Pearls of Holland Cycling with Woerden
8 Days Starting and ending in Amsterdam
Visiting: Amsterdam, Haarlem, Leiden, Delft, Gouda, Woerden
Tour Overview
Discover the Pearls of Holland on this mostly gentle circular cycling trip, starting and ending in the delightful city of Amsterdam with its UNESCO World Heritage canal ring area, its bustling squares and cultural hotspots, including the Anne Frank and Van Gogh museums. The varied countryside of Holland beckons with a mix of rectangular polders (low-lying land reclaimed from rivers and protected by dykes), woodland, country estates and wild gardens. Cycle through beautiful traditional villages, past windmills and farmhouses and on to the famous flower fields near Haarlem (visit in April and early May for the full effect of the blooms).As well as Amsterdam and the archetypal countryside of the Netherlands, you get to explore the cities of Haarlem, Leiden, Delft and Gouda, all with their own histories and cultural characters. Haarlem has a wealth of culture with the Frans Hals museum a must-see for art lovers with works from the Dutch Golden Age, as well as plenty of shopping, cafes and restaurants to choose from. The Keukenhof botanical gardens are worth a visit with over 7 million flowers in spring. Leiden is Holland's oldest university town and has a lively events calendar and canals, monuments windmills and museums offer some great sightseeing. Delft is world famous for its Delftware, the blue and white hand-painted pottery, but was also home to the artist Vermeer. Gouda, as well as being the venue for the famous summer cheese market (Thursday mornings April - August), has a fabulous, gothic town hall in the main square, romantic canals and even more food options with warm syrup waffles - perfect to try after a day of cycling.This version of the Pearls of Holland trip splits the long route from Gouda to Amsterdam with an overnight stay in Woerden on the way back to Amsterdam. The castle and Saint Bonaventure's church are worth a visit.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrive In Amsterdam
Location: Amsterdam
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Westcord Art Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Wander around the iconic and surprisingly peaceful 17th century canal ring
area of the city (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). For hustle and bustle, make
your way to the city's famous squares or head off the beaten track along
Brouwersgracht. Alternatively find out what the city looks like from the
canals.
Day 2 : Amsterdam To Haarlem
Location: Amsterdam, Haarlem
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel Lion d'Or
Meals Included: Breakfast
Get an early start today and beat the queues at the Van Gogh or Anne Frank
museum. Then, say 'farewell” or “tot ziens!” to Amsterdam and ride
through Kennemerland with its lovely variety of countryside, from vast
polders and country estates to woods and beautiful peatland. The attractive
city centre of Haarlem offers a wealth of shopping, art and culture, or the
option to just relax in cafes and restaurants. In April and early May, you
have the option of cycling a longer route of c.60 km where you can see the
tulip fields today.
Day 3 : Haarlem To Leiden
Location: Haarlem, Leiden
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Best Western Hotel Leiden
Meals Included: Breakfast
Downtown Haarlem is worth exploring - discover the city’s hidden 'hofjes”
(squares of tiny almshouses set around idyllic courtyards) and the Frans Hals
Museum for Dutch Golden Age artworks. Continue on your journey to Leiden
through the colourful Dune and Bulb Region. To capture the bulb flower fields
in their full splendour try to time this holiday before mid-May. Tulips,
crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths are grown here commercially, for bulb
export, and temporarily transform the landscape into one of the country’s
best-loved tourist attractions. Should you want to spend a day at world
famous Keukenhof flower exhibition, we recommend you book an extra night in
Leiden. Leiden is Holland’s oldest university town and has a very busy
cultural events calendar with a friendly city centre of canals, monuments,
windmills and museums. The historical botanical gardens are definitely worth
a visit.
Day 4 : Leiden To Delft
Location: Leiden, Delft
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Best Western Museumhotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today provides typically Dutch scenery with orderly, man-made rectangles in
the polders (mostly peatland reclamations). You pedal past shining lakes,
green pastures, old windmills and farmhouses on your way to the famous city
of Delft. The melancholy charm of this historical city is breath-taking. Most
will associate Delft with its blue and white hand-painted pottery: Delftware,
however it was also home to painter Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675). The Vermeer
Centre gives illuminating insights into his life, works and city (no original
paintings on show here).
Day 5 : Delft To Gouda
Location: Delft, Gouda
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Best Western Hotel Gouda
Meals Included: Breakfast
This stretch takes you through the Green Heart of Holland - a stronghold
against urban sprawl. Balance your way along the top of polder dikes, delight
in characteristic villages, far horizons and pleasingly strict rectangles cut
by ditches in fields of vibrant green. As you wander around the city of Gouda
at the end of the day, don’t miss the gothic town hall (1450); the Weighing
House (1667); the romantic inner-city canals and the stained glass windows in
St. John’s Church. Gouda is also famous for making syrup waffles (try one
hot!) and candles. If you’re travelling in Summer, plan your trip so that
you can witness the traditional Thursday morning cheese market at the start
of Day 6 (early April till last Thursday in August)
Day 6 : Gouda To Woerden
Location: Gouda, Woerden
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Best Western Hotel Woerden
Meals Included: Breakfast
Set off on your next cycling leg today and bird lovers bring your binoculars!
