Cycling in and around Rotterdam

Discover Rotterdam Bike Routes

If you’re looking for a fantastic way to explore the city, our ‘Discover Rotterdam’ brochure has two walking routes and two inspiring bike routes for you. The first route called ‘Discover West at its Best’ (14 km), takes you from the heart of the city deep into Rotterdam-West. The second route ‘Noord Explored’ (17 km), leads you past all the highlights in the northern part of the city. The bike routes start at Rotterdam Central Station, follow the existing bike network junctions, and use the bike paths wherever possible. Order or view the brochure online (free of charge) or pick it up at one of the Rotterdam Tourist Information locations for a small fee and discover the city on your own.

Explore Rotterdam with a Professional Guide

Rotterdam is a wonderful place to explore by bike, and there’s no need to do it on your own. With an experienced and enthusiastic guide who knows the city well, you can safely and informatively explore all of the known and unknown hotspots and must-sees of Rotterdam. The city is bike-friendly and has well-developed bike paths, making it easy to get around. Several companies offer bike tours including bike rentals. Companies such as Bike & Bite, Inside Rotterdam, Baja Bikes, City Rotterdam Tours and UrbanGuides (bike tours on request) offer a range of options, from bike tours to culinary tours and other themed explorations.

Bike Routes

You can, of course, explore Rotterdam by bike without an experienced guide. Make your own plan, hire an (electric) bike and create a route. Or get inspiration from the selection of bike routes below and make the most of your adventure without a guide.

• The varied Nieuwe Maas Parcours (27 km) runs entirely along the Nieuwe Maas river. It crosses the Brienenoord Bridge to the Eiland van Brienenoord nature reserve and various neighbourhoods in Zuid. You can also find the bike route on the free Rotterdam Routes walking app.
• The other bike route on the Rotterdam Routes app, All Through the City by Bike (23km), takes you from the Oude Noorden to the Markthal and from the harbours in Zuid to the typical Rotterdam shops in West. Twelve Rotterdam locals tell you their stories about the city along the way.
• If you want to discover the enchanting green spots in Rotterdam, we recommend the Park Route (39 km). It runs via networks both through and around Rotterdam: parks, forests, windmills and rural roads intermingle.
• The Polderpad Route from Rotte to Schie (30 km) is tipped by the NS as one of the six most beautiful cycling routes in the Netherlands: starting at Rotterdam Central Station, you cycle through the city, along the Rotte River and the Bergse Voorplas until you reach Polder Schieveen with its picturesque farms and meadows with cows. You continue cycling to Midden-Delfland, the polder landscape between Rotterdam, Delft and The Hague. You return to Rotterdam via the Schie River.
• The refreshing River Route (35 km), just south of the Polderpad Route, introduces you to the typical Dutch river landscape and the lush green recreational areas that surround Rotterdam.
• You will discover even more polders if you follow the river Rotte to the Rottemeren lakes and back again (26 km). Cycle through a typically green Dutch landscape with dykes, lakes, windmills and several places to stop for coffee and a snack. Discover more routes in the Rotte area.
• Go cycling among the windmills of World Heritage Site Kinderdijk. You can rent bikes there or take your bike for free on the Waterbus from Willemsplein and choose your cycling routes from there (up to 42 km).
• Midden Delfland is a beautiful rural haven between Rotterdam and Delft with plenty of cycling routes. You bike through polders with pollard willows, sheep and cows. Combine your cycling trip with a pit stop in Delft.
• Cycle out of the city from the Zuidplein area and the Zuiderpark, and you will be pleasantly surprised by the largest city park in the Netherlands, country houses, farmlands and especially the mighty Oude Maas River. The Green Southern Edge of Rotterdam (Groene Zuidrand) bike route (43 km) can be found on the Zuid-Hollands Landschap website. You will also find the Living Landscape (33 km) route there, which starts in Schiedam.

Discover more cycling and walking routes in Hoek van Holland here.