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Exterior view of the Leafde fan Fryslan

West Frisian Tidelands, Leafde fan Fryslân

A sense of freedom

8 Days / 7 Nights
Easy
Exterior view of the Leafde fan Fryslan

The Netherlands is a country of cyclists—that’s well known. Thanks to its location by the North Sea, the stunning landscapes can also be beautifully explored by ship. An extraordinary journey by bike and boat awaits you on the West Frisian Wadden Sea. For eight days, you’ll travel along the coast and to the offshore islands aboard the impressive sailing ship Leafde fan Fryslȃn. Whether you tackle the exciting routes on two wheels or treat yourself to some sunbathing on deck is entirely up to you each day. One thing’s for sure: you can look forward to the allure of the Wadden Sea, friendly locals, and plenty of sights to see!

Your journey begins with boarding in Enkhuizen, where the first day is spent enjoying a leisurely city tour and getting acquainted with the crew on your floating accommodation. The first cycling stage takes you along the IJsselmeer to the harbor town of Medemblik, after which you’ll sail to Texel Island. On Day 3, you’ll explore the largest Dutch North Sea island on two wheels. As you make your way to Terschelling Island, the sails will be raised and if you’re up for it, you’re welcome to lend a hand!

After a loop tour on Terschelling, the Leafde fan Fryslân will take you to the port of Harlingen. The vastness of Friesland and charming villages accompany you on the return journey to the IJsselmeer. In Makkum, the ship awaits you again, allowing you to recharge for the final stage. You’ll return to your starting point in Enkhuizen, passing through Stavoren and the Frisian Lakes along the way.

  • The planetarium of Eise Eisinga: The planetarium was built between 1774 and 1781 by Eise Eisinga, a Dutch wool carder and astronomer. It represents a significant scientific achievement of the 18th century and is currently the oldest functioning planetarium in the world. Visit the museum to discover the fascinating technology behind it!
  • Beautiful nature on Terschelling island: Beaches and dune landscapes invite you to linger during your stops. The charming villages of West-Terschelling and Midsland enchant with their historic buildings and cozy cafés. The historic Brandaris lighthouse, the oldest lighthouse in the Netherlands, stands as a landmark of the island. Mudflat hiking and bird reserves offer unique nature experiences.
  • The picturesque harbor town on the Wadden Sea: Harlingen was once considered one of the most important trading cities, and today you can still see its significance in the historic architecture. Canal houses, the bustling harbor, and the maritime atmosphere shape the town's character. Enjoy the charming alleys, the Hannemahuis Museum, and the impressive Sint-Michaëlkerk.

The stages of your cycling vacation in Friesland are diverse in every way where on some days you'll cover 25 kilometers, while on others, you might ride 70 kilometers. Sailing through the Wadden Sea rounds off your adventure with the crew of the Leafde fan Fryslân always happy to assist you with any questions or concerns and will provide you with full board while on board.

A cycling tour around the IJsselmeer will make any cyclist's heart race! Explore this unique lake, the stunning nature, and the charming fishing villages with Eurobike.

Itinerary at a glance

Individual arrival and embarkation from 2 pm near the beautiful centre of Enkhuizen and close to the railway station. The skipper will join you for an aperitif and explain many things worth knowing about the journey, the ship and also about safety measures to be taken onboard. In the evening you can stroll through the historical centre of Enkhuizen and spend the night onboard in Enkhuizen.

Today the ship sails from Enkhuizen to Den Oever with its fishing harbour. You can stay on board and sail over the IJsselmeer or you can grab a bike and start your first cycling tour along the IJsselmeer coast through the beautiful polder-landscape to Medemblik. After the bike tour the ship will sail further to Den Oever. Depending on the weather in the evening the ship will sail across the Wadden Sea to the Island of Texel.

The island of Texel is a cyclist’s dream destination with its varied scenery, well signposted cycle tracks and picturesque villages. Our suggestion is to complete a round trip cycling tour of the largest of the Dutch North Sea islands that takes you via a number of villages, the seal sanctuary station “Ecomare” and a traditional beer brewery near the harbor of Oudeschild.

