Overview
Explore North Holland by bike and boat on a natural adventure that takes you into the Netherlands’ northern polder areas, to the wilds of the North Sea coastline and to Texel, one of the Dutch Wadden Islands and national park. Spend eight days cycling through ancient coastal villages such as Volendam, protected areas of natural beauty, as well as the typically Dutch city of Medemblik. On this trip you spend each night on board a riverboat, with ensuite outward-facing cabins and all meals included. This tour, which starts and ends in Enkhuizen, just under an hour from Amsterdam, is also reachable by rail.
- Texel National Park, Wadden Islands
- Sondeler Leien Nature Park
- Optional day trip to Amsterdam
- Callantsoog beaches
Itinerary
Day 1: Enkhuizen
Upon arrival in Enkhuizen, take the time to stroll around the harbour and old town before boarding the boat from 16.00.
- Meals included: Dinner
Day 2: Enkhuizen – Hoorn | 17-25km
Begin your day by discovering the harbour town on the banks of the Ijsselmeer. The rich history of the city can still be felt during a walk through the old town with its numerous villas, canals, churches, city walls and ports. Then set off on your first cycle tour to Hoorn. Look forward to the historic old town with its many buildings from the 17th century (e.g. the harbour tower as well as the storage houses at the old quai).
- Cycling for the day: 17-25km
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3: Hoorn – Lemmer | 33-44km
Begin the morning cruising along Ijsselmeer to Lemmer before setting off on the first cycling route of the tour. This circular route heads through Oosterzee towards Tsjûkemar Lake, before continuing onward to Rottige Meente, a wetland nature reserve. From here the route passes through Scherpenzeel, before finally heading back into Lemmer.
- Cycling for the day: 33-44km
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4: Lemmer – Stavoren | 32-41km
Cycle through Sondeler Leien Nature Park and around its lake, which is believed to have been formed when water from the former Zuiderzee broke through the dykes. From here, the route heads through Rijsterbos Woods and Mokkebank Nature Reserve, a popular area for bird watching, before continuing toward Stavoren. Once back onboard, the day comes to a close with an evening cruise to Harlingen, home to the tidal harbour, Noorderhaven.
- Cycling for the day: 32-41km
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5: Harlingen | 44km
Today’s circular route explores Harlingen, take the time to soak up the views that the province of Friesland has to offer . There are multiple different routes to choose from, along with plenty of towns and villages to visit before re-boarding the ship at 16.00 and cruising over the North Sea to Texel, the largest of the islands.
- Cycling for the day: 44km
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6: Texel | 28-48km
Today, cycle around the largest of the islands off the coast of the Netherlands, the island of Texel. There is a selection of routes, varying in length to choose from, each offering views and stop-offs at the towns and villages along the way. Head back to your ship at 17:00 to continue the journey to Medemblik.
- Cycling for the day: 28-48km
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 7: Medemblik – Enkhuizen | 23-47km
A relaxed final day of cycling awaits. Start with a circular route of about 23km around Medemblik, the smallest and oldest town in West Friesland. Visit Radboud Castle, the town’s landmark for over seven hundred years, or explore one of its museums. In good weather, the beach is also an inviting option. Afterwards, cycle along the coast to Enkhuizen, to take in more of its historic harbour and atmospheric old centre before departing tomorrow.
- Cycling for the day: 23-47km
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 8: Departure
Departure after breakfast from Enkhuizen. Check out by 08.30 am.
- Meals included: Breakfast
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation is in an outward-facing cabin on a comfortable riverboat, with maximum 99 passengers, for the duration of the tour. For more details see below.
Click to view default ship
- MS Rigoletto: A cozy riverboat with onboard restaurant and bar and a partly-roofed sundeck with seats and bicycle storage. There are 25 cabins on the main deck and 28 cabins on the upper deck as well as one junior suite, two triple cabins on the upper deck and two single cabins. All cabins have en-suites.
Meals
Full board package includes: 7x breakfast buffet, 6x lunch on board (non-cyclists) or 6x packed lunch (cyclists), 6x afternoon coffee/tea, 7x dinner. Drinks are not included and should be paid on board.
Difficulty and terrain
This tour is rated easy due to the routes following mostly flat terrain, with daily cycling distances between 29-70km. Any cycling day can be skipped if you feel like having a rest day on the boat instead (read more about difficulty grades).
When to go
This trip is available April-October with tours beginning every Saturday.
Getting there
FCO up-to-date travel advice on the Netherlands.
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airport for this tour is Amsterdam (AMS).
By train or bus
By train: If you are able to travel to the Netherlands without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail, with railway stations in Enkhuizen and Amsterdam. For more details, see the national rail operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen.
From the UK, there is a direct train service from London St Pancras International to Amsterdam Centraal (4h). From here, you can change to take a regional train to Enkhuizen (1h). For timetables and further information please visit Eurostar.
By plane: From Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, you can take a train to Amsterdam Sloterdijk then change here to take a train to Enkhuizen. For more information please visit Nederlandse Spoorwegen or use the Omio planner above.
By car: If arriving by car, free parking is available at Enkhuizen Railway Station, located next to the harbour. Reservation is not possible.
Inclusions
Included
- 7 nights in outward-facing cabins with private facilities
- Full board consisting of seven breakfasts, six lunches, six afternoon coffee/tea breaks and seven three-course dinners
- Daily room cleaning
- Welcome drink
- Daily meeting for the cycle tours
- Harbour, bridge and lock charges
- Detailed digital travel documents, app login with route notes and GPS tracks
- Onboard tour guide
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Drinks
- Bike rental
- Helmets
- Travel insurance (required get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes, entry fees. tips (payable on-site)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
*March 2026 update: due to increased fuel and energy costs, a small fuel surcharge is payable locally upon arrival.
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a cabin of their own – please note there are only a limited number of cabins with this offer.
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of cabins and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own cabin. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share cabins with other solo travellers.
- Cabin upgrades
- Bike rental
- Cycling guide
- Additional charge for gluten-free and lactose-free meals, payable locally, must be requested at the time of booking.
Bike rental
Both Velo de Ville 7-gear unisex trekking bikes and 8-gear e-bikes are available to rent on this tour. Bikes are available with hand brakes and pedal brakes or hand brakes only (subject to availability, please indicate your preferences at the time of the booking). A pannier bag and rental bike insurance is included with both models. Sample pictures attached below, note that the exact models may differ depending on availability, but the standard will be the same.
