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Find your tourLevel 1: easy tours, very flat terrain
The duration of the tour
Guided cycling: A tour leader will guide you during the cycling days
The Netherlands basically means βthe lower landsβ, and the Frisian region embodies this name. Water and land are almost on the same level and are intertwined in every possible way. Itβs only thanks to a large network of locks, dikes and pumps that itβs even possible to live here. This results in a unique open landscape, home to 12 βNatura 2000β conservation areas. This tour is carefully planned to show you all the different landscapes that Friesland has to offer. Youβll cycle along canals and lakes, through open farmland and visit small villages that were granted city rights in medieval times. Youβll not only show see the mainland, but also the Wadden Islands off the coast, which are another part of this diverse province. Your β¦
Monday to Friday
Amsterdam: 08:30 to 22:00
New York: 6:00AM to 7:00PM
The Netherlands basically means βthe lower landsβ, and the Frisian region embodies this name. Water and land are almost on the same level and are intertwined in every possible way. Itβs only thanks to a large network of locks, dikes and pumps that itβs even possible to live here. This results in a unique open landscape, home to 12 βNatura 2000β conservation areas. This tour is carefully planned to show you all the different landscapes that Friesland has to offer. Youβll cycle along canals and lakes, through open farmland and visit small villages that were granted city rights in medieval times. Youβll 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 youβll 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 youβll 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 β11-city tourβ, 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 youβll cycle part of this historic route.
The ship β Your sailing hotel
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. Youβll receive a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. Itβs also possible to spend a day on board if you like. There are rental bikes on board, but you can also bring your own if you mention it when booking.
Lena Maria: Fully Guided
Accompanied by competent, professional and multilingual tour leaders, you and the group will visit interesting sights and places on the daily cycling tours. During the bike tour, they will explain the local history and culture behind the things you encounter along the way. You can also choose to ride individually with the help of the BBT bike map (available on board).
Flora: Perfect for more experienced cyclists
With a detailed map of the area and a suggested route for close-range explorations, you decide where you head and how fast you ride. During the evening prior to next dayβs cycling tour, the shipβs crew will explain some difficult parts, offer tips about the nicest places to stop for a drink or lunch, and mention the best highlights. In case of emergencies or problems, the crew can be contacted. But β as the ship is sailing to the next port β they can only offer assistance by phone.
Your floating hotel is ready for you at 2 pm (at 4 pm on June 13 and 26, 2026 ) 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 youβll cross the former Zuiderzee, the once notoriously wild South Sea, to reach the province of Friesland. Youβll 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 youβll 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, youβll 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.
Depending on the weather and the tide, the ship will sail to Terschelling tonight or tomorrow morning. The barge will carry you through this UNESCO-listed tidal sea flats. Beside the birdlife, you may even spot some seals on the crossing if youβre lucky.
Today youβll have plenty of time to explore Terschelling. There are numerous small villages, sandy beaches, and dunes. The eastern part of Terschelling is one large nature reserve where you can spot black-winged stilts, large colonies of spoonbills, and great black-backed gulls. Youβll be amazed by the varied landscape this island has to offer.
In the afternoon, the ship sails back to the mainland (depending on the weather and tide).
Starting in the historic fishing town of Harlingen, youβll leave the coast for the first time this week to visit Franeker, another of Frieslandβs 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 18th century. He planned to create it in six months, but in the end it took seven years. Todayβs 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 βFrisian tower of Pisaβ you can imagine how it looks! Dinner tonight (not included) 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 17th century 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 youβll see a wide view over vast grasslands and waving reed beds, the next youβll have a sheltered feeling as you pass through fairytale marshy forests. Youβll then return to Grou where the barge is moored for the night.
This morning youβll start cycling from Grou in a westerly direction for a day of quiet bike paths and expansive views. Todayβs 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 13th-15th centuries, when the counts of Holland attempted to conquer the free Frisian territories. One of the cityβs highlights is the Waterpoort, an impressive gate connecting city and harbor that is both defensive and decorative. Tonight, the ship docks in Sneek.
In the morning, the ship will take you through the lake district to Spannenburg, where the bike tour begins. The long route takes you via Woudsend and Balk to Lemmer, while the short route takes you via Sloten and Balk to Lemmer. In Lemmer, youβll have the opportunity to visit the steam pumping station, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before boarding the ship again. In the afternoon, the crossing to Enkhuizen follows.
Enjoy your last breakfast on board before check out and disembarkation at 09:30. End of the tour.
The rental bikes on our ships are unisex bicycles with a low bar and a comfortable upright sitting position. These are stable and dependable bikes, good for miles in the saddle. Decide which kind of bike you want to rent and simply fill in your preference with your reservation. Weβll make sure you get the right bike for you. On most of our tours, the bike rental cost is not included in the tourβs price.
Every Boat Bike Tour rental bike is well equipped. The bikes consist of a lightweight aluminum frame and have highly-responsive handbrakes, at least seven speeds, an adjustable gel seat, normal flat pedals (no clips), an easy-to-use lock attached to the frame, and special puncture-resistant tires. All told, this is a light, stable and reliable bike, very suitable for touring long distances pleasantly.
