Web code NL022

Holland / Northern tour

Texel and IJsselmer

What you will experience in this tour are folklore and traditions in the Dutch coutryside and lovely villages on the shores of the North Sea. During the XVII century the whole area, which used to be covered with marshes, was reclaimed through the use of windmills. Enjoy your stay in the island of Texel, the beautiful beaches and the ancient port towns on the IJsselmeer, which will accompany you up to Amsterdam and its canals.

Northern tour

Photos (14)

6 Client reviews

Day by Day
Route profile
How to get there
Accommodation and meals
Bikes and accessories
Accompanying material
By your side
Client reviews

Day by Day

map
1. Amsterdam
Embarkation and check-in starts at 2 PM in Amsterdam (centre). Take the opportunity to go shopping or explore downtown Amsterdam, world famous for its canals, its quirky ‘leaning’ buildings, museums, the Anne Frank House, the Waterlooplein Flea Market, the Dam Square in the historical center and heart of the city. A canal tour is a unique way to see the capital of Holland from another side. Welcome meeting, cocktail and short "dinner cruise"to Zaandam.

 2. Zaandam – Alkmaar/Enkhuizen (45 km)
The first cycling stretch of this tour takes you through small villages scattered in the beautiful flat and green polder landscape. The first stop is at the Zaanse Schans open air museum (free entry) with its traditional Old Dutch wooden houses, windmills and the cheese- and clog factory. After this visit you will cycle through the “Land of Leeghwater”, a green polder area between Amsterdam, Alkmaar and Hoorn. Stroll through the former whaler’s village De Rijp and pass by the windmills of Schermerhorn. Your boat will be waiting for you near the historical city centre of Alkmaar.

 3. Alkmaar/Enkhuizen – Den Helder (35/40 km) 
Today you will explore the beautiful North-Holland Dune reserve. This is a 5.300 hectare forest- and dune area with its unique landscapes. Drinking water for almost the whole province of North-Holland is gained among these sand dunes. After a visit to the beach and Bergen, the artists’ village, you will return to Alkmaar, where you can visit the characteristic city centre. In the afternoon De Holland will sail over the North-Holland Canal to the navy harbor of Den Helder.

 4. Den Helder – Den Oever (several options 15/65 km) 
During breakfast De Holland will sail to the isle of Texel, where you can make a tour on the largest of the Dutch Northsea Isles. You will cycle through beautiful natural parks and have the opportunity for a stop and maybe a swim at the beach. Suggestion: cycle the beautiful “Thijsse- route” (with signposting, approx. 40 km/25 mi.) through picturesque villages and landscapes and visit the seal sanctuary “Ecomare” At the end of your cycling tour you can enjoy a locally brewed beer during a visit to the small brewery near Oudeschild. During dinner De Holland will return to the mainland and sail to Den Oever.

* In case of unfavorable weather conditions, the captain may decide to sail to Texel on Monday evening or not at all: in the latter case you can reach Texel by ferry (price approx. € 5 pp, not incl.).

 5. Den Oever – Stavoren (45/55 km) 
The vessel will cross the large inland lake IJsselmeer to sail to Stavoren in the Province of Friesland. You can opt for a shorter or longer cycling tour: discover the nature area of Gaasterland or explore a part of the wide lake district, that Friesland is well-known for. You can also combine both options. Night in Stavoren, one of the famous 11 cities of Friesland.

 6. Stavoren – Enkhuizen (30/50 km - 19/31 miles)
De Holland will cross the IJsselmeer again during breakfast. Take the short cycling trip from Medemblik along the IJsselmeer coast directly to Enkhuizen, where you can spend the afternoon. Enkhuizen is an old city with many centuries of maritime tradition. The “herring city” boasts a beautiful old harbor, a historical old town centre and the very interesting Zuiderzeemuseum. If you prefer a longer cycling tour, ride from Medemblik to the former Dutch East India Company town of Hoorn, one of the world’s leading harbors in the 17th century. Enjoy your lunch break and have a short stroll in the old city centre. Continue by bicycle to Enkhuizen pedalling though some picturesque contry villages. In the evening you can join a short city walk.

 7. Enkhuizen – Amsterdam (35/50 km) 
During breakfast the boat will sail to Volendam. Your final day of cycling will lead you through the beautiful area of Waterland, with its hundreds of small lakes and tiny canals. Near Volendam you will have the opportunity to visit a cheese farm. A tour to the former island of Marken (extra cycling miles) is recommended to then continue through the water shaped region of Waterland back to the Dutch capital city of Amsterdam. The afternoon and evening are yours to enjoy everything Amsterdam has to offer. If you didn’t go for a canal cruise on the first day, you can do so today.

 8. Amsterdam.
After breakfast: disembarkation around 9:30 a.m. and end of the tour.

Due to organisational reasons, weather conditions or warnings issued by local authorities, the itinerary may be subject to some changes before and/or during the holiday. Issues with high and low water, as well as logistic obstacles such as officially ordered - previously not announced - repair work on locks or bridges can modify some of the daily stretches or overnight stays and may even request a transfer by bus. These decisions are only taken by the boat’s captain.
Route profile

The Netherlands are the country of bicycles, mainly due to the flat landscape, beneath the sea level. The cycling path network, almost entirely paved, is very widespread and sign posted with white and red signals and with small numbered stumps called “mushrooms”, signalled on the maps.

