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Dutch Bike Tours Cycling holiday  Holland’s Highlights Tour
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Cycling days
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Holland Highlights Tour
Holland Highlights Tour
Type :
Hybrid :
E-Bike :
Duration :
6 days
Cycling days :
 4
Comfort :
period:
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
Code:
6-11
Culture Nature Cities History Amsterdam
price from € 694
Holland Highlights Tour
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Holland Highlights Tour

Bike Tour: Holland Highlights Tour - 6 days

Remember Hans Brinker, the Dutch boy who placed a miraculous finger on a hole in the dike to save his country? Can you envision a picture postcard of majestic windmills under a great blue sky? Do you feel a nostalgic longing for all things typically Dutch? The wooden clogs, canals, bicycles, pancakes, tulip fields, polders and traditional costume? It will all come alive before your very eyes on this specially-designed tour! Your trip starts and ends in Amsterdam, allowing ample opportunity to explore the city, monuments and museums. And we’ve kept the cycling distances short, to give you more time at top tourist attractions such as Zaanse Schans and Volendam.

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Route
Day 1: Arrival in Amsterdam
Day 2: Amsterdam - Haarlem/Santpoort
Day 3: Haarlem/Santpoort - Zaandam
Day 4: Zaandam – Volendam
Day 5: Volendam - Amsterdam
Day 6: Return Home

Day 1:    Arrival in Amsterdam

Try to arrange for an early arrival! You’ll want an entire day just to wander the 17th-century canal district, gazing up at the beautiful old townhouses and taking in the beauty of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Day 2:    Amsterdam - Haarlem/Santpoort
30 km

Get an  early start and beat the queues at the Van Gogh or Anne Frank museum. At the end of the morning, say "tot ziens!” to amazing Amsterdam and mount your bike to journey through Kennemerland where a great variety of lovely countryside awaits: vast polders, wild(life) gardens, country estates, woods and beautiful peatland. You will stay the night in the elegant city of Haarlem. The attractive city centre offers a wealth of possibilities for shopping, delving into art and culture, or relaxing in cafes and restaurants.

In April and early May, you have the option of cycling a longer route of ca. 60 km where you can see the tulip fields.

It can happen that we will book a hotel in Santpoort instead of Haarlem, due to availability. 
The hotel is located in a manor house with a beautiful park, surrounded by nature, about 7 km outside Haarlem. 
Please check the extra price of Landgoed Duin & Kruidberg Hotel in Santpoort in the price overview below. The price includes dinner for this night. 

Day 3:    Haarlem/Santpoort - Zaandam
37 km

Start the day in historic Haarlem and get a glimpse of Golden Age painting at the Frans Hals Museum. Or try the exquisite Teylers Museum, the Netherlands’ oldest, open since 1784! At midday, jump back on your bike and ride the banks of the River Spaarne to pretty Spaarndam and the IJdijk. Tiny ancient houses perch atop the dike, high and dry, while others sit safe and snug behind it. Reputedly the oldest lock in the world, Kolksluis is still in working order, standing at its breath-taking location. Pause to honour dear little Hans Brinker, the brave boy who -according to legend- stuck his finger in a hole the dike thus avoiding a great flood and certain doom. 

Pedalling onward along the River Zaan you come upon adorable green wooden houses, with white lace curtains in the windows. Several prime windmills stand in gorgeous rows at picture-perfect Zaanse Schans. Stop to take pictures, visit the wooden shoe workshops and find out how to make Dutch cheese. Then take a break and nibble on a well-deserved pancake.

Day 4:    Zaandam – Volendam
31 km

A few cranks of the shaft cover the short stretch to Het Twiske recreational park, a favourite spot for summer get-aways. On hot days, city dwellers flee Amsterdam and cycle out to the lake for a dip. Next, a varied landscape of woods, meadows and lakes accompanies you to Monnickendam and today’s cycling route concludes in the festive fishing port of Volendam. Browse decorating boutiques, shop for great finds and relax at an outdoor cafe overlooking the water.

Day 5:    Volendam - Amsterdam
35 km

Volendam’s red brick houses and quaint old quarter lead to an intriguing museum depicting the history, culture and folklore of this close-knit community. The permanent exhibit includes inspiring period rooms, traditional costumes and jewellery and a section on eel fishery, complete with model boats. Delight in the art collection with its mind-boggling cigar band mosaics. Circling back to the city via the isle of Marken, you’ll be in Amsterdam in time for a bit more sight-seeing.

