Amsterdam to Cologne

Day 1: Amsterdam
Day 2: Amsterdam - Nigtevecht - Vianen, 24 or 29 mi. (38 or 46 km)
Day 3: Vianen – Culemborg – Wijk bij Duurstede, 19 or 29 mi. (30 or 46 km)
Day 4: Wijk bij Duurstede – Rhenen – Arnhem, 18, 24 or 35 mi. (29, 38 or 56 km)
Day 5: Arnhem – Emmerich – Rees – Ruhrort, 28 or 34 mi. (44 or 54 km) 
Day 6: Ruhrort - Düsseldorf, 26 or 33 mi. (42 or 52 km)
Day 7: Düsseldorf – Zons – Cologne, 19 or 25 mi. (30 or 40 km)
Day 8: Departure

All distances are approximate. The above-planned itinerary is subject to change, even on very short notice, due to changing wind and weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances having to do with mooring requirements, docking location changes, lock repairs,  etc.

Day 1: Amsterdam, embarkation at 3 pm
Your cycling adventure starts in Amsterdam, famous for its 4 centuries-old canal district, museums, street artists, and performers on the squares. Also, the  notorious red-light district is a draw for many.  Try to arrive early so you have time to visit the historical center, a World Heritage site, to admire the elegant tree-lined canals, tall narrow townhouses, and warehouses. Try to arrive at 3 pm, to check-in, meet the crew and try out the bikes. Or you can take the opportunity to visit the interesting art collections of Van Gogh or the Rijksmuseum, and one of the historic houses like the Anne Frank or the Cromhout houses.

Day 2: Amsterdam - Nigtevecht - Vianen, 24 or 29 mi. (38 or 46 km)
Today you arrive in the lands of Utrecht and visit the Vecht River, known for its fine summer residences of wealthy Amsterdam merchands from the last 4 centuries. After a sailing breakfast, you will land at Nigtevecht. Pedaling the banks of the winding river, you visit a cheese farm to learn about production and of course to taste the product. As you continue to cycle along the riverbank, you will see magnificent mansions, proud castles, and villages with rich gardens. A longer route leaves the river towards castle De Haar, a vast and beautiful recreation of the middle ages by the 19th century leading architect Pierre Cuypers. The Quo Vadis will be moored in Vianen, a small historic market town. 

Day 3: Vianen – Culemborg – Wijk bij Duurstede, 19 or 29 mi. (30 or 46 km)
This route partly follows the Lek River, passing a number of fortresses, a castle, and a windmill. After the Prinses Marijkesluis, the short route takes the ferry in Rijswijk to Wijk bij Duurstede. The longer route follows the Betuweroute, via the ferry to Amerongen and along the dyke and floodplains of the Nederrijn to Wijk bij Duurstede

The Quo Vadis is moored in this charming little town that. As you stroll about you may discover the hidden ruined castle and a gate under a windmill. Ruysdael painted a second one, now lost. 

Day 4: Wijk bij Duurstede – Rhenen – Arnhem, 18, 24 or 35 mi. (29, 38 or 56 km)
The boat sails to Rhenen as you enjoy your breakfast. This is a small village but with its impressive and historic Cunera Tower. Once on the bike, you pedal along the slopes of the moraines which cause the big curve in the Rhine River near Arnhem. First, the two shorter routes follow lower roads between floodplains and hills to Wageningen, the smallest university town where the peace of WWII was signed. It has a lively marketplace, a huge sculpture collection, and a nice arboretum on a terrace overlooking the river. Also, Doorwerth castle is beautifully located, the oldest parts dating from the 13th century. In the courtyard is a thick trunked Robinia tree, the oldest of the country. Oosterbeek, once the center of our first open-air landscape painters, has a little 10th-century church which was used as a hospital during the 1944 Arnhem battle.

The longer route leads to Oosterbeek, slowly climbing inland for an undulating ride along sloping woods and parks. You cycle through the forest of the Hoge Veluwe and can visit the Kröller Müller Museum, with one of the best collections of early modern and recent Dutch art. You will enjoy some fine Van Goghs and a sculpture park, an Art Deco palace, and an original presentation of natural history. The Quo Vadis will be moored in downtown Arnhem, on the banks of the Rhine, close to the little Airborne Museum near the John Frost bridge. 

