Amsterdam to Bruges Bike Tour

8 days

Day 1:  Arrival in Amsterdam    
Day 2:  Amsterdam - Gouda, 50 mi. (80 km)
Day 3:  Gouda - Papendrecht/Dordrecht, 33 mi. (53 km) 
Day 4:  Papendrecht/Dordrecht - Willemstad, 24 mi. (39 km) 
Day 5: Willemstad - Schuddebeurs/Zierikzee, 31 mi. (50 km)  
Day 6:  Schuddebeurs/Zierikzee – Vlissingen/Middelburg, 36 mi. (57 km)  
Day 7:  Middelburg/Vlissingen - Bruges, 38 mi. (61 km)  
Day 8:  Departure  

All distances are approximate. The itinerary is for both A and B category. If two overnight destinations are provided, the first is for Category B and the second for Category A. Please take note that the hotels listed are based on availability. They are the first choice but occasionally there is a need for a hotel change. 

Day 1: Arrival in Amsterdam
Your cycling adventure starts in Amsterdam, famous for its historic 400-year-old canal district, museums (the new Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh, Anne Frank etc), street artists and performers on Dam, Leidseplein, and Rembrandtplein, a notorious red-light district, and more. This city is brimming with things to see and do and you couldn’t wish for a more dynamic beginning to your holiday. Try to arrive early so you have time to admire the elegant tree-lined canals, tall narrow townhouses, and warehouses dating from the 17th century (World Heritage Site).

Category A  and Category B accommodations: Westcord Hotel in 3-star rooms. It is possible to upgrade to higher level room.

Day 2:  Amsterdam - Gouda, 50 mi. (80 km) 
After staying the night in bustling Amsterdam, cycle into the peace and quiet of the “Groene Hart” or Green Heart, a pleasant rural area of low-lying polders with peat meadows and grazing cattle. It’s a flat, open, and spacious landscape where church spires and windmills touch the horizon and clouds are reflected in lakes and canals. For centuries, people flocked from far and wide to buy horses, cows, meat, turf, seed, and cheese at weekly and annual markets in Gouda. We recommend an evening stroll around the old part of town to soak up the yesteryear atmosphere and marvel at the large and attractive market square boasting a wonderful fifteenth-century town hall as well as a Weighing House (“Waag”).

Category A: Best Western Hotel Gouda
Category B: Campanille Hotel 

*If this day is too long for you, you can actually change the itinerary and spend an overnight in Woerden (48 km) and then continue on to Gouda (30 km). See short itinerary below for this 9-day option.

Day 3:  Gouda - Papendrecht/Dordrecht, 33 mi. (53 km) 
Hit the trail once again and head for the village of Kinderdijk where nineteen majestic windmills present a unique sight. In the age of wind, they were used to drain excess water out of the low-lying polder up into the River Lek. Pedaling 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 has over a thousand historical buildings and three nostalgic canals. 

Category A: Apollo Hotel Papendrecht
Category B: Postillion Hotel Dordrecht

The hotel in Papendrecht  for Category A  is 3 km outside the center of Dordrecht on the north banks of the river. You can upgrade to ****Hotel Bellevue Groothoofd in Dordrecht if you want to stay right in the center.  At the Groothoofd,  the bike can only be parked outside, in front of the hotel (with camera surveillance), but be sure to lock securely.

Day 4: Papendrecht/Dordrecht  - Willemstad, 24 mi. (39 km) 
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 small rivers encompassing countless little islands of willow woods and reeds, a paradise for birds. The longer ride (54 km) takes you along the edges of this National Park. Round off the day in Willemstad, a fortified town shaped like a seven-point star.

Category A and B: Hotel Mauritz

Day 5: Willemstad - Schuddebeurs/Zierikzee, 31 mi. (50 km)  
Today you will enter Zeeland, a province of the Netherlands marked by light, wind, water, and space. It is made up of islands so bridges and ferries will be carrying you across the waters as you drift down towards Belgium. Picture-book towns with ancient houses and cobbled streets line the banks. Traverse a patchwork landscape of vast polders, idyllic countryside, rolling dunes and golden sand flats. Category B bookings will overnight in Schuddebeurs. Category A in Zierikzee.

Category A and Category B: Hostellerie Schuddebeurs
 

Day 6: Schuddebeurs/Zierikzee – Vlissingen/Middelburg, 36 mi. (57 km) 
A stroll 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 to sell salt, wool, fish, grain, and red dye as far afield as the Baltic and the Mediterranean. Your route continues to 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. Cruising further south, you will discover the nostalgic splendor of the city of Middelburg, the capital of Zeeland. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was one of the most important centers of trade in the Netherlands.

Category A: Hotel aa De Dam
Category B: Hotel Piccard

For Category A bookings, your hotel for the evening, Hotel aa De Dam, is located in Middelburg however, it is possible to book an upgraded hotel in the coastline town of Vlissingen, at the Amadore Hotel Arion for a supplement. 

Day 7: Middelburg/Vlissingen - Bruges, 38 mi. (61 km)  
After a hearty breakfast, hop on a ferry boat to Zeelandic Flanders with its winding country roads, pollard willows, wet meadows and scattered villages. Having crossed the border into Belgium, you will reach the charming little town of Damme on the banks of the romantic Damse Vaart. From here, it’s only a short stretch to Bruges, 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 center of the European wool and cloth trade. 

Category A and B: Velotel.

It is possible to upgrade to  NH, Bruges (see pricing) but please note if you choose to upgrade and have chosen the Dinner Included option, this cannot be provided on this night. Discount will be applied if you have chosen the Dinner Included option.

Day 8: Departure  

9-days

Day 1:  Arrival in Amsterdam    
Day 2:  Amsterdam - Woerden,  31 mi. (49 km)

Hotel used for both Category A and Category B in Woerden is the Best Western Hotel.

Day 3:  Woerden  -  Gouda, 27 mi. (43 km) 
Day 4:  Gouda - Papendrecht/Dordrecht, 33 mi. (53 km)
Day 5: Papendrecht/Dordrecht - Willemstad, 38 mi. (61 km)
Day 6: Willemstad - Scheddebeurs/Zierikzee, 31 mi. (50 km)
Day 7:  Schuddebeurs/Zierikzee – Vlissingen/Middelburg, 36 mi. (57 km)  
Day 8:  Middelburg/Vlissingen - Bruges, 38 mi. (61 km)  
Day 9:  Departure  

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Category A: Consists of four 4 star and three 3 star establishments.
Category B: Consists of five 3 star and two 4 star establishments.
It is possible for Category A bookings only to upgrade on certain nights. See itinerary and pricing.
For Category B bookings, an upgrade would entail booking Category A level and then, requesting more of an upgrade on the nights this is available.
Itinerary varies slightly between the two levels. Please see detailed day to day itinerary and explanation. The big difference between both categories is the location of the hotels. Category B hotels are sometimes located a bit further from the city center.