Amsterdam Bike Tours: 5 tours with fun themes
The preferred way to travel in Amsterdam is undoubtedly by bicycle, and bike tour possibilities abound. Know your options, however, before settling for just any old group cycle through the city.
From beach cruises to picnic pedaling, here are my “top five” alternative bike tours that are offered in and around Amsterdam.
Culinary bike tour
Cost: €32.50 (all inclusive)
Brought to you by Orange Bike, this three-hour tour tickles your palate with authentic Dutch snacks. Food ranges from classic Dutch cheese to the traditional herring plate, with fine drinks to wash it down at old cafes along the way. The real question is: Are your taste-buds up for the ethnic challenge?
Countryside bike tour
Cost: €22 (€19 for students and seniors, €5 off if you have your own bike)
Get out of the city and take in the relaxed atmosphere along the Amstel riverside. You’ll pass scenic fields and houseboats as the Countryside tour makes its way to an authentic clog and cheese factory (free cheese tastings included). As a bonus, a pit stop is made at a traditional windmill, just to round out the overall Holland experience. Brought to you by Mike’s Bike Tours.
Amsterdam beach tour
Cost: €22.50
That’s right, Amsterdam has a beach. Orange Bike offers four-hour tours along the Ij River towards Ijburg, a fun and energetic man-made beach full of city dwellers sunbathing and swimming. The tour passes through neighborhoods that offer interesting old and new architecture, and pedals around spots that are ideal for a dip, or just relaxing to cycle around. The tour ends with a drink on the terrace overlooking the sparkling Ij Lake.
The eight-day two-country bike tour
Cost: €900 (including meals and lodging for eight days)
Feeling adventurous? This eight-day voyage by Bike Sherpa begins in Bruges, Belgium (also known as the “Venice of the north”), makes a stop in Ghent and reaches Amsterdam as its final destination. The 205-kilometer path goes through the wetlands of Zeeland in South Holland, and offers a scenic escape of windmills, castles, and beautiful pastures. If that wasn’t enough, accommodation is included on a canal barge.
The Beerbike tour
Cost: €350 for two hours, €430 for three (for 10-22 people)
Cycling through the city on a bike that holds 10 to 22 people along with a 30-liter beer keg? Only in Amsterdam. Beer Bike is a bar on wheels where everyone pedals together while sipping Dutch brew. (Luckily, the tour includes a non-sipping driver responsible for steering.) This fun and social bike tour lasts two to three hours, and turns heads throughout Amsterdam as it cycles forth.
Wow, these Amsterdam bike tours are so creative and inspiring. I’m always amazed how bicycling can become part of a journey, near and far.