Countryside Bike Tour from Amsterdam: Cheese Farm & Windmill

Ride past the city into the real Netherlands: fields, canals, and a working windmill from 1792.

This 4-hour bike tour from Amsterdam takes you 40 km through the Waterland countryside on either a regular bike or e-bike, with a local English-speaking guide leading stops at Krijtmolen d'Admiraal windmill, the villages of Broek in Waterland and Monnickendam, and Irene Hoeve cheese and clog farm. You choose between a shorter route on a regular bike or a longer route on an e-bike that includes cheese tasting, a stroopwafel, and a clog-making demonstration. The tour departs from near Amsterdam Central Train Station and runs rain or shine.

Step-by-step itinerary

Countryside bike tour from Amsterdam

• Meet guide and get e-bike
• Cycle along IJ River
• Ferry crossing to Amsterdam North
• Visit Krijtmolen d’Admiraal windmill
• Cycle through Waterland countryside
• Ride through Broek in Waterland village
• Visit Irene Hoeve cheese and clog farm
• Cycle through Monnickendam harbor town
• Ride through Zuiderwoude village
• Return to Amsterdam and end tour

The experience

How do you get out of Amsterdam and into the countryside without renting a car or booking a guide who rushes through five stops in an afternoon? You start at Mike's Bike Tours, a short walk from Central Station, where you meet your guide, get fitted for your bike, and roll out along the IJ River. The first stretch is easy: wide paths, boats on the water, locals commuting the same way you are. Then you board the local ferry with them, crossing the river to Amsterdam North, and the landscape shifts. Open sky, grassy fields, winding levee roads. The city noise is gone.

The route traces narrow canals through Waterland, the polders that Dutch engineers reclaimed from the sea generations ago. You'll stop at Krijtmolen d'Admiraal, a working windmill built in 1792, where your guide explains how windmills once drained water and shaped the country's landscape. Then the ride opens up: smooth cycle paths, cows and sheep in the meadows, horizon stretching flat and endless. You roll through Broek in Waterland, a village of 17th and 18th century wooden houses painted in soft pastels, then Monnickendam, a former trading port now quiet and cobbled. If you chose the longer route on an e-bike, you stop at Irene Hoeve, a family-run farm where you watch a clog maker carve wooden shoes by hand and taste different ages of Gouda: young and mild, aged and nutty. The farm has been there for generations, making both by hand. You'll also get a stroopwafel and a moment to sit with the view before heading back.

The return ride takes you through Zuiderwoude, another postcard village, and then back across the IJ River toward Amsterdam's skyline. Your guide drops you near the OBA building with local tips for the evening. The whole day is 4 hours. You can bring your own snacks or picnic at the cheese farm if you want lunch. The tour doesn't include it. Dress for the weather: the tour runs rain or shine, and a rain jacket is provided if you need one.

What’s included

• Local English-speaking guide.
• E-bike or regular bike with helmet (depending on which option you choose).
• Rain jacket if needed.
• Cheese tasting and stroopwafel on the Countryside Long option.
• Clog-making demonstration on the Countryside Long option.

Options for this experience

2 options

Short countryside route on a standard bike.Guide in English · 13:30A short countryside tour that takes in a windmill, dikes and villages, covering 23 kilometers (14 miles). It does not include a clog workshop or cheese farm. Guests ride a traditional Dutch bike with handbrakes and 3 gears.

Long Countryside, E-bikeGuide in English · 09:30 and 14:30The long countryside route includes a cheese farm and a clog workshop, covering 37 kilometers (23 miles). Every guest rides an e-bike with pedal assistance. The minimum height is 155 cm (5'1").

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:30, 13:30 and 14:30

Book up to8h before

AgesAdult (18 to 85 years) · Child (12 to 17 years) · Under 12: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Mike's Tours Amsterdam

Is this one for you?Book the Countryside Short if you want a morning or afternoon ride through villages and countryside without the farm stop. It's a solid 4-hour loop on a regular bike. Choose the Countryside Long if you want the full Dutch experience: the e-bike takes the strain out of 40 km, and the cheese farm and clog-making demonstration are the moments people remember and talk about afterward.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (12 to 17 years). Children under 12 can't be included in the booking.

What's the difference between the short bike tour and the long e-bike tour?

The Countryside Short uses a regular bike and covers the windmill, villages, and countryside scenery. The Countryside Long uses an e-bike, adds the cheese and clog farm stop with a tasting and stroopwafel, and includes a clog-making demonstration. It's the fuller experience of Dutch crafts and flavors.

Do I need to be an experienced cyclist to do this tour?

You need to ride a bike confidently, but the route is designed to be comfortable and easy. The e-bike option has electric assist, which makes the 40 km manageable even if you don't cycle regularly. You must be at least 12 years old and 155 cm (5'1") tall for the e-bike. Regular bikes fit other heights.

What exactly is Irene Hoeve, and what do you do there?

Irene Hoeve is a family-run farm where they make Gouda cheese and carve wooden clogs by hand, the same way they've done it for generations. You watch the clog maker at work, see how fresh milk becomes cheese, taste different varieties from young to aged, and meet the cows that made it possible. This stop is included only on the Countryside Long option.

Is lunch included, and where do you eat during the tour?

Lunch is not included in either tour option. You're welcome to bring your own picnic or snacks to eat along the route or at the cheese farm if you're on the longer tour. The stroopwafel on the long option is a sweet treat, not a meal.

What happens if the weather is bad?

The tour runs rain or shine. A rain jacket is provided if you need one, and you should dress for the weather. The route is on bike paths and quiet roads, so rain doesn't stop the ride. It's part of the Dutch cycling experience.

Where does the tour start and end?

The tour starts and ends near Amsterdam Central Train Station at Mike's Bike Tours, a short walk from the station itself. You meet your guide there, get fitted for your bike, and return to the same spot after 4 hours. Public transportation is available nearby if you need it.