Advanced day trip out of the city (From St. Christopher's Inns at the Winston)
Overview
For those who are looking for longer trips, say a full day trip on two wheels, this is the perfect cycle route.
This ride will take you out of the zone of Amsterdam. You’ll spend time cycling through an incredible Dutch countryside, then riding around small and quaint surrounding villages of the capital including Edam (the birthplace of Edam cheese), Volendam and Marken. These three together make up the well-known Waterland boasting some of the most captivating canals and picturesque narrow Dutch houses.
The cycling time there and back is around 3 hours. However, you’ll need a whole day to finish the route if you’re planning to stop and explore places along the course, but we promise this ride won’t let you down. If you’re not used to long cycles, we’re afraid this one is not for you.
Terrain
The terrain is pretty flat.
Access
The ride starts from St. Christopher’s Inns at the Winston (address: Warmoesstraat 129, 1012 JA Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Food and drink
You can easily find lovely and nice cafes in the villages for lunch and refreshments.
More details
It will take you an hour to reach Edam. Though the cycling time is long, the gorgeous views of the countryside and farmland will make this ride worthwhile. If you’re interested in cheese, stuff yourself with them at Edam and visit the Edam Cheese Weigh House to learn the art of cheese making.
Volendam is very close to Edam. The ride only takes you 10 minutes to reach the second village. Then catch the ferry (The Volendam-Marken Express) to Marken where you’ll find on both sides of the roads numerous small and cute Dutch houses.
Get the ferry from Marken across Uitdam, and cycle to Amsterdam. Then make your way back to the hostel.
Further info
The information of The Volendam-Marken Express can be found here.
Trail map

53.211 km / 33.064 mi
Total Distance

110 m / 360 ft
Total Ascent

110 m / 360 ft
Total Descent

6 m / 21 ft
Highest Point