Day 5: Arnhem – Emmerich – Rees – Ruhrort, 28 or 34 mi. (44 or 54 km) 
Today you cycle the last part in the Netherlands via quiet dikes at the left Rhinebank, and after the castle Doornenburg, you take a ferry in the direction of the German border. There you can visit Kleve with its legendary castle Schwanenburg and a baroque park that inspired Berlin Tiergarten. The short track leads further via the German's longest suspension bridge to Emmerich, where the Quo Vadis is waiting. 

The longer route continues, passing revival gothic Moyland Castle, to Kalkar's historic center with seven beautiful altarpieces in the church. It is also known for the theme park in a former nuclear power plant outside at the Rhinebank.

Onboard at Rees, you will have a sailing dinner on the Quo Vadis, arriving later in Ruhrort.

Day 6: Ruhrort - Düsseldorf, 26 or 33 mi. (42 or 52 km)
The day begins in the Ruhr Harbor, the port for the densely populated Ruhr area that was infamous for its polluting coal mines and steel factories. Shuttered more than 20 years ago, this industrial region has been reinvented. Museums were opened and green parks created. You will see some of these changes in nearby Duisburg. 

The long route continues to Moers, a friendly town with Arts & Crafts architecture and a model workers settlement. Both routes converge in Linn, a tiny historic town with a castle built from the 13th to 17th century, and a luxurious 18th-century‘ hunting lodge. You then take a ferry to visit charming Kaiserswerth, with its impressive and ancient ruins of the legendary Barbarossa castle. 

The Quo Vadis will be moored just before the center of Düsseldorf, capital of the state Nordrhein-Westfalen and one of the main German centers of visual arts. Besides museums and academies, there are wealthy shopping streets with fine modern architecture and a quaint old town with many venues.   

Day 7: Düsseldorf – Zons – Cologne, 19 or 25 mi. (30 or 40 km)
You begin to cycle near the Zons fortress with its picturesque streets. You are still in the industrial zone on wonderful cycling roads through green zones between former but restored chemical plants, little villages, and suburbs. The longer route leads via the ferry to the other Rhinebank and passes along Monheim, the Marienburg estate, Wiesdorf with a Bayer workers settlement and Japanese garden, the charming historical village of Flittard, and finally approaching Cologne via the Hohenzollern Bridge. 

Those who want to be earlier in Cologne can remain on the left bank and visit the Romanesque church of Rheinkassel. Cologne, founded in Roman times and once a seat of a mighty bishopric, had great damage in WWII, in spite of that, it still has the spectacular gothic cathedral, 12 beautiful Romanesque churches, several other historical monuments, and a lively city center with a big choice of restaurants for our dinner out.  

Day 8: Departure
Disembarkation by 9 am.

Looking for a different flavor? Check out our entire list of bike and boat tours or view all our featured bike trips, news, and specials.

• Quo Vadis

  Deluxe

  ?

  5 out of 5 (10 Reviews)

  View Boat

  Deluxe Class Barge

  Touring/Trekking Bicycle

  VSF Fahrradmanufactur touring bike (T-50 or T-300) • Aluminum frame (available in low entry or horizontal bar) with a weight of 15.8 kg … • VSF T-50 frame size 45 or 50 cm … • VSF T-300 fame size 50… Read More

  Electric Bicycle (E-Bike)

  Kreidler Vitality Eco 3 Electric Bike … • Aluminum frame … • Bosch Performance 250 watt motor … • Bosch 500 watt frame battery … • Shimano Deore gearing … • 9 speeds … • Shimano disc brakes … • Selle… Read More

  The beautiful MS Quo Vadis, a refurbished cargo barge, was put into service in April 2006 as a bike and boat vessel and continues to be lovingly maintained by her owners Rendert Jan de Waard and Ina Middelburg. The ship exudes a comfortable but stylish ambiance that will put you right at home. The upper deck with a restaurant, bar, and terrace will find you relaxing and enjoying newfound camaraderie. Delicious dishes prepared with fresh, organically grown products, whenever possible, will be a… Read More