Boat Bike Tours

This tour leads you through a region that’s one of the most beloved among Dutch cyclists. Come and explore it yourself, by bike and barge. Every day while cycling, you’ll get to know more of its numerous historical cities, beautiful river landscapes and diverse natural areas. Every evening, you’ll return to your floating hotel barge, docked in a picturesque harbor along the route. You’ll cycle at your own pace, while your well trained tour leader is only a phone call away for your questions, problems or emergencies.

The ship – Your sailing hotel
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. You’ll receive a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. It’s also possible to spend a day on board if you like. There are rental bikes on board, but you can also bring your own if you mention it when booking.

Cycle along an important trading route
The area you’ll be traversing was shaped over millennia by numerous rivers and streams. It thrived during the Middle Ages, when the rivers Rhine and IJssel were among the most important trade routes in Europe. Many of the cities along their banks were members of the Hanseatic League. This confederation protected the economic interests of its members in large parts of the Netherlands, Germany and Northern Europe. The affluence of those years is visible everywhere in abundant civil and religious architecture.

Through the natural beauty of the Rhine Valley
Your tour starts in the delightful city of Amsterdam. From there, you’ll sail and cycle to many larger and smaller Hanseatic towns like Arnhem, Deventer, Zutphen, Kampen, Harderwijk and Elburg. The natural beauty of the Rhine valley and its enchanting tributary, the IJssel, will duly impress you. Another attraction along the way are the so-called Bordering Lakes. These are situated between the “old” mainland with many beautiful harbor towns, and the “new” reclaimed land of the province of Flevoland, that was once the bottom of the sea. The flat terrain in the 125 km long IJssel valley makes this a perfect tour for those who love to cycle leisurely along many winding trails in a diverse area.

You cycle independently
During this trip there is an expert and experienced tour leader on board. He or she will discuss the next day’s cycling routes on a daily basis and provide you with tips and information about the route. You will cycle the tours independently and at your own pace using a detailed cycling map, GPS directions via the free Ride With GPS app and printed route descriptions (available on board). The tour leader will also cycle the routes, so they will be riding nearby and can be reached by phone in case of emergencies, problems or questions.

Total distance 248 - 302 km

Cycle and sail the provinces of South and North Holland at the best time of year: when spring flowers are in bloom. This is when the tulip fields glow in a multitude of colors, thousands of daffodils compete with the sun, and hyacinth fields spread their sweet scent for all to enjoy. But that’s just the beginning, because there’s a whole lot more to this region. You’ll be astounded by the enormous variety of different scenery you’ll see within such a small area. From your bike, you’ll see beautiful medieval cities and small fishing villages, centuries-old windmills and locks still in use, wide green fields and wetlands teeming with bird life. Get out of the wind and relax in the dunes by the North Sea, or feel the breeze in your hair as you stroll along the beach. You may even want to dip a toe in the sea, but beware! It’s cold!

This tour also takes you to the historical cities of Amsterdam, Alkmaar and Haarlem. Park your bike and explore them on foot. It’s the most relaxed way to enjoy their beauty (and to find the cutest little cafés). There are plenty of museums where you can delve into the history of the region. Learn about tulip growing in the area by visiting both the famous Keukenhof Gardens and the lesser-known Hortus Bulborum garden museum. Zaanse Schans open-air museum shows you what villages and village life looked like in the old days. And in Amsterdam, of course, there’s a museum for every interest, be it old Dutch masters or contemporary art, history or seafaring.

This wonderful bike and barge trip starts and ends in Amsterdam. A well-trained, multilingual tour leader gives you a daily briefing, a map and route descriptions, and then you´re off on your own to discover the treasures of this intensely Dutch area. Each evening, you’ll return to your floating hotel barge, docked in a harbor along the route.

The ship – Your sailing hotel
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. You can make a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. It’s also possible to spend a day on board if you like. There are rental bikes on board, but you can also bring your own if you mention it when booking.

