Trip Report: Cycling from Amsterdam to Bruges

Cycling is a way of life in the Netherlands, the norm and an everyday activity. This, combined with the extensive network of cycle paths and bike routes across the country, makes our Amsterdam to Bruges Bike Tour a dream for a week of leisurely cycling. The cyclist is king here - cars even have to give way to bikes on most roundabouts!

This week was filled with many beautiful and anticipated sights: picturesque canals, skylines adorned with windmills, and polders with grazing cattle. However, the incredible wildlife, charming and intriguing fortified seaside towns, and sandy beaches were wonderful surprises that made for a memorable trip.

We loved trying the local cuisine, too. You won't be surprised to hear that we consumed a fair few stroopwafels en route (our son James probably consumed his lifetime quota!), but a particular highlight was kibbeling, a freshly battered fish that quickly became a favourite lunchtime treat.

We arrived in Amsterdam raring to go - despite the weather not playing ball (rain, rain, go away!). Ahead of time, we'd bought the GVB day ticket for €9pp. This meant we could enjoy unlimited trams, buses and underground metros - as well as lots of walking of course! We ventured to Albert Cuypmarkt, a local market slightly off the beaten path, where we ate bitterballen (bite-size beef and gravy croquettes) and freshly cooked stroopwafel - simply delicious!

We then made our way towards the 9 Streets (De Negen Straatjes) area - canals and narrow streets with cafes, cute shops and galleries - before exploring the arty neighbourhood in Jordaan District.

Cycling out from Amsterdam along a flat cycle path that followed the River Amstel was a fabulous start to the cycling on this tour. Just a few kilometres in, we were already passing rowers, fishermen and beautiful riverside houses. In no time at all, we saw our first windmill and were in the Green Heart region of the Netherlands, full of luscious greenery. We cycled past low-lying polders with grazing cows and sheep.

Cycling straight onto a ferry for the short hop across the Amstel was a fun addition and our first of many ferries to come.

After lunch, we crossed a causeway through the pretty Reeuwijkse Plassen lakes to reach Gouda, famous for its cheese market. We were just in time to watch the carillon clock with a mechanical puppet show, reenacting the granting of Gouda’s city rights in the Gothic-style Old City Hall. A brilliant first day in the saddle, topped off with a unique experience in a wonderful city - not a bad start!

As we left the streets of Gouda, our journey continued as we saw gliding cormorants, flying herons and broods of ducks. We cycled through more polders dotted with cows, sheep and bursts of yellow irises. Lovely to cycle through, but made even better by some blue skies making an appearance!

The highlight of the day was cycling through the nineteen 18th-century mills spread along the waterways at Kinderdijk, a magnificent UNESCO World Heritage site. Built originally to prevent flooding by scooping up excess water out of the polder and into the canal, they truly are an iconic site. We overnighted in Papendrecht, a short ferry ride from Dordrecht, which we couldn't wait to explore the next day.

To kickstart our day, we took the fast ferry across to Dordrecht, one of the oldest towns in the Netherlands, and cycled around the beautiful harbour with its beautifully preserved 17th-century merchant houses and warehouses. The well-thought-out route then took us past the medieval Great Church.

After cycling along delightfully flat cycle paths through farmland, we stopped for fresh kibbeling from a market. A little more cycling later, we arrived in Willemstad. A small, sleepy yet very pretty and historical town within a 17th-century seven-point star fort on the south bank of the Diep River. The cobbled streets to the harbour and windmill were perfect for a stroll after a day in the saddle.

The isle of Goeree Overflakkee was our first sight of the day, before we pedalled over a bridge across Grevelingenmeer, west Europe's largest saltwater lake. Next up was an impressive wind farm, a unique experience with the whoosh of the huge blades so close to us.

Our first stop came in the mussel town of Bruinisse for coffee and yet more freshly cooked kibbeling in the harbour - we couldn’t get enough! We arrived through the impressive 14th-century town gates to the beautiful, small, picturesque town of Zierikzee, with a wonderful harbour. We saw heaps of fishing and Zeeland flat-bottomed boats. The narrow alleyways were a joy to explore, with quaint independent shops, cafes and restaurants aplenty.

Time for some island hopping! The day started by crossing the Oosterschelde on an epic 5km bridge. Soon, we saw our first sandy beaches as we took the coastal route through the national park to reach the ferry, which whizzed us to our next island. The ferryman was full of character and humour as he controlled the loading and off-loading of what must have been a hundred bikes!

The village of Veere was a lovely stop-off for a coffee break. As was Middelburg, capital of Zeeland and one of the Netherlands’ most important trading centres in the 16th and 17th centuries. The coastal town of Vlissingen was our overnight stop before heading to Belgium tomorrow! 

Cycling straight into a ferry ticket office on an official cycle path was a first for me in my 12 years at Freedom Treks! We took the ferry across to the Zeelandic Flanders and followed a lovely, flat cycle path, hugging the coast and pedalling past sandy beaches. This coastal route was lined with white beach huts and cafes, perfectly timed for a coffee stop.

We also loved cycling along the tree-lined canal towpaths, built by Napoleon, which routed us inland and rather unceremoniously into Belgium - with only a small flag on a bollard to mark the occasion! They clearly hadn’t realised where we’d cycled from to arrive here…

Damme, with its charming square filled with historic buildings, was ideal for lunch. Then it was just a short stretch to Bruges and its main square, which was rather magical! We spent our final evening strolling through Bruges, admiring the wonderfully preserved medieval buildings, before enjoying a celebratory dinner at Poules Moules in the covered square where, you guessed it, we enjoyed moules frites (washed down with Belgian beer and a glass of wine - well deserved if you ask me!).

The Amsterdam to Bruges Bike Tour offers:

• Amazing cities: experience the buzz and culture of both Amsterdam and Bruges.
  
  
• A great cycle network: it's what the Netherlands is rightly known for. So well connected, so easy to follow, and so fun to cycle! The app was also brilliant and easy to navigate, ensuring we saw all the highlights along the way.
  
  
• Perfect variety: cycle through rural countryside and along beachside cycle paths, seeing incredible windmills and visiting historic towns. Plus UNESCO World Heritage Sites!

• If you want to visit any museums in Amsterdam, you must book ahead to avoid disappointment.
  
  
• Consider renting an e-bike for that extra pedal power when needed, which is especially useful on the longer rides - you'll have more time to enjoy and explore the villages and towns en route.
  
  
• It's worth noting that his tour can be done in reverse (Bruges to Amsterdam Bike Tour), where there is more chance of a following wind.

Using our first-hand knowledge, we're here to help answer any questions you may have. If you like the sound of this brilliant tour, you can enquire online or call us on +44 (0)1273 224066 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm UK time). Alternatively, you can book our Amsterdam to Bruges Bike Tour online now.

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