North Netherlands: Alkmaar-Texel Island-Alkmaar

North Holland is a province rich in Dutch heritage, famous for its tulips, cheese, and iconic windmills. More than half of this region is made up of reclaimed land, with some areas sitting as much as 6 meters below sea level. The province’s oldest polder, dating back to 1612, is even recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These polders, man-made cultural landscapes, showcase the ingenuity and resilience of the Dutch people in shaping their environment.

On this cycling holiday, you’ll explore the fascinating history of North Holland, from its early beginnings around 1000 A.D. through the golden age of the 17th century, to the present day, where innovative measures are being taken to protect the country from rising sea levels. Along your journey, you’ll ride through scenic landscapes filled with blooming tulip fields, quaint cheese-producing towns, and picturesque windmills, experiencing the essence of Dutch culture.

No cycling tour in this region would be complete without a visit to Amsterdam, the vibrant capital city renowned for its canals, historical architecture, and lively atmosphere. This bike route offers a perfect mix of history, culture, and breathtaking scenery, making it an ideal cycling holiday for those who want to immerse themselves in the rich heritage of the Netherlands while enjoying the joys of cycling.

2027 launch offer: £50 per person off all 2027 departure dates!

8 days

Difficulty: Moderate

From £1049 P/P

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Itinerary

Route overview

What’s included

Photos

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Itinerary

After making your way to Alkmaar, enjoy a first afternoon/evening here, depending on when you arrive.

Start the day off in Alkmaar, enjoying its traditional Friday morning cheese market, open from April – September. From here you will begin your cycling through typical North Holland scenery, for example, wet meadows in excavated peatland and villages arranged in a line along dikes or canals.

Before you get to Amsterdam, you will pass by the Zaan, this small region to the north of the city was a leader in the shipping trade in the 17^th century, as well as being home to millers, blacksmiths, weavers, carpenters, shipbuilders and other craftsmen. Learn all about this at the Zaans Museum. After here is the Zaanse Schans, a group of amazing architects from the 17^th and 18^th centuries. All of this will be whilst in the view of the river. The day will end in Amsterdam, and we recommend visiting the canal district.

Spend the morning enjoying the 400-year-old canal district, exquisite museums such as the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank’s house. See performers and artists on Dam Square, Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein, and of course, visit the world-famous red-light district. When it’s time to bid farewell to the Netherlands’ capital, you will be heading to Hoorn via the peaceful countryside. Hoorn is an old trading town with interesting museums, shopping opportunities, port activities and local cafes.

From Hoorn, you will head up the coast of Lake Ijsselmeer until you get to the gorgeous town of Enkhuizen, where a great visit is the Muiderzee Museum that tells the history of when ships sailed from Zuid-Holland and travelled the seas trading bulbs and spices. This was in a time called the “Golden Age”, which was mainly in the 17^th century, when the Netherlands dominated world trade.

As you continue on your route along the lake, you will see numerous crop fields, orchards, and windmills until you reach Medemblik. This old town has a marina, a bakery museum and a steam engine museum to enjoy for the afternoon and evening.

As you cycle between Medemblik and Keins, you will have the northern part of the Westfriese Omringdijk in your sights. This is a 126km long 800-year-old dike that connects the cities of Alkmaar, Hoorn, Enkhuizen, Medemblik and Schagen. On this route, you can also see numerous birds in the nature reserves of Twisk and Oostermare, as well as characteristic farmhouses and square buildings.

Visit the village of Barsingerhorn, which is a beautiful display of gorgeous Kolhorn. Your stop for the day is Den Helder. To get here, you will go through the largest flower bulb area in the world. It started as a whaling village, and the city centre was destroyed in the Second World War and thus, the city looks relatively modern today. You can shorten this leg on the journey by continuing to follow the dike between Winkel and Kolhorn.

Today, you will start and end the day in the same place, but do an exciting excursion to Texel. You will cross from Den Helder to Texel by ferry; this is the largest of the five Wadden islands, which are an area of outstanding natural beauty. This island is an excellent place to explore by bike – enjoy villages, countryside, dunes, beaches, etc. and can be enjoyed on numerous routes.

