You will cycle straight across a distinctly rural environment. Not until the 17th century was this area recovered from the sea and reclaimed with the use of hundreds of windmills. Many of these windmills are still in working order. One can get a feel for the old Dutch atmosphere in Enkhuizen, Hoorn, Edam and Volendam: traditional costumes, sailing ships and long johns on the clotheslines. Then the crossing to Texel, an island with thousands of sheep and a magnificent nature reserve. Back on the mainland the route brings you over small dykes and country roads, through vast polders and through the most beautiful dune area: from Schoorl, almost unpronounceable for foreigners, to Bergen. These are also the only kilometers you will be cycling above sea level. Alkmaar will also provide a good picture of ancient times. It is the capital of Dutch cheese with its own cheese market and weighhouse for cheese. In Zaanse Schans the mills, still in working order, and houses bring the past to life.
Train from airport to Amsterdam Central railway station 20 minutes (not included).
Dining
All meals included from dinner first day till breakfast last day.
About Liquor
Can be purchased on board.
Rates
$1,030.00 - $1,140.00per personCurrency Converter (Rates shown are in US Dollars. Rates and terms are subject to change.)
Additional Rate Info
Barges vary on this route, prices for low, shoulder and high season are for standard plus barge Anna Antal: $1030, $1085, $1140/person (double occupancy).
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Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Saturday: Amsterdam Arrival at 4:00pm at the barge. Meet the captain, crew and guide. Your guide will have a cabin list and after having stowed your luggage you can enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and meet the other guests. In the afternoon you can take a short cycle tour through the northern part of the city and maybe a little outside the city (20km).
Day 2: Sunday: Amsterdam - Zaanse Schans - Alkmaar, 40km Leave, if possible, by barge. The alternative is a tranquil bicycle route through North Amsterdam. On this route you will soon come to the parkland area of "Het Twiske". Near Zaandijk (approximately 15km from Amsterdam) you will visit the open-air museum of the "Zaanse Schans", where original houses and windmills of the region have been brought together on the banks of the Zaan. Then follow the Zaan a little further and cycle through reclaimed polder land via Rijp and Graft, 17th century villages. There is a museum mill in Schermerhorn, which gives a good description of the process of reclaiming land. This stage of the tour ends in Alkmaar, which is a place famous for its cheese and cheese market.
Day 3: Monday: Alkmaar - Den Helder/Texel, 54km The first part of the tour today goes through the dunes around Schoorl and Bergen where you will see the countries highest dunes. You will cross the 'Hondsbosse Zeewering', a dike that has replaced some of the dunes. If the weather is favorable you will get back on board at Den Helder and sail to Oudeschild on the island of Texel, but if it is too windy then the boat stays in Den Helder and you’ll cross over to Texel the next day by ferry.
Day 4: Tuesday: Texel, 40km Today you can choose between a peaceful day on the beach or a trip around Texel using the countless cycle paths. In the north of the island you will find the nature reserve area called the 'Slufter', which is connected to the open sea. If the weather is clear you will be able to see the neighboring island of Vlieland.
Day 5: Wednesday: Texel - Enkhuizen, 52km The first part of the stage to Den Oever is traveled by boat. The cycling starts near the Afsluitdijk, a long dike constructed in 1932, which turned the Zuyderzee into the IJsselmeer, the largest sweet water lake in the country. Via Medemblik you will cycle through a beautiful part of Holland, West-Friesland, and end, after a ride along the black dike, in Enkhuizen with the Zuiderzee Museum, which gives an interesting picture of how people lived and worked from 1880 to 1932.
Day 6: Thursday: Enkhuizen - Volendam, 54km Depart by bicycle via Hoorn and Edam to Volendam. A part of this route runs along the dike of the Ijssel lake and through the pretty villages in West-Friesland. Then you follow the dike again and, after a ride through broad pastureland, you reach Edam, which is known for its cheese: 'Edammertjes'. Here you can taste the atmosphere of a well-preserved old Dutch city, although the bustle of the past is gone. You finish the trip in Volendam.
Day 7: Friday: Volendam - Amsterdam, 40km Depart and head for Amsterdam. On the way you will visit Marken, which was an island until 1957 and has retained its own island character. The last part of the tour takes you through an area called Waterland and you can see why when you see that the houses are built at water level.
After arriving in Amsterdam you will return your bike. In the evening, many guests like to take a trip on one of the canal boats.
Day 8: Saturday: Amsterdam End of the tour after breakfast at 9:00am.
This Package Includes
Seven Nights Accommodations on Barge (Double Cabin)
All Meals While on Barge (Dinner on Saturday to Breakfast the Following Saturday)
Services of a Local Multi-Lingual Guide
Route Description
Ferry Fares on Route
Use of 24-Speed Hybrid Bicycle (Panniers, Lock, Repair Kit, Water Bottle)
Booking Fee
Coffee and Tea on Barge
Extras Included for Comfort Plus: Daily Cleaning Service, Cabins with A/C, Breakfast Buffet, and a Four-Course Dinner
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