Our e-bikes also have at least seven speeds and handbrakes. The motor runs on a 400Wh battery and offers three levels of power-assistance. The e-bikes include comfortable gel seats that can be adjusted for height, have a lock attached to the frame, and sport anti-puncture tires. Note that some of the ships have their own bikes on board. They may look a bit different, but qualitatively they are equal to Boat Bike Toursβs e-bikes.
Bicycle helmets
The use of bicycle helmets is not required in the Netherlands, but for safetyβs sake they are suggested. If you wish to rent one, you can do so during the booking process. If you book a premium tour and rent a bike or e-bike, then the helmet and a βlimit of liability for damage or lossβ for your bike or e-bike is included in the rental price.
Other rental items
Other items such as childrenβs bikes, tandems, family tandems (child & adult), tag-along, trailers to carry toddlers and child seats are available on request.
Taking your own bike or e-bike?
The fee for parking your own bicycle is β¬10 per week. For an e-bike the fee is β¬25 to cover parking and charging the battery. For safety reasons it is not always possible to charge your e-bike batteries in your cabin. The crew will tell you where you can charge the battery on board the ship. Neither the crew nor Boat Bike tours is responsible in any way for any damage, loss or theft of a guestβs own bike or e-bike or its accessories. Note: not all the ships are suitable or have enough room for extra bikes, so make sure you check with us well ahead of travel.
Our bicycles have a lightweight aluminum frame and are furnished with highly-responsive handbrakes, at least seven speeds and a gel seat whose height can be adjusted. Attached to the frame is an easy-to-use lock and the wheels carry puncture-resistant tires.
Our e-bikes also have highly-responsive handbrakes and a minimum of seven speeds. The motor runs on a 400Wh battery and offers three levels of power-assistance. The e-bikes include comfortable gel seats that can be adjusted for height, have a lock attached to the frame and special anti-puncture tires.
It is possible to take your own bike or e-bike with you, as long as it doesnβt have mirrors or other elements that stick out. Thereβs only limited space available on board for guestsβ bikes. You can reserve a place for your bike for a small fee. Boat Bike tours is not responsible for damage to your bike or for theft.
2026:
Flora:
Lena Maria:
Both ships:
Explore our Loyalty Discount!
After your tour, youβll receive an exclusive discount code:
Check your post-tour email for details. You can combine this discount with other promotions for additional savings. Join us again for another adventure by boat and bike!
The Netherlands is a paradise for cycling and sailing enthusiasts. Discover more tours in the Netherlands with routes through tulip fields, historic cities, and scenic countryside.
| 5 star | 36 (92%) | |
| 4 star | 3 (8%) | |
| 3 star | 0 (0%) | |
| 2 star | 0 (0%) | |
| 1 star | 0 (0%) |
This is an amazing trip! The boat is perfect. Lots of room in the cabin. Lots of storage room so donβt worry about the luggage. The bathroom is large. The food is amazing and the crew is awesome. Highly suggest the e-bike even if you are a strong rider as the winds can be really strong. My wife and I tried to think of something they could improve on and found nothing.
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback. Weβre happy to hear you and your wife had such a positive experience on board. Good to know the e-bike was a helpful choice too. We hope to welcome you on board again in the future. Kind regards, Boat Bike Tours
I have used the Lena Maria before. Four years later and a wonderful experience again with wonderful meals, great services and well planned trip
Thank you for traveling with us again. Weβre glad to hear that your return to the Lena Maria was a positive experience and that the trip met your expectations. We hope to welcome you on board again in the future. Kind regards, Boat Bike Tours
Als wichtigstes hat die Crew diese Tour groΓartig gemacht. Die Tatsache, dass nur 8 Passagiere auf der Tour waren, war natΓΌrlich glΓΌcklich und hat die ganze Woche sehr familiΓ€r gemacht. AuΓerdem war(en) auch die Strecke(n) sehr schΓΆn und wurden sehr gut erlΓ€utert.
Vielen Dank fΓΌr Ihre RΓΌckmeldung. Es freut uns zu hΓΆren, dass die Crew und die familiΓ€re AtmosphΓ€re an Bord Ihre Reise besonders gemacht haben. SchΓΆn auch, dass Ihnen die Strecken und die ErlΓ€uterungen dazu gefallen haben. Wir hoffen, Sie in Zukunft wieder an Bord begrΓΌΓen zu dΓΌrfen. Mit freundlichen GrΓΌΓen, Boat Bike Tours
This BB tour was absolutely great great BUT; The BIKES are not good enough. The tyres are too thin leading to an uncomfortable ride. Years ago when the bikes were rented locally they always had the more comfortable thicker tyres. Many Germans on thiese tours have their own bikes β all with thicker tyres. I know r that you are trying to take up the minimum space with the bikes, but a good comfortable bike is essential. We cannot fly into Amsterdam with ebike batteries so we have to use your bikes. If you have better bikes with bigger tyres we will do another BB tour (our 10th). Thank you
Thank you for your honest and constructive feedback. Weβre glad to hear you enjoyed the tour overall and appreciate you sharing your thoughts about the bikes. Your point about comfort and tire size is noted and will be passed along to the team for review. We hope to welcome you on board again in the future. Kind regards, Boat Bike Tours
Comfortable adventures, island hopping
Landscapes shaped by water, history, and human ingenuity
A breath of fresh air along the Dutch coast
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