On the last day of cycling, you will be heading down the North Sea past wide beaches, seaside resorts, woods, and the dune resort of Zwanenwater. These dunes protect the land from being flooded by the sea. However, this was not the case in Petten; here, the dunes have been washed away, and thus a wall has been built. There is an exhibition called “De Dijk te Kijk” which tells you in much more depth about the sea wall.

Another route you can take is through the bulb fields. The tulip colours sit just behind the dunes.

Departure from Alkmaar or spend extra nights in the city or the surrounding region.

Arrival: Alkmaar

Departure: Alkmaar

Nearest Arrival airport: Amsterdam Schiphol

Nearest Departure airport: Amsterdam Schiphol

We also recommend travelling by train to all cycling holiday starting and departure points. We can help you plan your journey to Alkmaar by rail. Car parking is available on all tours at the first hotel or a nearby public parking location. Full details are available on request. Please do not book travel until an official invoice confirms the cycling holiday.

Route overview

Starting point: Alkmaar

End point: Alkmaar

Total cycling distance: approx. 357 km

Route information

Cycling through the North Netherlands and Texel offers a scenic and peaceful adventure across flat, easy-to-navigate terrain. The route takes you past vast tulip fields, windmills, and along the stunning North Sea and Wadden Sea coastlines. A highlight is Texel, a Wadden Island accessible by a short ferry ride, known for its expansive sandy beaches, dunes, and diverse wildlife. The terrain remains flat throughout, except for gentle rises in the coastal dunes. With picturesque landscapes and charming villages, this cycling holiday is perfect for all levels of cyclists seeking a relaxing yet memorable ride.

Bike hire options

This cycling holiday benefits from high-quality bike hire options that have been carefully selected for the tour. Each well-maintained bike has modern V-brakes, 27 Shimano gears, aluminium wheels and puncture-proof tyres based around a frame selected by the Dutch bike rental specialist, Juijn. Each bike has lights, small panniers, repair accessories, a map holder and a comfortable saddle to ensure that you have everything you need for an enjoyable cycle tour in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Standard Unisex Bike 27-gears
Sizes: XS/ S / M / L

Standard Men’s Bike 27-gears
Sizes: XS/ S / M / L

Unisex E-Bike
Models may vary between the Freebike Harlem or similar. The bikes have a small electric engine and battery. Each bike has 8 Shimano Nexus gears, disc brakes, Continental tyres and a Velo Comfort saddle. The battery has a range of 100 km (with normal use) and weighs approximately. 25 kg.
Sizes: S / M / L

Route Map

What’s included

Overnight in 3 and 4-star hotels
Breakfast (buffet)
Route description, maps and the Guibo app
Daily luggage transport (1 piece pp 20 kilo)
Tourist tax

Not included

Travel to/from the start and finish (Flights/Trains)
Evening meals (unless stated)
Local daily taxes (Payable at the hotel)
Helmets (Please bring your own cycle helmet with you)
Water bottles
Rental bike
Travel insurance
Bike insurance (unless stated)
Welcome meetings (unless stated)
Transfers (unless stated)
SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT: £389 PER PERSON
EXTRA NIGHT(S) – Alkmaar: £79 PER PERSON PER NIGHT INC. BREAKFAST
Bike Hire Options
- 21/24/27-gear unisex/men’s inc. rental bike insurance: £139
- 21/24/27-gear unisex/men’s inc. rental bike insurance: £139
- Electric bike inc. rental bike insurance: £239
You can select your bike hire options in the ‘Book Now’ section.

Check Availability

2026/27 Self-Guided cycling holidays

All prices shown are per person, based on sharing a double or twin room, and exclude flights and bike hire.

Special Offer: £50 per person off all 2027 departure dates!

NEW FOR 2027

To make a booking, simply use the filter to select the day of the week on which the tour operates. You’ll then see all available tour dates and prices. No payment is taken at this stage.

For all bookings, we require a 20% deposit, with the final balance due 56 days before arrival. An invoice and online payment link will be generated once the tour has been confirmed.

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