Holland Family Bike Tour

Meet your guides at the Woerden train station for a quick transfer to the village of De Hoef. The adventure begins with lunch—perhaps you’ll taste your first bitterballen or Dutch pancake—followed by bike fitting and safety talk. We’ll set off on our first ride, following bike lanes through beautiful landscapes that look the same as when painters captured them in the Dutch Golden Age. Upon arriving in Woerden, check into our boutique hotel for a taste of genuine Dutch hospitality. After a walk in the charming main square, we’ll enjoy dinner at our favorite restaurant in town.

Meals: Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: De Hoef, Woerden
Accomplished: 16 miles / 26 km, elevation gain: 220 feet / 67 meters
Accommodations: Stadshotel Woerden

This morning, we’ll have a typical Dutch breakfast of wentelteefjes (French toast)—perfect fuel for a day of riding! We’re headed to the city of Gouda: synonymous with its cheese, of course, but also known for tasty, sweet stroopwafels and stunning 15th-century Gothic architecture. Cycle on verdant country lanes and typical Dutch polders (dike-enclosed lowlands), followed by a snack stop in a picturesque town along the route. Once we roll into Gouda, switch gears for a scavenger hunt that feels like a game of real-life Pac-Man in the city’s labyrinthine streets. Lunch is served at a favorite local restaurant before we head back to the hotel—either by van or on the bike, if you’re interested in some extra miles. For dinner, we’ll head to our guides’ favorite restaurant in Woerden, a city sandwiched between Amsterdam and Utrecht.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Oudewater, Gouda, Woerden
Accomplished: 16 miles / 26 km, elevation gain: 276 feet / 84 meters
Longer Option: 32 miles / 51 km, elevation gain: 456 feet / 139 meters
Accommodations: Stadshotel Woerden

Leave the countryside behind and wave to cows, ducks, and sheep as we cycle north to the vibrant city of Utrecht. We’re in the heart of one of the world’s most famous cheese regions, so there’s no better place to learn the trade! After a lesson in cheesemaking, we cycle to Kasteel de Haar, one of the most beautiful castles in Holland. The first buildings on this site were recorded in 1391, but in more modern times an extensive renovation was funded by the Rothschild family—their wealth has afforded painstaking detail and splendor that’s visible in every aspect of the castle’s architecture. We’ll have a picnic lunch on the castle grounds, then pedal the last eight miles back into the center of Utrecht to check into our hotel. This evening we dine together in Utrecht.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Woerden, Utrecht
Accomplished: 15 miles / 24 km, elevation gain: 335 feet / 102 meters
Accommodations: Grand Hotel Karel V or Mother Goose

Today we’ll trade our bikes for a kayak and paddle through Utrecht’s iconic canals for a unique view from the water. These famous waterways were man-made during the Golden Age to accommodate trade ships and transport, and we’ll follow them all the way to Fort Rhijnauwen. Built to defend Utrecht against attacks, the fort could once accommodate up to 540 soldiers and 105 canons! Our last stop is lunch at Veldkeuken, a restaurant and bakery serving hot, crusty bread along with organic ingredients grown in the onsite garden. Tonight, we’ll head back to Utrecht where you’re free to find a restaurant that appeals to your family for dinner.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
Destinations: Bunnik, Vroeg
Accomplished: 4 miles / 7 km kayaking
Optional Ride: 9 miles / 15 km, elevation gain: 148 feet / 45 meters
Accommodations: Grand Hotel Karel V or Mother Goose

Our ride today will take us north, weaving alongside Utrecht’s many waterways and through the quaint villages that freckle the countryside. We’ll stop at a working windmill where our friend Joop shows us around inside and explains how these ubiquitous structures keep the locals’ feet dry by pumping water away from the lowlands. If you’re ready to keep pedaling, head back to Utrecht beside the Rijn river and enjoy lunch at a casual (but delicious!) local spot. Something truly special is planned for our final evening: our friend and local chef Laura will prepare a scrumptious meal in her home. As we say in Dutch, Smakelijk eten!

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Utrecht, Maarssenbroek, Loosdrecht
Accomplished: 16 miles / 25 km, elevation gain: 338 feet / 103 meters
Longer Option: 28 miles / 45 km, elevation gain: 600 feet / 183 meters
Accommodations: Grand Hotel Karel V or Mother Goose

Following a leisurely breakfast, we bid the Netherlands dag and say goodbye to this beautiful country. Your guides will transfer you to the train station in Utrecht and see you off to wherever your travels may take you!

Meals: Breakfast