

Boat and Bike in the Netherlands
Windmills, tulips and beautiful cities
- Port city Rotterdam, windmills of Kinderdijk, canals of Utrecht, cheese market in Gouda
- Full board included!
- Daily routes ●●○○○, altitude profile ●○○○○
- Bike & Boat: MS Normandie
Days
8
Ø km per day
45
On our tour by boat and bike in the Netherlands you will cycle and sail through the Green Heart of the Netherlands. On board the MS Normandie you will comfortably get to know the countless waterways of Zuid-Holland, as it is called in the national language. On land it is just as relaxed. You start cycling in Rotterdam and soon change from the big city to the untouched nature of the South Holland landscape, which is crisscrossed by polders and tulip fields. Along the way, you'll discover the windmills of Kinderdijk as well as the nature reserve De Biesbosch, one of the few freshwater tidal areas in the world. Taste the variety of Dutch cheese in Leerdam and Gouda, take a relaxing stroll along the canals of Utrecht and finally explore the impressive port of Rotterdam on a boat trip. At the end of our tour by boat and bike in the Netherlands, a bike trip takes you to the porcelain town of Delft, known for its delfts blauw, and to the North Sea coast near The Hague and Scheveningen. The cycling stages of the tour by boat and bike in the Netherlands are entertaining, easy to ride without much effort and the paths are easy to find due to the good signposting, for which the Netherlands is known.
Itinerary
- Booking code
NL-SHSSN-08I - Start / Destination
Rotterdam - Duration
8 days / 7 nights - Length
approx. 260 - 290 km
Daily routes ●●○○○
between 40 and 70 km, Ø 45 km
Altitude profile ●○○○○