Once again, switch on your five senses to fully enjoy the characteristic
countryside of the Green Heart. Drift past meadows, lakes and small villages
whilst enjoying the wind in the rushes and the clouds reflected in lakes.
Day 7 : Woerden To Amsterdam
Location: Woerden, Amsterdam
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Westcord Art Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Continue on towards the picturesque River Amstel as you wend your way back to
Amsterdam. Why not sample the famous Dutch style apple tart with your coffee
en route? Enjoy time in Amsterdam exploring the townhouses along the 17th
century canal district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as watching the
street performers on friendly Rembrandtplein.
Day 8 : Leave Amsterdam
Location: Amsterdam
Meals Included: Breakfast
After a hearty breakfast, depart Amsterdam.
What's Included
-
All breakfasts
-
Route notes and maps
-
All accommodation (see accommodation section)
-
Luggage transfers
-
Local bike hire
-
Meals
8 breakfasts, 0 lunches, 0 dinners.
What's Not Included
-
Optional electric bikes
-
Single accommodation (available on request)
-
Travel insurance
-
Half board upgrade (5 nights only)
-
Visas or vaccinations
-
Arrival & departure transfers
Food
All breakfasts are included.There are plenty of treats to be tried during your trip in the Netherlands with local specialities including stroopwafels, cheese and beer.
Accommodation
WESTCORD ART HOTEL, AMSTERDAMThe Westcord Art Hotel in Amsterdam is a contemporary hotel that offers both 3 and 4 star accommodations, depending on the room category you stay in. Located just a 15 minute walk (or 5 minute bus ride) from the city centre, all rooms and suites have excellent facilities as well as unique artwork on the walls by Amsterdam artist Chiel van Zelst. There is also an art collection by famous Dutch artist Herman Brood in the hotel lobby.The hotel offers a Terrace Bar and a Brasserie for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as leisure facilities including an outdoor swimming pool, picnic area, sun terrace and gardens.Room upgrades: 4* RoomsAt the Westcord Art Hotel there is the option to upgrade to a 4* room. The Large Design Rooms offer more luxurious decor, more space including a seating area, an ensuite bathroom with rain shower, a minibar and an espresso machine. HOTEL LION D'OR, HAARLEMWithin walking distance of the market square, Haarlem's famous 'hofjes', trendy boutiques and cosy pubs, the Hotel Lion d'Or offers a great base from which to discover this historic city. With stylish and contemporary decor inside Haarlem's oldest hotel building, the rooms provide ensuite facilities as well as a Nespresso machine, air-conditioning and complimentary Wi-Fi. The hotel's Cafe Lounge provides breakfast as well as drinks and finger food throughout the day. BEST WESTERN HOTEL, LEIDENLocated in the centre of historic Leiden, the Best Western is within easy walking distance of museums, shopping streets and canals. The hotel is set in three historic but renovated buildings and offer a combination of traditional and contemporary decor. All 39 rooms are decorated in a different style and offer ensuite bathroom with bath or shower, TV and complimentary Wi-Fi. The hotel has a casual restaurant bar. BEST WESTERN MUSEUM HOTEL. DELFTClose to all the main attractions in the centre of Delft, the Best Western Museumhotel is set in three historic buildings and is just a short walk to shopping streets, museums, canals, terraces and restaurants. The hotel's tastefully decorated rooms offer ensuite bath/shower as well as TV and complimentary Wi-Fi. The hotel has a terrace, garden and a bar. BEST WESTERN HOTEL, GOUDALocated just 600m from the Markt, and next to the Gouwe River, this modern hotel offers 101 sound-proofed rooms all with ensuite bath or shower, complimentary Wi-Fi, flat screen TV, tea and coffee making facilities. The rooms are decorated with a warm, stylish colour palate and each floor has its own colour - red for the City Arms and the flag of Gouda; yellow for the colour of the famous Gouda cheese and blue for the city's waterways, bridges and locks. Each room has its own name and a photograph referring to a special landmark in Gouda. The hotel has a Bistro-Bar where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served. BEST WESTERN HOTEL, WOERDENClose to Woerden's popular landmarks including the castle and Saint Bonaventure church, and located right next to the canal, this contemporary hotel offers comfortable rooms with traditional Dutch murals, flat screen TV, air-conditioning, tea and coffee and complimentary Wi-Fi. The property has a bar and lounge area and is within walking distance of local restaurants. Should any of the above accommodation not be available, an alternative of the same standard will be used.Extra nights: Please contact us for details.
Check out our Q&As
-
Are vaccinations required for this tour?
None required.
-
What is the standard of the hotels on this tour?
3 and 4 star hotels
-
Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes
-
Are airport transfers included in this tour?
No
-
What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.
-
How long has the tour company been trading?
Exodus has been trading since 1974
-
What documents will I receive before I travel?
Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.
-
Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.
-
Can I join the tour once it has departed?
You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.
Reviews of this Operator
Book with Confidence
-
Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Exodus allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus, 43 days before departure.
-
Low Deposit
Exodus requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
-
Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus charges.
Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.