You cycle independently
During this trip there is an expert and experienced tour leader on board. He or she will discuss the next day’s cycling routes on a daily basis and provide you with tips and information about the route. You will cycle the tours independently and at your own pace using a detailed cycling map, GPS directions via the free Ride With GPS app and printed route descriptions (available on board). The tour leader will also cycle the routes, so they will be riding nearby and can be reached by phone in case of emergencies, problems or questions.

Total distance 241 - 282 km

Sail and bike tours are something very special. Feel the freedom, the wind and salt on your skin! It’s a little bit like discovering the seas and new areas as a modern-day explorer.

Aboard the only four-masted-schooner in Dutch waters, the Leafde fan Fryslân, you will experience pure nature while enjoying water, sun and a stiff breeze on the big inland lake IJsselmeer and the so-called “Wadden Sea”, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage biosphere reserve. During this Sail & Bike Tour, the tour guides will take you on an exploration of the beautiful and unique Frisian Sea and some of its islands. It is a world with two faces, where sand and water dominate during the changeover from low to high tide and where islands of all sizes line up like pearls on a chain. There are tidal channels, seagrass meadows, mussel beds, sandbanks, mudflats, salt marshes, beaches and dunes. The Frisian Sea is the habitat of marine mammals, such as seals and porpoises, and the breeding ground and wintering area for millions of birds. The area is one of the last remaining large-scale, low-tide ecosystems where natural processes continue to function. Furthermore you will visit the famous (freshwater lake) IJsselmeer and its beautiful coastline with many fishing villages and old trading harbor towns.

Highlights of the tour are the North Sea islands of Texel and Terschelling and their beautiful natural areas, small villages and long sandy beaches that you can explore by bicycle. Highlights on the coasts of the mainland in the provinces of North-Holland and Friesland are a combination of rural areas, small villages and picturesque harbor towns: a true “El Dorado” for cyclists. If you like, on board, you may – instructed by the experienced crew – lend a hand during navigating and raising the sails. Sailing experience is not necessary. But of course you are also very welcome to just relax and enjoy the sailing and scenery.

The ship – Your sailing hotel
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. You’ll receive a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. It’s also possible to spend a day on board if you like. There are rental bikes on board, but you can also bring your own if you mention it when booking.

Fully Guided
Accompanied by a competent, professional and multilingual tour leader, you and the group will visit interesting sights and places on the daily cycling tours. During the bike tour, they will explain the local history and culture behind the things you encounter along the way. You can also choose to ride individually with the help of our Ride with GPS app and the Boat Bike Tours cycling map (available on board).

Total distance 193 - 238 km

Discover varied nature, immerse yourself in history and experience two of Germany’s most famous wine-growing regions along the beautiful rivers Rhine and Moselle on this wonderful trip. Where the Celts settled and the Romans introduced viticulture, the Rhine and Moselle and the excellent cycle paths along their banks connect all the sights on this tour by bike and boat. The start and end point is the Roman city of Koblenz, where the Moselle flows into the Rhine at the “Deutsche Eck”.

The Middle Rhine Valley is one of the most beautiful and oldest cultural landscapes in Europe and is considered the epitome of Rhine romance. Due to the great diversity and beauty of the Middle Rhine, the river valley between Koblenz and Bingen and Rüdesheim has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002. The narrow and rugged Rhine Valley has always inspired painters, poets, thinkers and musicians. Around 40 castles, palaces and fortresses tower high above both banks, picturesque villages and towns are strung along the river like pearls on a string, with vine-covered slopes in between. You will see the Loreley Rock, where, according to legend, the beautiful Loreley with her long blonde hair enchanted the Rhine boatmen with her song and drove them to their doom. Upstream are Bingen and Rüdesheim, and the beautiful old Roman city of Mainz is the southernmost city on this tour.

