvliet. In the afternoon, rejoin the ship for a relaxing cruise to Dordrecht, one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands. This evening, the guide will lead a stroll through the historic center.
You will overnight in Wolwevershaven, a harbor with origins dating back to the early 1600s.

Day 9: Dordrecht – Alblasserdam (Waterbus) | Alblasserdam – Kinderdijk – Schoonhoven – Vianen, 19 or 36 mi. (32 or 57 km)
Begin your day with a short Waterbus ride to Alblasserdam. From here, it is only a few minutes of cycling to the windmills of Kinderdijk. This collection of 19 historic windmills, built to manage water levels in the Alblasserwaard polder, is one of the most iconic sights in the Netherlands. Visit one of the windmills before continuing your ride through Schoonhoven to Vianen, a fortified town on the Lek River.

Day 10: Vianen – Breukelen | Breukelen – Amsterdam, 22 or 29 mi. (37 or 47 km)
During breakfast, the ship sails to Breukelen. Begin cycling along the elegant Vecht River, passing mansions, gardens, small castles, and historic villages. Stop at a traditional cheese farm near Nigtevecht before continuing through Muiden and onward to Amsterdam.
Meet your ship again in the Amsterdam harbor for your final evening on board.

Day 11: Amsterdam
Enjoy your last breakfast on board before disembarking by 9:30 am.

Amsterdam to Bruges

Day 1: Embarkation in Amsterdam
Day 2: Along the Vecht River - Vreeswijk/Nieuwegein, 12-28 mi. (20-45 km)
Day 3: Vreeswijk/Nieuwegein - Gouda - Rotterdam, 25-28 mi. (40–45 km)
Day 4: Rotterdam - Kinderdijk - Dordrecht, 19-28 mi. (30–45 km)
Day 5: Dordrecht, 12-16 mi. (20–25 km)
Day 6: Dordrecht - Willemstad - Tholen, 22-28 mi. (35-45 km)
Day 7: Tholen - Antwerp, 19-37 mi. (30-60 km)
Day 8: Day in Antwerp
Day 9: Antwerp - Ghent, 19-31 mi. (30-50 km)
Day 10: Ghent - Bruges, 25-28 mi. (40-45 km
Day 11: Departure from Bruges

Day 1: Embarkation in Amsterdam
Your adventure begins in one of the greatest cycling cities in the world. After checking in, Merlijn sets sail and you're welcomed with drinks as the crew introduces you to your floating home. A safety briefing and ship tour are followed by dinner in Merlijn's onboard restaurant as the Dutch countryside glides past your window. For the evening, Merlijn docks in a quiet Dutch town — the perfect gentle introduction to the days ahead.

Day 2: Along the Vecht River - Vreeswijk/Nieuwegein, 12-28 mi. (20-45 km)
After your first breakfast on board, your guide sets you up with a bike and a quick road safety briefing, and you're off! Today's ride follows the banks of the Vecht River, a serene and picturesque waterway that winds through classic Dutch countryside. Tree-lined paths, traditional farmhouses, and the occasional glimpse of a church spire make this an immediate reminder of why the Netherlands is the world's greatest cycling destination. A picnic lunch is included mid-route. Shorter and longer options are available — you choose how far you ride before rejoining Merlijn for the afternoon cruise to Vreeswijk/Nieuwegein.

Day 3: Vreeswijk/Nieuwegein - Gouda - Rotterdam, 25-28 mi. (40-45 km)
Today delivers one of the highlights of the entire tour. You'll visit a working Dutch cheese farm, a rare and authentic experience where you can see traditional cheesemaking up close and perhaps bring home a delicious souvenir or two. The route then takes you through Gouda itself, the city that gave the world's most famous cheese its name, before continuing across the spectacular Dutch polder landscape, a vast, flat mosaic of fields and waterways that sits below sea level and exists only because of centuries of extraordinary Dutch engineering. Your destination is Rotterdam, the Netherlands' most dynamic city, where Merlijn will be waiting in port.

Day 4: Rotterdam - Kinderdijk - Dordrecht, 19-28 mi. (30-45 km)
Few images are more recognizable than the windmills of Kinderdijk, and today you'll see them at their most impressive. Cycling is by far the best way to explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site, a remarkable row of 19 historic windmills built to drain the Alblasserwaard polder, standing as powerful symbols of the Dutch relationship with water. A short ferry crossing brings you here from Rotterdam, and another carries you onward to Dordrecht, a beautifully preserved medieval island city and your base for the night.

Day 5: Dordrecht, 12-16 mi. (20-25 km)
Choose your adventure today! The Merlijn stays in port today, and the day is entirely yours to shape. Dordrecht is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands. The first Dutch constitution was signed here in 1814 and its historic center, waterfront cafés, and longest continuous shopping street in the country are well worth a morning's exploration.

For those seeking more adventure, your guide leads a short cycle out to the Biesbosch, one of the Netherlands' most beloved national parks. Here you can swap your bike for a canoe and spend several hours paddling through narrow creeks, watching for herons, beavers, and the many other species that call this quiet wetland home. Alternatively, a guided hike of 10–15 km through the nature reserve offers a different but equally rewarding way to experience this extraordinary landscape. Tonight's dinner is on your own in Dordrecht giving you a chance to further explore this amazing city.

