Discover Friesland

From: € 1490

8 Days / 7 Nights
Type: Guided
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Imagine Yourself…

Biking through the peaceful nature of Amazing Friesland
Enjoying the picturesque towns and villages
Sail the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Wadden Sea
Visiting beautiful harbor villages and tasting the local fare

Overview

This tour is carefully planned to show you all the different landscapes that Friesland has to offer. You’ll cycle along canals and lakes, through open farmland and visit small villages that were granted city rights in medieval times. You’ll not only show see the mainland, but also the Wadden Islands off the coast, which are another part of this diverse province. Your ship will take you on a crossing to one of the islands. In a three-hour cruise over the Wadden Sea you’ll get to know this special tidal area (listed as UNESCO World Heritage). This coastal wetland is typified by extensive mud flats, tidal creeks and the islands contained within it, a region continually contested by land and sea. On the crossing you’ll have plenty of opportunities to spot birds and wildlife.

The Frisian people are a proud folk who pride themselves on speaking Frisian, the official second language of the Netherlands. If you stop for coffee, try asking for a local treat like oranjekoeken or sugar bread.

The province of Friesland is also known for a legendary ice-skating event: the Elfstedentocht. Translated as the ‘11-city tour’, it has an almost mythical status. It is skated on natural ice along small canals, all of which require a layer of ice at least 15cm thick. So, as you can image, this epic event only happens during really freezing winters. On this tour you’ll cycle part of this historic route.

Daily Itinerary

Dates & Prices

Green = Open | Yellow = Limited | Red = Full

Prices are per person, in Euro’s and includes bike rental

Departure – 2026	Barge	Twin	Single	Twin – Single use
June 20	Flora	€ 1490		€ 2190	Full ;
June 26	Lena Maria	€ 1740	€ 2190	€ 2560	Full ;
July 3	Lena Maria	€ 1740	€ 2190	€ 2560	Book here ;
July 10	Lena Maria	€ 1740	€ 2190	€ 2560	Limited ;
July 17	Lena Maria	€ 1740	€ 2190	€ 2560	Book here ;
July 24	Lena Maria	€ 1740	€ 2190	€ 2560	Full ;
August 7	Lena Maria	€ 1740	€ 2190	€ 2560	Limited ;

- 7 nights on board the ship
- 7 breakfasts, 6 packed lunches, and 6 3-course dinners
- Coffee and tea on board
- Use of bed linen and towels
- Daily cleaning of the cabin
- 24-speed bicycle, incl. helmet, pannier bags, lock, water bottle, and bike insurance
- GPS-tracks (on request)
- Tour guide (multilingual)
- Route information and road book
- Reservation costs
The bicycles on board are unisex city bikes of the brand Gazelle Chamonix and of the brand Velo de Ville C100, both with lightweight frames and normal mount (ladies model), with easy-to-handle Shimano 7 gears, hand brakes, gel-saddle (height adjustable), a lock on the frame and pannier bag. All bikes have 28 inch wheels. Some smaller frames are available on board for smaller persons. For large gentlemen (from 1.90m and above) we have a few traditional men’s models (with a horizontal bar) available.

The Electric bike is a Velo de Ville CEB 200 with Nexus 7 gears, 4 support levels and hand breaks only (or a comparable brand/model). Electric bikes can be rented for this tour ($130 per person). We advise you only to rent an electric bike if you have first tried one at home. They’re heavier than regular bikes and therefore can be difficult to maneuver.
The cook prepares all meals: a substantial breakfast and a three-course dinner of very good quality. A packed lunch may be prepared after breakfast. Tea and coffee will be ready when you arrive on board in the afternoon. There’s a bar on board with reasonably-priced beer, wine, and soft drinks. If you have special meal requirements, please mention this when booking. In the case of a Vegan/gluten-free and lactose free diet there is an additional charge of $85 per week.
- Airfare
- Drinks from bar on board or when cycling
- 1 Dinner
- Fees for ferries
- Admission fees to the various museums or places of interest (about €25)
- Trip cancellation insurance
- Cycling route distances in the travel program are approximate.
- On some days you can choose between a longer and a shorter cycling route. Please note that on the shorter routes you may not be able to visit all the highlights mentioned.
- If you prefer not to cycle on a particular day, you’re welcome to stay on board and relax while the ship cruises to the next landing place.
- The tour itinerary and route are subject to possible changes due to nautical, technical or meteorological reasons, or other unforeseen events.
- On the arrival day, you can leave your luggage on board the ship from 11.00 am.

