Revealing the secrets of Dutch culture and identity!

Duration

approximately 3 hours

What makes Bill’s Expat Bike Tour so special?

Knowing what it's like to live abroad, Bill has created a bike tour that really takes it to the next level. In every city it's easy to find city tours that tell you all about the clichés you can read about in the Lonely Planet. To find tours by locals who take you through their neighborhood can prove more challenging. Bill's Bike Tours take you through Bill's neighborhood, revealing the secrets of Amsterdam and Dutch culture.

During Bill's Bike Tours you will see parts of Amsterdam most expats never get to see! We will stay outside the city center and explore the city from a local perspective. On Bill’s Bike Tour you will hardly interact with other traffic as Bill has selected a beautiful and safe route through the back streets of Amsterdam.

Bill lives right around the corner from the meeting point and he will tell you everything about his neighborhood. Before setting off we will take 10 minutes to make sure everyone is comfortable on their bike and Bill will explain basic cycling rules. From then on it is nonstop fun, cruising on a typical Dutch bike!

Along the route we will make frequent stops and you will see a windmill, explore a beautiful park and even sample some delicious chocolate from Tony’s Chocolonely! Next, we will explore an untouched canal district without the crazy tourist vibe of the city center and head towards the former lumber port. There we will take a ferry over the IJ river and head to an abandoned shipping wharf. Bill loves this area full of street art, graffiti and pop-up art from local artists.

Crossing back over the river IJ we'll visit a neighborhood famous for its architectural style called The Amsterdam School, which greatly inspired Gaudí. Finally, we will bike back into Westerpark where we will conclude Bill’s Bike Tour with a refreshing drink, make new friends and share stories!

Included in Bill’s Bike Tour

• Live guide in English by your local hero Bill (priceless)
• Bike rental worth €12.50 (unfortunately there is no discount if you have your own bike)
• Instagrammable photos of the tour
• Tips, tricks and recommendations for your stay in Amsterdam

Where are we biking and what will I see?

• The smallest hotel in Amsterdam
• Largest Keith Haring artwork in Europe
• Windmill the Cornflower
• Culture park Westerpark
• Former gas factory turned night club
• Chocolate tasting at Tony’s Chocolonely
• The Headless Bride
• Haarlem Gate
• Princes Island
• The famous canals and boat houses
• Leaning houses
• Wooden draw bridges
• Ferry Jetty Building
• The former Lumber Port
• Ferry ride across the IJ river
• Container bar Pllek
• Urban beach along the IJ river
• Former shipping wharf
• NDSM terrain and artist studios
• Port crane hotel Faralda
• Street art and graffiti
• Urban art communities
• Pirate Radio ship Veronica
• “Amsterdam School” Architecture
• Cafe Pacific Parc
• Amsterdam craft beer, bitterballen and cheese

Where is the meeting point?

Bill’s Bike Tour starts at the bike rack alongside the canal, next to the terrace of café Pacific Parc. The address is Polonceaukade 23, 1014 DA Amsterdam. If you don't see Bill at the bike rack when you arrive please wait patiently until the tour is scheduled to start. Bill will meet you there!

Is Bill’s Bike Tour safe? Biking in Amsterdam seems daunting…

When you’ve been in Amsterdam for 5 minutes, you already know Dutch people bike like mad men. That is one of the reasons we will stay out of the city center. Do you want to experience what it’s like to be Dutch, navigating your way through Amsterdam on a bike, all the while feeling relaxed and safe?

This is your lucky day! You found Bill’s Bike Tour: a unique and safe bike tour, which takes place entirely outside the hectic city center. Bill has carefully selected a safe route through pretty parks, quiet precincts and beautiful back streets. On Bill’s 3 hour bike tour you will hardly interact with motorized traffic.

Who is my guide?

Most of Bill’s Bike Tours come under the guided supervision of Bill himself and his cute puppy Herman. On occasion, especially during the high season, the tour will be lead by one of Bill's expert guides. Bill’s Bike Tour is a once in a lifetime experience that is fundamentally different from all other bike tours in Amsterdam! We will avoid crowded, touristy places that you likely already visited anyway. Most importantly, Bill is not a typical tour guide or historian. Instead Bill is a storyteller, entertainer and your friend for a day. In the end, Bill cares about one thing only: that you gain an unprecedented insight into Dutch culture and identity in a fun an light way!

Why should I book Bill's tour?

During Bill’s amazing 3 hour expat bike tour, you will see a side of Amsterdam you cannot find in the Lonely Planet or other travel guides. A side of Amsterdam regular tour operators won’t cover, because they cannot turn it into a money machine. Bill is an avid traveler and former expat himself, so he know exactly what you are looking for.

Bill has created an authentic, unique, quintessential experience of Dutch culture and identity. Simply put, we will cycle to and explore places and communities where Amsterdam locals meet, eat, drink, create and socialize. All combined with a balanced mix of art, architecture, humor and socio-cultural and historical context. Not only will you learn what it is like to be Dutch, on Bill’s quintessential bike tour you will experience what it’s actually like to live as a local in Amsterdam!

Where can I find reviews of Bill's Bike Tour?

Bill has an average review score of 4.9 and 1500+ reviews. You can find reviews of Bill's Bike Tour on TripAdvisor, Google and Airbnb Experiences:

https://airbnb.com/experiences/264784 https://goo.gl/maps/Uu2iyooCFn8o682YA https://bit.ly/d20352442

Will I get tired? Three hours sounds like running a marathon...

During Bill’s unique 3 hour bike tour, we will cover roughly 10 miles or 16 kilometers with plenty of stops and explanation from your expert friend and local hero Bill. That means the tour is slow paced and fit for all ages. Some prior biking experience is required. The minimum age is 8, unless you booked a private tour or family tour.

How about equipment?

Bike rental is included in Bill’s Bike Tour. Bill has bikes in all sizes, including kids bikes, toddler bikes, child seats (for private tours), tandems and of course adult bikes. In case you need small bikes, helmets, a tandem bike or anything out of the ordinary, please notify Bill immediately after booking.

Still have doubts?

No worries, Bill agrees the digital matrix can be a little overwhelming from time to time. Just shoot Bill a WhatsApp message at +31 647 002 878 and he will answer all your questions!