Things to do in

Enkhuizen

Climb aboard an air-conditioned coach and travel through a typical Dutch landscape for 1.5 hours en route to the picturesque town of Giethoorn. Experience how the Dutch people live with, and on, the water upon arrival, and set off to explore on foot and by boat. Enjoy the peace and quiet of a town where cars are forbidden and little has changed over the centuries. Admire the many types of boats in the town, from gondolas to punters and flat-bottom vessels used as transportation on the canals. Cruise past the skillfully restored farmhouses on a 1-hour boat trip, and get some free time for lunch and to explore on your own. Get tips from your guide on what to see and where to eat. The tour will continue to the Enclosing Dike (Afsluitdijk), the 32 kilometer dike connecting the provinces of North Holland and Friesland. The Netherlands is famed the world over for the way it deals with water management. The Afsluitdijk, built to tame what was formerly the Zuiderzee (now the Ijsselmeer lake) is a prime example of Dutch water prowess.

A sightseeing tour around the IJsselmeer lake is a popular outing. Make it a one-stop trip! Head to the Zuiderzee Museum for a one-day tour from the town of Enkhuizen, across the Afsluitdijk dike and the Wadden Sea Islands to Frisian towns like Hindeloopen and Makkum. On your way back again, stop at the province of Noord-Holland for the chance to visit the villages of Marken and Volendam. Avoid the crowds in Volendam and head to the Zuiderzee Museum. Walk the tiny streets with authentic Zuiderzee cottages, take in the aroma of freshly smoked fish, photograph your children in traditional Volendam costumes, taste farm cheese in the cheese warehouse and enjoy a short boat ride from the car park to the outdoor museum. Relive the Zuiderzee life of yesteryear in a single day!

Your morning or afternoon in Enkhuizen will start at your hotel, river cruise ship or, if you travel to Enkhuizen from elsewhere, at the train station. Set off at a relaxing pace to make sure you really get to see, feel and learn all about this town. The most important sights that your private guide will show are the Dromedary defense tower, recently renovated into a great cultural center. The Snouck van Loosenpark, a beautiful park erected late 19th Century as a social housing project. Admire the high tower of the South Church and its famed organ from 1621. See the lively harbor and shopping street. Learn why and how small ships have been built in bottles. Wandering through the streets of Enkhuizen will take you back in time to the days of the VOC (United East Indian Company) that made Holland in the 17th Century one of the most influential countries in the world. Enkhuizen in those days was one of the 6 main towns from the VOC. Your visit to Enkhuizen is made complete with a visit to the famed Zuiderzeemuseum. The Zuiderzeemuseum in Enkhuizen revives the stories of people who once lived on the shores of the Zuiderzee. See, hear, taste and smell everyday life around the Zuiderzee as it was before the Afsluitdijk (IJsselmeer Barrier Dam) changed the sea into the IJsselmeer in 1932. In the summertime the Museum ferry carries you across the IJsselmeer to the Outdoor Museum. The open-air section covers 15 acres and accommodates authentic buildings from the former Zuiderzee region, such as a church, a fish-curing shed, a mill, a cheese warehouse, shops and dwelling houses from the surrounding fishing villages. In the wintertime, you can explore the indoor museum, housing the treasure chest of the Zuiderzee. Temporary exhibitions display the rich collection of the Museum.

Your full day on the countryside will start at the train station of Enkhuizen or if you wish to combine this tour with a visit to the Zuiderzee Holland Outdoor Museum; at the trainstation in Hoorn. Set off in a relaxing pace to make sure you really get to see, feel and learn all about this area of North Holland called West-Frisia. After meeting your personal guide at the train station in Enkhuizen, start exploring the highlights of this historic town, once an important harbor to the former United East India Company (VOC). The United East India Company is often referred as the world’s first multinational company, and was definitely the first to issue stocks. Essential to Holland’s establishment of its colonies in Asia, and to the subsequent spice trade, it was arguably the 1st ever mega corporation. Your guide will take you on a stroll around the 17th-century town centre. Go to the Snouck van Loosen Park to see one of the first social housing projects of the Netherlands. Learn about Enkhuizen’s maritime traditions in the harbor, and marvel at the old defense tower of the Drommedaris. After a walk around town of about 45 minutes, take a seat aboard the historic ferryship Friesland. Enjoy views over the lake Ijsselmeer (Former Zuiderzee/South Sea), watch the birds in the sky and see traditional flat bottom sail ships passing by in the 90 minutes trip to the next stop, Medemblik. Upon arrival at the once prosperous trading town you will have about 1-hour to explore on your own. Admire the 17th and 18th century merchant houses of Holland’s Golden Age, and grab a sandwich of typical Dutch cheese. Next, ride a historic steam train to Hoorn. The engine whistles and the fireman shovels coal into the firebox. Wooden partitions creak, wheels sing and steam hisses. From the wooden 3rd class seats in your carriage you will experience a story from a different era. The train meanders from village to village across the West Frisian countryside. After arrival in Hoorn you have time to visit the Steam Train Museum. Finally have your personal guide take you for a walk around town to see the harbor where the spices arrived from Asia that gave Holland its prosperity. You can choose to depart from Hoorn if you prefer, taking the tour in reverse. This option also includes entrance to the Zuiderzeemuseum in Enkhuizen. See authentic buildings from the former Zuiderzee region, including a church, fish-curing shed, cheese warehouse, and houses from the surrounding fishing villages. The staff will demonstrate historical crafts from everyday life, and more.

Your afternoon in Leeuwarden begins at your hotel, or if you travel to Leeuwarden from elsewhere, at the train station. Set off in a relaxing pace to make sure you really get to see, feel and learn all about this town.  Already before the year 1000 there were people living in Leeuwarden. Around 1600 the city belonged to the ten most important cities in the Netherlands. Fun facts: Leeuwarden is chosen as European Capital of Culture in 2018 and Capital of Taste for 2015! Leeuwarden is the capital of the Province Friesland. It is known as the start and finish of the Elfstedentocht, a Dutch ice skating race that goes through eleven cities. This race does not takes place often, only when the ice is thick enough to skate on. Leeuwarden is a mixture of shopping areas, cultural highlights and an exciting nightlife. It has over 600 historical monuments. This private walking tour will take you through the historic centre of Leeuwarden with a short visit to the leaning tower Oldehove. Let your personal guide take you to best places in town!