10-Day Amsterdam to Belgium Tour!

Day 1: Amsterdam to Utrecht (10 mile warmup)

Your two guides, Lydia and Suzie, greet you onboard in Amsterdam between 1–2 p.m. on Saturday. Our boat then sets sail along the Rhine Canal towards the town of Breukelen where we depart ship, quickly fit our bikes and start our 9 mile warm-up along the river Vecht adorned with magestic mansions built by 17 th century Amsterdam merchants.

We hope to see the mills of the village – Oud Zuilen – meet the mill keeper and take a tour of the windmill. Not far away lies Utrecht, where we meet friend, Jasper, who will show us the historical center of this vibrant city before leading us to the barge for our first night’s dinner.

Day 2: Zaltbommel (30 miles)

We leave Utrecht through the old city and beautiful green areas with a stop at historic Fort Rjnauwen – the largest fort of the Dutch Defense Waterline which is now a UNESCO site and preserved nature area. Crossing the Lek River we stop in Culemborg, an enchanting fortified city dating back centuries. We'll enjoy a coffee break in one of the cafes adorning the typical old Dutch market square.

Our cycling continues through the lovely Betuwe region – known for acres of family owned fruit farms where we stop at one to enjoy newly picked apples and taste fresh apple tarts, famous in this area.

Located on an island at the shores of the Waal River, we stop for the night in tiny Zaltbommel. This cozy fortified town still with its ancient city gate and star shaped city walls will be ours to discover for the afternoon.

Day 3: Den Bosch (10 miles)

Today we head for the impressive capital of the Province of North Brabant, S-Hertogenbosch or Den Bosch as it’s fondly known. Home to master painter, Hieronymous Bosch, our short cycle today affords us more time to explore this vibrant, old city.

With our local guide, we will experience as many highlights as possible including, Saint John's Cathedral, the largest cathedral in the Netherlands and eye-catcher of the city ,picturesque Uilenburg district with its Binnendieze underground river, and taste Bossche Bol, a pastry filled with whipped cream and covered with chocolate fondant icing.

Day 4: Cuijk (30 miles)

In an eastward cycle, we enjoy views of tree lined country roads and typical Dutch farmsteads. We meet the beautiful Maas River and visit Ravenstein and Grave, two enchanting walled towns along the river's bank.

Ravenstein deserves time for a visit and hopefully a private tour of the highest windmill in the province. Our next stop is Grave, which at one point was the most prosperous town of the Maas. Sleepy and charming today, you would never guess the turmoil this town sustained over centuries of war between Duchys and foreign powers.

We stop for the night in Cuijk – once an important Roman settlement and whose name comes from ‘bend’ in the Meuse River. Here is home to the amazing neo-Gothic St.Martin’s Church housing one of the oldest organs in the Netherlands. We will end the day with an amazing panorama of the Maas atop a 500 year-old tower housed in the Ceuclum Museum.

Day 5: Cuijk to Arcen (32 or 40 miles)

Today the group will chose between 2 adventures. Both will enjoy historic town visits and the incomparable beauty of heathland, forests and dunes of the National Park Maasduinen. The longer mileage tour will also visit the largest WW2 liberation museum in Overloon and a stop at the old village of Mill for their weekly market.

In our destination town of Arcen-called the “Pearl of Limburg” – we visit its famous castle from 1600 and extraordinary gardens boasting a Rosarium, waterfalls, sculpture garden, rushing streams, tropical plants and more.

Day 6: Arcen to Venlo to Roermond (30 miles)

An early morning sail takes us to vibrant Venlo. One of the oldest villages along the river, a visit to Venlo’s attractive city center will start our day’s route.

We cross to the left bank and enjoy beautiful landscape and river views into the village of Oyen and a stop at a milk farm and cheesemaker. Here you meet the farmer, taste freshly made cheese and even buy some to take home.

We visit Kessel, a village rich with history. With it’s lovely market square, old narrow streets, monumental buildings and stately farmhouses, Kessel takes you back to the past. At this point we cross the Maas by a short ferry and follow the Maas panorama and peaceful nature reserves until Roermond.

In this vibrant city, the birthplace of Pierre Cuypers, architect of the Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam Central Station- among many works, we will enjoy many designs of the famous architect during a picturesque town walk with local guide.

Day 7: Roermond to Maastricht (30 miles)

We leave Roermond following the Mass Valley where the border of Belgium and Netherlands divides the beautiful river. Here two countries have partnered in re-wilding a 30 mile area bringing back flora, wildlife and fish species to a former industrial area.

We will stop in authentic villages, such as Wessem, with an old center of brick houses from 1600s and a unique network of little streets paved with maaskeitjes (small square stones found in the river Meuse).

And, Thorn, known for striking white painted houses from the 15th century and once was a powerful mini-state ruled by noble ladies, who left behind a magnificent Abbey Church and a maze of cobbled streets.

As Suzie always does, we take the path least traveled and journey one laned roads past estates, maybe even drop in at one of Limburg’s wineries for a tasting, and an artisan bakery or chocolatier to savor their fresh made goodies.

We reach Maastricht, Capital of the Limburg Province and a glorious city full of Roman and medieval history at every turn. Amazing Masstricht boasts over 1600 national heritage sites.

Day 8: Day off in Maastricht

We start the morning with a town walk through Maastricht by a city guide. You then have the whole day to explore and enjoy on your own.

To make the best of this day, perhaps you can even take a bicyle ride or 45-minute train over to lovely Achen. This is where Charlamagne and all Roman Empire German Kings were crowned for 500 years in Achen’s iconic catherdral.

Achen is filled with buildings dating back to the medieval period, old city gates, and beautiful fountains. It is famous for its curative hot springs and spas and has been a visiting place for royal families since Ancient Roman times.

Day 9: Liege (20-25 miles)

We depart Mastricht early for a beautiful cycle in the Wallonia countryside.

After several cobblestoned villages, we plan to stop in Blegny to visit the fascinating UNESCO coal mine museum. Founded in the 16th century by monks, the mine employed 680 workers until 1980 and was a major coal producer at time of closure.

A few miles more and we are in Liege-traces of which date from the time of the Roman Empire and Middle Ages when the city was a dynamic center of the Catholic Church. After Belgium won independence from the Dutch, Liege played a central role in Belgium's industrial growth.

We arrive just in time to partake of La Batte, the largest and oldest market in Belgium located right on the quay of the river.

Afterwards we head to Liege's historic center to enjoy an adventurous walking tour to include Suzie’s treat of the famous Gauffre-Liege waffle – before climbing the Bueren Mountain – a must-do for all tourists. This imposing staircase consists of 374 steps and reveals the most gorgeous views of the city.

Tonight we celebrate with a special Farewell Dinner!

Day 10: Goodbye to a Wonderful Tour!

We enjoy breakfast and say our goodbyes to another fun tour with Suzie and Lydia. As most lovely towns like Namur and Dinant, and cities like Brussels and Luxembourg are a short train ride away, we hope you extend your travel time in Belgium.