Amsterdam Maastricht 2025

Amsterdam – Maastricht | Barge Gandalf

Bike and Barge through Holland from Amsterdam to Maastricht. Broad rivers meandering through endless lowlands

“Thinking of Holland I see broad rivers languidly winding through endless fen, lines of incredibly tenuous poplars like giant plumes on the polder’s rim”.These lines of a famous poem by the Dutch poet Marsman characterize this wonderful journey between Amsterdam and Maastricht, the southernmost city in the Netherlands.

Discover magical flat and green landscapes formed by the rivers Vecht, Lower Rhine, Waal, Linge and Meuse: a tangle of old gullies, cut-off meanders, dikes and flood plains with a typical flora and fauna.

Visit historical towns, remarkable villages and some castles and gardens along these rivers. In the hospitable province of Limburg, cycling tours will cross borders regularly: although the Meuse flows through the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium are only a stone’s throw away.

You can eat ‘Kuchen’ (cake) in a German ‘Konditorei’ in the morning and have a delicious afternoon beer in a street café in a Belgium village. The journey ends in Maastricht, the capital of the province of Limburg, famous for its lively center and vibrant hospitality.

The ship – Your sailing hotel
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. You’ll receive a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. It’s also possible to spend a day on board if you like. There are rental bikes on board, but you can also bring your own if you mention it when booking.

Fully Guided
Accompanied by a competent, professional and multilingual tour leader, you and the group will visit interesting sights and places on the daily cycling tours. During the bike tour, they will explain the local history and culture behind the things you encounter along the way. You can also choose to ride individually with the help of the Ride with GPS app and our cycling map (available on board).

Day 1: Amsterdam – Weesp | testride in Weesp (11 km/6 mi.)

Embarkation and check-in where the crew will welcome you on board is between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Around 2 p.m. the barge sails to Weesp. This small city on the banks of the river Vecht has a historical centre with many canals and buildings dating from the seventeenth and eighteenth century. It also has a few beautiful windmills. The scenic river Vecht and the small roads along the river attract yachters and cyclists. As soon as you arrive the tour leader will organize a test ride. After dinner you will have time to stroll through this charming city.

Day 2: Weesp – Utrecht (47 km/28 mi.) | Utrecht – Vianen

Your bike tour starts in Weesp. You will cycle along the beautiful meandering river Vecht with impressive mansions on its banks. Along the way you visit a real Dutch cheese farm, where cheese is still produced according to traditional methods. You will meet the barge in the city of Utrecht and from there you sail the Amsterdam-Rhine canal to Vianen, a small fortified town on the river Lek.

Day 3: Vianen – Gorinchem (41 km/25 mi.) | Gorinchem – Heusden

From Vianen you cycle through a typical Dutch landscape to Leerdam a little town on the banks of the river Linge. Leerdam is famous for its glasswork. Later on you continue biking on the beautiful roads along the Linge to Gorinchem, a charming town on the river Waal. After a short visit, you will join the barge to Heusden.

Day 4: Heusden – Lith | Lith – Cuijck (40 km/24 mi.)

During breakfast the ship sails from Heusden to Lith, a village on the Maas river. Here your bike tour will start, leading you along the river Maas to medieval towns like Ravenstein and Grave. In Ravenstein you can visit the Tanner’s Cottages and in Grave you will see canons from the time of Napoleon. Grave has also played an important role in Operation Market Garden during the second world war, because it was situated near an important bridge. This bridge is now called John S. Thompson Bridge. Following the Maas river you will meet the barge in Cuijk where you will spend the night. The St. Martins Church, a neo-gothic church, houses a very well kept baroc-organ (built 1639-1650). This organ is one of the oldest in the Netherlands. After dinner you will visit museum Ceuclum in Cuijk and you can climb the tower for a magnificent view of the Maas valley.

Day 5: Cuijck – Arcen (53 km/32 mi.)

Today a magnificent bike tour is scheduled. You cycle along the Maas valley to Afferden and Heijen, right through the unique Maasheggen landscape. With its thorny hedges, that first came into use at the beginning of our era to keep cattle in and scare off Roman occupants, it’s the oldest cultural landscape in the Netherlands. The route continues through National Park Maasduinen, a long stretch of river dunes deposited by wind and the river Rhine. In the town of Well you will find the Well castle with its heavy round brick tower, dating from the 14th century. The destination for today is Arcen. If there is still time left, you can visit the famous local castle gardens. The castle garden is known for its extensive and diverse flowers and other vegetation. Another option is the beer garden of the local brewery Hertog Jan.

