Home > Amsterdam > Amsterdam Bike Tour: Off the Beaten Path
USD $37.00
Amsterdam Bike Tour: Off the Beaten Path
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Experience Amsterdam’s passion for all things two wheels on a 3-hour guided bike tour. Pedal through cool, lesser-known neighborhoods on a tour inspired by Pete Jordan’s book, “In the City of Bikes,” passing landmarks such as the Rikjsmuseum and Maritime Museum. Navigate pretty districts such as Jordaan, ride a ferry to see the city’s northern 'dijks' (dykes), and on route, discover quirky bike-related places, unusual trivia and incredible tales such as how Amsterdammers used their bikes to beat wartime Nazi blockades. Numbers are limited to 12 on this small-group tour, ensuring personalized attention.
Meet your guide near Dam Square in central Amsterdam, put on your helmet and hop on your traditional Dutch bike. Before setting off, get an introduction to Amsterdam’s obsession with two wheels and learn about Pete Jordan's hit book, In the City of Bikes. Hear how it inspired the tour and how you’ll pass some of the bike-related places mentioned in its pages. Start by cycling through Amsterdam’s historical financial district, passing buildings such as the old Dutch East India Company offices. As you travel, gain quirky insights into the city’s long-held relationship not just with bikes, but with the sea, and how they're closely intertwined. Leave the financial district behind and then head towards Amsterdam’s northern dijks, starting out through either the interesting old Jewish quarter or along the Amstel River. Depending on the route you take, cruise through districts such as Jordaan with its pretty bridges and canals; and pass landmarks such as the Rijksmuseum, Amstel sluice gate, de Gooyer windmill and the waterfront Maritime Museum, housed in a resplendently restored 17th century naval storehouse. Then, take a 5-minute ferry ride to north Amsterdam — an area many visitors never see — and hear tales of the 1944-1945 hunger treks, when thousands of Amsterdammers cycled north to find food during the wartime Nazi blockades. Cycle around some of the dijks here and learn how they’ve protected against flooding, before returning by ferry to the city center. Before your tour ends, hear more about Amsterdam’s passion for cycling, and see other places mentioned in Jordan’s book, including the bike parking station with stalls for over 500 bikes, and the famous intersections where 30 bikes or more can zoom by every minute! Your tour then ends back at the original start point.
Very fun tour, but you may be sore the next day. This tour really allowed me to see the rest of Amsterdam, places where tourists don't visit. I felt very Dutch biking through the rain, and truly enjoyed the sights.
Review by: Leksi, December 2017
Fantastic way to see the suburban Amsterdam! Where and how people live. Our guide was the owner of the company and took us to a great bakery and on a ferry to another island. Very informative and fun!
Review by: karnofsky, November 2017
Amsterdam is truely a city of bikes, and there's no better way to see it than by bike. Most bike lanes are completely seperate from city streets and the ubiquotous trams. But, without a guide, you'd miss so much. This was a great way to see the highlites and learn a bit about the present and past of Amsterdam. Bikes are comfortable, safe, and easy to ride. There are no hills to climb, so anyone can take advantage of this delightful tour.
Review by: Robert W, October 2017
Great bike tour of the central and northern parts of this fascinating city._br/_ The highly knowledgeable guide provided much insight about the history_br/_ and character of the city. The visit to neighborhoods north of the city was_br/_ especially interesting. A very enjoyable bike tour.
Review by: Alexei L, September 2017
Tour guide was amazing! He gave me a one-on-one tour off areas of Amsterdam and nearby areas that I would normally not have encountered. We visited parks, nearby towns, and areas within Amsterdam that are not normally seen by tourists. Highly recommend this tour to anyone who likes to ride bikes and explore beyond the touristy areas.
Review by: burly58, January 2017
This was a great adventure. We enjoyed our bike ride through the city while learning about bicycle riding and the rules. The guide was extremely helpful. We are going back with friends and will take this tour.
Review by: Todd S, November 2016
Had a great time on this tour. Ended up with a beautiful fall day. Sean was a great guide and was very knowledgeable about Amsterdam. I saw a lot I would of never saw otherwise and getting around on a bike like most people in Amsterdam was great.
Review by: Jo, October 2016
Everybody visit Amsterdam should try bike tour. Its really an amazing experience. See sighting in a different angle. And we have a nice tour guide
Review by: MSF21701, September 2016
On this Saturday morning I was the only client for my guide, Arthur, who turned it to a private tour. Being a Saturday, the bike traffic was less which can be quite hectic. It also provided a larger tour of the city that a walking tour could not provide.