Your ship: MS Normandie
Spend casual hours on the MS Normandie. Because on board the beautiful middle class ship, which was last fundamentally modernized in winter 2019 / 2020, it is familiar and cozy. Get into conversation with your fellow travelers on the spacious sun deck or in the popular panorama salon.
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Day 1: Individual arrival in Rotterdam
You start your tour by boat and bike in the Netherlands in the port city of Rotterdam. Located at the mouth of the Rhine into the North Sea, the city is now one of the most modern cities in Europe. Take a walking tour to discover one of the largest ports in the world, a wealth of museums and architectural masterpieces. Embarkation on the MS Normandie starts at 4 p.m.
Day 2: Rotterdam – Dordrecht, approx. 40 km
Here we go! Always along the water you reach Kinderdijk. The small town calls the most famous windmills of the Netherlands its own – a real postcard motif. 19 in number, they date from the 18th century and served to drain low-lying areas. Through a polder area you cycle on to Dordrecht. The town is the oldest in Holland and enchants with its numerous historic buildings and pretty house fronts along the canals.
Day 3: Dordrecht – Gorinchem, approx. 40 km
At the very beginning of today's stage of your tour by boat and bike in the Netherlands, you will take a ferry crossing to the nature reserve De Biesbosch. Various rivers form a freshwater delta covering several thousand hectares, which is crisscrossed by numerous bike paths and waterways. With Gorinchem you reach a former fortified town, which already had its beginnings as a farming and fishing village more than 1000 years ago.
Day 4 Gorinchem – Utrecht, approx. 55 km
First, your tour by boat and bike in the Netherlands takes you to Leerdam, known for its eponymous cheese. Further it goes to Vianen. There you cross the river Lek and reach, via Vreeswijk and Nieuwegein, the fourth largest Dutch city: Utrecht. Take a walk through the old town, which is crisscrossed by canals. The Utrecht Cathedral cannot be overlooked. Its 112 meter high church tower is the highest in the Netherlands. It stands separated from the rest of the church due to a storm in the 17th century.
Day 5: Utrecht – Schoonhoven, approx. 40 km
You cycle through polder landscapes to Oudewater with almost no slope. The small village was the scene of so-called cradle trials in the 16th century, which took place in the context of witch trials. Anyone who was considered too light-weighted for their height and could therefore ride a broom was, from the point of view of the time, convicted of witchcraft. To this day, those interested can be weighed at the Heksenwaag – certificate included. Your destination for the day, Schoonhoven, is considered the Silver City of the Netherlands. The Nederlands Zilvermuseum provides insights into the history of Dutch silversmithing.
Day 6: Schoonhoven – Gouda – Rotterdam, approx. 45 km
Today you are spoilt for choice: You can cycle to Delft, known for its famous porcelain, or a few kilometers further on you can get to know the Dutch seat of government, The Hague, and the North Sea resort of Scheveningen. You can shorten the return trip by train (not included). Whichever destination you choose, you can organize the last day of your tour by boat and bike in the Netherlands according to your wishes.
Day 7: Stay in Rotterdam or bike tour to Delft (approx. 40 km) or bike tour to The Hague and Scheveningen (approx. 70 km)
Today you are spoilt for choice: you can cycle to Delft, known for its famous porcelain, or a few kilometers further on you can get to know the Dutch seat of government, The Hague, and the North Sea resort of Scheveningen. You can shorten the return trip by train (not included). Whichever destination you choose, you can organize the last day of your tour with bike and boat in South Holland according to your wishes.
Dates / Prices / Services
Main deck
Upper deck
Services
- 7 nights on board with shower / WC
- Full board (7 x breakfast, 6 x packed lunch, 7 x dinner)
- Welcome drink
- Coffee and tea in the afternoon
- Bed linen and towels are provided and changed if necessary
- Daily cabin cleaning
- All port, bridge and lock fees
- Daily bike tour briefing, on-board tour guide
- Travel documents with maps (1 x per cabin)
- Service hotline (7 days, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.)
Not included:
- Fees for ferries
- Transfers
- Admission fees and excursions
- Drinks on board and tips for tour guide and crew
Minimum number of participants to be reached until 21 days before departure: 60 people
Changes in the itinerary due to weather, water level or technical conditions are possible and remain reserved.
Show more Show lessMS Normandie
- 51 outside cabins: approx. 11 m²
- Ground-floor beds
- Centrally controlled air conditioning, shower / WC, TV, hairdryer, safe (deposit)
- Main deck: 2-bed cabins, windows can not be opened
- Upper deck: 2-bed cabins, windows can be opened
On the upper deck, you can also book the cheaper cabins in the rear area of the MS Normandie. Here, however, machine and generator noises are perceptible when the ship is moving and in locks. - Single cabins: approx. 7 m²
Facts about the ship
- Built in 1989
- Renovated in 2019 / 2020
- 2 passenger decks | 51 outside cabins
- Maximum occupancy: 100 passengers
- Length: 91 m
- Width: 10.5 m
- Facilities: sun deck with garden furniture and deck chairs, restaurant, saloon, bar
- Entertainment: live music
- Board language: German, English
Additional services
Additional bookable services
Main deck
|
Upper deck
|
|
---|---|---|
Surcharge for single use of double cabin |
50 % |
|
Discount cabins in the rear area |
-50 € |
Rental bikes
Rental Bikes


7-gear rental bike |
59 € |
E-bike |
169 € |
Brief info
- Booking code
NL-SHSSN-08I - Start / Destination
Rotterdam - Duration
8 days / 7 nights - Length
approx. 260 - 290 km
Daily routes ●●○○○
between 40 and 70 km, Ø 45 km
Altitude profile ●○○○○ - Parking information Rotterdam
Various parking options (e.g. multi-storey car parks) near the pier, approx. € 25 / day, no reservation possible through Radweg-Reisen
Valet Parking: Your car will be picked up on the day of arrival at the ship, parked guarded and brought back to the ship on the day of departure, cost approx. 170 € / week. For valet parking, we can send you a link to the parking booking after confirmation. - Minimum number of participants
Minimum number of participants to be reached until 21 days before departure: 60 people
For ship trips, changes due to weather, water level or technical conditions are possible and remain reserved.. - Tour operated by
Local cooperation partner - Mobility note
The trip is only conditionally suitable for people with limited mobility.
Please do not hesitate to contact us regarding your individual needs. - Print version PDF