Today you will enjoy sailing on your ship, when the tide and the weather are right, to the island of Terschelling. As you sail your way through the sandbanks of the Wadden Sea, keep a lookout for seals on the sandbars. In the afternoon the ship will arrive on Terschelling island, which features a number of picturesque villages situated between the polder and sand dunes along its 30 km expanse. While sailing you will enjoy an extensive lunch on board. No dinner will be served tonight, to enable you to explore the island, but you can make yourself a picnic meal or try one of the nice restaurants at Terschelling (not incl.).

While the previous day was all about sailing, today is all about cycling. Terschelling has plenty to offer cycle tourists: nature and culture, 70 km of cycling tracks and 4 beautiful villages. West Terschelling is the largest village on the island and features a number of nice shops and pubs. The standout landmark on the island is the 400 year-old lighthouse “Brandaris” that can be seen from well off in the distance. Also worth visiting is the heath land of “Boschplaat” which will captivate you with its mud, beaches and dunes. You might even spot ducks, black-winged stilts, large colonies of spoonbills and great black-backed gulls. After a day of cycling, you can relax in comfort once you have arrived on board. In the late afternoon the ship will cross the Wadden Sea sail to Harlingen, the most important harbor city of the province of Friesland.

Via Franeker, with the famous planetarium of Eise Eisinga, you cycle through the beautiful wide Frisian countryside along several rural villages to the small harbor of Makkum on the eastern bank of the lake IJsselmeer. If you take the long cycling trip, you will also visit Bolsward, one of the Eleven Frisian Cities.

Today you take your bike and ride from Makkum to Stavoren. The short route passes the old trading town Hindeloopen where the famous painting comes from. Also, there is the first Frisian ice-skate museum. The long tour crosses many Frisian lakes and shows a different scenery. In Stavoren, you take your ship and sail to Enkhuizen.

End of your tour: Disembarkation after breakfast until 9.30 a.m.

Itinerary at a glance

Embarkation and check-in where the crew will welcome you on board is from 4 p.m. near the beautiful center of Enkhuizen and close to the railway station. After unpacking your luggage the skipper will join you for an aperitif before giving you a rundown of what to expect on the journey, details about the ship and also about safety measures to be taken on board. In the evening take a stroll through the historical center of Enkhuizen, a quaint town that was the home of the Dutch merchant fleet during the Golden Age of The Netherlands. Enjoy your first night on board in Enkhuizen on the western bank of the lake IJsselmeer.

Today you can cycle the first leg of the trip along the IJsselmeer coast through the beautifulpolder landscape to Medemblik. After the cycling tour the ship will sail further to Den Oever.Depending on the weather in the evening the ship will take the lock and sail across the WaddenSea (part of the North Sea) to the island of Texel.

The island of Texel is a cyclist’s dream destination with its varied scenery, well signposted cycletracks and picturesque villages. Our suggestion is to complete a round trip cycling tour of thelargest of the Dutch North Sea islands that takes you via a number of villages, the seal sanctuarystation “Ecomare” and a traditional beer brewery near the harbor of Oudeschild.

Today you will enjoy sailing on your ship, when the tide and the weather are right, to the island of Terschelling. As you sail your way through the sandbanks of the Wadden Sea, keep a lookout for seals on the sandbars. In the afternoon the ship will arrive on Terschelling island, which features a number of picturesque villages situated between the polder and sand dunes along its 30 km expanse. While sailing you will enjoy an extensive lunch on board.No dinner will be served tonight, to enableyou to explore the island, please try one of the nice restaurants at Terschelling (not incl.).

While the previous day was all about sailing, today is all about cycling. Terschelling has plenty to offer cycle tourists: nature and culture, 70 km of cycling tracks and 4 beautiful villages. West Terschelling is the largest village on the island and features a number of nice shops and pubs. The standout landmark on the island is the 400 year-old lighthouse “Brandaris” that can be seen from well off in the distance. Also worth visiting is the heath land of “Boschplaat” which will captivate you with its mud, beaches and dunes. You might even spot ducks, black-winged stilts, large colonies of spoonbills and great black-backed gulls. After a day of cycling, you can relax in comfort once you have arrived on board. In the late afternoon the ship will cross the Wadden Sea sail to Harlingen, the most important harbor city of the province of Friesland.

