Bike and Boat North Holland, June 21-28,
$1,020 per person
Your trip fee includes!
- Seven nights / 8 days on floating comfort plus dutch boat-hotel, in cozy double occupancy rooms with upper/lower berth sleeping. All rooms have private bathroom.
- Three meals a day prepared by our own cook - hearty breakfast, packed lunch, and tasty dinners
- Afternoon snacks plus mid-week wine and cheese party
- Special visits to cheese farm, clog maker and working windmill
- Excursion fees to special visits and Zuidersee Museum in Enkhuizen, ferry fee to island of Texel and bicycle ferry crossings
- Bicycle rental - twenty one speed
- Ride Packet with itinerary and guide map of daily routes
- Personal attention of Suzie and Roger as your trip hosts and ride leaders on route
- Town walks
- Pre-trip walk of Amsterdam
We host a truly UNIQUE way of touring Holland!
This 40 mile a day bicycle tour will explore North Holland: from fishing villages of the Zuiderzee, working windmills and vast polder landscapes, winding dykes and wide horizons of beautiful Friesland, and across the Ijsselmeer to the dunes and rich foliage of Texel.
Our final days cycle south from Den Helder along the North Sea Dunes to the glorious city of Alkmaar- and a visit to the famous Cheese Market there.
We finish our Bike and Barge adventure heading towards Amsterdam via the Alkmaardermeer lake and open air windmill village of Zaanse Schans.
Itinerary
Day One: Monnickendam
Our trip starts Saturday morning at 11 a.m. when we board our barge/hotel, settle into our cabins, get our bikes fitted and ready, and head off for the ferry across the Het IJ to North Holland.
We'll enter the region - Waterland - and follow the cycle path along the Zeedijk passing old gabled houses in Durgerdam, Uitdam and to the former island of Marken - with its 13th century wooden houses and townspeople dressed in traditional costume.
We follow the inland sea to charming Monnickendam - boasting a beautiful harbor where its oldest trade, shipbuilding, is still thriving.
Pedaling still north along the water, we'll stop by Katwoude to visit a working mill and a cheese farm to see how cheese is made.
Day Two: Enkhuizen
Sunday, will head slightly north to visit quiet Edam - named after the famous cheese and whose many canals are criss-crossed still by 17th century houses.
Windmills dot the vast expanse of the Beemster Polder.
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 town of Hoorn - on the banks of the Ijsselmeer.
We'll take time to explore this typical old Zuidersee town, now with a thriving marina, wonderful period buidings, and quaint winding streets. We'll enjoy our picnic lunch on the town square and enjoy one of the many cafes colorfully lining the street.
Skirting the dike overlooking the water we arrive in Enkhuizen. Originally a fortified town, Enkhuizen 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 formerly belonging to the Dutch East India Company.
Day Three: Enkhuizen to Den Oever with option to visit Friesland
Historic walled towns abound in the Netherlands.
Monday, we'll enjoy breakfast and depart our boat for a planned visit to 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 we stroll through an authentic fishing village on the Ijsselmeer.
From Enkhuizen we travel along the coast to Medemblik and explore the famous Castle Radboud and time permitting, the enjoyable Bakery Museum in the town square.
Those cyclists choosing the visit to Friesland will meet a morning ferry at the Enkhuizen harbor which sails them to the town of Stavoren to start their journey. At Stavoren cyclists begin pedaling into the Frisian countryside a bit to enjoy its far-reaching vistas and small historic towns.
We'll follow the famous Aldfaers Erfroute and stop for lunch in the fishing village of Makkum. Just a few miles away our adventure starts to cross the 19 mile Afsluitdijk linking Friesland to North Holland.
Our stop for the evening is the ancient town of Den Oever on the tip of land at the Waddenzee.
Day Four: Den Helder
We relax a little today as we follow the coast of the Waddenzee, around the beautiful Amstelmeer, through late blooming polders of the Anna Paulowna region and into the big harbor of Den Helder.
Den Helder is a bustling town famous for its residence of the Dutch Royal Navy and our boat is docked near the fascinating Marine Museum where our cyclists can spend several interesting hours.