The Moselle valley is best known for its Riesling wines. The vineyards offer ideal conditions for growing this popular grape variety. However, there are not only numerous cozy winegrowing villages along the Moselle, but also fantastic views, fairytale castles and much more. The steep slopes are characteristic of the Lower Moselle near Winningen. Terraced steep slopes can be found here. The pearl of the Moselle idyll, Eltz Castle, is magically nestled in the countryside not far from the river valley. A particularly idyllic section of the river valley is the Moselle loop near the picturesque Bremm between Cochem and Zell. This is the location of the Calmont, the steepest vineyard in Europe. Beilstein, Traben-Trarbach and Bernkastel-Kues are other beautiful towns on the Moselle that are famous for their wines. In Cochem, the Reichsburg castle towers high on a rock above the town.

The ship – Your sailing hotel
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. You can make a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. It’s also possible to spend a day on board if you like. There are rental bikes on board, but you can also bring your own if you mention it when booking.

You cycle independently
During this trip there is an expert and experienced tour leader on board. He or she will discuss the next day’s cycling routes on a daily basis and provide you with tips and information about the route. You will cycle the tours independently and at your own pace using a detailed cycling map, GPS directions via the free Ride With GPS app and printed route descriptions (available on board). The tour leader will also cycle the routes, so they will be riding nearby and can be reached by phone in case of emergencies, problems or questions.

Total distance 198 - 238 km

As far as European bike tour destinations go, there are few better than the Rhine and Main river valleys in Germany. During this cycling cruise, you can experience it for yourself. In a word, it’s a stunning region, highlighted by enchanting countryside, fairytale castles, award-winning vineyards and historic medieval towns and villages.

We start on the Moselle river, visiting Burg Eltz, one of the most impressive medieval fortresses of Western Europe. We then follow the Rhine upstream from Koblenz past numerous fortresses, beautiful vineyards and the legendary and perilous Lorelei rocky cliff. With a little bit of imagination, you can almost hear a siren singing. In addition to the beautiful landscape, you’ll see cultural highlights, art treasures, and you can enjoy regional culinary specialties. From Mainz we follow the river Main as it loops and winds its way through Bavarian countryside, passing old towns and cities full of historical sights. Cycling through charming vineyards, orchards and lovely meadows along the banks of the river Main makes a great finish for this tour.

Highlights

• Explore three beautiful rivers by bike
• Taste fine regional wines
• Visit medieval castle Burg Eltz
• Ship with max. 31 passengers

The ship – Your sailing hotel
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. You’ll receive a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. It’s also possible to spend a day on board if you like. There are rental bikes on board, but you can also bring your own if you mention it when booking.

Fully Guided
Accompanied by a competent, professional and multilingual tour leader, you and the group will visit interesting sights and places on the daily cycling tours. During the bike tour, they will explain the local history and culture behind the things you encounter along the way. You can also choose to ride individually with the help of our Ride with GPS app and the Boat Bike Tours cycling map (available on board).

Total distance 223 - 262 km

It doesn’t get any better than the Southern Tour of Holland on board your home away from home, ships De Amsterdam or De Holland. Not only will you get the chance to visit a number of famous Dutch cities, but you will also uncover another side of Holland as you cycle through the countryside – the country’s “Green Heart”.

It is here that you will see a landscape of water, meadows, grazing cows, windmills and picturesque farms… it is a landscape that is impossible to feel or look any more Dutch. In short the Southern Tour is the perfect tour for anyone wanting to see as much of “typical” central Holland as is possible in one week. What you will come away with at the end of the tour is a greater appreciation of why this part of the Netherlands attracts so many visitors from all corners of the globe every year. As well as being able to discover the natural beauty of Holland’s Green Heart you will visit:

• The world famous city of Amsterdam
• Utrecht, the geographical center of The Netherlands
• Rotterdam, the busiest port in Europe
• Delft, a city with close ties to the Dutch Royal family and the world renowned painter Johannes Vermeer
• Haarlem, a sightseeing paradise

Other attractions over the course of the tour include the cheese city of Gouda, the windmills at Kinderdijk (Unesco World Heritage Site), the silver city of Schoonhoven, the dunes and beaches of the North Sea coastline and the open air museum “Zaanse Schans”.

