Heart of Holland Tour Reviews — 1 to 12 of 12

Tulip fields in the Springtime in Holland! ©Hollandfotograaf

Heart of Holland

8 days from €1214

4.1 out of 5

Heart of Holland

Easy Bike + Boat Tour in Netherlands

On this bike and boat tour in Holland, you will discover the "Groene Hart" or Green Heart of the country, a sparsely populated rural area surrounded by cities such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam. This is…

4.1 out of 5

 


Yvonne Q.
2 months ago

Verified Reviewer

The crew and guide were fantastic! They did a great job—friendly, knowledgeable and they had a good sense of humor. The “Sarah” has issues with cleanliness—for the entire trip, each room was infested with dozens of drain flies and had a strong smell of sewage. The carpet smelled like dirty socks. The owner happened to be on the boat for the first leg and he said that he was going to install new bathrooms and take care of drainage issues (flies/sewage smell). However, when we docked in Amsterdam, the boat was being cleaned so it could be used as a floating hotel. Therefore, it seems unlikely that the problems will be fixed. For the 2025 season, please encourage the owners to fix the problem so others do not have a similar experience. I would not go on the “Sarah” again without this being addressed.

Kenneth P.
2 months ago

Verified Reviewer

We really enjoyed the towns we visited and the diversity of the beautiful countryside.

Lisa P.
2 months ago

Verified Reviewer

It was a family reunion with friends whom most have never been on a bike & barge trip…ever! It was fun, exciting, adventurous and EPIC. If you are curious about a bike and barge trip, take the leap and do it. You may see something, meet someone or reinvent yourself that changes your life.

Paul P.
2 months ago

Verified Reviewer

The scenery we passed through. It was beautiful. I definitely recommend going on the side excursion to the flower auction. Crazy scale.

Ashley M.
5 months ago

Verified Reviewer

The staff on the barge, Gandalf, were friendly and accommodating, Meals were exceptional; kudos to Chef Hans!
I thoroughly enjoyed the Green Belt biking of Holland, the fields, forests and windmill areas!
Our tour leader, Patrick, did an excellent job of leading and managing the group.
However, I do feel the local partner fell short; by not having an extra staff member biking in back of the group, as the “Sweep”.
Patrick asked for someone to volunteer, each day, to be the Sweep and I don’t feel we paid for this tour to have this job and responsibility.

Diane T.
6 months ago

Verified Reviewer

I really enjoyed rolling through the countryside and stopping at small towns and villages. The city tours were an enriching cultural experience.

Bonita T.
2 years ago

Verified Reviewer

We had a fantastic time on our recent "Heart of Holland" tour, aboard the Gandalf. The scenery every day was varied and interesting and we enjoyed the evening walking tours in each town. Our tour guide, Fred, was alot of fun to be around and it was obvious that he enjoyed his job!

The barge was comfortable and had everything we needed. Hans, Rosanna and crew were professional, warm and friendly and made you feel as if you were part of the family. We enjoyed the family style dining and the food was excellent.

If/when we book another tour, we will definitely make sure we're on the Gandalf again!

Lorraine B.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Most Memorable Part: Cycling the Dutch countryside

Elsie R.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the “Heart of Holland” Bike and Barge Trip aboard the Lena Maria. I was a party of four ladies (3 Canadians and 1 USA) whose trip began on May 11. We had a fantastic trip.

Our guide, Francien, was excellent! She did an excellent job of leading the biking events...stopping for breaks when needed and keeping us moving at a comfortable pace. The evening “Next Day” sessions gave us a good idea of what to expect the next day. The stops at the 17 windmills, the cheese factory, and the flower auction site added to the day’s plan. The two evening guided city walks gave us time to explore onfoot, too. Lastly, Francien kept close watch on her biking group while leading us through city traffic and country roads. The biking trip was an excellent way to see the countryside.

The crew on the Lena Maria was excellent...the food was wonderful (great Chef!) and the hostess was very welcoming. The barge was a very Read More

Yun S.
7 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Best Parts: Easy booking process, online Q & A instant answers. Safe bike routes, great time on bikes!

Bruce N.
7 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Most Memorable Part: Biking the rural/countryside of Holland

Shirley
8 years ago

Verified Reviewer

We just completed this trip (may 13 - 20), and loved the experience. The rural scenery was so lovely - however if you are looking for more than peaceful pastures and canals for 6 days, then this might not be the trip for you. The first day of biking was into a strong wind for 55 km which made it very challenging. I would recommend an e-bike! The bikes were very heavy, the gears changed easily, the saddlebags and bike locks worked very well. Although we had maps, 2 GPS, a discussion of the route by the captain....we still got lost every time we went through a city. There were several times that the map showed a road number however that number was not found on the road signs. The food was served family style and was plentiful. The boat was small but suitable for the 19 passengers, the bathrooms were tiny but there was plenty of hot water for showers.
Negatives - no ice for our water bottles; no fans or air conditioning for the couple of days that were extremely hot; our rooms were never cleaned; the captain tended to be curt; the maps were not always accurate.