Elaine Whiteford says...
We had a fabulous trip.
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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.
Please note: We're currently making some improvements to our trips in Holland for 2024 bookings. Holiday details may differ to what's currently on sale for 2023.
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.
Overnight Westcord Art Hotel, Amsterdam (breakfast included).
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.
Overnight Hotel Lion d'Or, Haarlem (breakfast included).
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.
Overnight Best Western, Leiden (breakfast included).
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).
Overnight Hampshire Hotel, Delft (breakfast included).
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).
Overnight Best Western, Gouda (breakfast included).
Set off on your next cycling leg today and bird lovers bring your binoculars! Today the route will take you past the river Vlist to the historical town of Oudewater, famous for its monumental 'Heksenwaag' - the 16th century Witches Weighhouse now serves as a museum. This town is a great place to stop for lunch and admire the beautiful historical buildings. Oudewater is also known for its many storks, so keep your eyes open along the way for these beautiful birds. You will end your day in historical Woerden, known for the cheesemarket on Saturday mornings (April to August). Wander around the old fortress walls, enjoy the canals and taste the local products.
Overnight Best Western, Woerden (breakfast included).
Continue on towards the picturesque River Amstel as you wend your way back to Amsterdam from Woerden. 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.
Overnight Westcord Art Hotel, Amsterdam (breakfast included).
After a hearty breakfast, depart Amsterdam.
During your holiday you stay at the following hotels. If you'd like to extend your time at any of these or, if you'd like to enhance your stay with an upgraded room, just let us know at the time of booking.
To find out more call our sales team on 0044 1606 720199, use our live webchat or email sales@headwater.com
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
NEARBY:
Room upgrades and extra nights: Contact us for details.
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
NEARBY:
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
NEARBY:
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
NEARBY:
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
NEARBY:
Extra nights: Please contact us for details.
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
NEARBY:
If you'd like to extend your trip with extra nights at the start or end, or if you'd like to arrange a stop off point en-route, then we recommend the following hotels.
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
NEARBY:
Room upgrades and extra nights: Contact us for details.
Call now to speak to our specialist team at 0044 1606 720199 or email us at sales@headwater.com for enquiries or to book your trip.
Everyone who goes on a Headwater holiday will be emailed a link to our post-holiday questionnaire where they can give us an honest assessment of all aspects of their holiday - everything from how quickly we answer the phone to how clean the hotels were - plus an overall rating and comments about their holiday.
Any feedback collected is posted to our website, so that people can make an informed decision based on past experiences before heading off on holiday. We don’t edit the reviews, the only thing we do is proofread them and alter any typos, where necessary, to ensure they are easy to read for everyone. All reviews will be published (except in certain extreme circumstances), and a member of the Headwater team will respond to any constructive criticisms/comments under the reviews, at their discretion. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of our holidays, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.
We had a fabulous trip.
Everything was straightforward, with the booking, including extra nights in Amsterdam. Felt I was informed all the way and new what to expect. Trip notes were excellent, along with the GPS tracks made it easy to find everything. Fletcher Wellness was the only hotel difficult to find due to it's anonyminity.
Headwater Holidays have always come up trumps with the trips I've chosen, and I've always felt safe and supported. The trip notes are very detailed, and the accommodation is always interesting and well positioned. It's evident that a lot of thought goes into researching the accommodation and connecting routes between them to get the best experience possible and to be able to see parts of countries that wouldn't otherwise be seen. I love their holidays.
An excellent trip, mixing traffic free cycling with visits to many lovely villages and towns
Headwater cycling holidays are just so much fun. Downloaded computer navigation always recommended.
Excellent holiday and fantastic weather - however if you have been on Headwater holidays before didn't really feel like a Headwater holiday as in conjunction with Dutch Bike Tours. No rep and no blue book!!!
You can be confident that our pricing includes all the standard requirements of your holiday and many additional extras. Always ensure that you are comparing like for like when booking your holiday.
This 7 night self-guided cycling holiday includes:
Hotel-to-hotel accommodation in a mix of and hotels
All breakfasts
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
Comprehensive route directions provided prior to departure
Bike hire
Luggage transfers between hotels
How to book:
To book this holidays speak to our sales team on 0044 1606 720199 or click on the appropriate 'book now' or 'check availability' button below.
To book this holiday call our sales team on 0044 1606 720199 or click on the appropriate 'Book now' or 'check availability' button below.
We do not currently have departure dates and prices available on-line. The season may have ended for this tour, or we are still in the process of adding these details to our website. Please contact us for further details.
Solo travellers
Please call for details and prices
Children
Please contact us for child prices.
Holiday type
Self-guided cycling Managed locally by Headwater appointed agent.
Departures
Meals
All breakfasts
Electric bikes
It is possible to hire electric bikes for this holiday at a supplement of £130 per person. As these are available on a first come first served basis, we recommend early booking to avoid disappointment.
This holiday does not include any flights or rail.
To book this holidays speak to our sales team on 0044 1606 720199 or click on the appropriate 'book now' button above.
If you need further information before you book simply complete our Holiday Enquiry Form and a member of our sales team will get back to you.
To book this holiday call our sales team on 0044 1606 720199 or click on the appropriate 'Book now' or 'Check availability' button below.