Review by: Josh, June 2016
Sean was a great guide and made the day very enjoyable. We ended up being the only 2 people on the tour which was awesome. It was a rainy day but we still were able to see all the sites and have a great ride! We learned a lot of history and also passed/saw a number of places to come back to later in the day. A little pit stop for coffee and goat petting was perfect : We would absolutely recommend Sean and this tour.
Review by: Timothy C, June 2016
We thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Sean, the owner of Urban Adventures, is GREAT. We had a great time biking around town and would recommend this tour to others. Check out UA's website for more tours. We also did the Food Tour with Sean and that was awesome.
Review by: Daniel P, April 2016
awesome tour w excellent guide as he was patient, entertaining, and very knowledgeable. great experiencing how most in Amsterdam travel
Review by: the worms, December 2015
This was a small group tour however it turned out to be just my husband and I. Our tour guide took us over to the north side via a ferry and we rode around some very beautiful places where only the locals tend to go. A must when in Amsterdam
Review by: Kenneth B, November 2015
Sean was a great guide. By pure luck, I was also the only person on the tour, which made it all the more worthwhile. A private guide to an entirely new city is a truly amazing experience. I will definitely consider contacting this tour guide, or participating in similar tours in other cities in the future.
Review by: Mary C, October 2015
This is a MUST DO if you want to see the city from a local perspective. Despite the rain we had a BLAST! Great tour - highly recommend!
Review by: danielle, September 2015
Bike riding in and around Amsterdam is quite the experience ... Not for the faint of heart lol. We biked over 26 km in three hours, but all on flat ground so it was no problem. Donavan took us to places we would not have otherwise seen on our vacation which was fantastic. The best part of the trip was the actual experience of just bike riding in his beautiful country. Only downside was we wish the guide had more knowledge/ history information to share.
Review by: cabberdog, August 2015
This was a fun tour in the city. Not for the skittish. Riding through Amsterdam is pretty chaotic and dangerous at times. A great way to see a lot of areas of the city in a short amount of time. Our guide had a lot of interesting commentary on the sites.
Review by: shrinkstermom, August 2015
The tour guide was an American who recently moved to Amsterdam and who gave little to no information about the history or areas where we rode. The bikes rented were included but they were horribly damaged and dirty and my brakes did not work well at all. I would definitely not recommend this tour.
Review by: Lora D, June 2015
If I could give this tour 10 stars, I would. Sean was a wonderful tour guide and this was truly a bucket list experience.
Review by: ghislainekirady, June 2015
Very experienced guide . Friendly and courteous and knowledgable about the history , culture and habits of Amsterdam. Would recommend my tour guide Sean .
Review by: Jane B, June 2015
Our bike tour of Amsterdam was an excellent way of seeing this most bike friendly of cities. _br/_
Pete is a great guide and inspired confidence and soon we were pedalling along and negotiating the the city almost like locals ._br/_
It was great to see the very different neighbourhoods and the beautiful historic areas contrasted with the ultra modern._br/_
The trip on the ferry was good fun and the visit to the dijks and other defensives very informative._br/_
Overall the tour is great value and easy for the less experienced and confident cyclist and to be recommended to all visitors who want to see the less touristy parts of Amsterdam._br/_
Pete is a mine of knowledge about the city and provides a great tour off the beaten path.
Review by: Lee C, October 2014
Loved our trip through and out of the city! Sunday cycling at its best!
Review by: Andrew E, September 2014
I was the only traveler who signed up, but he still ran the tour and personalized it to what I wanted to see and do. It was great.
Review by: Andy E, September 2014
I was the only traveler who signed up, but he still ran the tour and personalized it to what I wanted to see and do. It was great.
Review by: Beryl M, August 2014
We thoroughly enjoyed this bike tour. Highly recommended if you want to see it from a locals perspective. The only touristy area we biked through was through the Rijksmuseum, but that on its own, is a unique experience when biking through it! Our guide was great, he gave us honest opinions on what places to see and what not to see. After our tour, he even walked us to some of the cafes/restaurants he frequented.
Review by: Tracy H, June 2014
Our guide, Shawn, was wonderful. We learned so much history about the beautiful city of Amsterdam in only 3 hours! Landmarks, attractions, museums, even bars and restaurants! He caters to your cycling experience, so don't think you have to be a pro on the bike! Our tour showed us the non touristy places, which resulted in a memorable Birthday! I would recommend this to everyone. Book this tour early on in your trip, so you really get to know Amsterdam!
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