The ship – Your sailing hotel
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. You’ll receive a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. It’s also possible to spend a day on board if you like. There are rental bikes on board, but you can also bring your own if you mention it when booking.

You cycle independently
During this trip there is an expert and experienced tour leader on board. He or she will discuss the next day’s cycling routes on a daily basis and provide you with tips and information about the route. You will cycle the tours independently and at your own pace using a detailed cycling map, GPS directions via the free Ride With GPS app and printed route descriptions (available on board). The tour leader will also cycle the routes, so they will be riding nearby and can be reached by phone in case of emergencies, problems or questions.

Total distance 206 - 292 km

Sail and bike tours are something very special. Feel the freedom, the wind and salt on your skin! It’s a little bit like discovering the seas and new areas as a modern-day explorer.

Aboard one of the most comfortable sailing ships, the Leafde fan Fryslân, the Mare fan Fryslân, and the Wapen fan Fryslân, you will experience pure nature while enjoying water, sun and a stiff breeze on the big inland lake IJsselmeer and the so-called “Wadden Sea”, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage biosphere reserve. During this Sail & Bike tour you can explore the beautiful and unique Frisian Sea and some of its islands.

It is a world with two faces, where sand and water dominate during the changeover from low to high tide and where islands of all sizes line up like pearls on a chain. There are tidal channels, seagrass meadows, mussel beds, sandbanks, mudflats, salt marshes, beaches and dunes. The Frisian Sea is the habitat of marine mammals, such as seals and porpoises, and the breeding ground and wintering area for millions of birds. The area is one of the last remaining large-scale, low-tide ecosystems where natural processes continue to function. Furthermore you will visit the famous (freshwater lake) IJsselmeer and its beautiful coastline with many fishing villages and old trading harbor towns.

Highlights of the tour are the North Sea islands of Texel and Terschelling and their beautiful natural areas, small villages and long sandy beaches that you can explore by bicycle. Highlights on the coasts of the mainland in the provinces of North-Holland and Friesland are a combination of rural areas, small villages and picturesque harbor towns: a true “El Dorado” for cyclists. If you like, on board, you may – instructed by the experienced crew – lend a hand during navigating and raising the sails. Sailing experience is not necessary. But of course you are also very welcome to just relax and enjoy the sailing and scenery.

The ship – Your sailing hotel
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. You’ll receive a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. It’s also possible to spend a day on board if you like. There are rental bikes on board, but you can also bring your own if you mention it when booking.

Perfect for more experienced cyclists
With a detailed map of the area and a suggested route for close-range explorations, you decide where you head and how fast you ride. During the evening prior to next day’s cycling tour, the ship’s crew will explain some difficult parts, offer tips about the nicest places to stop for a drink or lunch, and mention the best highlights. In case of emergencies or problems, the crew can be contacted. But – as the ship is sailing to the next port – they can only offer assistance by phone.

Total distance 147 - 193 km

“Thinking of Holland I see broad rivers languidly winding through endless fen, lines of incredibly tenuous poplars like giant plumes on the polder’s rim”.These lines of a famous poem by the Dutch poet Marsman characterize this wonderful journey between Amsterdam and Maastricht, the southernmost city in the Netherlands.

Discover magical flat and green landscapes formed by the rivers Vecht, Lower Rhine, Waal, Linge and Meuse: a tangle of old gullies, cut-off meanders, dikes and flood plains with a typical flora and fauna. Visit historical towns, remarkable villages and some castles and gardens along these rivers. In the hospitable province of Limburg, cycling tours will cross borders regularly: although the Meuse flows through the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium are only a stone’s throw away. You can eat ‘Kuchen’ (cake) in a German ‘Konditorei’ in the morning and have a delicious afternoon beer in a street café in a Belgium village. The journey ends in Maastricht, the capital of the province of Limburg, famous for its lively center and vibrant hospitality.

The ship – Your sailing hotel
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. You’ll receive a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. It’s also possible to spend a day on board if you like. There are rental bikes on board, but you can also bring your own if you mention it when booking.

