Northern Netherlands Cycling Holidays
Start: Amsterdam

Your Itinerary


Northern Netherlands (Bike and Barge)
Bike and Barge | 8 days | 7 nights | From £569 per person
Full holiday prices by date are shown on the ‘Book Now’ tab.

Book the Northern Netherlands cycling holiday here >>

Tour Highlights
• Explore the Dutch peninsula north of Amsterdam
• Discover the landscape of the flat Polderland
• Experience the dunes and North Sea beaches
• See the harbourside villages of the Ijsselmeer
• A true cyclist paradise!

Route features
You cycle daily about 30 to 60 km. Nearly all routes are easy to cycle. You cycle on asphalted and signposted bike paths.

The approximate difficulty level for this tour

Difficulty Scale

Day-by-Day Itinerary


1st Day: Saturday – Individual arrival at Amsterdam, Shipping from Amsterdam to Hoorn

Check-in on board in the afternoon. Embarkation at 3 pm. Maybe you will take some time for exploring the city of Amsterdam and a shopping tour. At 5:30 pm MS SERENA will leave Amsterdam for Hoorn with its historical old part of town.

2nd Day: Cycling from Hoorn to Enkhuizen, cycle tour: approx. 20 – 26 km

Hoorn is an ancient city in which you can still find many buildings dating back to the 17th century (e.g. the Regentur of Westfriesland – today a museum -, the town’s scales at the Rodesteen, the harbour tower as well as the storage houses at the old quai). Today you are cycling from Hoorn to Enkhuizen. Tip: you should visit the Zuiderzeemuseum.

3rd Day: Shipping from Enkhuizen to Lemmer – Cycling from Lemmer and back, cycle tour: approx. 32 – 45 km

Today you are shipping over the IJsselmeer to Lemmer. You are starting your roundtrip by bike: over the Oosterzee Buren to the Tjeukemeer, further to Munnekeburen, then around the Rottige Meente over Scherpenzel and Schoterzijl back to Lemmer with its historical old part of town and beautiful gable houses. Tip: visit of the largest still-functioning steam pumping station in the world, “Woudagemaal”.

4th Day: Cycling from Lemmer to Stavoren, Cycle tour: approx. 33 km – Shipping from Stavoren to Oudeschild (Island of Texel)

You are going by bike to Sondeler Leien Lake, from there through the woods of Rijsterbos passing the Mokkebank (a birds’ reservation) to the Roode Klif at Stavoren. From there you are shipping to Oudeschild on the Island of Texel.

5th Day: Island of Texel – Cycle tour from Oudeschild and back, cycle tour: approx. up to 70 km, Shipping from Oudeschild to Den Helder

You are going on a round trip by bike on the biggest North Sea Island of the Netherlands – Texel. There are numerous alternative routes (29/32/47/70 km). About 6:00 pm shipping back to Den Helder.

6th Day: Cycling from Den Helder via Sint Maartensvlotbrug to Alkmaar, cycle tour: approx. 25 to 55 km

In the morning you are cycling through the dunes to Alkmaar. It is possible to board MS SERENA in St. Maartensvlotburg already and ship the rest of the way to Alkmaar. As an alternative, you can also start your cycling tour in St. Maartensvlotburg.

7th Day: Shipping from Alkmaar to Wormerveer – Cycling from Wormerveer to Amsterdam, cycle tour: approx. 35 km

In the morning you have the opportunity to visit the cheese market in Alkmaar (ca. Apr to Sep). At midday we are shipping to Wormerveer from where you should cycle to the open-air museum Zaanse Schans (wind-mills, ancient Dutch village, cheese factory, etc.). You are cycling through the recreational area Twiske to Amsterdam. Tip: In the afternoon you should take part in a “Grachtenrundfahrt” (shipping on the channels of Amsterdam in small boats)

8th Day: Departure from Amsterdam

After breakfast checkout until 9:00 am and we are saying goodbye – have a safe journey.

Map & Route Information

Route Profile
You cycle daily about 30 to 60 km. Nearly all routes are easy to cycle. You cycle on asphalted and signposted bike paths.

This beautiful journey leads along wonderful landscape and scenic villages. During the cruise of the MS Serena from one spot to the next, you are offered interesting bike tours. Those tours will be adjusted individually with the tour guide, depending on the group and their potential.

The mentioned kilometres are ca-distances. There is a daily briefing in the evening for the next day. If wished, you can cycle tours also individually, maps will be provided for that. The tours can be managed from everyone in normal shape. If you do not want to cycle you can also stay on board or make a shorter bike tour.

Where is the starting point of the holiday?


View Larger Map

Tour Route Map

Tour Information

Holiday Information

About the MS Serena

A comfortable river boat with restaurant and bar (air-conditioned). There is a partly roofed sundeck with seats and store place for the bicycles. On the whole MS SERENA comprises 33 cabins on the Main Deck and 18 cabins on the Promenade Deck with two-bed-cabins (approx. 8-9 sqm) with two single beds.

