Two Bicycle Day Trips from Amsterdam
- Julien
- 7 hours ago
- 4 min read
Now that summer is finally around the corner and the sun is shining (fingers crossed), you may be wondering how to best make use of the good weather and long days. There are no wrong answers here; anything that gets you out of the house is a good option. Personally, I’m quite fond of hopping on my bike and cycling to one of the many quaint towns that surround Amsterdam. You would be surprised at just how quickly you can leave the hustle and bustle of the city and find yourself in the calm of the countryside.
In this blog, I’ll go over two such trips that I’ve gone on myself over the past two weeks. For each trip, I’ll include optional extensions to the main route that you can tack on to your trip if you want to have more of a full day adventure.
Route #1 - Durgerdam (19 km | 1.5 hrs of cycling)
Durgerdam is a village to Amsterdam’s east that can be reached quite quickly by bike from Amsterdam Noord. This route begins and ends at the Buiksloterweg ferry stop, so if you don’t live in Noord, begin your day by catching the free ferry from Amsterdam Centraal.
The village itself is a classic small Dutch town, but perhaps owing to the fact that it lines the IJmeer, it gives the vibe of an easygoing holiday destination. I think this is pretty crazy given its proximity to Amsterdam. I took plenty of photos on my film camera, but they are still at the photo lab, so please enjoy this picture of the nearby ‘Lighthouse Island’.
Optional Extension: Marken (50 km | 3.5-4 hrs cycling time)
A few weeks ago, I struck up a conversation with a Dutch woman. During the course of our conversation she recommended that I check out Marken. I decided, after making it to Durgendam in no time flat, that I would extend my day by visiting Marken, and I’m very happy that I did.
Marken is a unique village on a former island (it is now connected to the mainland). In days long past, many of the houses in Marken used to be on stilts. The stilts have since been replaced by brick walls, and the two-toned nature of the houses combined with how close they are to each other definitely gives Marken a unique feel.
There is also a lighthouse on the northeast tip of the island which, despite being inaccessible to the public, is nonetheless worth a visit. Marken’s harbour is also definitely worth checking out as it is full of places where you can get a bite to eat or sip a refreshing beverage in the sun.
Once you’re ready to leave, hop back on your bike and head towards Amsterdam. When I got back home, it felt like I had just come back from a holiday. I think this speaks to just how different the sights are just outside of the city and means that I can definitely recommend this as a weekend activity!
Route #2 - Ouderkerk aan de Amstel (21 km | 1.5-2 hrs of cycling)
While Route #1 took us northwards out of Amsterdam, this route follows the Amstel River southwards out of Amsterdam. In my first year studying at VU Amsterdam, I lived in Uilenstede, and this was my go-to route for a day trip outside the city. I now live in De Pijp, which is where this route starts, but depending on where you live, just make your way to the Amstel and ride south.
Once you cross from Amsterdam into Amstelveen, the landscape very quickly changes. Forget densely built apartments and get ready for spacious houses (and manors) and thoughts like “Yeah I could live here.”
It won’t take you all that long to enter the town of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel. The town’s name directly translates to Old Church on the Amstel. I’ll leave it to you to figure out why it’s called that.
Depending on your vibe, you can easily spend quite a bit of time just strolling around or having a drink in the sun here before heading back to Amsterdam. Both Ouderkerk aan de Amstel and Durgerdam are laid-back towns, but there is definitely more to see and do in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, and you can easily spend the better part of a day soaking it in. Once you are ready to head home, cycle back on the other side of the Amstel River.
Optional Extension: Lovely loop (17km | 1.5hrs of cycling)
If you want more out of a day trip from Amsterdam than visiting another town, look no further! This loop begins and ends at the Amstelkerk and really gets into the countryside. After passing under the A9, signs of Amsterdam begin to fade away, and you are greeted by the sights and smells of a very different way of life.
In sum
The bike, beyond a tool to get you to and from university, is a wonderful means of exploring. The combination of how quickly you can leave Amsterdam’s city limits with Dutch cycling infrastructure really makes cycling to Amsterdam’s surrounding villages a no-brainer. So, the next time the weekend rolls around, the weather is good, and you don’t have any plans, consider hopping on your bike and riding out of town!