Day 6:    Return Home

Your cycling holiday draws to a close this morning after breakfast and it is time to go home.

Prices
Starting dates: 
Daily from April 1st to September 24th

Please note: a minimum stay of 2 nights in a row is required in the hotel in Amsterdam on the following dates (and a higher price will be charged):

April 18-20 2025
April 25-26 2025
May 29-31 2025
June 6-8 2025
June 21-22 2025
June 24-25 2025
August 29-31 2025

 


Price pp
Double room, breakfast 689.00
Single room, breakfast 1,014.00
Extra night double room, breakfast only 80.00
Upgrades pp/night
Inntel Hotel Zaandam, Zaandam 15.00
Landgoed Duin & Kruidberg, Santpoort 70.00
Westcord Art Hotel, Amsterdam 10.00
Surcharge per person
Stay in Amsterdam on Saturday 25.00
Stay in Amsterdam from:
18 Apr 2025 - 20 Apr 2025
25 Apr 2025 - 26 Apr 2025
29 May 2025 - 31 May 2025
06 Jun 2025 - 08 Jun 2025
21 Jun 2025 - 22 Jun 2025
24 Jun 2025 - 25 Jun 2025
29 Aug 2025 - 31 Aug 2025
40.00
Rental bike
Child bike 70.00
Standard bike 100.00
E-bike 150.00
Extra services
Bike Breakdown pass € 4.00 x 5 20.00
Child seat € 8.00 x 5 40.00
Bike theft insurance € 3.00 x 5 15.00
E-bike theft insurance € 6.00 x 5 30.00
Extra luggage € 5.00 x 5 25.00
Child trailer € 20.00 x 5 100.00
Bike helmet per piece 20.00
SGR per piece 5.00

Starting point:
Amsterdam

Accommodation

The hotels and the B&B on this trip have been carefully selected for their location, atmosphere and/or unique services. All rooms are en-suite. A list of the accomodation we work with appears below. If a certain accomodation is unable to confirm due to lack of availability, we will try to request a comparable alternative if possible. 

When selecting the accomodation, we try to take into account as much as possible a safe and closed bicycle shed. However, we cannot do this with all of them guarantee and this partly depends on the number of bicycles of other guests.

Westcord Art Hotel ***/**** (Amsterdam)
Hotel Lion d'Or **** (Haarlem)
Best Western Zaan Inn *** (Zaandam)
Hotel Old Dutch *** (Volendam)
Bikes

If you don’t bring your own, you can rent a bicycle from us. Our standard bikes are 7-speed gear. You can find all the information regarding our rental bikes below.

You will find your rental bikes waiting for you at your first accommodation. The reception staff will give you the keys for your bikes and direct you to the bicycle shed. All bikes are provided with chain locks.

Our standard bikes have 7-gears with hand brakes. 
The standard bikes are circa 20 kilo. Due to the size of our rental bikes, we recommend a minimum height of 160 cm for the adult bikes. 

Stad-tourfiets klein (1)  

The e-bikes have a small electric engine and battery, which can be charged at the hotels. You still have to pedal: it just makes pedaling much easier. Some experience with e-bikes is recommended, as the bikes accelerate faster and are heavier than regular bikes because of the electric engine.The weight of the e-bike is ca. 27 kilo. 

A child trailer cannot be attached on an e-bike.

Brand: Alba, 28 inch, frame size 50/54, 7 gears.

For children we offer several models child bikes from the brand Batavus. 
The child bikes come with at least 3-gears and have hand brakes and pedal brakes.
The saddle is adjustable in height, the steering wheel is not. 
The maximum body height for a child’s bike is 155 cm. 

20 inch child bike: from 5 years/115 cm
Child bike StayOkay 20 inch

24 inch child bike (3 gears): from 8 years/130 cm



26 inch child bike (3 gears):
from 9 years/145 cm

Bell

All our rental bikes come with a bell.


Brakes

All our adult bikes come with hand brakes. 


Childseat

For children older than 30 months (max. 22KG) it is possible to rent a rear child seat. Front child seats are not available. 

