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Panoramic windows
TV in the cabins
Bar and lounge areas
Individually controlled air conditioning
Cycle and sail the provinces of South and North Holland at the best time of year: when spring flowers are in bloom. This is when the tulip fields glow in a multitude of colors, thousands of daffodils compete with the sun, and hyacinth fields spread their sweet scent for all to enjoy. But that’s just the beginning, because there’s a whole lot more to this region. You’ll be astounded by the enormous variety of different scenery you’ll see within such a small area. From your bike, you’ll see beautiful medieval […]
Cycling along lesser-known tulip fields
Historical cities of Alkmaar & Haarlem
Keukenhof, Hortus Bulborum, Zaanse Schans
Ship with max. 66 passengers
Cycle and sail the provinces of South and North Holland at the best time of year: when spring flowers are in bloom. This is when the tulip fields glow in a multitude of colors, thousands of daffodils compete with the sun, and hyacinth fields spread their sweet scent for all to enjoy. But that’s just the beginning, because there’s a whole lot more to this region. You’ll be astounded by the enormous variety of different scenery you’ll see within such a small area. From your bike, you’ll see beautiful medieval cities and small fishing villages, centuries-old windmills and locks still in use, wide green fields and wetlands teeming with bird life. Get out of the wind and relax in the dunes by the North Sea, or feel the breeze in your hair as you stroll along the beach. You may even want to dip a toe in the sea, but beware! It’s cold!
This tour also takes you to the historical cities of Amsterdam, Alkmaar and Haarlem. Park your bike and explore them on foot. It’s the most relaxed way to enjoy their beauty (and to find the cutest little cafés). There are plenty of museums where you can delve into the history of the region. Learn about tulip growing in the area by visiting both the famous Keukenhof Gardens and the lesser-known Hortus Bulborum garden museum. Zaanse Schans open-air museum shows you what villages and village life looked like in the old days. And in Amsterdam, of course, there’s a museum for every interest, be it old Dutch masters or contemporary art, history or seafaring.
This wonderful bike and barge trip starts and ends in Amsterdam. A well-trained, multilingual tour leader gives you a daily briefing, a map and route descriptions, and then you´re off on your own to discover the treasures of this intensely Dutch area. Each evening, you’ll return to your floating hotel barge, docked in a harbor along the route.
The ship – Your sailing hotel
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. You can make a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. It’s also possible to spend a day on board if you like. There are rental bikes on board, but you can also bring your own if you mention it when booking.
You cycle independently
During this trip there is an expert and experienced tour leader on board. He or she will discuss the next day’s cycling routes on a daily basis and provide you with tips and information about the route. You will cycle the tours independently and at your own pace using a detailed cycling map, GPS directions via the free Ride With GPS app and printed route descriptions (available on board). The tour leader will also cycle the routes, so they will be riding nearby and can be reached by phone in case of emergencies, problems or questions.
Day 1: Amsterdam – Hoorn
At 1.30pm, the crew welcomes you on the ship and checks you in. After a safety briefing, the ship will head out towards the Ijsselmeer. Our first destination is Hoorn.
Day 2: Hoorn – Enkhuizen (40 km/25 mi. or 50 km/31 mi.)
While the exact field locations shift every year, the “West-Frisian” area is known for being the second biggest tulip region in the Netherlands. We’ve planned two different bike routes through the fields for you to choose from. Due to the semi-guided concept on this tour, you can cycle at your own pace and stop for photos as often as you’d like.
Day 3: Enkhuizen – Volendam | Volendam – Zaanse Schans (50 km/31 mi) | Zaanse Schans – Alkmaar
Early in the morning, your floating hotel will set off to take you to the famous village of Volendam. This is where today’s bike ride will start. You’ll cycle through “Waterland,” just north of Amsterdam. Hundreds of small canals and plenty of bridges make up the landscape as you cycle from one picturesque village to the next. The cycling tour ends at Zaanse Schans, an old Dutch village with beautiful windmills, still in use, and traditional wooden houses. There, you can visit artisans like a cheesemaker and a clog maker. Yet Zaanse Schans is more than just an open-air museum, because the people you see are actual inhabitants! Around dinnertime, your cruise continues on to Alkmaar.
Day 4: Alkmaar – Alkmaar (33 km/21 mi. or 50 km/31 mi.)
Today’s bike tour brings you to lovely tulip fields north of Alkmaar, then to seaside resort Egmond aan Zee, pleasantly situated in the dunes near the North Sea. The sandy beach is one of the most beautiful of the Netherlands and great for a walk, a swim or simply for enjoying the view. Close by, the pretty artists’ village of Bergen is definitely worth a visit. Both Egmond aan Zee and Bergen are close to the North Holland Dune Reserve, a 5,300-hectare (2.5 square miles) forest and dune area with unique landscapes. Return to the ship in Alkmaar for dinner.
Day 5: Alkmaar – Zaandam (38 km/24 mi. or 47 km/29 mi.) | Zaandam – Haarlem
This morning you cycle to Egmond-Binnen and then to Limmen. In this village you’ll visit the Hortus Bulborum, a unique garden museum dedicated to the preservation of rare and historic bulbs. Some of the over 3,500 tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other flowers planted here are nearly extinct in the rest of the world. Your cycling tour continues through colorful tulip fields and brings you to Zaandam. The ship will be waiting for you to take you to Haarlem on a leisurely afternoon cruise. It will dock for the night within walking distance of the city center. Grab the chance to visit the exceptionally beautiful historical inner city at the end of the afternoon or after dinner. The Grote Markt (central market square) and St. Bavo church are impressive indeed.
