Dutch Highlights Tulip Tour

8 day tour:

Day 1: Arrival in Alkmaar
Day 2: Alkmaar day tour along the coast or by the spring flowers, 27 to 36 miles (several options from 44 to 58 km)
Day 3: Alkmaar – Enkhuizen, 37 miles (60 km)
Day 4: Enkhuizen: day tour Gaasterland, 28 miles  (45 km)
Day 5: Enkhuizen – Edam, 27 miles (44 km)
Day 6: Edam day tour to the Zaanse Schans, 35 miles (56 km)
Day 7: Edam - Alkmaar, 30 miles (48 km)
Day 8: Departure from Alkmaar

All distances are approximate

Day 1: Arrival in Alkmaar.

Day 2: Alkmaar day tour (several options from 44 to 58 km)
Today you can choose between two bicycle routes through completely divergent areas. The first takes you through Europe’s largest bulb area, which in Springtime is ablaze with all colors of the rainbow. The second tour takes you through the widest and highest dune area in the Netherlands, straight through the De Schoorlse Duinen National Park.

DAY 3: Alkmaar – Enkhuizen (60 km)
From Alkmaar, the route takes you west into the typical Dutch polder landscape. The vast green meadows are beautiful and make for a truly serene day of cycling. You’ll also be cycling over narrow dikes and have a view of historical windmills and traditional Dutch farmhouses. During Springtime, you will cycle right into the splendor of the blooming bulb fields at Opmeer. Half way the ride a good spot for a break is historic Medemblik, a former prosperous trading town having a castle, Radboud. Enkhuizen, a village with lots of 17th century houses, has one of the most beautiful harbors in the Netherlands.

DAY 4: Enkhuizen: day tour to Friesland (45 km)
In the morning, you will cross the Ijssel Lake by ferry. On the other side of the lake, you will get to know another area of Holland: Friesland. Friesland is famous for its many lakes and for its beautiful old cities. Hindeloopen and Workum both are highly recommended. In Hindeloopen, some inhabitants still wear traditional Dutch costumes. Workum is famous for its Jopie Huisman Museum. Quiet and small bicycle paths alongside the great blue lakes will bring you back into Stavoren again. Here you catch the ferry back to Enkhuizen.

DAY 5: Enkhuizen – Edam (44 km)
From Enkhuizen, the Dutch bike tour runs south over a beautiful dike with great views of the green polder as well as the blue Ijssel Lake, which once was part of the sea. Hoorn is the major highlight today with its historic city center a good spot to stroll around a while or maybe visit one of the museums. In Edam, your hotel is close to the cheese market, where you can buy the world famous Edammer cheese.

Day 6: Edam day tour (56 km)
Today you will make a day tour to the Zaanse Schans, one of Europe’s oldest industrial areas that is now an extraordinary open-air museum. The mills, warehouses and traditional wooden houses you will find here will give you a perfect impression of this 17th century commercial center of Amsterdam. If you don’t want to cycle, you can catch a taxi or bus to Amsterdam (only 25 km) and take a cruise along the canals of Amsterdam.

Day 7: Edam – Alkmaar (48 km)
Today's tour features Old Dutch windmills, historic small villages and  traditional polder-landscape. From Edam north you will cycle straight through a UNESCO world heritage area: the Beemster. The Beemster was the first polder in the Netherlands. 400 years ago this area was a huge lake. The Beemster Polder was drained from1609 until 1612. Preserved intact are its well-ordered landscape of fields, roads, canals, dykes and settlements - laid out in accordance with classical and Renaissance planning principles. Afterwards you will then pass several windmills that were used in the seventeenth century to extract water from a huge lake. Graft and De Rijp are perfect places for a break: these small villages are characterized by gabled-houses, 17th century draw-bridges and a beautiful weigh-house from 1630 that is now used as the town-hall. The tour ends in Alkmaar once again.

Day 8: Departure Alkmaar

7 day tour skips Day 4

6 day tour skips Day 4 and 6

Be sure to check out all of our bike tours in Europe or look at our featured bike trips, specials, and news.

Excellent 3 and 4 star hotels