Sail & Bike

Holland Tulip Tour · Netherlands

From 1369 €

Islandhopping
Cycling Tours
Sail & Bike Holland Tulip Tour | Guided bike tour on the Ijsselmeer

Route
from Zaandam / to Amsterdam

Duration
8 days /
7 nights

Distance
approx.
175 km

Level 1 - 2

Level 1
Easy cycling tours suitable for islandhoppers who are confident on their bikes but prefer riding on flatter terrain (15-30km and 200 elevation meters per day).

Level 1 - 2
Easy to moderate cycling tours through hilly terrain suitable for islandhoppers who have a good basic level of fitness (20-35km and up to 200-400 elevation meters per day).

Level 2
Moderate cycling tours through hilly terrain suitable for islandhoppers who cycle regularly and feel comfortable with longer climbs (25-40km and 300-500 elevation meters per day).

Level 2 -3
Moderate to demanding cycling tours through hilly to mountainous terrain suitable for islandhoppers who like a challenge (30-50km and 400-700 elevation meters per day).

Level 3
Demanding cycling tours through hilly and mountainous terrain suitable for islandhoppers who can take on steeper climbs (30-60km and 400-800 elevation meter per day).

Colourful tulip fields, beaches, and picturesque harbour towns of the Ijsselmeer

Experience springtime at its most colourful in Holland. Explore Dutch landscapes by bike and from the water by sailing ship on our Sail & Bike Holland Tulip Tour. Breath in the wonderful smell of tulips as we cycle through the countryside and feel the sea breeze as we sail across the Wadden Sea and the Ijsselmeer while enjoying the comfort and camaraderie on board the beautiful sailing ship. During this enchanting Sail & Bike tour, we discover the famous Keukenhof Gardens, known for its hundreds of thousands of blooming tulips, but we also visit historical cities such as Alkmaar and Enkhuizen, true gems yet undiscovered by mass tourism. As we sail across the Ijsselmeer to Enkhuizen and Hoorn, you are welcome to lend a hand with navigation and hoisting the sails under the instruction of the experienced crew.

Book Now

Highlights

Nature: a visit to the most beautiful bulb park in the world – the Kaukenhof Garden

Culture: immerse yourself in Dutch history in the open air museum of Zaanse Schans

Activity: aside from cycling, take part in hoisting the sails on board a traditional sailing ship

Culinary: Poffertjes and Stroopwafel are "lekker" dutch specialities

Souvenir: Dutch cheese and Appelstroop

Itinerary

Zaanse Schans - Amsterdam
Amsterdam - Zaanse Schans

You are welcome to check in between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., where your crew will welcome with coffee and tea. The ship is docked next to the Zaanse Schans, a unique hamletyou hamletwhere people live and work alongside original houses and windmills built next to thewhere theriver Zaan. This tiny village is dominated by its operating windmills — the oldest ofriver ofwhich was built in 1673 — and these were used for grinding mustard seeds, spices, andwhich andpaint components; extracting plant oil; and for sawing wood into planks.

Today you can discover the beautiful North-Holland Dune reserve. This is a a5.300 hectare large forest- and dune area with its unique landscapes. In these dunes the5.300 thedrinking water for almost the whole province of North-Holland is gained. After a visit todrinking tothe beach and artists village Bergen you will return to Alkmaar where you can visit thethe thewonderful city center.

Today we head out on a cycle tour through the north of Alkmaar and past the most beautiful tulip fields on the way up to the North Sea. The sandy beach here is one of the most wonderful beaches to walk along in the entire country, the perfect spot to feel the wind in your hair or simply to enjoy the view. Close by, and certainly worth a visit, is the artist’s village of Bergen. Afterwards, we cycle on through the North-Holland Dune reserve to Den Helder. This piece of land wedged between the North Sea and the Ijsselmeer boasts the world’s biggest single flowering bulb field. To describe it in one word: spectacular!

During breakfast, the ship sails to the island of Texel, the largest of the Dutch Wadden Isles. Today there is a choice between a shorter or a longer tour around the island. As we cycle through delightful natural parks, we find more fields of blooming flowers! The signposts lead us through picturesque villages and beautiful landscapes to the “Ecomare” seal sanctuary. At the end of the cycling tour, there is time to enjoy a locally brewed and well-deserved beer during our visit to a small brewery near Oudeschild.

Today there is a full day of sailing and relaxing on board to look forward to as we set sail towards Enkhuizen. You are welcome to lend a hand with navigation and the hoisting of the sails. Absolutely no previous sailing experience is required. Otherwise feel free to simply sit back on deck, relax and enjoy the scenery as we sail through the Ijsselmeer. During the crossing we enjoy a delicious lunch on board. In the afternoon, we arrive in Enkhuizen, an old city with many centuries of maritime tradition. Here there is plenty of time to explore “the herring city”, which boasts a beautiful old harbour and an old town brimming with history. No dinner is served this evening, allowing you to explore the city and choose where you would like to eat whether that be a picnic meal or one of the wonderful restaurants.

In the morning, the ship sails along the coast of the Ijsselmeer to the former Dutch East India Company town of Hoorn, which was one of the world’s leading harbours during the 17th century. The afternoon ride leads to Volendam, a small, picturesque fishing harbour on the shores of the Ijsselmeer. Along the way, you pass Edam, which is known for its famous red/yellow wax covered Edam cheese. While this charming village is now renowned for cheese, it was once a trading town with a successful ship building industry and a busy port. It is thanks to this that the town’s speciality became one of the most popular chesses in the world: As the cheese doesn’t spoil easily, sailors took wheels of Edam on their voyages, trading it for spices and other riches of the East.

Today you enjoy a bus ride through spectacular landscapes, the oldest tulip fields in Holland, and to the Keukenhof Gardens. Once here, there is plenty of time to discover the most beautiful bulb park in the world — Keukenhof is where spring becomes a superlative of itself. The gardens are a kaleidoscope of colour with seven million flowering tulips covering a magnificent 80 acre stretch of land featuring both traditional and modern garden design. Besides the tulips there are various hyacinths, daffodils, and many other bright flowers to enjoy. In the afternoon, the bus takes you back to Amsterdam to spend a peaceful night in your floating hotel.

Your trip ends with a delicious breakfast followed by disembarkation until 9.30 am. Individual trip home or extended stay in Amsterdam.