Child seats are €8 per day  


Helmet

Helmets are not mandatory in the Netherlands, but can be rented for €20,- per piece.
Available sizes: Adult and child (only available for children over 5 years). 


Lights

All our bikes come with both front- and rear lights.


Locks

Our bikes come with a defender lock with plug in chain (cable lock that is attached to the regular lock, see picture).

You need to turn the key a bit, take out the pin from the cable lock and attach it to a pole/other bike/fence etc.

When you push the pin back into the regular lock, you need to lock the regular lock as you always do, and both locks will be secured.


Pannier

1 pannier is included at the 'standard' bikes and the e-bikes.

Height: 42 cm
Depth front to the side: 17 cm
Wide top: 32 cm
Wide down: 23 cm
Volume: 20 liters
It has an easy click-on/click-off system. The panniers are water resistant, so everything will stay dry.


Pedals

The rental bikes come with regular pedals, so no click-in/SPD pedals. 


Quickrelease

All our bikes come with a quick release system, which makes it very easy to adjust the height of the saddle and the handle bars. 


Repairkit

There is one small puncture kit and pump included, which can be found in the pannier. In case a rental bike has another problem, we always advise you to go to a bike repair shop or call the bike breakdown emergency number which is provided in the travel documents when you book this extra service.


Saddle

Saddles can be adjusted in height without using any tools, see ‘Quick Release’.
Our saddles don’t come with a gel cover. 


Waterbottles

Dutch Biketours does not provide water bottles. We can also not guarantee that there are bottle holders on the bikes. You will always receive 1x pannier, so you can always store your own water bottle in your pannier.


We have limited family tandem bikes available on request.
The family tandems have 7-gears and can be used for one adult and one child between 4 and 8 years old (height between 105 and 130 cm). 
Brand: Onderwater

Child trailers can be rented for children who are up to 100 cm (max. 35 KG in total).
Child trailers are not possible in combination with e-bikes.  

Do you wish to insure your bike against theft? The cost is € 3,- per day per standard hybrid bicycle.
For an electric bicycle, premium bike or racing bike: € 6,00 per day per bicycle.
Please see the General Terms and Conditions for Bicycle Hire and Insurance. 

If a rental bike gets stolen or damaged, we will hold the client responsible.
If your insurance does not cover this event, you will have to pay the costs yourself.

Article 1 Bike Rental Price

The bike rental price is determined by the rates mentioned on the Dutch Bike Tours website at the time of the booking; or as subsequently agreed.

Article 2 Payment

a. The rental price and any other due sums regarding the rental agreement must be paid before the bike is handed over to you.

b. If, for whatever reason, you cannot make use of the bike(s) you have rented, Dutch Bike Tours will not be held responsible for any resulting expenses or damage.

c. In the case of the article 2b, the client remains obliged to pay the full rental price and any other amounts mentioned in the invoice, in accordance with our General Terms and Conditions of Booking, unless the client can prove that his not being able to use the bike was the consequence of a defect that was already present at the beginning of the rental period.

Article 3 Rental Period

a. The rental period runs from the morning of the first cycling day (day 2) to the end of the holiday (the departure day), as stated in the booking confirmation.

b. Extension of the rental period is possible only after approval by us and according to the (extension) rates as mentioned in article 1.

c. No refunds are possible after the rental period begins. If you return the bike(s) to us before the end of your holiday, the rental agreement will automatically be terminated and you will not get any of your money back.

d. At the end of the last cycling day of your holiday, the bike(s) must be returned to the hotel from where it was/they were issued, no later than the time stated in the booking confirmation.
If you book a one way tour tour you can leave the bike at the last hotel of the trip. 

e. If the bike(s) is /are not returned by the return time stated in the booking confirmation, we will continue to charge you rent until such time as the bike(s) is/are returned to us or is/are received by us. In the event of late return, the rates as mentioned in article 1 will continue to apply, plus a fine of €25 per day. We also reserve the right to demand payment for any costs and/or damages suffered by us due to late return of our rental bike(s).

f. Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, in the event of late return of our rental bikes, we reserve the right to dissolve the rental agreement without judicial intervention and immediately claim back our bicycles where ever they may be and from whomever has them. Dutch Bike Tours also holds this right in the event that the client does not comply with any of the other conditions stated in this rental agreement.

