How To Bike To A Windmill From Amsterdam: The Best Day Trip!

One of our must-dos while in Amsterdam was to see an iconic Dutch windmill. There are actually 8 windmills in and around Amsterdam. Two of which are an easy half day bike ride away from the city.

We didn’t like any of the organized bike tours offered, so instead we figured out our own way to bike to a windmill from Amsterdam!

From the city centre, it’s only about a 20-minute ride to the first windmill along a very easy bike path, so it’s surprisingly very doable on your own!

If you’re in Amsterdam for a few days I definitely recommend taking a half or even full day to do this bike ride to see some windmills.

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

Paid Bike Tours From Amsterdam To Dutch Windmills

There are quite a few paid bike tours from Amsterdam to the nearby windmills. 

The problem is the lack of flexibility when you book one.

You have no idea what the weather is going to be like, and they will all ride in rain or shine. If you’re visiting in the summer, you might not have any issues.

But we were in Amsterdam in the fall, so there was a high chance of rain. And as much as I wanted to see a windmill, I wasn’t about to risk biking 3 hours in the rain for it.

So we made our own self guided biking tour to see the windmills near Amsterdam!

What To Know About Biking In Amsterdam

I’ve never biked in a city like Amsterdam before. This city is made for biker! On the street, you have two separate (wide) bike lanes – one for each direction. 

There are even specific traffic lights for bikers (with buttons to initiate the signal, just like if you were walking).

Biking here was a nice change, especially coming from Brussels where I was scared for my life. I swear, you biked at your own risk there. The bike lane was in the middle of the road … in between the tram tracks… not sure who designed that one…? 

But anyway, I felt very safe biking in Amsterdam.

Fun Fact! There are so many bikers in Amsterdam they actually have to pull out 12 000 to 15000 bikes EACH YEAR from the canals that get blown in from high winds!

Biking in Amsterdam: Watch Out For Rush Hour

Biking is the preferred mode of transportation in Amsterdam. That means rush hour isn’t on the roads… but instead on the bike lanes. 

There are a lot of bikers in the morning and afternoon, and be prepared, they bike fast.

I’d recommend, if you can, go during off-peak hours when there are less people biking on the road. 

Don’t Forget To Signal When Biking To See A Windmill From Amsterdam!

Biking is like driving a car, which means you have to signal to other bikers, pedestrians, and cars what you’re planning on doing. You have to signal when you’re changing lanes and turning.

The easiest way to signal is to stick out your arm in the direction you want to go. If you’re going left, stick out your left arm to signal the turn.

Don’t forget to check your blind spots! Someone could be coming up fast behind you!

Watch Out For Motorbikes On The Bike Path

What caught me off guard the most when biking to the windmills near Amsterdam was that motorbikes are on the bike path with you. 

It seemed a bit odd because they go a lot faster and are a lot bigger than pedal powered bikes. I think they should be driving with the cars instead, but that’s not the case right now.  

So you have to watch our for fast motorbikes when biking in Amsterdam.

Be Prepared For Any Weather When You Bike To A Windmill From Amsterdam

Part of biking in Amsterdam is being okay with biking in the rain. As much as we tried to avoid it, and planned our bike ride according to the weather forecast, we still got caught in the rain on our way back.

The morning we left the hotel, it was beautiful and sunny, without a cloud in the sky. But as we were biking back, it started to drizzle and soon after there was a downpour! We ended up biking for 10 minutes in the pouring rain… 

As we learned the hard way, the weather in Amsterdam does what it wants…when it wants. You never know what’s going to happen. So, even if there’s only a 10% chance of rain, learn from our mistake and bring your rain gear on your bike ride to see the Amsterdam windmills!

The best way to be prepared is with a packable rain jacket, like this one on Amazon. And, you can also invest in some waterproof shoes, like these from On (which are also great walking shoes for touring in Amsterdam)

Where To Rent A Bike In Amsterdam

There’s no shortage of rental bike companies in Amsterdam! We rented ours the day of from Black Bikes, which was recommended to us by our hostel (don’t know where to stay in Amsterdam? Read why I recommend booking the CityHub!). Black Bikes has 14 locations in the city and you can drop off your bike at any of them.

But the main reason we chose Black Bikes is that they were the only place open before 9:00 AM and we wanted to get an early start to our day. 

We did notice that most other companies rented bikes for 4 hours, whereas Black Bikes was only up to 3 hours. So depending on how far you want to bike, this might not be the best option for you.

If you’re looking at getting an I Amsterdam City Card, it will also include a bike rental at participating shops!

