- 7 nights on board the ship (sheets, blankets, and towels)
- 7 breakfasts, 6 packed lunches, and 7 dinners
- Coffee and tea on board
- 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
- Ferry fares on the route
- Reservation costs
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Friesland and Lake IJssel
From: $1,390 USD
8 Days / 7 Nights
Type: Guided
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Type: Guided
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Imagine Yourself…
- Biking through the peaceful nature of Amazing Friesland
- Enjoying the picturesque towns and villages
- Exploring Hoorn with its rich history
- Visiting beautiful harbor villages and tasting the local fare
Overview
Dates & Prices
Daily Itinerary
What's included
Accommodations
Reviews
Overview
This popular tour starts and ends in Amsterdam. After crossing the IJsselmeer you arrive in the province of Friesland. The peace and nature have made Friesland extremely popular with sailors and skaters, but certainly also with cyclists. The Frisian towns owe their rise to shipping and trade and its heyday lies between 1000 and 1500, Our route leads you through towns and villages, with the green watery countryside in between, where farming usually determines the horizon.
Other important parts of the scenery consist of the numerous little bridges, that ‘leap’ the ditches and the sailing boats that cross the vast lakes like white swans. The picturesque villages, historic towns and the original Frisian traditional costumes complete the image of the greenest province of The Netherlands. The last part of the tour you cycle along the Ijsselmeer back to Amsterdam again. One of the highlights on this tour is a visit to het Zuiderzeemuseum‘ in Enkhuizen. Crafts typical of the time are practiced in this open-air museum, and houses, boats and costumes can be admired.
Dates & Prices
Green = Open | Yellow = Limited | Red = Full
2023
Prices are per person in US Dollars – inclusive bike rental
Departure | Barge | Twin | Superior | Triple | Single use | |
July 1 | Liza Marleen | $ 1,540 | $ 1,790 | $ 1,480 | $ 2,180 | |
July 8 | Liza Marleen | $ 1,390 | $ 1,630 | $ 1,350 | $ 1,970 | |
July 15 | Liza Marleen | $ 1,390 | $ 1,630 | $ 1,350 | $ 1,970 | |
July 29 | Liza Marleen | $ 1,390 | $ 1,630 | $ 1,350 | $ 1,970 | |
August 12 | Liza Marleen | $ 1,390 | $ 1,630 | $ 1,350 | $ 1,970 | |
August 26 | Liza Marleen | $ 1,540 | $ 1,790 | $ 1,480 | $ 2,180 |
2024
Departure | Barge | Twin | Superior | Triple | Single use | |
May 9 | Wending | $ 1,620 | $ 1,520 | $ 2,030 | ||
May 30 | Wending | $ 1,620 | $ 1,520 | $ 2,030 | ||
June 27 | Liza Marleen | $ 1,590 | $ 1,850 | $ 1,490 | $ 2,270 | |
July 4 | Wending | $ 1,470 | $ 1,380 | $ 1,840 | ||
July 25 | Liza Marleen | $ 1,590 | $ 1,850 | $ 1,490 | $ 2,270 |
Daily Itinerary
DAY 1: Amsterdam – Lelystad – 9 miles (15 km)
On Saturday afternoon you’re expected between 1 and 2 p.m. on your boat, located across from the Amsterdam Central Station. After arrival, you can meet your cycling companions, guide, captain, and crew, and store your luggage in your cabin. The first part of the tour we will sail to Lelystad and from here we will make a short bike ride. Back on board the program for the next day and the rest of the week will be explained at dinner time.
DAY 2: Lelystad – Sneek – 28 miles (45 km)
From Lelystad, the barge sails across the IJsselmeer to Lemmer from where we continue by bike to Sneek. We ride via the wooded Gaasterland region. In this region you will find the old village of Balk. Later on you pass through IJlst, an idyllic little town with a narrow town canal, low houses and a ribbon of linden trees. The banks of the connecting waterway between IJlst and Sneek are covered with a fringe of reeds and the occasional willow and alder. Riding through this green landscape you can enjoy the abundant flora and fauna special to this region. You end the day in Sneek, a town living within the surrounding water. In the local museum you can get an impression of the Frisian history of seagoing and inland shipping as well as of shipbuilding and the ice-skating sport.
DAY 3: Sneek – Leeuwarden – 25 miles (40 km)
Riding out of Sneek you first pass through Boazum. Boazum offers you a wonderful example of Romanesque architecture: the church St. Maartenskerk. Further up the road you ride past several terp villages. You can recognise old dikes now meandering through the landscape, like the Slachtedijk. The Slachtedijk is a so-called inner dike, 42 kilometres in length. The dike makes an unforgettable impression on you as it winds through the landscape in a picturesque way. Today’s destination is Leeuwarden. It is the capital of Friesland and is a typically Dutch city with narrow streets, brick houses and canals, where you can visit various museums, shops and the historic town centre with a beautiful park.