Accommodations

The accommodations listed below are examples of those usually used on the tour. Depending on availability, you may be booked in a different accommodation of equal quality.

Your floating hotel is ready for you at 2 pm (at 4 pm on June 27, 2025) in the harbor of Enkhuizen and the crew will show you your home for the week. After this introduction the barge will depart. On your first cruise you’ll cross the former Zuiderzee, the once notoriously wild South Sea, to reach the province of Friesland. You’ll enter the small Hanseatic trade village of Stavoren for your first night on board.
Today your first bike ride is on the agenda. The route will follow the Frisian coast in a northerly direction. Along the way you’ll pass through the historic harbors of Hindeloopen and Workum, both small picturesque fishing villages. In Workum you can visit a museum dedicated to the painter Jopie Huisman, who was an iconic local artist with a uniquely Frisian approach to life and art. Continuing by bike towards your destination of Makkum, you’ll see a huge hall clearly visible in the distance. Inside, shipbuilders are busy constructing superyachts, large ocean-going vessels with everything on board that a human could possibly need or imagine. When you arrive in Makkum, the crew will welcome you back on board with tea and coffee.
In the early morning your captain will maneuver the barge through sea locks onto the Wadden Sea. Over about four hours the barge will carry you through this UNESCO-listed tidal sea flats to the island of Terschelling. Beside the birdlife, you may even spot some seals on the crossing if you’re lucky.

On the island you’ll have plenty of time to explore by cycling or by foot. There are many tiny villages, sandy beaches and dunes. The eastern part of Terschelling is one large nature reserve where you’ll have a chance to spot black-winged stilts, large colonies of spoonbills and great black-backed gulls.
With another morning sail, the ship will head back to the mainland (Harlingen in Friesland). Starting in the historic fishing town of Harlingen, you’ll leave the coast for the first time this week to visit Franeker, another of Friesland’s 11 cities. Here the Royal Planetarium is well worth a visit to see a working model of the solar system built by amateur astronomer Eise Eisinga in the 18^th century. He planned to create it in six months, but in the end it took seven years. Today’s destination is Leeuwarden, the capital of Friesland. Leeuwarden is a vibrant city with plenty of things to see and do. Among them, the church tower of Oldehoeve is certainly a highlight. Nicknamed the ‘Frisian tower of Pisa’ you can imagine how it looks! Dinner tonight will be in town in a restaurant of your choice (recommendations available on board).
After breakfast we start cycling out of the city towards National Park De Alde Feanen. This park consists of a variety of landscapes with small lakes, reedbeds and swamp forest. In the 17^thcentury the area was mined for wet peat. Now, centuries later, the former mining grounds have evolved into a spectacular nature reserve with over 400 different plant species. One moment you’ll see a wide view over vast grasslands and waving reed beds, the next you’ll have a sheltered feeling as you pass through fairytale marshy forests. You’ll then return to Grou where the barge is moored for the night.
This morning you’ll start cycling from Grou in a westerly direction for a day of quiet bike paths and expansive views. Today’s destination is Sneek, the oldest fortress town in the province. Sneek, or Snits in Frisian, played a key role in the Friso-Hollandic wars of the 13^th-15^th centuries, when the counts of Holland attempted to conquer the free Frisian territories. One of the city’s highlights is the Waterpoort, an impressive gate connecting city and harbor that is both defensive and decorative. Tonight, the ship docks in Sneek.
The last cycling route of the tour leads you from Sneek to Heeg. This 18^th century village is known for its long history of eel trade with London, which continued up until 1938. From Heeg, traditional wooden eel boats would sail across the Channel and right up the Thames to moor in the center of London. Eels were transported live in the bottom of the boats, which had special holes to allow water to flow in and out. From Heeg, you’ll cycle past Fluessen Lake through classic Frisian countryside. When you arrive in Stavoren, the barge will be ready to take you back to Enkhuizen.