Holland by bike and sailboat on the Tulip Route
Do you want to live a unique and unforgettable experience? The discovery of the Tulip Route in the Netherlands by bike and aboard a sailboat will keep these promises. This Holland bike trip invites you to experience the blooming tulips in spring starting from the city of Amsterdam. You will have the opportunity to visit the Keukenhof Gardens and admire the polders as you pass through picturesque towns and villages.
Points of interest during your stay in Holland:
- Keukenhof Gardens
- Amsterdam
- lake Ijsselmeer
- Alkmaar and Enkhuizen
- the polders
Day 1 - Amsterdam to Zaandam
You are expected on the Mare Fan Fryslân sailboat between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. The crew welcomes you with coffee and tea.
At 2:30 p.m. the ship leaves the port of Amsterdam. While sailing to Zaandam, the guide will give you all the travel information, cycling and safety procedures in the Netherlands.
At the end of the afternoon, you can try your bike. After your dinner on board, you will follow the guide for a walk through central Zaandam.
Day 2 - From Zaandam to Alkmaar / 47 km
You leave the sailboat to cycle to Zaanse Schans, a small village where people live and work in traditional houses. You see the windmills built near the Zaan River. Here you will have the opportunity to visit a clock museum, an old-fashioned grocery store, a house with period furniture, a clog maker and a cheese factory.
After this visit, the route continues to Limmen and Egmond-Binnen through fields of colorful tulips. Do not miss a visit to the Hortus Bulborum, a unique garden-museum dedicated to preserving rare and historic bulbs. Over 4000 tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other special flowers are planted here.
Your cycling tour through Holland takes you to Egmond by the North Sea. The sailboat awaits you near the historic city center of Alkmaar. You probably know his famous Dutch cheese. As you walk through the streets, you will love to admire the beauty of the old town of Alkmaar, with its 17th century buildings and narrow canals.
Day 3 - From Alkmaar to Den Helder / 30 km
Today's itinerary takes place north of Alkmaar where you will find the most beautiful tulip fields on the way to the North Sea. You can enjoy one of the best beaches in the Netherlands. Nearby you will find the artists' village of Bergen. Then you drive through the North Holland dune reserve to Den Helder: this piece of land wedged between the North Sea and the IJsselmeer is home to the largest field of flower bulbs in the world.
Day 4 - From Den Helder to Oudeschild | Texel Wadden Island:
round trip (43 km / 29 mi. to 48 km / 26 mi.)
During breakfast, the sailboat reaches the island of Texel, the largest of the Dutch Wadden Islands. You have the choice between two routes of different lengths around the island. Follow the signs through picturesque villages and landscapes, and to the Ecomare Seal Sanctuary. At the end of the bike tour, you will have the pleasure of tasting a locally brewed beer on a visit to the small brewery near Oudeschild.
Day 5 - From Oudeschild to Enkhuizen by sailboat
Today your ship has set sail for Enkhuizen. This will be an opportunity to help the crew during navigation by hoisting the sails. No experience is required. After a hearty lunch while sailing, the sailboat reaches Enkhuizen. It is an ancient city with centuries of maritime tradition.
Take the time to visit the city of herring, its old port and its history. The dinner is not planned to allow you to discover the city. You can prepare a picnic or try one of the good restaurants in Enkhuizen.
Day 6 - From Enkhuizen to Hoorn and from Hoorn to Volendam (28 km)
In the morning, you cruise on the IJsselmeer to Hoorn, a former city of the Dutch East India Company, which in the 17th century was one of the most important ports in the world. You leave the sailboat in the early afternoon by bike to reach Volendam, a small picturesque fishing port on the shores of Lake IJsselmeer. On your route, you pass through Edam, known for its cheese covered with red or yellow wax.
Formerly, Edam was a shipyard and an industrial port.
Day 7 - Volendam - Keukenhof - Amsterdam | Day trip by bus
Today, enjoy a bus tour through Holland's oldest tulip fields to reach the famous Keukenhof Gardens. This is the most beautiful bulb park in the world. Seven million blooming tulips to admire! You can also contemplate various hyacinths, daffodils and many other species of flowers.
In the afternoon, the bus will take you back to Amsterdam for your last night on board the Mare Fan Fryslân.
Day 8 - End of the cycling trip in Amsterdam
End of your journey on the Tulip Route in the port of Amsterdam. After breakfast, you can disembark until 9:30 a.m.
