How difficult is cycling in North Holland and Friesland?

This tour covers between 28 and 55 km on cycling days, on ground that is flat throughout. Most days offer a shorter and a longer option, so you can set the effort day by day, and you are free to stay on board and let the ship carry you instead. E-bikes are available for rent.

When is the best time to cycle in Holland?

The season runs from spring to autumn. April and May bring long light and mild temperatures, while September and early October are quiet and warm-toned. Midsummer is the busiest period on Texel and in Volendam, so shoulder-season departures are calmer both on the bike and in the towns.

How much does a boat and bike tour in Holland cost?

This 8-day tour starts from €799 per person. Prices vary by departure date, ship and cabin type, and live availability is shown on this page. The price includes seven nights on board with breakfast, packed lunches, seven three-course dinners, a tour leader and the ferry to Texel. Bike rental costs €91 per week and an e-bike €252.

Is this tour guided or self-guided?

It is semi-guided. You cycle independently with maps, route notes and GPS tracks, while a tour leader rides the same route and stays reachable by phone for questions or breakdowns. Daily briefings on board explain the stage ahead, and some short walking tours are included.

Where do you sleep on a boat and bike tour in the Netherlands?

You sleep on board in a climate-controlled cabin, with bed linen and towels provided and the cabin cleaned daily. The ship sails while you cycle or during the night, so you unpack once for the whole week and still change destination every day.

Do I need to bring my own bicycle?

No. A rental bicycle costs €91 per week and an e-bike €252 per week; e-bike numbers are limited and only available on request, so reserve at the time of booking. If you prefer your own bike, parking on board costs €14 per week, or €28 with a charging point for an e-bike.

Do I have to cycle every day?

No. On any day you can stay on board and relax while the ship cruises to the next mooring. The shorter routes also make it easy to ride a light day, although on those you may not reach every place mentioned in the programme.

Where does the tour start and finish?

The tour is a loop: it starts and ends in Amsterdam, so you return to your point of arrival. Boarding is in Amsterdam on day one between 2 p.m. and 3.30 p.m., and disembarkation is after breakfast on day eight, until 9.30 a.m.

Northern Holland and Friesland by Boat and Bike

North Holland and Friesland

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from€799

Bike & BoatE-bike8 days / 7 nights1/5EasyLoop

Short Description

Cycle North Holland and Friesland on an 8-day boat and bike tour that starts and ends in Amsterdam. Your ship carries you across the IJsselmeer and along the coast while you ride flat polders, dune reserves and the island of Texel, and every evening you come back to the same cabin.

Tour Program

Day 1: Amsterdam – Zaandam
You will board in Amsterdam between 2 p.m. and 3.30 p.m., where the crew for the week will be waiting to welcome you. Around 4 p.m. the ship casts off for Zaandam. A welcome drink and the safety instructions come first, then a three-course dinner and the briefing for tomorrow's ride.

Day 2: Zaandam – Zaanse Schans – Alkmaar (44 km)
Your first day in the saddle will lead you through small villages and the flat green polder landscape that defines this corner of Holland. You will stop at the Zaanse Schans open-air museum, free to enter, where old Dutch timber houses stand beside working windmills, a cheese dairy and a clog workshop. From there you will ride on across the Land of Leeghwater, the green polder country between Amsterdam, Alkmaar and Hoorn, through the former whalers' village of De Rijp and past the windmills of Schermerhorn. Your ship will be waiting near the historic centre of Alkmaar.

Day 3: Dune round trip from Alkmaar (33 km or 40 km) | Alkmaar – Den Helder
Today you will discover the North Holland Dune Reserve, five thousand three hundred hectares of forest and dune where the drinking water for almost the whole province is drawn. You will reach the beach and the artists' village of Bergen before turning back to Alkmaar, with time to wander its handsome old centre. In the afternoon the ship sails up the North Holland Canal to the navy harbour of Den Helder.

Day 4: Texel round trips from 't Horntje (34 km or 51 km)
After breakfast a twenty-minute ferry, ticket included, will carry you from Den Helder to Texel, the largest of the Dutch North Sea islands. You will ride through meadows, nature parks and dunes to small villages, with the chance to stop for a swim on the wide sandy North Sea beach or to visit the Ecomare seal sanctuary. Late in the afternoon you will take the ferry back to Den Helder.

Day 5: Den Helder – Stavoren | Southwest Friesland round trip (43 km or 55 km)
The ship will cross the great inland lake of the IJsselmeer to Stavoren, in the province of Friesland. You can take the shorter or the longer ride, or combine the two: the nature area of Gaasterland on one side, and on the other a stretch of the wide lake district for which Friesland is known. The night is spent in the small harbour of Stavoren, one of the eleven historic cities of Friesland.

