You will pedal through the heart of Olde Holland, linking Amsterdam, Haarlem, Leiden, Delft and Gouda in one cultural ride. With short daily distances, you will have time to linger—canals, museums, and historic squares—before slipping back into a countryside of polders, windmills, lakes and rivers that feels surprisingly quiet for the Randstad. In spring, bulb fields brighten the way; all season long, this journey is seven days of enjoying cultural gems and idyllic landscapes.
7 days
Netherlands
Randstad conurbation; Zuid-Kennemerland; Dutch Bulb Region; Green Heart
Amsterdam
Amsterdam
- Amsterdam, Haarlem, Leiden, Delft and Gouda are highlighted as all-time favourite cities with typical Olde Holland character. - Short cycling distances allow extra time for sightseeing and museums. - Rural and quiet countryside within the Randstad conurbation. - Polders, windmills, lakes and rivers are key landscapes (bulb flower fields in spring). - Green Heart polder dikes and Gouda’s historic sights (town hall 1450; Weighing House 1667; St. John’s Church stained glass).
**What is the tour name and duration?** Pearls of Holland Tour (NL17060) is a 7-day cycling holiday. **Where does the tour start and end?** The tour starts in Amsterdam (day 1) and ends in Amsterdam (day 7). **What are the daily cycling distances?** Daily distances listed are: 30 km, 43 km, 29 km, 34 km and 68 km (day 1 and day 7 are arrival/departure days). **What accommodation is used?** You stay in 3- or 4-star hotels with bathroom and toilet. Hotels and locations may change due to availability. **When are departure dates?** Departures are available daily from 1/4 until 25/9/2026. **What is included?** Included: overnight stays in 3- and 4-star hotels, breakfast (buffet), route description, maps and Guibo app, daily luggage transport (1 piece per person, 20 kg), and tourist tax. **What is not included?** Not included: other meals, rental bikes, parking (approximately €35 per day), and prices for ferries. **Is there an app-only option?** Yes. If clients do not want printed travel documents at the first hotel, they can choose an APP ONLY option (Guibo link only). The discount is €25 per room. **Is a relaxed version available?** Yes. If preferred, an 8-day relaxed version is available with an extra night in Woerden between Gouda and Amsterdam (two legs of 38 km and 49 km).
**Day 1: Arrival in Amsterdam** Arrive early and wander the seventeenth‑century canal ring area (World Heritage Site). If you like bustle, head for Dam, Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein. If you prefer to roam off the beaten track, stroll Brouwersgracht or hire a canal bike to see the city from the water. Parking in Amsterdam is difficult. **Day 2: Amsterdam – Haarlem/Santpoort (30 km)** Spend the morning visiting your favourite Amsterdam museum, sitting in the sun on Rembrandtplein, or walking along the canals. As you leave the capital in the early afternoon, the urban buzz gives way to the peace and quiet of the countryside in Zuid‑Kennemerland. In this low‑lying peat landscape, clouds reflect in the water and reed sways in the wind. Just before Haarlem you pass the steam mill Cruquius, a National Monument and an Anchor Point of ERIH (European Route of Industrial Heritage), and a landmark of Dutch steam history. End the day in Haarlem—Grote Markt, the River Spaarne, and intimate ‘hofjes’—or, depending on availability, in Santpoort (about 7 km outside Haarlem) at a manor house hotel with a park; dinner is included there. **Day 3: Haarlem/Santpoort – Leiden (43 km)** Before you set off, Haarlem invites time in its monumental city centre. Then ride through the Dutch Bulb Region, cycling through dunes past seaside resorts such as Noordwijk and Zandvoort. In the late afternoon you arrive in Leiden, a historic city of seventeenth‑century houses and canals, with sights including the oldest university in the Netherlands, the historic botanical garden and the Gothic St. Pieterskerk. In early spring (1/4–8/5) the route passes by Keukenhof; an extra night in Leiden is recommended if you want to spend a day at the park. **Day 4: Leiden – Delft (29 km)** Leave lively Leiden behind and ride into typically Dutch polder scenery: orderly rectangles, shining lakes and green pastures, old windmills and farmhouses. Arrive in Delft, known for blue‑and‑white hand‑painted Delftware. The Vermeer Centre offers insight into Johannes Vermeer’s life and city (no original paintings on display). **Day 5: Delft – Gouda/Oudewater/Bodegraven (34 km)** Cycle into the Green Heart, balancing along polder dikes with characteristic villages, far horizons and strict rectangles cut by ditches. In Gouda, don’t miss the gothic town hall (1450), the Weighing House (1667), inner‑city canals, and the stained glass windows in St. John’s Church. Gouda is also known for syrup waffles and candles. In summer, you can plan to see the traditional Thursday morning cheese market at the start of day 6 (early April until the last Thursday in August). **Day 6: Gouda/Oudewater/Bodegraven – Amsterdam (68 km)** After breakfast, set off on the longest leg through the Green Heart: meadows, lakes and small villages, then follow the River Amstel back into Amsterdam. If 68 km feels daunting, an 8‑day relaxed version is available with an extra night in Woerden (two legs of 38 km and 49 km). **Day 7: Return home** Your cycling holiday ends today. Enjoy one last hearty breakfast—don’t forget to try chocolate sprinkles—then it’s time to go home.
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