Cycling in Rotterdam & the surrounding region

Looking for a great cycling route? In our brochure 'Discover Rotterdam', you’ll find not only two walking routes but also two inspiring cycling routes. The first route, ‘Discover West at Its Best’ (14 km), takes you from the heart of the city deeper into Rotterdam-West. The second cycling route, ‘Uninterrupted through North’ (17 km), leads you past all the gems of this district. Both routes start at Rotterdam Central Station, follow existing cycling junctions as much as possible, and go along bike paths where available.

Explore Rotterdam with a professional guide. Rotterdam is perfect for exploring by bike, but it’s even better to do so with an organized tour. With an experienced and enthusiastic guide who knows the city well, you can safely and informatively explore all of Rotterdam's well-known and hidden hotspots and must-see sights. The city is bike-friendly, with well-maintained bike paths, making it easy to cycle around. Several companies offer bike tours, including bike rental. Companies like Bike & Bite, Inside Rotterdam, City Rotterdam Tours, and UrbanGuides (bike tours on request) provide a range of options, from cycling tours to culinary tours and other thematic explorations.

Do you prefer to explore Rotterdam on your bike without a professional guide? Then create your own route using the cycling junction network and rent your own (electric) bike. Or let yourself be inspired below by a selection of bike routes, so you can make the most of your adventure without a guide.

• The varied  Maasparcours (27 km) is a route that runs all along the Nieuwe Maas. You’ll cycle over the Brienenoord Bridge, visit the nature reserve Eiland van Brienenoord, and pass through various neighborhoods on the southern side of the city. You can also find this bike route on the free Rotterdam Routes app.
• The Rotterdam Routes app also offers another route: Across the City by Bike (23 km). This journey takes you from the Old North to the Markthal, from the southern harbor area to typical Rotterdam landmarks in the West. Along the way, twelve Rotterdam locals share their stories about the city.
• If you want to discover green spots in Rotterdam, the Parkenroute (39 km) is a great option. This route follows cycling junctions both inside and around Rotterdam: parks, forests, windmills, and country roads alternate along the way.
• Recommended by NS (Dutch Railways) as one of the six most beautiful bike routes in the Netherlands: the Polderpadroute from Rotte to Schie (30 km). Starting at Rotterdam Central Station, you bike through the city, along the Rotte River and the Bergse Voorplas. Then you reach Polder Schieveen, with its farms and meadows with cows. The route continues into Midden-Delfland, the polder landscape between Rotterdam, Delft, and The Hague. Via the Schie River, you’ll return to Rotterdam (PDF with description).
• A bit further south of the Polderpad route, the refreshing Rivierenroute (35 km) introduces you to the typical Dutch river landscape and the lush green recreation areas surrounding Rotterdam.
• More polders can be discovered by following the Rotte River to the Rottemeren lakes and back (26 km). This route takes you through an authentic Dutch landscape with dikes, lakes, windmills, and plenty of places to stop for coffee or a snack. Discover more routes around the Rotte area.
• Cycle through the windmills of Werelderfgoed Kinderdijk. Bikes are available for rent there, or you can bring your bike on the Waterbus from Willemsplein, and from there, find cycling routes (up to 42 km).
• Midden Delfland is a beautiful green area between Rotterdam and Delft, full of cycling routes. You’ll ride through polders with pollarded willows, sheep, and cows. A cycling trip here can be easily combined with a pit stop in Delft.
• Cycle from the area around Zuidplein and Zuiderpark out of the city, and you’ll be surprised by the largest urban park in the Netherlands, country estates, farmlands, and the mighty Oude Maas River. The bike route Groene Zuidrand of Rotterdam  (43 km) can be found on the website of the Zuid-Hollands Landschap. There, you’ll also find the Levend Landschap  route (33 km), which starts in Schiedam.
• The long and variable KoeKaas route runs through the Krimpenerwaard, a nature area between Rotterdam and Gouda. You’ll cycle past old farms and along historic roads from Rotterdam and Capelle aan den IJssel, through the meadows and (cheese) farms in the Krimpenerwaard to the cheese town of Gouda and back.