In the end, rent from somewhere that’s convenient for you, and it’s probably best to choose a place close to where you’re staying.

Where To See A Windmill From Amsterdam

There are two Amsterdam windmills that you can easily bike to from the city centre: De Riekermolen and De Zwaan.

The entire bike route to these Amsterdam windmills and back can easily be done in a half a day. The bike ride is about 30 minutes each way, but you have to take into account time for stopping and taking pictures. Plus, there are some other activities you might want to see along the way.

Bike To See The Amsterdam Windmills – The Route

Depending on where you start your bike ride in Amsterdam, you’ll have a different amount of city biking. Your goal is to make it to Amsteldjik road as quickly as possible to bike along the Amstel River.

Amsteldjik road doesn’t have a designated bike path, but it’s very wide and there aren’t many cars driving on it. This won’t last very long, and once you reach the underpass it changes to a normal bike path. 

After the underpass you’ll have the Amstel River on one side and the Amstel park on the other (watch out though – bikes aren’t allowed in the park!). You’ll follow this path the entire way, which is very easy to ride.

Amsterdam Windmills Stop #1: De Riekermolen

At the end of Amstel Park, you’ll reach the first windmill – De Riekermolen. This should take you about 15 minutes. This Amsterdam windmill was built in 1636 and was originally in Stolen. It was moved here in the 1960s and actually still works! 

If you want to see it in action, they still run it in the summer on Saturdays and Sundays.

Amsterdam Windmills #2: De Zwaan

Continuing along the Amstel River for about 12-minutes you’ll reach the second windmill biking from Amsterdam, De Zwaan. 

It’s on the other side of the river, so keep your eye out for it!

It’s a lot less well known than De Riekermolen. No one else was there when we stopped, which was a nice change of pace from Amsterdam itself, and even visiting De Riekermolen where several tour buses had just stopped. 

Definitely worth a stop here to rest, take in some nature, and picturesque views.  

If you do want to be on the same side as De Zwaan, you can cross the Amstel River by ferry right after seeing De Riekermolen.

A bit past the Rembrandt statue is the Pont De Smient ferry for bikes and pedestrians to cross the river. 

Make sure it’s running when you’re going. It runs daily in the summer but only from 12:00 to 5:00 and costs €1.

Optional Stop #3: Ouderkerk aan de Amstel

We didn’t have time to stop by the small village Ouderkerk aan de Amstel when we went to see a windmill from Amsterdam.  It’s only a 10-minute bike ride passed De Zwaan, but we didn’t realize how slow we are at biking so we didn’t have enough time before we had to return our bikes.

It’s a good place to stop for lunch or coffee before starting your ride back (about 40 minutes). Apparently it’s worth checking out the oldest Jewish cemetery in the Netherlands here as well. 

Optional Stop #4: Cheese Tasting & Clog Making

Along the route (between both windmills near Amsterdam) is Rembrandt Hoeve – a cheese and clogs factory. 

Turns out, entry is free, and they offer guided tours. So if you have some extra time, this might be a great place to check out, and pick up a neat souvenir!

Biking Back From The Windmills Near Amsterdam Tip

If you’re in Amsterdam during off season and missed the ferry, bike back on the other side of the Amstel river after visiting Ouderkerk aan de Amstel. This way you’ll be on the right side to see De Zwaan up close!

Amsterdam Biking Essentials

Need A Place To Stay In Amsterdam?

We stayed at the Cityhub pod hotel in Amsterdam. This experience won’t be for everyone, but we thoroughly enjoyed it for 2 nights – it was quite… unique! See room rates and availability.

If a pod hotel isn’t for you, here are some other recommendations I found:

Best Location: Live like a local at a canal house at Mokum Suites. Each room is designed with you in mind, and you can’t get a better location than this in Amsterdam. Dam Square is only a 15 minute walk away and the nearest tram line is 250 metres, taking you anywhere you need to go! See room rates and availability.

Luxury Hotel: Live in luxury in Amsterdam at Hotel V Nesplein – a boutique hotel where no two rooms are the same. See room rates and availability.

Affordable Boutique Hotel: For a more affordable hotel option, stay closer to Vondelpark in Amsterdam at the De Ware Jacob Boutique Hotel. Every room is different and even offer family rooms to stay in! See room rates and availability.

Find other hotels to stay at in Amsterdam, click here.

More Amsterdam Guides

• Why You Should Stay At The Amsterdam CityHub – Pod Hostel Review
• Unique Places To Eat In Amsterdam You Won’t Want To Miss
• 3 Day Suggested Amsterdam Itinerary

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Last update on 2024-05-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API