Cycling from Amsterdam to Brussels

8 Days Excluding Flights From

8 Days from

£ 1519

Cycling

Activity Level

Moderate

Ways to Travel :

Self-Guided Holidays

Activity :

Cycling

Group Size :

1 - 12

Ages :

12+

Trip Code :

C07AX

This linear cycling trip takes in the capitals of Holland and Belgium as well as historic cities en route.

Starting in Amsterdam and finishing in Belgium’s capital city of Brussels, we recommend adding a few extra nights on to do city breaks in both cities to discover the variety of architecture, historic sites and monuments as well as shopping arcades, parks, gardens, art galleries and museums. Discover why millions visit these two key European cities every year with Amsterdam’s famous network of canals (a UNESCO World Heritage site), its infamous red light district and its fabulous squares – Dam, Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein. Brussels is famous for its food, comic strips, the world-famous Manneken Pis statue as well as the Atomium and the amazing Grand Place.

As well as the start and finish cities, this linear route is mostly flat cycling and allows you to discover even more Dutch and Belgian treats – for the eyes as well as the tastebuds. Archetypal images of Holland include its windmills and bridges with plenty of windmills in Kinderdijk and bridges in Papendrecht to feast your eyes on as you cycle across Holland’s Green Heart. Famous local snacks from Gouda include syrup waffles (or stroopwafels) and cheese. Continuing southwards you’ll get to see the Biesbosch National Park, one of Erurope’s last remaining freshwater tidal areas, before heading over the border into Belgium where you’ll discover the historical cities of Antwerp and Leuven with awe-inspiring architecture and delicious beer and mussels (moules) with Belgian triple-fried chips (frites). For those with a sweet tooth, Belgium’s sweet and sugary gaufres (with various toppings) and the luxury pralines and chocolates are well worth trying an assortment.

Highlights

Visit two European Capitals in Amsterdam and Brussels along with the historic cities of Gouda and Antwerp
Enjoy the peace and quiet of Holland's Green Heart and the Flemish countryside with mostly flat cycling
Delight in Dutch and Belgian treats - stroopwafels, cheese, moules & frites, luxury chocolates, gaufres and beer!

Key Information

7 nights in 3* & 4* hotels, all rooms en suite
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
E-bike hire available on request (supplement applies)

Countries visited: Belgium, The Netherlands

What's Included

7 nights hotel-to-hotel accommodation in a mix of 3* & 4* hotels
All breakfasts
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
Navigation app
Bike hire included
Luggage transfers between hotels

What's Not Included

Lunches & dinners
Travel insurance
Single accommodation (available on request)
Visas or vaccinations
Arrival & departure transfers
Upgrade to e-bike

6 Days of Cycling

Terrain:

Cycle paths and tarmac roads

Day 2

70 km / 43.5 miles

Day 3

50 km / 31.1 miles

Day 4

70 km / 43.5 miles

Day 5

60 km / 37.3 miles

Day 6

70 km / 43.5 miles

Day 7

40 km / 24.9 miles

Sustainability and Impact

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony though practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

TRIP

C07AX - Cycling from Amsterdam to Brussels

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Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

View Trip Notes

Itinerary

Amsterdam Brussels London London

Marvel at the townhouses along the 17th century canal district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You could also opt to saunter down the infamous red-light district which attracts millions of curious tourists every year; or enjoy the street performers on friendly Rembrandtplein.

Overnight Westcord Fashion Hotel 4*, Amsterdam.

Today’s route takes you through the Green Heart of Holland, a true cycling paradise, with characteristic peat and polder landscapes, small farming communities and picturesque historical towns such as Oudewater. It was to this place that women who had been accused of witchcraft fled from all over Europe to try to have their innocence proven by weighing. Finish your ride in medieval Gouda, discover this beautifully preserved town centre, visit the Gothic town hall and St. John’s church. Stop off at a bakery to buy fresh syrup waffles (Gouda is the hometown of the famous stroopwafels) and pick up some Gouda cheese.

Overnight Best Western Plus City 4*, Gouda.

Distance covered: 44mi (70km)

Meals included: Breakfast

From Gouda you’ll continue through the Green Heart of Holland to the village of Kinderdijk. Explore the site on which 19 windmills have stood majestically since 1740 and used to drain excess water out of the low-lying polder up into the River Lek. You can even pay one of the mills a visit. Your destination, Papendrecht, is just a ferry crossing away from of one of Holland’s oldest towns; Dordrecht, which is completely surrounded by rivers. Beautiful bridges take you across the water into the heart of town with its many monumental buildings around the harbour

Overnight Leonardo Hotel 4*, Papendrecht.

Distance covered: 31mi (50km)

Meals included: Breakfast

Follow today’s route past one of the few remaining freshwater tidal areas in Europe: the Biesbosch National Park. Crossing a one-kilometre-long bridge high above Holland’s Diep river, you arrive in the south of the Netherlands. Continue through village after village, with Brabant hospitality enticing you in to stop for a cup of coffee and a big slice of fruit tart. Bergen op Zoom, today’s destination, is 800 years old and the town’s narrow streets, old squares and hundreds of monuments testify to a rich and dramatic past. Be sure to feast your eyes on Markiezenhof, a late-gothic mansion built by the local noble family in 1485, that now serves as a museum and archive, before you settle down at one of the many pavement cafes.

Please note you will only be able to cycle through the Biesbosch park on days when the ferry is running, which is not daily. An alternative route will be provided for days when there is no ferry service.

Overnight Grand Hotel De Draak 4*, Bergen op Zoom.