DAY 4: Leeuwarden – Makkum – 28 miles (45 km)
You ride out of the provincial capital Leeuwarden and enter the flat land with meadows again. After about an hour cycling you reach the old university town of Franeker. It is a lovely town to walk around in. Here you can visit the world famous 17th century planetarium of Eise Eisinga. Via lovely villages with age old churches you will reach Makkum, a town famous for its pottery. If you want, you can make a short detour to the interesting harbor of Harlingen, yet another of the famous Frisian Eleven Cities.
DAY 5: Makkum – Stavoren – 25 miles (40 km)
From Makkum you continue riding through the meadows to Workum, a town that flourished around 1300 when other towns lost their connection to the open sea. Next comes Hindeloopen wich is a town with its own dialect, traditional costume and painting style. In earlier times Hindeloopen did not have its own harbour, but only anchorage. The fleet was in Amsterdam while the captains spent the winters in their ‘commandeurswoning’ (captain’s residences) in Hindeloopen. At Nieuwstad in the town centre you can admire these well-preserved houses. Today’s destination is the historical harbour town Stavoren. The city was granted city rights between 1060 and 1067, making it the oldest city in Friesland.
DAY 6: Stavoren – Hoorn – 19 miles (30 km)
In the morning you sail to Enkhuizen crossing the IJssel lake, since 1932 the largest fresh water lake in the Netherlands. Enkhuizen is a nice old harbour town to explore, and after arrival in Enkhuizen you can visit the Zuiderzeemuseum. This museum shows you the history of everyday life around the Zuiderzee until the middle of the 20th century. Today’s cycling stage will take you to Hoorn along the IJsselmeer dike with on your left the IJsselmeer en on your right the lower lying land. Hoorn was a major harbour in the 17th century. From here ships sailed for the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), America, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.
DAY 7: Hoorn – Amsterdam – 28 miles (45 km)
The first part you sail to Volendam, originally a small fishing community, now a tourist attraction. Here your last cycling stage starts. You cycle to Monnickendam where you can see the towns many old gables, plaques, churches and towers. Then on to Marken, a former island with many green painted wooden houses and its own particular character. Near the lighthouse there is a nice little beach where you can enjoy your lunch and perhaps take a swim in the fresh water of the IJsselmeer. The last part of the stage takes you through an area called Waterland. You will understand why it is called that when you see that the houses and other buildings are almost at water level and that the ground is soggy. At the end of the afternoon you will reach Amsterdam. Once you are back at the boat in Amsterdam it is time to take leave of your bikes. In the afternoon there still is some time to go into town and after dinner you may want to finish off your trip by going on a city walk or taking a trip on one of Amsterdam’s canal boats.
DAY 8: Tour Ends
Our tour concludes after breakfast, with departure before 10 a.m.
What's included
Bikes
A well maintained, comfortable 24-speed hybrid bicycle is available free of charge for each participant. Men and women’s models are available in sizes appropriate to your height. The bikes come with helmets, grip shifters, hand brakes, carrier bag, lock, repair kit, water bottle holders, water bottle, and bike insurance. If you prefer to bring your own bike you’re welcome to do so at a discount of $85 each. Electric bikes can be rented for this tour ($110 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. In addition, you can rent children’s bikes, child seats, bike trailers, and tag-alongs.
Meals
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.
Not Included
- Airfare
- Drinks from bar on board or when cycling
- Admission fees to the various museums or places of interest (about €25)
- Trip cancellation insurance
Accommodations
The barges listed below are examples of those usually used on the tour. Depending on availability, you may be booked in a different barge of equal quality.
Liza Marleen
20 people – The Liza Marleen specializes in bike and barge tours in the Netherlands and Belgium. On board of the Liza Marleen you find a tastefully decorated lounge. All 10 cabins are provided with running water (hot and cold), private bathroom, 220 voltage, hair dryer, central heating and air conditioning
- 8 twin cabins (in some cabins beds can be placed together)
- 2 superior cabins
WENDING
24 people – The Wending is a former freight barge that started a new life in the early nineties as a luxury passenger motor barge. In 2015 the barge was renovated. The Wending has a roomy and cozy salon, equipped with a complete music installation and TV. After a strenuous bike ride it is a great place to relax. The barge also has a small deck where you can sit in the sunshine.
- 10 double cabins
- 2 triple cabins.
The twin beds are side by side. In the triple cabin one bed is placed over the other two. All cabins have a private bathroom and central heating with small windows which can be opened.
Reviews
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- Friendly, personal service
- Passionate, experienced guides
- Excellent itineraries
- Small group sizes