Day 6: Dordrecht - Willemstad - Tholen, 22-28 mi. (35-45 km)
The day begins with a sailing breakfast as Merlijn cruises to Willemstad, a perfectly preserved fortified town with a picturesque harbor and one of the prettiest windmills in the country. After some free time to explore, you set off by bike through the open polder landscape toward Tholen. Once a true island in the middle of the great Zeeland tidal streams, Tholen built its identity around fishing and the sea. Today it is connected to the mainland, but wander its streets and you'll find a village that wears its eventful maritime history with quiet pride.

Day 7: Tholen - Antwerp, 19-37 mi. (30-60 km)
Today the landscape shifts and the culture changes as you cycle the final miles in the Netherlands before crossing the border into Belgium. The transition is subtle but real, the architecture changes, the language shifts, and the roads lead somewhere completely new. For those who want the full experience, the longer route takes you through the vast industrial poetry of Antwerp's harbor, one of the largest in the world, before arriving at Merlijn's berth in the heart of the city's stunning historic center. For those with tired legs, enjoy an afternoon cruise through the harbor and take in the sights from the deck. Either way, dinner on board gives you the chance to settle in before tomorrow's full day of exploration.

Day 8: Day in Antwerp
Antwerp is a city that rewards slow exploration, and today that's exactly what you'll do. Birthplace of the painter Rubens and one of the world's great diamond trading centres, Antwerp combines world-class art and architecture with a lively, cosmopolitan energy that feels entirely its own. Entrance to the Cathedral of Our Lady is included, a breathtaking Gothic masterpiece that contains several of Rubens' most celebrated works. The Market Square, surrounded by opulent merchant houses from Antwerp's golden age is one of the finest public spaces in Europe. Your guide will point you toward the best museums, galleries, and neighborhoods. The evening is free to discover Antwerp's exceptional restaurant scene, over a thousand places to eat, from traditional Belgian brasseries to some of the most inventive kitchens in northern Europe.

Day 9: Antwerp - Ghent, 19-31 mi. (30-50 km)
Today's journey is shaped by nature rather than a fixed plan. The tidal Scheldt River dictates the rhythm, part of the distance is sailed, part cycled, as Merlijn's captain reads the water and your guide charts the best route through this constantly changing landscape. It's a uniquely immersive way to travel and the riverside path through Temse, Sint-Amands, Baasrode, and Dendermonde is beautiful at every turn. The Scheldt has been the lifeblood of this region for centuries, and cycling and sailing alongside it gives you a perspective that no bus or train ever could. The day ends in Ghent, one of Belgium's most vibrant and overlooked cities.

Day 10: Ghent - Bruges, 25-28 mi. (40-45 km)
The final day of cycling begins with time to explore Ghent, a lively university city whose roots stretch back to Roman times. The magnificent St. Baafs Cathedral, built across multiple centuries and architectural styles, is a fitting symbol of a city that has always been at the crossroads of history. Before you saddle up for the last time, a canal boat ride through Ghent's stunning medieval waterways offers a final taste of Belgium's extraordinary relationship with water.

Then it's on to Bruges and it does not disappoint. Quite possibly the most beautiful city in northern Europe, Bruges earned its nickname the Venice of the North. Its medieval center is almost entirely intact, a UNESCO World Heritage masterpiece of Gothic architecture, quiet canals, and cobbled lanes that seem untouched by time. The tour ends with a farewell dinner on board. Enjoy a final evening to share stories, raise a glass, and celebrate everything the last ten days have brought.

Day 11: Departure from Bruges
After breakfast, it's time to say goodbye to Merlijn and her crew. Whether you're continuing your European adventure or heading home, you'll leave with a full heart and memories that will last a long way beyond the last kilometers.

We strongly recommend extending your stay in Bruges by at least two or three days. The tour arrives here at the end of Day 10, and this exceptional city deserves far more than a single evening. You won't regret it.

Bruges to Amsterdam 

Day 1: Arrival in Bruges
Day 2: Sailing to Ghent, 22-28 mi. (35-40 km)
Day 3: Ghent - Antwerp, 19-31 mi. (30-50 km)
Day 4: Antwerp
Day 5: Antwerp - Tholen, 19-22 mi. or extend 34-37 mi. (30-35 km or extend 55-60 km)
Day 6: Tholen - Dordrecht, 22-25 mi. (35-40 km)
Day 7: Dordrecht, 12-16 mi. (20-25 km) + Canoe tour or hike
Day 8: Dordrecht - Kinderdijk - Rotterdam, 12-16 mi. or extend 28-31 mi. (20-25 km or extend 45-50 km)
Day 9: Rotterdam - Gouda - Vreeswijk, 25-28 mi. (40-45 km)
Day 10: Vreeswijk - Utrecht - Amsterdam, 22-25 mi. or extend 34-37 mi. (35-40 km or extend 55-60 km)
Day 11: Departure from Amsterdam