One of the many beaches on the beautiful island of Texel.
Day Five: Visit to Texel
After breakfast we head for the morning ferry to Texel.
It will take a full day to totally explore this unique island with its beaches, pictuesque fishing villages, and nature preserves.
Suzie and Roger hope to share some of their favorite secluded bike paths!
We'll return to Den Helder on the late evening ferry and enjoy a hearty dinner on board our barge.
Day Six: Alkmaar
Thursday, we ride the dike of the North Sea to the beautiful dunes of North Holland. We will enjoy miles of gently rolling terrain along 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 flowers to our west.
As we turn inland we'll partake of the beautiful old farmsteads of the Westfriese Omringdijk before heading east to the quaint Scharwoude village where we find the oldest floating vegetable market in an area once known as the Empire of a Thousand Islands. A short hop from here, we'll pass three of the oldest windmills in Holland before heading into Alkmaar- the biggest town in North Holland known for its beautiful historic centre.
That evening after dinner we'll enjoy a walk through the town.
Day Seven: To Amsterdam
After breakfast on Friday, we'll head into town to partake of Alkmaar's Friday cheese market. This exciting tradition with porters wearing white dress and straw hats is not to be missed.
Zaanse Schanse is known for its characteristic green wooden houses.
We'll depart town heading in the direction of the De Schermer polder windmills and the old centers of De Rijp and Graft.
Arriving at the Zan River we'll follow the water into the museum village of Zaanse Schanse - a delightful old hamlet with characteristic green wooden houses, charming gardens, tradesmen's workshops, and historic windmills all dating back to the seventeenth century.
After a visit to this interesting town we'll follow the nature recreation area of Het Twisk to the Het Ij ferry which carries us to Amsterdam.
We celebrate tonight at a special farewell dinner!
Day Eight: 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.
Trip Difficulty
The Netherlands terrain is mostly flat, but can be windy, especially in the northern provinces where we will cycle. So, we recommend this trip for an athletic person or experienced cyclist who can complete the daily mileage under some adverse weather and likes to average 10-13 m.p.h. on flats while enjoying a leisurely trip. There is no support vehicle on this trip.
We will average 40 miles a day with Suzie and Roger on route as ride leaders. The Bike and Barge way of touring follows a "shared experience" philosophy of travel where our group cycles together and maintains a sightseeing pace of about 10-12 m.p.h. on Holland's flat terrain. Of course, our independent and/or faster pace cyclists can feel free to cycle independently and meet up with our group at certain rest areas or sightseeing points along our route.
Because the Dutch see cycling as a true means of transportation, they have developed a special biking infrastructure of clearly marked bike paths directing you to towns, historic points and places of interest.
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 at least two days early to acclimate to the time change, get acquainted with the new culture and sightsee beautiful Amsterdam.
Additional Information
We are the guests of the Feniks and Tijdgeest boats.
The Feniks provides a comfortable base from which to explore.
The Feniks is a cheery boat with cozy bedrooms appointed with upper and lower berths- a few bedrooms accommodating lower floor beds which are assigned on a first-come basis to couples. Each cabin has a private bathroom. The boat also features a relaxing dining-common area and large sundeck where we will be enjoying our gourmet dinners open to the Dutch scenery.
The Tijdgeest is a very comfortable barge accommodating our couples in rooms with a lower double bed and our single travelers in rooms with upper/lower berths. All rooms feature a modern bathroom with shower. Our cyclists can enjoy the boat's large dining room and common area where we relax with a drink and snacks after a full day of cycling.
Suzie and Roger will be in Amsterdam before our trip to welcome those wanting to arrive early and enjoy a tour of the city.
Information about this, what to pack, pre-trip lodging in Amsterdam, info on traveling abroad, tips on airfare, and other important pre-trip details will be provided in your Welcome Letter sent upon registration for the trip.
Please visit the Trip Information page for more general trip information and registration. Also feel free to e-mail us with any questions.
Take a peek at the Bike and Barge Holland photos from 2007!
Read some comments from Lisa Tempesta- 2007 cyclist.