Noord via the Free Ferry

Twelve kilometres across the IJ and back, swapping gabled houses for shipyard cranes, artist studios and waterfront terraces. The ferries are free, run day and night, and take bikes — no ticket, no reservation.

The route, step by step

1. Buiksloterweg ferry (0 km). Behind Centraal Station, take the Buiksloterweg ferry. Crossing time is about four minutes and departures are every few minutes during the day.
2. Eye Filmmuseum and A'DAM Lookout (0.5 km). Both stand right at the landing. The Lookout has a rooftop swing over the water; the Eye has a free basement exhibition and a terrace facing the city skyline.
3. West along the IJ to NDSM (5 km). Follow the waterfront path west past Overhoeks, then along the Klaprozenweg cycle route to the NDSM shipyard — a former wharf now full of murals, container studios, a monthly flea market and the Botel.
4. Back east via Nieuwendammerdijk (5 km). Cross inland and pick up Nieuwendammerdijk, a narrow dyke lane of wooden village houses that predate the city's expansion. It runs almost the whole way back east and is the prettiest kilometre in Noord.
5. IJplein ferry (1.5 km). Return to Centraal Station on the IJplein ferry, which lands a short ride east of where you started.

Worth stopping for

Pllek and Noorderlicht at NDSM for waterside food and beach chairs. The Van der Pekstraat market street near the Buiksloterweg landing. The Nieuwendammerdijk village church. Tolhuistuin, behind the Eye, for a garden terrace and concerts.

Practical notes

Ferries: Buiksloterweg runs 24 hours, NDSM and IJplein have reduced night service — check the GVB app before a late return. Wheel your bike on and off; riding on the ferry is not allowed. Noord's cycle paths are wide and fast, and the wind off the IJ can be strong from the west. The Klaprozenweg stretch is industrial and dull for about a kilometre — it is the price of the NDSM detour.

Shorter version

For a 4 km taster, cross on the Buiksloterweg ferry, ride east along the waterfront to the IJplein ferry, and come straight back.