Fully Guided
Accompanied by a competent, professional and multilingual tour leader, you and the group will visit interesting sights and places on the daily cycling tours. During the bike tour, they will explain the local history and culture behind the things you encounter along the way. You can also choose to ride individually with the help of the Ride with GPS app and the Boat Bike Tours cycling map (available on board).

Total distance 272 - 284 km

The Amsterdam – Bruges bike and barge cycle tour is an exciting and diverse holiday experience that highlights some of the most beautiful cities of Holland and Belgium. On a daily basis you will cycle through a variety of flat landscapes through charming villages and historic cities while cruising along the impressive waterways of Zeeland, the River Schelde and the picturesque Vecht and Lek Rivers. The tour is perfect for families who want to cycle together and enjoy barge life or, for that matter, anyone wanting to enjoy a delightful week of cycling to a long list of historic destinations.

During the course of the 8 day, 7 night tour you will visit the world famous cities of Amsterdam, Utrecht, Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges – each in their own right are destinations of significance with a long list of sights and attractions to discover. Along the way you will cycle through the beautiful Dutch landscape of Zeeland, will visit a real Dutch cheese farm and 19 Dutch windmills in Kinderdijk and will discover the western Flanders region of Belgium. The province of Zeeland is essentially one big river delta of the Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt Rivers famous for its fantastic beaches, water sport activities and Delta works, while the Flanders region of Belgium boasts a number of world famous medieval towns and has a well-deserved reputation for superb food and drink. As well as cycling through many picturesque villages each day, you will:

• Have the opportunity to discover Amsterdam
• Visit Antwerp, a city famous for its vibrant nightlife
• Get the opportunity to explore Ghent
• Discover the UNESCO World Heritage-listed historical center of Bruges

The ship – Your sailing hotel
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. You’ll receive a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. It’s also possible to spend a day on board if you like. There are rental bikes on board, but you can also bring your own if you mention it when booking.

You cycle independently
During this trip there is an expert and experienced tour leader on board. He or she will discuss the next day’s cycling routes on a daily basis and provide you with tips and information about the route. You will cycle the tours independently and at your own pace using a detailed cycling map, GPS directions via the free Ride With GPS app and printed route descriptions (available on board). The tour leader will also cycle the routes, so they will be riding nearby and can be reached by phone in case of emergencies, problems or questions.

Total distance 259 - 288 km

This 8 day bike & barge tour starts in Paris, where the barge Fleur is docked in the center of the city, not far from the Notre Dame Cathedral. Unlike other river cruise ships, you will follow the Seine upstream, in southern direction.
This region has a rich, royal history and the castle of Fontainebleau is a magnificent example of this past. The castle was much in favor among the French kings, because of the extensive possibilities to hunt in the surrounding forests. Just as impressive are the royal gardens, which the French kings had their royal architects lay out for them.
You will cycle through the wonderful forests to the painters village of Barbizon, where since the first half of the 19th century many painters (Barbizon School) have lived and worked. Next stop is Moret-sur-Loing, a charming medieval fortified town, strategically situated on the banks of the Loing river, where painter Sisley found inspiration for his beautiful impressionist paintings.
From there you will follow the Canal du Centre to the beautiful medieval towns of Ferrières with its splendid monastery and Château-Landon with the Abbey of St. Severin. Your final destination is Montargis, a picturesque town with beautiful little canals. The canals are decorated with many flowers and give the town a lot of charm. The bicycle tours go mainly over quiet country roads, off the beaten track.

The ship – Your sailing hotel
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. You’ll receive a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. It’s also possible to spend a day on board if you like.

Fully Guided
Accompanied by a competent, professional and multilingual tour leader, you and the group will visit interesting sights and places on the daily cycling tours. During the bike tour, they will explain the local history and culture behind the things you encounter along the way. You can also choose to ride individually with the help of the Ride with GPS app and the Boat Bike Tours cycling map (available on board).

Total distance 219 - 264 km