The two Junior-Suites (approx. 12 sqm) on the Main Deck have a grandlit (lying surface 1,40 × 2,00 m). There are in total 3 single cabins (2 on the Main Deck and 1 on the Promenade Deck, 6 sqm). All cabins have windows that can be opened on both decks, shower/WC, colour TV and ventilation.

Technical data:

Length 90 m. Width 9.90 m. Max. 99 passengers. 3 decks. Dutch flag and guidance.

Important remarks: Your journey to and from Amsterdam will be individual.Basically, we reserve the right to make changes of routing and program. If there is low or high water and a route cannot be shipped, the captain reserves the right to change the route in view of your safety (this cannot be accepted as a reason for free withdrawal).

The interior of the ship is a non-smoking zone: smoking is only allowed on the sun deck.

Embarkation:

From 3 to 4:30 pm

Disembarkation:

After breakfast by 09:00 am.

Bicycles on board:

Unisex trekking bicycles with normal mount (la-dies model), 7 gears, hand brake and pedal brake or hand brakes only (subject to availability) and pannier bag. E-Bikes are on these tours only available after prior request (by booking) and confirmation and at limited number. Please indicate your body height when you book.

To bring your own bike:

On request only – due to lack of space on sundeck

Cycle tours:

All distances are “approximate distances” of recommended bike tours. When a guest does not want to cycle one day, she/he can skip the bike tour and relax on board while cruising to the next harbour. The bike tours are individual, at your own pace, without a tour guide, but with daily briefings on board and detailed bicycle maps and directions. Nearly all cycle tours can be classified as being easy.

Languages on board:

German, English

Excursions:

We offer a small excursion program, that can be booked directly on board at the cruise director only. You will get a brief description together with your travel documents. Depending on the number of participants some excursions could be carried out in 2 languages (German/ English).

Luggage:

We recommend: rain wear, bicycle helmet, sunhat and sneakers.

Travel documents:

EU-citizens (without special situations like dual citizenship, main residence abroad or a limited-validity passport) are required to have a valid passport or ID-card, not expiring within six (6) months of the return of your cruise. We kindly ask non-EU citizens, EU-nationals with multiple citizenship or anybody who has to respect special legal entry requirements for the country to visit, to inform about visa and entry documents at the competent embassy.

This trip is not suitable for guests with reduced mobility.

Included Services:

- Seven nights in outside cabins with private facilities in the booked cabin category
– Programme according to routing from/to Amsterdam
– All charges for harbours, bridges and locks
– Daily cabin cleaning, changing of towels and bed cloths if wanted
– Welcome-Drink
– Full board consisting of 7x breakfast buffet, 6x lunch snack on board (non-cyclists) or lunch package for cycle tours, 6x coffee or tea in the afternoon, 7× 3-course-dinner
– Daily meeting for the cycle tours
– Printed instructions and detailed maps for daily individual bike tours (1 per cabin)
– GPS tracks
– Tour guide on board

Services Not Included:

- Journey to and from Amsterdam
– Shuttles
– Bike rental
– Entrance fees and excursions
– City maps
– Ferry fees
– Travel insurances
– Parking fees
– Tips
– Drinks on board

Star Star Star

Your Prices

Northern Netherlands, 8 days, 7 nights
All prices are per person and include bike hire on a full-board basis.

Category C: Two-Bed Main Deck

March | October:
Cat C: From £569
April | September:
Cat C: From £639
April | September:
Cat C: From £729
April | September:
Cat C: From £809
May to August:
Cat C: From £859
Availability: March to October
Departure Days: Saturdays
Duration: 8 days
E-Bike Rental: From £89
Rental bike (7 gears, back pedal): Included

Category B: Junior Suite Main Deck

March | October:
Cat B: From £639
April | September:
Cat B: From £709
April | September:
Cat B: From £799
April | eptember:
Cat B: From £879
May to August:
Cat B: From £929
Availability: March to October
Departure Days: Saturdays
Duration: 8 days
E-Bike Rental: From £89
Rental bike (7 gears, back pedal): Included

Category A: Two-Bed Promenade Deck

March | October:
Cat A: From £709
April | September:
Cat A: From £769
April | September:
Cat A: From £869
April | September:
Cat A: From £939
May to August:
Cat A: From £989
Availability: March to October
Departure Days: Saturdays
Duration: 8 days
E-Bike Rental: From £89
Rental bike (7 gears, back pedal): Included

Any local tourist taxes are not included in the holiday price and are payable at the hotel.

Bike Hire
This tour benefits from bike insurance against rental bike theft and damage in the holiday price! Please make sure you lock up the bike, leave it where told by the hotel and treat your hire bicycle as if the bike was your own. Any negligent treatment of the bike will exempt you from cover.

For help and queries regarding this tour…
Contact us | F.A.Qs

Holiday Price: From £569
Single Supplement: On Request

Click here to book now
Call: 01706 618155

Wheel2Wheel Holidays is part of KE Adventure Travel Ltd.

Central Car Park Road, Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 5DF

Registered Address: Fifth Floor, 27 Greville Street, London, United Kingdom EC1N 8SU

Registered in England: 1911512