It will not be hard to deal with this tour, but you will need to be a bit trained in order to stay a whole week on the saddle! Wind and rain are very frequent in this country and they might make your cycling difficult. Sometimes the bike lanes are separated from the street only by a red line, so you need to pay attention. Ask your guide on board, he/she will be able to give you more information.
How to get there
The precise embarkation point will be written in the Final Tour Details that you will receive a few days before departure. Consider about a 15 minute bus ride from the train station to the point of embarkation (the busses are frequent).

By Plane
The easiest way to get to the starting point is flying into Amsterdam.

In order to get to the embarkation point you need to leave from Amsterdam central station by taking the train directly at the airport. You can purchase the tickets at the cashiers, which usually accept debit and credit cards. The journey takes about 20 minutes, the cost is about €5. To book the train tickets in advance visit www.ns.nl.

By Train
The nearest arrival point is Amsterdam Centraal Station. More information on www.ns.nl.

By Car
Parking in the centre of Amsterdam is very expensive, we suggest parking on the outskirt of the city.

Parking
On this website you can find the address of several parking places open 7 days a week: www.amsterdam.info/parking.
In particular, we suggest the following parking places:
- parking place at the Schiphol Airport in the Smart parking area, you can book it on www.schiphol.nl. The cost for 5 days is about 70 €.
- P1 Parking Amsterdam Centre: (Prins Hendrikkade 20A). This is the closest parking place to the embarkation points Scheepvaart Kwartier e Oosterdok. You can make a reservation on www.p1.nl. The cost for 5 days is about 160 €.
Accommodation and meals
DE WILLEMSTAD
A 91mt/298 ft. long, very comfortable ship with 48 cabins.

Lower deck
There are 24 twin cabins (10 m² – 108 sq.ft.) with 2 separate beds and a window, that – for safety reasons – cannot be opened.

Upper deck
There are 16 twin cabins (10 m² – 108 sq.ft.) with 2 separate beds and a panoramic window, which can be opened, and 8 suites (15 m² – 200 sq.ft.). The suites have two separate beds set next to each other as a hotel style bed, a cozy sitting area and a “French Balcony” (floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors).

All cabins have an individual climate control system, TV, mini-safe, wardrobe, hair dryer and a private bathroom.

Common areas
De Willemstad has a large salon with large panoramic windows on the deck that combines the restaurant, bar and a lounge area. On the partially roofed sun deck, chairs and sun loungers invite for a stay.

In brief:
- Passengers (max): 96
- Private bathroom
- Towels
- 230 V socket
- Air conditioning
- Wi Fi (to be paid on board)
- Hair dryer
Bikes and accessories
In this tour you can rent:
- unisex touring 7/8 gears with pedal or hand brakes
- unisex e-bikes with pedal or hand brakes
The bikes are equipped with:
- pannier bag;
- lock on the frame.
- pump and repair kit per cabin (1 per cabin)
In Holland bike helmets are not mandatory. We advise you wear one for your safety anyway. A helmet can be rented for € 10 per week, only on prior reservation and payment
Accompanying material
Before your arrival, you will receive an email from us with the digital information material. It contains:

1. Link to download the tour information material in Pdf:
- Tour notes
- Final tour details
On the spot you will find maps and route descriptions.
By your side
Staff support
For the whole duration of your bike tour, you can contact us:
- office +39 0444 1278430 from Monday to Friday 8:30-13:00 and 15:00-18:30
- emergency phone number every day 8:00-20:00 which will be specified in the Final Tour Details.
6 Client reviews
- Antonella
  
  Departure 08-15 August 2020
  
  Online from 10 September 2020
  
  La rotta Nord dell'Olanda è stato un tour entusiasmante e di straordinaria bellezza paesaggistica.
  
  Attraverso una rete ciclabile eccellente, abbiamo attraversato tradizionali ed incantevoli villaggi, mulini a vento perfettamente funzionanti e visitabili, praterie, pascoli, boschi e la meravigliosa campagna olandese.
  
  E poi ancora alte dune alberate, pittoreschi porticcioli, il mare del Nord. Anche l'esperienza in barca assolutamente positiva.
  
  L'organizzazione del tour è stata impeccabile: sia nella fase di organizzazione del viaggio da parte del personale di Girolibero per soddisfare ogni nostra richiesta, sia durante il viaggio da parte del personale di bordo.
  
  Decisamente un tour da consigliare per chi ama il binomio bici e barca, l'avventura e la natura.
- Maria Elena
  
  Departure 01-08 August 2020
  
  Online from 20 August 2020
  
  Il paradiso della bicicletta
- Marta
  
  Departure 04-11 August 2018
  
  Online from 25 August 2018
  
  Organizzazione perfetta, barca De Holland completamente ristrutturata quindi sia le cabine che le zone comuni davvero nuove, belle e pulitissime!
  Molta natura: dune sul mare, foreste e campi verdi.
  Paesini di mare deliziosi.
  Tour fattibile anche per i non allenati, un po’ di vento contro ma il sole è stato quasi sempre dalla nostra parte! Itinerari davvero semplici da seguire!
- Nicolò
  
  Departure 11-18 August 2018
  
  Online from 23 August 2018
  
  Tour indicato per chi cerca una settimana di completo relax a contatto con la natura.
- Georgia
  
  Departure 04-11 August 2018
  
  Online from 16 August 2018
  
  Bellissima esperienza; ottima la sistemazione in barca, il vitto e le bici; la rotta è stata incantevole.
- Marcella Maria
  
  Departure 07-14 July 2018
  
  Online from 19 July 2018
  
  Assolutamente da consigliare