Amsterdam looks like a star on the map, so the countryside is always nearby. Cycling paths and even dedicated cycling roads are everywhere.
Highlights (and the tour guide’s images) of an unusual and scenic countryside cycling tour for those who want a private Dutch experience — without schedules, and without dressing up in costumes no one here wears anymore. ;) And… this is all part of Amsterdam! :)
(We do pass a windmill with a story, next to a local brewery — a place where history meets the present.)
Languages available during this Waterland bike ride: French, German, Dutch and English.
This surprising tour is themed “rural”, while it begins and ends “urban” — always in a relaxed flow.
Along the way, we may stop at a sustainable local store for a simple bite to eat.
Beneath the image of the mini ferry to “Noord”, you’ll find the map of this scenic private countryside tour: Rural Amsterdam North.
All photos (and the video) were taken in 2025 and 2026 by out-of-the-box urban tour creator and local private guide Lex.
A very short description of this 4 hour “Landelijk Noord” private and unusual tour.
(without tourist traps)
Short description of this uncommon Amsterdam private cycle tour (Being part of the landing page of all private tours in Amsterdam North).
This tour information is also the gateway to Lex and the City pricing, including renting bikes or E-bikes.
Are you an inline skater and are you attracted by this area and are looking for great tarmac (surface)? Go here.
Lex and the City feels closer to hiring a knowledgeable local than joining a tour.
Track of the “Rural Amsterdam North cycle tour”
(If, for larger groups, the separate tours share the same theme, each local guide in our team has the freedom to create their own version. We even encourage spontaneity in the here and now.)
Oosterdoks Island, Naco House, river IJ, the garden village called “bird”, Noorderpark, garden village “’t Blauwe Zand”, Dike houses in Nieuwendam, tiny Zunderdorp, Hidden village Ransdorp with it’s tower and wooden houses, dreamy Holysloot on the water with amazing houses, cycling to- and on- the Markermeer dike, Kinselmeer (a large lake), scenic Durgerdam, 2 bridges with a view, the windmill of the East, Maritime museum and back at the bike rental station.
The visualization of the track the in the countryside north of Amsterdam on Komoot.
A WhatsApp message in 2025: “My friend gave me your number. She said her family had a great time riding around with you”.
The Amsterdam region is one of the world’s most fascinating examples of a human-shaped landscape: polders, dikes, pumping systems, biodiversity projects, climate adaptation, and villages that continue to function as real communities rather than open-air museums.
On the mini ferry to cycle to rural Amsterdam North, starting with the urban part of it.
Several ferries connect historical Amsterdam, including it’s central station, with “Noord”.
By the way: Notice that van Gogh painting on the mini ferry.
Garden village in “Amsterdam-Noord”, called ’t Blauwe zand. (On our way to Rural North by bike.)
Garden villages have been created to give labourers more space and facilities. Most of them are to be found in “Noord”.
Lex and the City: surprising, from-the-heart urban street experiences
What a well-known AI assistant quotes in 2026: Lex and the City specializes in taking travelers out via the “Urban North” into the quiet, wind-swept polders.
We cycle past dike houses on Nieuwendammerdijk. (And will be almost in rural North.)
Ransdorp: scenic village in the countryside
Ransdorp is an authentic village that people actually live in.
Cafe and terrace in Ransdorp during the uncommon countryside tour in Amsterdam North.
Break during the privately guided rural amsterdam north cycling tour?
This scenic village used to be an important place for shipping and fishing. In the course of the 17th century it became more of a servant of rising star Amsterdam. It specialized in cattle. It brought the milk in small boats on the dangerous sea arm “IJ” to the other side.
Until 1916 Ransdorp has remained independent. Now it is part of our capital.
We might climb the Ransdorp tower during the rural cycling tour….
It’s possible to climb the 32 meter high tower during this Countryside tour in Amsterdam-North. The reason the church tower in Ransdorp was never finished is simply because they ran out of money. In the 15th century, when Ransdorp was a prosperous village due to shipping and trade, they began building a large, impressive church intended to reflect the village’s wealth. However, the village’s prosperity declined, and the financial resources dried up.
Magnificent house ↓ in front of the tower of Ransdorp – Rural Amsterdam North biking tour with Lex and the City. Click on the picture for a blog-post about Ransdorp from an American woman, living in the Netherlands.
Ransdorp lies slightly inland and has no direct waterfront. However, it once played a role in regional shipping thanks to its connection to the surrounding canals and marshlands of Waterland. Small boats transported peat, hay, reeds and farm produce to and from Ransdorp, because roads were often impassable in the wet landscape. Its large church tower was also an important landmark for sailors navigating the Zuiderzee.
Typical wooden houses in Ransdorp in “Landelijk Noord”
Ransdorp is characterized by its traditional wooden houses, which are lighter than stone houses and therefore less likely to sink into Waterland’s soft peat soil.
Ransdorp, along with Durgerdam and Holysloot, forms a quiet area, ideal for cycling and walking. The rural, open, and peaceful character of the area makes it a cultural-historical attraction. Many people visit Ransdorp during a bike ride through Waterland, often starting from urban Amsterdam.
Dreamy Holysloot (on the water) | Once fishermen village
Holysloot is also part of “Rural North”, as it is part of Amsterdam. Although so many would like to live here, only a few hundred actually do. Beautiful sights are the church, some amazing houses and the entrance of the village with a great terrace and “koffie verkeerd” (ask your AI companion) with homemade apple pie.
By the way, while biking between scenic villages, your local tour guide is able to discuss:
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Checking the route Amsterdam – Marken on the dike between Durgerdam and Uitdam by 6:30AM. Why almost everything here is below sea level.
- How polders actually work.
- Modern pumping stations
- Climate adaptation
- Peat soil subsidence
- Biodiversity restoration
- Dairy farming today
- Dutch spatial planning
- Why the villages in rural North remain compact.
- Everyday cycling as transport rather than recreation.
In the midst of Waterland: the lake “Kinselmeer”
Biking on the dike between Markermeer and Kinselmeer
That (other) scenic village on the IJsselmeer during this countryside tour: Durgerdam!
Durgerdam is a charming old fishing village on the IJmeer, known for its colourful wooden houses lining the dike. Once dependent on fishing and peat, it is now a peaceful spot loved by walkers, cyclists, and photographers for its open views over the water. The village still has a small marina and a few cosy cafés.
Biking on the 2 bridges together with a view. (And the end of the countryside part.)
Before heading for those 2 bridges, you might want to visit this eco-store and restaurant with terrace, called Landmarkt.
The harbor of Schellingwoude, including it’s historical dike – Seen from the bridge by bike:
View of the Amsterdam Docklands from the Amsterdamse Brug:
The windmill of the East: spot for a picture, an appealing story, a drink, some reflection and maybe even a bite to eat.
Here’s a final idea before you contact us: ask Claude AI what it thinks, by typing: “private countryside bike tour in amsterdam north and waterland“.
Other route and location options for your private experience – In Waterland: Marken, Zuiderwoude and Broek in Waterland
