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Cycling holiday Around the IJsselmeer with afsluitdijk

A beautiful, extensive trip around the IJsselmeer, where you’ll experience the Dutch glory of the past, visit several towns from the Elfstedentocht, and explore the new land of the Flevopolders. » read more about Cycling holiday Around the IJsselmeer with afsluitdijk

  • Hoorn, Medemblik, Lemmer, Lelystad, Amsterdam
  • The cycling classic of the Netherlands
  • The Afsluitdijk and fishing villages Edam and Urk
GPS APP E-bike route Zwaarte zwaarte_1
  • Cycling holiday
  • Trekking tour
  • 7 days
  • Individual
from 720 p.p.
excl. additional costs
Prices and dates
from 720 p.p.
excl. additional costs
Prices and dates

Once the sea raged here

“Don’t complain about the coffee, we’re all getting old and weak.” For some wise life lessons, pop into the tiny Enkhuizen Almanac Museum, where the lessons are displayed on cards in the entrance hall. Just a little further, at the Ship in a Bottle Museum, you can discover how ships are carefully guided through bottle necks. At the Zuiderzee Museum, the old days when the sea still raged come alive. You’ll experience this rich water heritage throughout your cycling trip along the former Zuiderzee, now known as the IJsselmeer.

Enjoy the fresh breeze

You’ll cycle through charming historic towns like Hoorn, Enkhuizen (home to the Zuiderzee Museum), and Medemblik. Along the route, the old stepped gables, canals, and merchant houses alternate with stretches of both classic and new natural landscapes. After crossing the long, straight Afsluitdijk, with refreshing water on both sides, you’ll arrive in the lively town of Makkum, followed by Lemmer. Then it’s on to the Flevopolders, stopping in Urk and visiting the Batavia Shipyard in Lelystad. From there, you’ll pass the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve, Muiden, Amsterdam, Marken (or Monnickendam), Volendam, and Edam before making your way back to Hoorn.

HoornFriesland frisiaHoorn Cycling Holiday Ijsselmeer


Gem of Edam

Edam shines with its stunning Voorhaven harbor. The colorful coats of arms on the façades of the old merchant houses reveal the great power and wealth their owners held in the 17th century. Elsewhere, the leaning Speeltoren proudly displays an outdoor carillon, a feature typical of this region. At the Dam square, with its beautiful town hall and a relaxed coffee terrace, the Merchant’s House commands all the attention. Behind its elegant stepped gable, you’ll find the Edam Museum.


Have a Break at Muiden Castle

Curious about medieval life, castle defenses, and centuries of Dutch history? Join the Highlights of Amsterdam Castle guided tour at Muiden Castle for a captivating introduction to its architecture, notable residents, art, and over 700 years of stories. Discover the lives and achievements of its most famous occupant, Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft (1581–1647), not a warrior, but a poet who wrote extensively within these walls. After your cycling adventure, unwind in this authentic medieval castle setting, enjoying history, atmosphere, and maybe even a sweet treat worthy of a bygone era.

Muiden Castle

When are you going to take this trip?

Cycling holiday Around the IJsselmeer with afsluitdijk

Prices and dates

Routes

Your cycling holiday starts in historic Hoorn and follows the coastline of the IJsselmeer and Markermeer. After crossing the Afsluitdijk, hopefully with a tailwind, you explore several Elfstedentocht towns in Friesland. The route continues through Gaasterland and along the "new land" of the Flevopolders, passing Urk and the Oostvaardersplassen. Via Lelystad, Muiden, Amsterdam, Volendam, and Edam, you return to Hoorn.

Cycling holiday Around the IJsselmeer with afsluitdijk

Details

Including

  • 6 nights bed and breakfast or half board (5x, no halfboard in Amsterdam)
  • Luggage transport
  • Maps and navigation app for your smartphone (GPS tracks for your own GPS device on request)

Excluding

  • Outward and return journeys
  • Travel insurance
  • Tourist tax
  • Rental bikes
  • Entrance fees, transfers, etc. that are not listed under “including”

  • Rental bike (7 gears, excl. bike insurance): € 105,- p.p.
  • E-bike (excl. bike insurance): € 175,- p.p.
  • When renting a bike or E-bike, we ask for your height so that we can provide a suitable bike.
  • Bicycle Insurance: You can take out a separate bicycle insurance with Happy Cycling Holidays. A travel insurance often does not cover bicycle damage and/or theft.
  • Read more about rental bikes, helmets and insurances

  • Parking: free parking available at the first hotel
  • Altered route: Until 2026, the cycle path across the Afsluitdijk is partially closed for roadworks. A free bicycle bus operates hourly, accommodating up to 15 bikes and 25 passengers, to transport cyclists across the dyke.

Below you will find an overview of the accommodations we typically use for this tour, all carefully selected by us. Please note that availability on your preferred travel dates is not guaranteed. If a listed accommodation is unavailable, we will arrange an alternative hotel of comparable category and quality. Should the alternative involve a higher price, we will inform the booker in advance about the surcharge on the tour price.

  • Hotel van der Valk, Hoorn
  • Hotel  Medemblik, Medemblik
  • Hotel Workum, Workum
  • Hotel Lemmer, Lemmer
  • Van der Valk Hotel Lelystad, Lelystad
  • WestCord Fashion Hotel, Amsterdam

What others customers think of the

Cycling holiday Around the IJsselmeer with afsluitdijk

Urk
Urk
Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Afsluitdijk
Afsluitdijk

Prices and dates

Plan your trip

Departure date

This is the first day of your cycling holiday. If desired you can add book extra nights later before the startdate of your cycling holiday. Please choose the first day of your cycling holiday. Further on in planning your trip, you can book an extra night before the selected starting day.