Day 6: Stavoren – Medemblik | Medemblik – Hoorn – Enkhuizen (39 km or 51 km)
The ship crosses the IJsselmeer again while you have breakfast. The shorter route runs from Medemblik straight along the IJsselmeer shore to Enkhuizen, leaving you the whole afternoon in this old city of maritime tradition, with its beautiful harbour, its historic centre and the Zuiderzeemuseum. If you prefer the longer ride you will first cross to Hoorn, in the seventeenth century one of the leading harbours of the world and a town of the Dutch East India Company, then continue to Enkhuizen through picturesque rural villages. In the evening you can join a short city walk.

Day 7: Enkhuizen – Volendam | Volendam – Waterland – Amsterdam (28 km or 50 km)
During breakfast the ship will sail to Volendam. Your last day of cycling will take you through Waterland, a region of hundreds of small lakes and narrow canals. Near Volendam you can visit a cheese farm, and the longer route adds the former island of Marken before winding back through the water country to Amsterdam. The afternoon and the evening are yours: if you did not take the canal cruise at the start of the week, this is the moment.

Day 8: Amsterdam
End of your tour: disembarkation after breakfast, until 9.30 a.m.

Available departures

Year

Month

Next: 5 Sept 2026 · 4 departures · from €799 p.p.

Sept 2026

- Suite upper deck€1,949
- Single Upper deck€2,149
- Suite upper deck€1,839

Oct 2026

- Suite upper deck€1,299
- Twin Lower deck€799
- Twin Upper deck€1,049
- Single Upper deck(on request)€1,419
- Suite upper deck€1,299

Tour details

LoopGuidedCouplesFriendsMinimum 2 people

✅ What is included in the trip?

🏨 Overnight stay and breakfast
🍽️ Packed lunches
🍽️ 7 dinners (drink excluded)
☕️ Coffee and tea on board till 4 PM
🚲Semi guided cycling tours (guest cycle independently tour leader also cycles the tour)
🧍‍♂️English speaking tour guide
🗺️ Maps
📲 GPS or navigation APP
💧Biodegradable water bottle
🎺 Live music on board
🧍‍♂️ Welcome briefing
🛜 Wi-FI on board
👜 Waterproof bike bag

❌ What is not included?

🚎 Transfers not listed as Included
✈️ Journey to/from the starting point
🍽️ Meals and drinks not listed as Included
🖼️ Entrance fees and extras not listed
🛡️ Travel insurance
🌎 Tourist taxes
🚲 Bike rental

🙋 Common questions

How difficult is cycling in North Holland and Friesland?
This tour covers between 28 and 55 km on cycling days, on ground that is flat throughout. Most days offer a shorter and a longer option, so you can set the effort day by day, and you are free to stay on board and let the ship carry you instead. E-bikes are available for rent.
When is the best time to cycle in Holland?
The season runs from spring to autumn. April and May bring long light and mild temperatures, while September and early October are quiet and warm-toned. Midsummer is the busiest period on Texel and in Volendam, so shoulder-season departures are calmer both on the bike and in the towns.
How much does a boat and bike tour in Holland cost?
This 8-day tour starts from €799 per person. Prices vary by departure date, ship and cabin type, and live availability is shown on this page. The price includes seven nights on board with breakfast, packed lunches, seven three-course dinners, a tour leader and the ferry to Texel. Bike rental costs €91 per week and an e-bike €252.
Is this tour guided or self-guided?
It is semi-guided. You cycle independently with maps, route notes and GPS tracks, while a tour leader rides the same route and stays reachable by phone for questions or breakdowns. Daily briefings on board explain the stage ahead, and some short walking tours are included.
Where do you sleep on a boat and bike tour in the Netherlands?
You sleep on board in a climate-controlled cabin, with bed linen and towels provided and the cabin cleaned daily. The ship sails while you cycle or during the night, so you unpack once for the whole week and still change destination every day.
Do I need to bring my own bicycle?
No. A rental bicycle costs €91 per week and an e-bike €252 per week; e-bike numbers are limited and only available on request, so reserve at the time of booking. If you prefer your own bike, parking on board costs €14 per week, or €28 with a charging point for an e-bike.
Do I have to cycle every day?
No. On any day you can stay on board and relax while the ship cruises to the next mooring. The shorter routes also make it easy to ride a light day, although on those you may not reach every place mentioned in the programme.
Where does the tour start and finish?
The tour is a loop: it starts and ends in Amsterdam, so you return to your point of arrival. Boarding is in Amsterdam on day one between 2 p.m. and 3.30 p.m., and disembarkation is after breakfast on day eight, until 9.30 a.m.