Southern Holland Bike & Barge

Embarkation and check-in at the barge is between 2 and 4:30pm in Amsterdam. Take the opportunity to go shopping, to explore downtown Amsterdam, to make a canal cruise or to visit a museum. At 5pm there will be a welcome drink on board where you'll meet the onboard tour leader and crew and later there's dinner and first briefing. Overnight in Amsterdam.

We cruise from Amsterdam and the first cycling tour starts in Breukelen. You’ll cycle along the beautiful and winding river Vecht, with its enchanting background of imposing country houses and quaint tearooms. Continue to follow the Vecht into the centre of Utrecht where you will have the opportunity to explore the beautiful historical city centre on foot: the Dom Cathedral with its tower, the canals, special shops and nice cafes. In the afternoon we will cruise from Utrecht to Rotterdam.

Today you will cycle via the “jenever city” of Schiedam and through the Delfland area to Delft, famous for its blue pottery. Visit the beautiful city centre with its small canals, picturesque streets, bridges and alleys. For many guests, a visit to the Delftware museum and factory is a highlight of their tour. Afterwards, you will cycle back to Rotterdam, where you can enjoy a short city walk in the evening. Overnight in Rotterdam.

Today you can cycle the first part, or the “waterbus” will take you and your bicycle, to Alblasserdam. After just a few minutes of cycling you will reach the UNESCO World Heritage Kinderdijk site with its impressive row of windmills. Optional visit to the museum and windmill or explore the site by bike. You then have the choice between a longer ride with a visit to the beautiful cheese city of Gouda and a short cycle through the Alblasserwaard. Both tours end in the “silver city” of Schoonhoven, where you can visit a silversmith. *On some departures, the night in Schoonhoven is not possible and the boat will dock in Gouda instead. All cycling highlights will remain in the program.

Today you will cycle from Schoonhoven through the beautiful “Green Heart” of Holland through small villages and quiet roads to Utrecht. On the way you can visit a traditional cheese farm and in Oudewater, the Witches Weigh House. Later in the afternoon the boat will cruise from Utrecht to Haarlem.

Today there are two cycling options, both of which take you through the beautiful Kennemer dunes, a national park where you can spot several bird species, Scottish Highland cows and Shetland ponies. After visiting the seaside resorts Bloemendaal and Zandvoort you cycle through the forests and the centre of Haarlem back to the dock. There's usually time to explore the centre of Haarlem - the main square and St Bavokerk (church) are worth visiting. The longer cycling tour leads to the largest steam engine in the world, the Cruquius pumping station, and back to Haarlem. During dinner we will cruise to Zaandam. * On early season departures (to late April): from Haarlem you have the option to visit the Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse to see the famous tulip exhibition (by bike or by public transport. Transfers/tickets/entrance fee not included).

From Zaandam your final day of cycling will take you to the open air museum of Zaanse Schans (free entry), with its beautiful windmills, an Old Dutch village with traditional wooden houses, a cheese farm and a traditional wooden clog maker. After exploring the site, continue cycling through the recreational area “Twiske” back to Amsterdam. The afternoon and evening are yours to enjoy everything Amsterdam has to offer. Farewell dinner on board.

The trip concludes after breakfast, disembark by 9.30am.