Bike and Barge North Holland Tulip Tour

Day 1: Amsterdam to North Holland

Our trip starts Saturday afternoon with either a loop ride or sail to the lovely fisherman town of Monnickendam- boasting a beautiful harbor where its oldest trade- shipbuilding, is still thriving.

Our first evening celebrates a Welcome Dinner with the ship crew and guests!

Day 2: Hoorn

Our first stop today is a visit to a clog maker and cheese farm along the dike in Katwoude.

It's just a short cycle along a nature preserve and the beautiful Isjelmeer dijk to the quaint town of Edam — named after the famous cheese and whose many canals are criss-crossed still by lovely 17th century houses.

We leave the water and pedal inland to enjoy the beautiful vastness of the Beemster Polder — an area drained between 1608 and 1612, and the oldest large area reclaimed from the sea in the Netherlands.

Coming eastward once more we enter the historic town of Hoorn — on the banks of the Ijssel lake.

Lydia, who hails from Hoorn, will guide us to explore this typical old Zuidersee town, now with a thriving marina, wonderful period buidings from the Golden Age of East Indies trading, and quaint winding streets.

Day 3: Medemblik

This morning we leave Hoorn looking for blooming fields and stop by our friend, Sjak, for a tour of his greenhouse, and talk about the flower culture in Netherlands and everything you wanted to know about Tulips!

Then it's a beautiful cycle to Enkhuizen, originally a fortified town, still bears witness to its former prosperity with finely decorated buidings from the Renaissance, a beautiful church and stone tower, and the 17th century houses and warehouses belonging to the Dutch East India Company.

Here we will partake of the famous Zuiderzee Museum. Both an indoor and fascinating open-air museum, we will witness life as it was over a hundred years ago as an authentic fishing village on the Ijsselmeer.

From Enkhuizen we meet Elizabeth who sails us to the beautiful harbor of Medemblik. The famous castle Radboud still an imposing reminder of Medemblik's prosperous history welcomes us to her picturesque town.

Day 4: Texel

This morning we head into one of the oldest areas of North Holland and town of Hipolytueshof for a personal tour at the Onderneming - a real functioning windmill!

Somehere along our route, Elizabeth will meet us and we join her for an exciting sail to the beautiful Wadden Island of Texel.

Day 5: Day off in Texel

We get to see the sunrise as we enjoy breakfast on Texel island this morning.

It will take a full day to totally explore this unique island with its beaches, pictuesque fishing villages, and nature preserves.

Suzie and Lydia guide you to some of their favorite sights and secluded bike paths! We'll return to Den Helder during an evening dinner sail.

Day 6: Alkmaar

Thursday, we ride the dike of the North Sea and the beautiful dunes of North Holland. We will enjoy miles of gently rolling terrain, paved paths following sandy landscapes blossoming with Begosa Rose and beach grasses.

The views are incredible on the Dunes- as we take in both the sea to our east and vast polder landscapes producing acres of summer crops and blooming tulips to our west.

After a coffee break in Bergen, an artist villa popular for its beaches and dunes, we are a short cycle into Alkmaar — the biggest town in North Holland known for its beautiful historic centre. This evening we'll enjoy a fun walk through the town with guide and friend, Jennifer.

Day 7: To Amsterdam

After breakfast, we'll head into Alkmaar to see its popular cheese market. This exciting tradition with porters wearing white dress and straw hats is not to be missed. We follow beautiful countryside into the village of Zaanse Schanse- a delightful open air museum hamlet with typical green wooden houses, charming gardens, and historic windmills.

In Het Twiske nature park Suzie treats us to delicious Dutch Pannekoek- and then it's only a short cycle back to the Elizabeth.

Day 8: Good Bye to the Netherlands

Saturday morning we will have an early breakfast, say our goodbyes to our cycling friends and wonderful crew and disembark at 9 a.m. for home.

Seven nights / 8 days on deluxe dutch boat-hotel, in lovely double occupancy rooms with lower berth sleeping. All rooms have private bathroom.
All hearty breakfasts, 6-packed lunches for picnics and wonderful dinners.
Afternoon snacks plus mid-week wine and cheese!
Special visits to cheese farm, clog maker and working windmill, castle, Zuiderzee Museum, and other exciting things Suzie finds along the way!
All ferry fees
Touring bicycle rental with pannier
Town walks in most ports
Suzie and Lydia as hosts and guides

Trip Difficulty

The Netherlands terrain is mostly flat, but we can experience wind and rain which are weather factors that impact cycling experience and ability.

So, we recommend this trip for an athletic/active person or experienced recreational cyclist who can complete the daily miles under some adverse weather — if it should be present- and likes to average 10 mph on easy/flat terrain while enjoying a leisurely trip.

We will average 25 miles on most days and advocate a "stop and smell the roses" philosophy to cycling. Our group cycles together as a shared experience. You are always welcome to take a break from cycling and enjoy sailing from the sundeck of our Elizabeth — quite a delightful experience!

We do not use the assistance of a support vehicle on our Bike and Barge tours. Please also note that itinerary and mileage can change due to weather conditions or docking changes.

Transportation

Amsterdam is serviced by Schiphol Airport, located just a few miles from the city center where our boats are located. There is both excellent public transportation and reasonably priced shuttle service available from the airport to the city.

As with all European trips, we advise our cyclists to arrive a few days early to acclimate to the time change, get acquainted with the new culture and sightsee beautiful Amsterdam.

Additional Information

Please contact us for general trip information and registration information.

Upon registration we will send you a Welcome Letter full of pre-trip details including how to get to the trip start, bike rentals, suggestions on packing, trip area and contact information, cycling and travel websites to enhance your trip experience, etc.

We are delighted to host our tour on the Hotel Boat Clipper Elizabeth. The ship features comfy cabins with private bath, a lovely eating salon and lounging area, and outside deck to enjoy a drink and views of the water.