Netherlands Sail & Cycle Tulip Bike Tour
8 Day Sailboat & Bike Tour
Tour Information
This sail-and-cycle trip takes place in the land known around the world for its spring flowers. The Netherlands is probably the most bicycle-friendly country on Earth too. We’ll see it all while sailing the calm, protected waters of the Wadden Sea and IJsselmeer Bay during peak flower season. Join us on our own tall ship and experience Dutch floriculture, cuisine, and history at its finest!
Leisurely
Flat terrain on paved bike paths and separated bike lanes. Leisurely cycling level.
7 nights lodging on the sailboat Wapen fan Fryslan, 7 breakfasts, 5 sack lunches, 1 lunch on board, 6 dinners, Wi-Fi, bus excursion to Keukenhof Gardens, admission to Hortus Bulborum and Zaanse Schans, guided walking tour of Volendam, rental hybrid bicycle, and trained bilingual guides. Special diets are $75. Celiac diets cannot be guaranteed due to cross-contamination and space limitations in the galley kitchen. Vegan eaters should bring some of their own sources of protein as needed.
(WomanTours reserves the right to increase the price of the tour a maximum of 5% for reasons beyond our control, such as new or increased taxes or fuel hikes.)
Hybrid bicycle with 7 gears is included in the price of the tour. Electric-assist bikes are an additional $350
The Wapen fan Fryslan is the largest two-masted schooner on the Dutch waterways. It has 10 heated guest cabins, a dining room, bar, jacuzzi and sundeck. Each cabin has two twin beds and a private bathroom. Triples are available by adding a third bunk bed to a cabin and come with a 10% discount.
Fly in and out of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), Netherlands. Then take a train ride into the center city. Then walk or take a taxi to our boat.
"It was so much more than we could have ever dreamed of or imagined. The cabins were actually quite roomy and very comfortable. Every meal was deliciously prepared, nutritionally sound and beautifully presented. Our guide set the right pace and her enthusiasm was contagious."
Netherlands Sailboat & Bike Tour Tulip Itinerary
DAY 1: Check in to the Wapen fan Fryslân sailboat by 2:00 pm. Our home away from home holds 20 guests. Each room has two beds and its own bathroom. We’ll be fitted with our bicycles and take a short test ride.
We are docked at the open-air museum of Zaanse Schans, where we’ll watch wooden clogs being made and spices being produced in a windmill. We’ll also learn how windmills have been replaced by turbines to pump the water and reclaim the land from the sea all over the Netherlands. We'll motor to Aklmaar by nightfall. 3 miles ±42'.
DAY 2: Alkmaar, known as “Cheese City,” has a weekly cheese market. The 400-year-old tradition is one of only four Dutch cheese markets still in existence. Our loop bike ride will take us through the well-preserved 17th-century buildings and narrow, winding canals of this quaint town. Then we'll head to the coast and return to our boat in time for dinner. 27 miles ±492'.
DAY 3: Goedemorgen! Wake up to what will be one of the most colorful days of spring you might ever experience. After breakfast, we’ll set off by bike through the historic tulip fields known as the “Bulb Belt.”
Next, we head to the North Holland Dune Reserve on the North Sea, where the dunes are a wild, windblown landscape of sand, grasses, shaggy red Highland cattle, birds, and wooded enclaves. 19 – 31 miles ±758'.
Day 4: Today, we set sail for Texel, the largest of the West Frisian Islands that lie in the Wadden Sea. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Wadden Sea is the world’s largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats.
Get ready for a fantastic bike ride exploring sand dunes and beaches and being in the company of birds, seals, and grazing sheep. Known as a cycling paradise, Texel is an island of unique flora and fauna, all of which can be seen from its 85 miles of bike paths.
More than a third of the island is deemed nature reserve, and we‘ll explore the Dunes of Texel National Park that stretches along the entire west coast. At the end of the ride, we’ll visit a local brewery in Oudeschild before heading back to our boat for dinner. 27 – 30 miles ±442'.
DAY 5: We set sail for Enkhuizen in the morning. You can volunteer to lend a hand hoisting the sails during the 6-hour trip. That exercise will help work up an appetite before our 3-course lunch onboard. Or just relax on deck in the jacuzzi and watch for friendly sea lions.
We’ll have time to explore the adorable town of Enkhuizen later in the day. Consider having an aperitif on your own at one of its charming restaurants and cafés overlooking the water. Make yourself a sandwich to bring with you to explore the fishing harbor or the Maritime and Beachcombers Museum, or stop in town for dinner on your own. 0 miles.
DAY 6: In the morning, we’ll sail the vast freshwater lake Ijsselmeer until the major port city of Hoorn, after which Cape Horn is named. Then, with bag lunches ready to go, we’ll start our bike ride by cycling through the town of Edam. Its red and yellow wax-covered cheese became recognized around the world during the 17th century. Sailors took wheels of Edam on their trips because it didn’t spoil and could be traded for spices in the East Indies.
We’ll end in the harbor town of Volendam. You’ll understand why this picturesque village with its cobbled streets and pointed red-roofed houses was once an artist’s retreat, home to Picasso and Renoir. 15 miles ±215'.
DAY 7: We trade our bikes for a private bus to take us to the Keukenhof Gardens. Considered the most beautiful spring garden in the world, the park is open only a few weeks every year. You can tip-toe through 800 tulip varieties that are among the park’s 7 million blooming bulbs spread over 80 acres. What a spot to savor a picnic lunch!
We’ll end the day back on our sailboat in Amsterdam and celebrate the beautiful week at our final dinner together. 0 miles.
DAY 8: We’ll say our goodbyes after breakfast and disembark by 9:00 a.m. We’ll help direct you to the train station or airport for your trip home or onward in Europe. Tot ziens! 0 miles.