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Cycling holiday Dutch water landscape

This cycling tour takes you through the watery landscapes of the western Netherlands, a lush green area nestled between Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, and The Hague, now a protected nature reserve. Amidst the chorus of birdsong and croaking frogs, you’ll find a peaceful escape, with the tranquility delightfully broken by visits to charming historic towns and villages along the way. » read more about Cycling holiday Dutch water landscape

  • Utrecht, Weesp, Nieuwkoop, Gouda, Kinderdijk
  • Relaxed cycling through the Green Heart
  • De Haar Castle near Haarzuilens
GPS APP E-bike route Zwaarte zwaarte_1
  • Cycling holiday
  • Trekking tour
  • 4 or 7 days
  • Individual
from 395 p.p.
excl. additional costs
Prices and dates
from 395 p.p.
excl. additional costs
Prices and dates

Delightfully Dutch

Just beyond De Haar Castle, you make a sharp turn. The wind catches you from behind, gently speeding up your ride. Now that’s what you call smooth cycling. Rustling reeds line the canals, herons keep a watchful eye, fresh green meadows stretch out, and sheep bleat softly, all whizzing past in a blur. Before long, the Vecht River appears once more, the romantically winding river where your journey first began.

"Oh" and "Ah"

After passing the Vecht, with its charming country houses, you arrive at Weesp, then cycle along the Kromme Mijdrecht and around the lakes near Nieuwkoop. From there, you visit Leiden, pedal on to Gouda, and gasp in wonder at the windmills of Kinderdijk like a true tourist. You catch your reflection in Schoonhoven’s silver, tuck an extra pack of stroopwafels into your bike bag in Gouda—and later take it out again at De Haar Castle. One last moment to savor the beauty of this delightful Dutch water landscape.

Delightful Dutch water landscapeLeiderdorp

Tempting Country Houses

Feeling romantic? The Vecht welcomes you with open arms. Its stately country houses beckon every cyclist. Even their names awaken the poet in you: Vreeden Hoff, Queekhoven, Veglust, Rupelmonde... The beautiful river winds its way past ornamental gardens and park forests. Hop off your bike and wander through the quaint curiosity shops in Maarssen. The grand buildings along the water bear a striking resemblance to those in the capital. The names of the riverbanks, Herengracht, Schippersgracht, serve as a reminder that it was the people of Amsterdam who once built their extravagant country estates here.

Enchanting Light

“Air and light are magicians,” the Hague painter Hendrik Johannes Weissenbruch (1824–1903) once said. That’s why he often came here: to paint the beautiful skies. Cycling past the lakes around Noorden, you find yourself glancing up more often, admiring the Dutch clouds. But be careful on the narrow path that cuts straight through the water to the other side of the Zuideinderplas. At the end of the day, the water is smooth as glass, the reeds stand still, the lilies have closed once more. A nearly mystical atmosphere.

HoogmadeHoogmade

Lovely Little House

Isn’t it wonderful when money is no object? When you can afford a house with two hundred rooms, thirty bathrooms, and two vast parks? Well, for Baron Etienne van Zuylen van Nyevelt, married into the incredibly wealthy Rothschild family, spending freely came naturally. In the late 19th century, he commissioned architect Pierre Cuypers to rebuild the castle in a grand, historic style, and it was done to perfection. The baron passed away in 1934, and later his grandson Thierry inherited the estate. Thierry was known for his legendary parties, often attended by famous guests like Coco Chanel, Brigitte Bardot, and Maria Callas. Today, after Thierry’s passing, it is his daughters who carry the responsibility of preserving this beautiful residence.

When are you going to take this trip?

Cycling holiday Dutch water landscape

Prices and dates

Routes

These cycling tours take you through the water-rich western Netherlands, the green area nestled between the major cities of Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, and The Hague. This beautiful cultural landscape was created after centuries of peat extraction and land reclamation. The nature of this area is now highly valued and is therefore protected. It is, perhaps unexpectedly, still wonderfully peaceful. The calm and quiet are pleasantly interrupted by historic towns and villages.

Cycling holiday Dutch water landscape

Routes 4-days

Routes 7-days

Details

Included

  • 3 or 6 nights with room with breakfast or half board, no half board in Gouda
  • Luggage transport till Utrecht
  • Maps and navigation app for your smartphone (GPS tracks for your own GPS device on request)

Exclusive

  • Outward and return journey
  • Travel insurance
  • Tourist tax
  • Rental bikes
  • Entrance fees, transfers, etc. that are not included

  • Rental bikes (7 gears, excl. bicycle insurance):
    4 days: € 80,- p.p.
    7 days: € 105,- p.p.
  • E-bike (excl. bike insurance):
    4 days: € 115,- p.p.
    7 days: € 170,- p.p.
  • When renting a bike or E-bike, we ask for your height so that we can provide a suitable bike.
  • Bicycle Insurance: You can take out a separate bicycle insurance with Happy Cycling Holidays. A travel insurance often does not cover bicycle damage and/or theft.
  • Read more about rental bikes, cycle helmets and insurances

  • Parking: paid parking at the first hotel

Below you will find an overview of the accommodations we typically use for this tour, all carefully selected by us. Please note that availability on your preferred travel dates is not guaranteed. If a listed accommodation is unavailable, we will arrange an alternative hotel of comparable category and quality. Should the alternative involve a higher price, we will inform the booker in advance about the surcharge on the tour price.

  • Hotel Mitland, Utrecht
  • Hotel Hart van Weesp, Weesp
  • Hotel Zuideinde, Nieuwkoop
  • City Hotel Gouda, Gouda

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Prices and dates

Plan your trip

Departure date

This is the first day of your cycling holiday. If desired you can add book extra nights later before the startdate of your cycling holiday. Please choose the first day of your cycling holiday. Further on in planning your trip, you can book an extra night before the selected starting day.