Tulips and cheese tour in bike and boat - Anna Antal

Cycling Holland on the Tulip and Cheese Route on the Anna Antal

The tulips and cheese program is entirely dedicated to this magnificent flower. You cycle through hectares of tulips and other spring bulbs. And of course, you will have the pleasure of visiting Keukenhof Park ”. You also discover Zaanse Schans, in the north of Amsterdam with its traditional wooden houses, warehouses and windmills. Further north, around Alkmaar, you will see the most beautiful dunes in the Netherlands. At the end of your stay aboard the Anna Antal, you will explore the polders of Beemster en Purmer.

Main points of interest :

• Keukenhof, the most beautiful flower park
• The polders
• Aalsmeer, large flower market
• Windmills at Zaanse Schans

Day 1 - Amsterdam - Haarlem

Boarding from 2 p.m. and luggage storage in your cabin. Then get to know the guide, the skipper, his crew and of course the other passengers.

You sail to Spaarndam, the village of Hansje Brinker. Hansje is an American novel character who saves the country from a flood by plugging a hole in the dike with his finger.
Test the bikes at Spaarndam to Haarlem where the boat awaits you. The program for the next day and the week will be transmitted to you during dinner.

Day 2 - Haarlem - Keukenhof - Leiden 40 km

Visit the Keukenhof Gardens, an awe-inspiring and colorful collection of millions and millions of flowering bulbs. And among these colors, you can admire some surprising works of art.
Keukenhof is the showcase for horticulture in Holland, especially bulb culture. More than 20 flower exhibitions allow nearly 500 flower growers to present their flowers and plants.
Overnight in Leiden, a historic city with many ‘hofjes‘ (houses built around a small courtyard) and buildings from the 15th to the 18th century. Leiden is the birthplace of the painter Rembrandt.

Day 3 - Leiden - Kudelstaart - 45km

Visit the Haarlemmermeer, a polder which is 4 meters below sea level. It was the largest lake in the Netherlands! The cycle path guides you through the green heart of Holland, a region characterized by small cycle paths, black and white cows, mills, ditches and canals. You go to Kudelstaart, a small village by the Westeinderplassen lake.

Day 4 - Kudelstaart - Wormerveer - 45km

Morning visit to the famous auction market in Aalsmeer. Every day, it is here that the world market price of flowers and plants is set. Then have breakfast while sailing towards Amsterdam. From the Nieuwe Meer lock you drive along the Amstel river to Amsterdam. A ferry then takes you across the ‘IJ’ river.
Return to a calm environment with a visit to Zaanse Schans, its traditional wooden houses, its warehouses and its windmills. Here you can visit a cheese factory, a clog factory and a traditional bakery.

Day 5 - Wormerveer - Alkmaar - 45km

Departing from Wormerveer, you cross the most beautiful dunes in the Netherlands. If the weather is nice, you will have the opportunity to swim in the North Sea during the lunch break. This stage ends in Alkmaar, a historic city where you can see nearly 400 listed monuments! One of the most famous is the Grote Kerk (large church) which dates from the 15th century. Possibility to visit the Cheese Museum, located in the historic Wagenbouw building.

Day 6 - Alkmaar Purmerend - 45km

Cycling tour on ancient sea beds crossing the Beemster and Purmer polders. In the 17th century, two lakes were drained and turned into flat, fertile farmland. The polder mills bear witness to this today. In De Rijp you can visit the birthplace of the mill builder and hydrographer Leeghwater. De Rijp and Graft are two charming typical 17th century villages which have enjoyed great prosperity thanks to herring fishing and whaling. Overnight in Purmerend.

Day 7 - Purmerend - Amsterdam - 20 to 35 km

Purmerend is on the edge of the Waterland region where roads and water are almost at the same level. You can visit the charming villages of Zunderdorp and Ransdorp. Seasoned cyclists can take the longer route, which leads to the fishing villages of Edam, Volendam and Marken. These famous historic villages along the IJsselmeer (the old Zuiderzee, or South Sea) have become touristy, but are worth a detour.
Back in Amsterdam, it's time to leave your bike on the boat. You will have the option of strolling around town or taking a canal boat trip before or after dinner.

Day 8 - Amsterdam

End of stay after breakfast before 10am.

Due to the navigation plan, the route may be reversed or changed.

General information :

• 8 days and 7 nights
• Comfort level of the barge : Standard
• Child prices : please contact us
• Languages spoken on board: English and Dutch

Dates de départ 2023 :

Departures on Saturdays 08/04, 15/04, 22/04, 29/04 and 06/05/2023

High season : 15/04, 22/04 and 29/04

Included :

• Full board stay (picnic lunch)
• Travel documents : we will provide you with the information relating to the progress of your stay as well as the itinerary upon validation of your reservation, subject to change.
• Guided loop tour
• Entrance to Keukenhof
• Flower auction entry

Not included :

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

Options :

• Bike rental (helmet included)
• Theft insurance for rented bikes
• Cancellation insurance
• Extra night(s) at the start or end of the tour in a hotel in Amsterdam

Level :

1 2 3 4 5 6

Ground :

Flat, very smooth roads and paths. 90% program on cycle 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 40 km of cycling per day, or about 3 to 4 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, men, women, singles and couples with children. We offer boats with 20 to 26 places in cabins of 2 and 3 people.

Accompaniment :

People responsible for your bike and boat holidays are : 
On board, the captain and his mate. 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.
Participants are accompanied by a guide. This will help you in the event of a breakdown, advise you on the route to follow and give you the necessary tourist information. He or she is multilingual.

Meals :

Breakfast : on board, you will find a substantial and dutch breakfast, worthy of a cyclist.
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, with a cake.
Dinner : at least three very good quality 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, on Saturday afternoon, 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 until Friday afternoon, when the bike is handed over. The bike will be fitted with panniers as well as an anti-theft device, a container and a tire repair kit. If you prefer a 7-speed bike, please let us know (this must be specified when booking). It will not be possible to order a bicycle once on the boat. 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 anti-theft. The return of your bike will be at your expense.

Transport : Geographic location

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.