Skate & Boat Holland Travel program North

We spend one week exploring breath-taking natural and cultural landscapes of the northern parts of the Netherlands and the island of Texel while accompanied by our own houseboat. Weather you wish a easy-going break-day on the boat or an extension/shortage of the skating route - we are prepared to adapt to the individual needs of our guests.

DAY 1 Amsterdam – Zaanse Schans Arrival in Amsterdam in the afternoon. The boat is easy to reach (Osterdok at the Nemo Center, about 2km away from the main station). After the arrival we will head to the open-air museum of Zaanse Schans. Time for the first steps on our skates while the sun sets (15-22km).

DAY 2 Zaanse Schans - Alkmaardermeer Again we enjoy the picturesque houses and mills in Zaanse Schans and start our day trip through the typical Dutch landscapes: flat, green and lots of water. Our houseboat waits at Alkmaardermeer where we go for an Apéro in Alkmaar. There will be enough time for a stroll through the city (20-64km).

DAY 3 Alkmaardermeer - Oudeschild Starting in the historical city of Alkmaar we start the day on our houseboat in the direction of the far north of the Netherlands and enjoy the spectacular landscapes we pass. We finish the day by skating directly along the sea and catch a glimpse of the island of Texel (40-60km).

DAY 4 Texel We reach the island of Texel where alongside the sea we head for the lighthouse at the northern tip of the island. The dune landscape and the countless sheep are especially impressive on this day. We will spend the lunch break on a sandy beach with possibilities to swim and rest. Afterwards we will head back to our boat (by bus or on skates) (38-61km).

DAY 5 Den Helder – Enkhuizen First we skate along fields and canals before we head for the eastern part of the North of the Netherlands. The medieval trading town Enkhuizen, which is situated at the Ijselmeer, impresses by its beautiful allys and big sailing ships. If you wish you can enjoy a nice dinner with local fish specialities in a nearby restaurant (30-85km).

DAY 6 Enkhuizen - Hoorn After a short Tour in the open-air museum in Enkhuizen we adapt our tour to the wind conditions. It’s a lot nicer to enjoy the route on the dam beetwwen Hoorn and Enkhuizen with a view on countless sailing ships and the Markermeer with a tailwind ;-) We spend the rest of the day strolling through the port and centre of the beautiful historic town Hoorn (23 -57 km).

DAY 7 Hoorn - Amsterdam Again the route is taking us alongside the Markermeer. We spend the lunch break in the beautiful town of Marken where we are again reminded of the glorious medieval times of the city. We use the outstanding bike routes back to Amsterdam, where our houseboat awaits us (40 -70km).

DAY 8 – Amsterdam Breakfast and check out at 9.00h.