Via Franeker, with the famous planetarium of Eise Eisinga, you cycle through the beautiful wide Frisian countryside along several rural villages to the small harbor of Makkum on the eastern bank of the lake IJsselmeer. If you take the long cycling trip, you will also visit Bolsward, one of the Eleven Frisian Cities.

From Makkum you will cycle to Stavoren. The short tour leads you via the old trading town of Hindeloopen. This local art of painting – a type of traditional decorative painting – is quite famous. Apart from this you’ll find the First Frisian Museum of Ice Skating in Hindeloopen. The long tour runs along several Frisian lakes and shows you a different type of landscape. From Stavoren the ship will set sail to cross the IJsselmeer to Enkhuizen in the late afternoon.

End of your tour: Disembarkation after breakfast until 9.30 a.m.

Difficulty level

Easy

Prices & Dates

Prices per person in EUR

Our rental bikes

The different types of rental bikes at a glance

Unisex Rental Bike - Symbol photo
Unisex bike

High-quality unisex touring bike with comfortable low entry

Available gear options can be found in the price table

E-Bike rental bike - Symbol photo
Unisex Electro bike

High-quality unisex electric bike with comfortable low entry

Services & Information

Further details about this tour

Included

  • Program according to itinerary from/to Enkhuizen
  • 7 nights in outside cabins in the booked cabin category
  • 1 welcome drink
  • Full meals (7x breakfast, 5x packed lunch for cyclists and 1x lunch on board, 7x coffee and tea on board, 6x 3-course-dinner) 
  • On board tour guide incl. daily briefing
  • Daily cabin cleaning, change of bed linen and towels as needed
  • 1 route book per cabin 
  • All harbour, lock and bridge fees
  • Wifi
  • GPS-data

Optional 

  • Bring your own bike €10,- / electric bike €25,- (on request only, limited) 
  • Rental bike insurance for rental bike €10,-/week, for electric bike €25,-/week. limitation of risk and liability in the event of damage to or loss of the bicycle you have rented
  • Helmet €10,-/week, to be paid in advance 

Arrival / Parking / Departure

  • Arrival by train to Enkhuizen station: the pier is within walking distance
  • Free, unguarded car park near the train station, no reservation possible

Things to note

  • inimum number of participants: none
  • Further important information according to the package travel law and additional information about your bike and boat trip can be found here!
  • This tour is a partner tour.

Services & Information

Further details about this tour

Included

  • Program according to itinerary from/to Enkhuizen
  • 7 nights in outside cabins in the booked cabin category
  • 1 welcome drink
  • Full meals (7x breakfast, 5x packed lunch for cyclists and 1x lunch on board, 7x coffee and tea on board, 6x 3-course-dinner on board) 
  • On board tour guide incl. daily briefing
  • Daily cabin cleaning, change of bed linen and towels as needed
  • 1 route book per cabin 
  • All harbour, lock and bridge fees
  • Wifi
  • GPS-data available
  • Guarantee certificate for package holidays

Optional 

  • Bring your own bike €14,- / electric bike €28,- (on request only, limited) 
  • Rental bike insurance for rental bike €14,-/week, for electric bike €28,-/week, limitation of risk and liability in the event of damage to or loss of the bicycle you have rented
  • Helmet €10,-/week, reservation necessary and to be paid for in advance 

Arrival / Parking / Departure

  • Arrival by train to Enkhuizen station: the pier is within walking distance
  • Free, unguarded car park near the train station, no reservation possible

Things to note

  • Minimum number of participants: none
  • Further important information according to the package travel law and additional information about your bike and boat trip can be found here!
  • This tour is a partner tour.

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Lea Erbschwendtner

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Lea Erbschwendtner
Travel Specialist
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