Article 4 Improper Use

a. The bicycle(s) may only be used for its/their intended purpose and only by the cyclists listed in the rental agreement.

b. The bike(s) must be returned to us in the same (clean!) state in which you received it/them.

c. You must take excellent care of the bicycle(s), as if it/they were your own. You must take every precaution against damage, loss or theft.

d. The bicycle may not be used on the beach; or on sandy paths in the dunes unless a paved path is unavailable.

Article 5 Damage, Loss and Theft

The renter will be held responsible for damages to or loss of the bicycle(s) or parts of it, as well as bicycle keys and chains and locks, for such an amount as is determined by us according to standard market prices. You must understand that you are not insured for damage to the bicycle(s) or for any damages to third parties.

Article 6 Theft Insurance

It is possible to purchase Bicycle Theft Insurance. Covered are: damages arising out of the theft of the bicycle; and damages to the bicycle as a consequence of the theft. Not covered are: theft of bicycle parts; and damages arising out of attempted theft.

Article 7 Theft Insurance Premium

a. The premium for Bicycle Theft Insurance is € 3,00 per day per standard hybrid bicycle. For an electric bicycle € 6,00 per day as well for a Premium bike and racing bike.

The number of insurance days is the same as the number of cycling days as stated in our booking confirmation.

Article 8 Liability in the Event of Theft

a. If you did not purchase Bicycle Theft Insurance from us before the start of the holiday, you will be held fully accountable for the sum determined by us according to standard prices.

b. If you did purchase Bicycle Theft Insurance from us, but you failed to lock the wheel lock and failed to produce the original wheel lock key and failed to produce an official theft report drawn up by the police, you will still be held fully accountable for the sum determined by us according to standard prices.

Article 9 Costs During the Rental Period

Any charges and taxes regarding the rental bicycle(s), such as fines and ferry tickets, are to be paid by you. You will also be required to pay all costs ensuing from the use of the bicycle(s) such as parking fees, maintenance and repairs.

 

Practical info

5 Nights included

3/4 Star Hotels

Tourist tax included

Breakfast included

Detailed roadbooks with maps and tourist information

Rental bikes available

7-days a week service-hotline

Luggage transport to your next hotel

Amsterdam Sloterdijk / Amsterdam CS

Parking available at the hotel

GPS-tracks available

Ferry crossings are not included

Arrival info

The nearest airport is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)

The train from Schiphol to Amsterdam Sloterdijk departs 6 times per hour. Travel time is about 10 minutes. A single ticket costs approx €4,- per person excl. bicycle.

For timetables and tickets, go to www.ns.nl/en. For bus details, how to reach the hotel, check: www.9292.nl/en.

Reviews

05-01-2024

It is hard to pick a favourite moment of our trip - as we enjoyed every minute of it. It exceeded our expectations completely. My husband and I, and our son, all found the holiday to be fun and relaxing. We just want to do it all again!


Rebecca Buckingham - GB

11-12-2023

I had a wonderful experience. I was also lucky to not see a drop of rain over the five days. I can't wait to book with DBT again and see more of that wonderful country. Even though it signaled the end of my trip, the ride from Volendam back to Amsterdam (with the ferry ride to Marken) was wonderous, just the perfect, perfect day.


Craig Brownstein - US

22-08-2023

A enjoyable introduction to the Netherlands, which proved to be stimulating and suitable for all the family.


Paul Edwards - GB

29-07-2023

It was a magnificent sensory experience,we heard the whistle of the reeds,the cry of the geese,the water hen,the sights that enthralled were the cows grazing without hedges,the waterfowl ,the barges moving up the river ,the heron standing stock still fishing,the unexpected jetties at some of the house with the ornamental ducks about to dive into the dyke. The smell of the beautiful flowers ,the countryside in general,slurry tóo.. Finally the taste of the local beer texels at the.end of a day in the saddle. Bliss.


Rosalind McKnight - GB

15-07-2023

A very well organised trip- everything went smoothly and I am happy to recommend the services of DBT.


Martin Cadman - GB

09-06-2023

Excellent route, easy cycling though differing scenery: major cities, water meadows and coast. Good hotels all with secure bike storage. Lots of wildlife, great for birding.


Martin Day - GB
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