North Holland Tour is 100-125 miles cycling for 8 days and 7 nights. A Barge Bike Holland Tour along the Dutch coastline of the former South Sea and a visit to the Island of Texel. Nice small fishing villages and beautiful panorama's mixed with picturesque historical town centers.
Highlights:
- Alkmaar cheese market: a traditional Dutch cheese market right in the center of Alkmaar.
- The Zuiderzee Museum: open air museum village The inhabitants are wearing traditional Dutch clothing and practice old Dutch professions.
- Zaansche schans: witness the making of the famous Dutch cheese and wooden shoes.
- Ecomare: Home of the Waddenzee seals. You can literally touch the seals when they are being fed.
- Historical towns: Amsterdam, Edam, Volendam, Hoorn, Enkhuizen, Alkmaar.
Tour Itinerary
Amsterdam:
Sunday - 10 to 15 km (6 to 9 miles) - arrival on board the Elodie in Amsterdam where the crew will welcome you with a nice cup of coffee or tea. Introduction to the crew, explanation of the rules on board, information on the programme. After the introduction We will make a short tour through the rural area of Amsterdam North to get comfortable with your bike. In the evening after dinner your guide will take you for a walk through Amsterdam.
Amsterdam - Hoorn:
Monday - 45 km (28 miles) - Today we will experience a medley of wonderful landscapes and little “South sea” Villages. After a sailing trip you will get on land to start your cycle trip to the former Island of Marken. In this village we can see some of the inhabitants wearing traditional clothes and enjoy the beauty of their traditional houses. We take the cycle on board the Marken express ferry back to Volendam a verry touristic little town From Volendam we will cycle along the IJsselmeer coast to Edam, the origine of the famous Edammer cheese. From here we will go to Hoorn. “The Horn” in South America was named after this place, home of some of the most famous Dutch Sailors.
Hoorn - Enkhuizen - Texel:
Thuesday - 30 km (19 miles) - We have a full programme today so we start on time. By cycle from the "Houten Hoofd" (Wooden Head) in Hoorn along the coast of the IJsselmeer to Enkhuizen, where you have an opportunity to visit the "Zuiderzee" (Southern sea) museum. There are also many other places of interest in Enkhuizen, including the magnificent architecture of the distant past. The Elodie is lying just outside the town, waiting to take you to the island of Texel. On the way we pass the locks of the Afsluitdijk and sail through the salt water of the Wadden Sea to the fishing village Oude Schild on the Island of Texel.
Texel:
Wednesday - 45 or as much as you like km (28 miles) - Today we spend the whole day on Texel. We will cycle completely round the island with those that are keen to do so; because this day also offers you an excellent opportunity to formulate your own programme. Some of the places of interest that we visit on the island are: the seal centre "Ecomare", the Nature Reserve "de Slufter", the beach by "de Koog" and the local distillery "het Juttertje". In Oude Schild there is the Jutters museum with a fine collection of rarities that have been found on the beach or fished out of the sea by the fishermen.
Texel - Den Helder - Alkmaar:
Thursday - 40 or 60 km (25 or 37 miles) - We make an early departure from Oude Schild and on board the Elodie cross over to Den Helder. On arrival at the harbour, you will see that this is a real navy town. There is often a part of the fleet in the harbour, and there are submarines, minesweepers and other naval craft to be seen everywhere. We follow our way through the North Holland canal to St Maartensvlotbrug where the bicycles are put ashore. Now we cycle through the dunes and the bulb fields are here in the Spring.
We pass through typical northern Dutch seaside resorts such as Schoorl, Bergen and Groet. The Elodie is lying waiting for you in the town centre of Alkmaar. After dinner, our guide organises a walk around this charming town, famous throughout the world for the cheese markets.
Alkmaar - Amsterdam:
Friday - 45 or 15 km (28 or 9 miles) - Today we experience a real windmill day. After visiting the cheesemarket in Alkmaar, we cycle via Oterleek and Ursem along the Eilandpolder to Graft and de Rijp. Here we pause and visit this pleasant village. After that we cycle to the ferry at Spijkerboor and along the Knollendammervaart to Zaansche Schans. We take time for this open-air museum because there is a great deal to be seen. Perhaps we can see here too the Zaansche mustard mill in action, and take home with us a jar of mill-pressed mustard. From here you will start on you last cycle kilometers back to Amsterdam.
Amsterdam:
(Saturday) - You can now do what you had no opportunity to do on the first day. Amsterdam is certainly well worth exploring because of its many possibilities: a boat tour around the canals, the Van Gogh museum, and the Rijks museum; or just savour the atmosphere and gape at the colourful procession of people strolling by as you enjoy a cup of coffee at an Amsterdam sidewalk café. In the evening you can choose a restaurant to you liking out of the many good restaurant you can find in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam (Sunday): We take leave of you after breakfast.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Recommended family tour - 35% reduction for children under 12.
Included in our tours:
- Your stay in a two birth cabin with private facilities and lower beds
- Crew; Captain, Cook and Multi-lingual travel guide
- Air-conditioned ship with individual climate control in the cabins
- Multi-lingual tour guide (Dutch native)
- Breakfast, packed lunch and six days a 3-course dinner
- Coffee and tea on board
- Bed linen and clean towels on request
- Daily cleaning service
- Twenty-four gears hybrid bicycle, 49,53,57,61 cm frame size
- water bottle and saddle bag
- Harbor dues and tourist tax
- Ferry fares on route
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
Netherlands
Bicycle Touring
Cultural Journey
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