Day 6: Arcen – Venlo – Roermond (50 km/30 mi.)

Again your bike route follows the Meuse river. Here and there you cross by ferry or bridge in order to follow the most interesting paths. The first stop is Venlo, with many historical monuments and a lively inner city. At lunchtime you arrive in Kessel, one of the oldest villages along the Meuse with an unusually restored castle. From there you cross to the other bank and continue the bike ride to the beautiful village of Beesel, where grain mill ‘Grey bear’ stands proudly next to the river. Today’s tour ends in the city of Roermond. Here the river Roer and Meuse converge. Catholic Roermond, since 1559 an episcopal city, is known for its rich cultural heritage. In the center you will find many historical buildings. Roermond is also the city of Pierre Cuypers, according to many the most important Dutch architect of the 19th century and the architect of the Rijksmuseum and Central Station in Amsterdam. A modern day attraction is the Designer outlet center, that draws throngs of fashionista’s. Dinner tonight (not included) will be in town in a restaurant of your choice (recommendations available on board).

Day 7: Roermond – Born (42 km/25 mi.) | Born – Maastricht

Today, the cycling tour continues through charming villages and the beautiful landscape of the province of Limburg. First stop is Thorn, the ‘White Village’ on the Dutch/Belgian border known for its cobblestone streets and white painted houses. The only non-white building is the 14th-century church. From Thorn you cycle across the Dutch / Belgian border to the Belgian city of Maaseik. This city is famous for medieval painters Hubert and Jan van Eyck. In the market square you will see typical Renaissance-style houses with their impressive facades. You can also take the opportunity to have a nice Belgian “pint” on this beautiful square. You will find the ship in Born, from where you sail to Maastricht. Maastricht, the capital of the province of Limburg, is a beautifully preserved city with Roman roots and a French flair. In this town you find the treasure houses of the St. Servaas Church, the Bonnefanten museum for art and antiquity, and the Kazematten, a system of underground fortress works from the 18th century. In addition to these places of interest, it is also worthwhile visiting the marl caves, or just thoroughly enjoy yourself on the Vrijthof. You will not get bored!

Day 8: Maastricht

End of your tour: Disembarkation after breakfast until 9.30 a.m.

Good to know

• Cycling route distances in the travel program are approximate.
• On some days you can choose between a longer and a shorter cycling route. Please note that on the shorter routes you may not be able to visit all the highlights mentioned.
• If you prefer not to cycle on a particular day, you’re welcome to stay on board and relax while the ship cruises to the next landing place.
• The tour itinerary and route are subject to possible changes due to nautical, technical or meteorological reasons, or other unforeseen events.
• On the arrival day, you can leave your luggage on board the ship from 11.00 am.
• A detailed cycling map and a GPS app are available for guests who wish to cycle individually and at their own pace. The tour guide is always available via cell phone in case of questions, breakdowns or emergencies.

Included in this tour

• 8 days/7 nights
• 7 x breakfast
• Packed lunches
• 6 x 3-course dinner
• Coffee and tea on board
• Welcome drink
• Fees for ferries
• Use of bed linen and towels
• Daily cleaning of the cabin
• Daily briefings
• Fully guided cycling tours
• Some short walking tours
• Maps and notes for cycling tours (1 set per cabin)
• GPS tracks
• Use of a waterproof pannier bag
• Biodegradable water bottle
• Wi-Fi
• Entrance museum Ceuclum in Cuijk

Not included

• Drinks
• Bicycle rental or E-bike rental
• Helmet rental
• Personal insurances Gratuities (at your discretion)
• Entrance fees and excursions (not mentioned under included)
• Transfers to/from the docking place
• Parking fees

2025:

• Rental bicycle: €91 per week
• Rental E-Bike: €245 per week (only on request, limited number available)
• Limitation of liability (damage) rental bicycle €14/week (only bookable in advance)
• Limitation of liability (damage) rental e-bike €28/week (only bookable in advance)
• Helmets: A helmet can be rented for € 10 per week, only on prior reservation and payment.
• Parking own bicycle: € 14 per week (only a limited number of parking places available: pref. reservation by booking)
• Parking + charge station own E-Bike: € 28 per week (only a limited number of parking places available: pref. reservation by booking)

Transfer between Amsterdam and Maastricht: There is a good train connection between these two cities. Please visit the following websites for timetables, tickets or more information www.omio.co.uk or www.trainline.eu.