Day 6: Haarlem – Keukenhof – Haarlem (49 km/30 mi.)
Today’s trip leads you through the oldest tulip fields of Holland to the Keukenhof Gardens. This flower bulb park is an overwhelming blaze of colors with seven million flowering tulips in a magnificent 80-acre setting of traditional and modern garden architecture. You can also revel in the beauty and fragrances of various hyacinths, daffodils and many other colorful flowers. In the afternoon you’ll cycle back to the ship in Haarlem.
Day 7: Haarlem – Amsterdam (31 km/19 mi. or 36 km/22 mi.)
Your last bike tour brings you back to Amsterdam. You’ll enter the city from the west through a pleasant green area. You can use the afternoon to discover more of this amazing city: visit the inner-city flower market, go to the Vondelpark, enjoy a museum, or just look at life in this city that never sleeps. There is something interesting to do for everyone. For those who want to do an end-of-day canal tour, we offer tickets at a reduced price.
Day 8: Amsterdam
End of your tour. Enjoy a good breakfast before disembarkation by 9.30 am.
The rental bikes on our ships are unisex bicycles with a low bar and a comfortable upright sitting position. These are stable and dependable bikes, good for miles in the saddle. Decide which kind of bike you want to rent and simply fill in your preference with your reservation. We’ll make sure you get the right bike for you. On most of our tours, the bike rental cost is not included in the tour’s price.
Every Boat Bike Tour rental bike is well equipped. The bikes consist of a lightweight aluminum frame and have highly-responsive handbrakes, at least seven speeds, an adjustable gel seat, normal flat pedals (no clips), an easy-to-use lock attached to the frame, and special puncture-resistant tires. All told, this is a light, stable and reliable bike, very suitable for touring long distances pleasantly.
Our e-bikes also have at least seven speeds and handbrakes. The motor runs on a 400Wh battery and offers three levels of power-assistance. The e-bikes include comfortable gel seats that can be adjusted for height, have a lock attached to the frame, and sport anti-puncture tires. Note that some of the ships have their own bikes on board. They may look a bit different, but qualitatively they are equal to Boat Bike Tours’s e-bikes.
Bicycle helmets
The use of bicycle helmets is not required in the Netherlands, but for safety’s sake they are suggested. If you wish to rent one, you can do so during the booking process. If you book a premium tour and rent a bike or e-bike, then the helmet and a “limit of liability for damage or loss” for your bike or e-bike is included in the rental price.
Other rental items
Other items such as children’s bikes, tandems, family tandems (child & adult), tag-along, trailers to carry toddlers and child seats are available on request.
Taking your own bike or e-bike?
The fee for parking your own bicycle is €10 per week. For an e-bike the fee is €25 to cover parking and charging the battery. For safety reasons it is not always possible to charge your e-bike batteries in your cabin. The crew will tell you where you can charge the battery on board the ship. Neither the crew nor Boat Bike tours is responsible in any way for any damage, loss or theft of a guest’s own bike or e-bike or its accessories. Note: not all the ships are suitable or have enough room for extra bikes, so make sure you check with us well ahead of travel.
Our bicycles have a lightweight aluminum frame and are furnished with highly-responsive handbrakes, at least seven speeds and a gel seat whose height can be adjusted. Attached to the frame is an easy-to-use lock and the wheels carry puncture-resistant tires.
Our e-bikes also have highly-responsive handbrakes and a minimum of seven speeds. The motor runs on a 400Wh battery and offers three levels of power-assistance. The e-bikes include comfortable gel seats that can be adjusted for height, have a lock attached to the frame and special anti-puncture tires.
It is possible to take your own bike or e-bike with you, as long as it doesn’t have mirrors or other elements that stick out. There’s only limited space available on board for guests’ bikes. You can reserve a place for your bike for a small fee. Boat Bike tours is not responsible for damage to your bike or for theft.
To view the availability of this tour and/or book online please click on the button below. A new screen will open.
Explore our Loyalty Discount! After your tour, you’ll receive an exclusive discount code: 3% for returning guests and 5% if you have completed more than one tour. Check your post-tour email for details. You can combine this discount with other promotions for additional savings. Join us again for another adventure by boat and bike!
Explore our Loyalty Discount! After your tour, you’ll receive an exclusive discount code: 3% for returning guests and 5% if you have completed more than one tour. Check your post-tour email for details. You can combine this discount with other promotions for additional savings. Join us again for another adventure by boat and bike!
Panoramic windows
TV in the cabins
Bar and lounge areas
Individually controlled air conditioning
Tulips & the Green Heart of Holland
Historical cities of Amsterdam & Leiden
Flower market, Keukenhof, Zaanse Schans
Barges with max. 22 passengers
North Holland’s flat polder landscapes
Visit Texel Island’s sandy beaches
Romantic harbor villages incl. Enkhuizen
Ship with max. 96 passengers