If you arrive early, you could explore the different neighbourhoods of Amsterdam by public transport or on foot. There are fun shopping streets, museums, squares to while away your time, restaurants… enough to fill your day.

Choose one of our four routes. For example the route to the old fishing villages of Marken and Volendam on the coast of what used to be Zuiderzee sea. This route takes you through picture-postcard scenery. 

An extra loop of 8 km will take you to Edam. Don't forget to taste the salty, round, polder cheeses that the village of Edam is known for worldwide. On the way back you will cycle through the pretty villages of Monnickendam and Broek in Waterland. 

It's also possible to cycle a shorter tour of 48 km to only Monnickendam, but this will not take you to Volendam, Marken and Edam. 

Or cycle to the elegant city of Haarlem and back in 46 kilometers. The attractive city centre offers a wealth of possibilities for shopping, delving into art and culture, or relaxing in cafes and restaurants. An optional loop will take you to the world biggest steam machinery of the world, the steam pumping machine of Cruquis, in 13 extra cycling kilometers.  

Choose another of our four routes. The route to Muiden Castle is 63 km long. Along the river Amstel you cycle to Ouderkerk.  If you want to check out a typical 'Old Dutch' village, Ouderkerk aan de Amstel is definitely recommended. Stroll through the pretty historic streets and don't forget to visit the old Jewish cemetery 'Beth Haim' (house of life). The cemetery, with around 28,000 graves, is a national monument and the oldest Jewish cemetery still in use in the Western world. 

Back on your bike the route takes you further to Abcoude. The idyllic village village and its surroundings were a big inspiration of famous painter Piet Mondriaan in his early years: he often cycled here to paint landscapes. He painted the Oostzijdse molen (windmill) more than twenty times between 1902 and 1908. It is still standing, so you can cycle over to see it.

Then continue onwards to Weesp, known as 'Little Amsterdam' on the river Vecht. 

Next up is the village of Muiden, at the mouth of the River Vecht. Although very picturesque in itself, it is best known for its small moated castle built around 1280 - well worth a visit! 

The last of our four routes takes you to Zaandam and back. The area around the River Zaan was very early to industrialize thanks to wind power. Hundreds of sawmills, for example, contributed in a big way to the building of the enormous shipping fleet that brought Amsterdam prosperity. This is a fantastic route for those interested in industrial heritage! In addition to quaint old factories and warehouses lining the river, look forward to the beautiful windmills at Zaanse Schans that continue to produce mustard, paint and oil to this day. 

As the sun sets, back in Amsterdam, you could go for a leisurely stroll through the romantic canal district.

After breakfast, it’s time to pack your bags. There are big lockers at the train station where you can leave your luggage to continue your explorations for another couple of hours, perhaps.