Bike & Boat
North and South Holland are the two western provinces that gave the country its nickname — and they pack the classic Dutch icons into one compact cycling region. Ride from Amsterdam’s canal ring to the bulb fields around Lisse and Keukenhof, follow the dune-backed coast, and roll into Golden Age towns like Haarlem, Leiden, Delft and Gouda. With short distances between every stop, this is the easiest corner of the Netherlands to explore by bike.
Our North & South Holland bike tours link the region’s highlights at an easy pace: pedal Keukenhof’s flower fields in spring, ride beside Kinderdijk’s UNESCO-listed windmills, or trace the old Zuiderzee shoreline to harbour towns like Hoorn and Enkhuizen. Most tours begin in Amsterdam — by bike & boat, or hotel to hotel.
Guided • 7 nights
Easy
From £1,230
Only 5 dates left
Between them, North and South Holland hold more of the postcard Netherlands than anywhere else. In spring the Bollenstreek — the bulb-growing strip between Haarlem and Leiden — turns into ribbons of colour, with Keukenhof’s gardens at its heart from mid-March to mid-May. Year-round, the windmills of Kinderdijk (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Zaanse Schans, the cheese markets of Gouda and Alkmaar, and the canal rings of Amsterdam and Leiden all sit within easy riding distance of one another.
Distances here are refreshingly short. Amsterdam to Haarlem is a morning’s ride; Leiden, Delft and The Hague line up neatly down the west; and dedicated cycle paths connect every town, dune reserve and polder in between. Follow the LF Kustroute through the dunes of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park, or trace the old Zuiderzee shore past fishing villages like Volendam and Marken.
It’s classic bike-and-boat country too. Barges and boutique ships thread the waterways between Amsterdam, the bulb fields and the IJsselmeer towns, so you can cycle a new route each day and come back to the same comfortable cabin each night.
North & South Holland is the most popular region in our Netherlands cycling holidays collection — and the natural starting point for a first Dutch cycling trip.
The two provinces share a mild maritime climate shaped by the North Sea. Spring (March–May) is the star season, with the bulb fields in bloom and temperatures of 10–15°C; summers are comfortably warm at 18–22°C, cooled by sea breezes along the coast. Autumn brings crisp, golden riding weather, and winters are cool with the occasional frost.
The terrain is flat polder and gentle dune country — the only “climbs” you’ll meet are bridges and dune crests. Wind is the honest challenge: it funnels across the open polders and along the shore, so our routes are planned to put it at your back wherever possible. And when you’d rather sit a gust out, a café serving coffee and stroopwafels is never far away on our North & South Holland cycling holidays.
“Kinderdijk’s 19 windmills have been pumping water since around 1740 — and you can cycle past the entire row on a single riverside path.”
LukeCo-founderThe bulb season around Keukenhof and the Bollenstreek runs from mid-March to mid-May, with tulips usually at their peak in mid-April. Daffodils and hyacinths open the season and tulips close it, so any tour inside that window will catch colour in the fields.
Amsterdam is the most common starting point, with Haarlem a quieter alternative right beside the dunes and bulb fields. In South Holland, Leiden and Delft make charming bases with quick access to the coast — and on our bike & boat tours, your floating hotel simply moves from town to town with you.
Easily — it’s around 20 km each way on dedicated cycle paths, roughly an hour and a half at a relaxed pace, and you can loop home through the dunes of Zuid-Kennemerland to make a full day of it.
Holland is the historic name for just two of the country’s twelve provinces: Noord-Holland (Amsterdam, Haarlem, Zaanse Schans) and Zuid-Holland (Rotterdam, The Hague, Leiden, Delft, Gouda and Kinderdijk). The name is often used for the whole country — but on this page we mean the original: the two western provinces.
Choose between guided group adventures or go self-guided at your own pace.
We handle your luggage and accommodation, so you can focus on enjoying the ride.
Every tour is handpicked for scenic beauty, tasty food stops, and unforgettable moments.
You can ride easy knowing your money is fully protected by PTS, and tours run by our trusted local partners.
Speak to one of our experts and get a bespoke quote today.