Distance covered: 44mi (70km)

Meals included: Breakfast

The landscape along today’s cycling route is predominantly wooded. On the border between the Netherlands and Belgium, catch your breath in De Zoom – Kalmthoutse Heide, a lovely cross-border nature reserve. The route takes you along the Scheldekaaien (quays on the River Scheldt) right into the historical heart of Antwerp, Belgium’s most important port city and the largest town in Flanders. After seeing the historical centre you might like to venture to the hip and trendy parts of the city: ‘t Zuid and Het Eilandje. If you’ve worked up a thirst on your journey, consider a visit to the De Koninck beer brewery. It has been going strong since 1833 and has a new visitors centre welcoming guests wishing to look around and do some tasting. This brewery is best known for its ‘bollekes’, a type of rounded beer glass.

Overnight Park Inn Hotel by Radisson 3*, Antwerp.

Distance covered: 37mi (60km)

Meals included: Breakfast

After a short stretch on the banks of the River Scheldt, change course to follow the River Rupel, the shortest river in the country (nearly 10km long). Along the way you’ll see abandoned brick works and chimneys as silent witnesses of a tough industrial past. A good place to stop for lunch is the old town of Mechelen, within sight of the church tower of 13th century St. Rombold’s cathedral or the Grand Place with its fabulous architecture. Continue along the River Dijle to end your day in the delightful university town of Leuven, where the oldest houses date back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Also visit the early-Gothic church of St. John the Baptist (1304) and the Old Market Square (Oude Markt), nicknamed ‘the longest bar counter in the world’ due to the enormous number of bars and cafes on the square.

Overnight Park Inn Hotel by Radisson 3*, Leuven.

Distance covered: 44mi (70km)

Meals included: Breakfast

The hills of Belgian Brabant and the expansive Sonian Forest set the scene for today’s cycle. There are also train options if you don’t feel like cycling into the big city of Brussels. The city’s main attraction is the fantastic Grand Place and the nearby little statue of Manneken Pis still draws the crowds although there’s plenty more to see. Your visit to Brussels should involve culinary treats such as delicious hot waffles, chocolate, triple-fried frites and beer. You should also enjoy the shopping and culture; you’ll be hard-pushed not to want to stay longer.

Overnight Courtyard by Marriott 4*, Brussels.

Distance covered: 25mi (40km)

Meals included: Breakfast

Depart from Brussels after a hearty breakfast.

Meals included: Breakfast

Essential Info

Is this trip for you?

Cycling Conditions
Classification: Self-Guided
Average daily distance: 59km (37 miles).
No. of days cycling: 6
Terrain and route: The suggested cycling mainly follows quiet cycling routes and tarmac roads. The terrain is mainly flat which means the distances achieved each day can be longer. Alternative shorter routes are available on some days and are detailed in the route notes.

Vehicle Support: This is a self-guided trip for those who prefer to cycle independently, but with our assistance to take out the stress of the logistics and planning. We arrange your accommodations, provide you with a map and route notes so that you can cycle at your own pace, while your bags are transported from one hotel to the next. Your bikes will be delivered to the start hotel, all set up relevant to your height and ready to go. Our local agent will be on call throughout the trip should you need.

It is important that you are happy reading maps and following route notes, we make these as accurate as possible and they are regularly checked. Where possible we stick to cycle tracks and quiet roads to make the journeys as pleasant as possible, however, on occasion we have to use busier routes into larger towns and cities.

As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There maybe others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. The route notes contain a 24-hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the local agent is normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service.

Families
Self-guided cycling holidays are a perfect option for families as they offer the freedom for you to take your holiday at your own pace. You can stop as and when you want and need, at the cafes and restaurants that suit your family and the sites that interest you. We have suggested that 12yrs is the minimum age for this trip, but as it is self-guided and you will be leading your own family we will ultimately leave this decision up to you. The daily distances are all published in the trip notes along with a description of each day’s cycling so you have a good idea of what to expect. However, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact one of our experts. The principle idea is that these holidays can be as flexible as you like, with logistical support but no group or leader to dictate the daily activities. Please consider the weather when choosing to book, temperatures can be high in the middle of summer.

Joining Instructions

Your trip normally starts at your hotel in Amsterdam on the afternoon of Day 1 of the itinerary. Hotel check-in times are normally from around 3pm.
We can arrange flights or trains to Amsterdam and back from Brussels – please contact our sales team for more information and prices.

Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.

Location start: Amsterdam
Location end: Brussels

Vaccinations and Health

The Netherlands

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, rabies (bat lyssavirus) and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Belgium

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, rabies (bat lyssavirus) and tick-borne encephalitis. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Visa

The Netherlands

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter the Netherlands. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

Belgium

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Belgium. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

Food & Drink

All breakfasts are included.

There are plenty of treats to be tried during your trip from the Netherlands to Belgium with local specialities including stroopwafels, cheese, moules & frites, luxury praline chocolates, gaufres and beer.

TRIP

C07AX - Cycling from Amsterdam to Brussels

Departure Date

Number Of Passengers*

Message*

To enquire about an existing booking click here

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Phone *

Keep me up to date with news and offers from Exodus by email.

Thank you for contacting Exodus Travels.

Find out more about how we use your data

Request a Brochure

Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

View Trip Notes

Westcord Fashion Hotel 4*, Amsterdam.

Less than 5km from the Old Town, this lovely hotel offers trendy and well-appointed rooms. Guests can enjoy the Wellcome Wellness centre which features an indoor swimming pool, sauna and gym. The Grand Cafe serves all-day dining. You can also visit the restaurant Mme Coco for a delicious culinary evening. The chic SKYY Bar offers panoramic city views and serves a range of wines and exotic cocktails, as well as a 5 course dinner at the chef’s table.