Nothern tour bike and boat on De Willemstad 2025

Bike and boat route on the Northern Route in Holland on the De Willemstad

This Northern Netherlands road bike cruise guides you through the most beautiful landscapes of Friesland and North Holland on the premium comfort boat De Willemstad. Explore the North Sea coast polders and immense sand dunes as well as the many picturesque harbor islands on the shore of Lake IJsselmer.

Main areas of interest during the stay :

• North Holland flat polder landscapes
• Visit the sandy beaches of Texel Island
• Port villages like Enkhuizen

Day 1 : Amsterdam - Zaandam

Boarding and “check-in” between 2 pm and 4:30pm. Take the time to explore central Amsterdam, go shopping or visit one of the city's many museums. A welcome drink awaits you at 5 pm. Dinner on board then first briefing. First cruise to Zaandam and overnight on the De Willemstad.

Day 2 : Zaandam - Zaanse Schans - Alkmaar. 44 km

Cross small villages in a green and flat landscape against a backdrop of polders. The first stop is Zaanse Schans, a real open-air museum with its exceptional windmills, traditional Dutch village and wooden houses. After this tour, drive through the green area of ​​Leeghwater and stroll through the ancient whaling village of De Rijp to admire the Schermerhorn windmills. Your boat is waiting for you near the historic center of Alkmaar.

Day 3 : Dune loop trail | Alkmaar - Den helder. 33 or 40 km

Today you can explore the North Holland Reserve. It is a 5,300 hectare dune forest region. This is where almost all of the domestic water for the province of North Holland comes from. After a detour through the beach and the artist village of Bergen you return to Alkmaar where you can visit the beautiful city center. In the afternoon the boat sails, via the North Holland Canal, to the military port of Den Helder.

Day 4 : Den Helder - Texel | loop trail on the island of Texel | Texel Island - Den Oever. from 34 to 51 km

During breakfast, a fery (included) the boat takes you to the island of Texel (the largest Dutch island in the North Sea) where a loop route awaits you. On the road you will find many natural parks and you can even go swimming. Follow the pretty “Thijsse-route” (marked route, approx. 40 km) through picturesque villages and visit the “Ecomare” whale sanctuary. At the end of your itinerary, you will return by ferry to Den Helder. During dinner, your boat sails to Den Oever.

Day 5 : Den Oever - Stavoren | loop trail in South West Frisia. 43 or 55 km

Your boat crosses Lake IJsselmeer for Stavoren in the province of Friesland. You can choose two different routes or do both. Discover the Gaasterland nature area and / or explore part of the "lake" region. Overnight in the small port of Stavoren, one of the 11 famous traditional towns of Friesland.

Day 6 : Stavoren - Medemblik | Medemblik - Hoorn - Enkhuizen. 39 or 51 km

Crossing the IJsselmeer lake to disembark at Medemblik. Pedal to Enkhuizen along the coast. Enkhuizen is an ancient city with maritime traditions that date back several centuries. The “herring city” can boast of its pretty harbor, historic center and Zuiderzeemuseum.

If you prefer a longer route, drive to Hoorn, a town which was one of the most important ports in the 17th century. Then continue to Enkhuizen enjoying the picturesque villages.

Day 7 : Enkhuizen - Volendam | Volendam - Waterland - Amsterdam. 28 or 50 km

Enjoy breakfast as you cruise for Volendam. The last day of cycling takes you to the Waterland region and its hundreds of small lakes and narrow canals. You can visit a cheese factory located near Volendam. The afternoon and evening are reserved for rest or visiting Amsterdam.

Day 8 : Amsterdam

End of your bike cruise after breakfast (9:30 am).

General information :

• 8 days and 7 nights
• Comfort level of the barge : Comfort
• Spoken languages on board : English
• Child prices : please contact us

2025 Dates :

Saturday departures

• Low season : 29/03, 05/04 et 04/10
• Mid-season : 12/04 et 27/09
• High season : 19/04 et 20/09
• Very high season : 26/04, 05/07, 12/07, 19/07, 26/07, 02/08, 09/08, 16/08 et 13/09
• Very very high season : 03/05, 10/05, 17/05, 24/05, 31/05, 07/06, 14/06, 21/06, 28/06, 23/08, 30/08 et 06/09

Included : 

• Full board (picnic lunch)
• coffee and tea on board until 4pm and welcome cocktail
• sheets and towels
• daily cleaning of the cabins
• climate-controlled cabins
• guide on board (cycling independently)
• daily briefings
• some walking tours can be guided
• ferry ticket to Texel Island
• road book on site (on set by cabin)
• gps tracks 
• waterproof bag
• wifi available in the restaurant
• musicians on board

Not included :

• Transport to the place of departure
• Personal expenses
• Visits

Options :

• Bike rental
• Parking for own bike
• Cruise on Amsterdam Canals
• Helmet rental
• Personal bike location (mandatory if no rented bike)
• Theft insurance for rented bikes
• Cancellation insurance

Level :

1 2 3 4 5 6

Ground :

Flat, very smooth roads and paths.

Weather :

Contrary to popular belief, the temperature in the Netherlands is similar to the temperature in France. Near the coast, the weather is sometimes windy.

Technicality :

0 to 65 km of cycling per day, or about 3 to 6 hours of cycling.

Bibliography :

Guide and maps about the Netherlands on cartovelo.fr

Participants :

On board, you will meet an international community of all ages.

Accompaniment :

People responsible for your bike and boat holidays are : 
On board, the captain and his crew. They are responsible for the smooth running of the vacation on the boat, and bring the boat from stage to stage. The cook prepares the meals.
Each morning, if you wish, you can get benefit from advice on the route to follow and on additional tourist information.

Meals :

Breakfast : on board, you will find a substantial and dutch breakfast.
Lunch : after the breakfast, you will prepare by yourself a “lunch” (sandwich, fruit, snack, drinks).
Snack : after the daily route, you will find, when you arrive on the boat, various drinks such as tea and coffee prepared for your return.
Dinner : at least three dishes. After dinner, you will have a choice of coffee and tea.
Other drinks, such as wine, beer, lemonade and mineral water, are not included but can be purchased on board at a reasonable price.

Bike :

At the beginning, a bike corresponding to your height, will be assigned to you. After a test ride, you will sign a receipt. The bike (21-speed bike) will be at your disposal all week. The bike will be fitted with panniers as well as a bick lock, a container and a tire repair kit.
If you take your own bike, it cannot be insured against theft by our company, you will have to make the necessary arrangements with your usual insurer. Do not forget your bike lock. The return of your bike will be at your expense.

Transport :

By train : the departure towns for the bike and boat tours are served by the railway.
Amsterdam train station is very well connected : several trains daily run to and from France.
Thalys is faster.
By plane : AMSTERDAM international airport.

Your vehicle : 

We strongly advise against parking cars on the streets of Amsterdam. Information on guarded parking lots in the city can be found on the following website parkingcentrumoosterdok.nl.

Cancellation insurance :

In order to guarantee the refund of costs in the event of cancellation of your stay, you can take out cancellation insurance. To learn more, please click here.

Boat description : click here.