Classic elegance
Jacuzzi
Piano
Individually controlled air conditioning
Short tour through Holland’s most beautiful places
Historic cities Amsterdam, Alkmaar & Haarlem
Zaanse Schans & cycling on the North Sea coast
Ships with 22 to max. 40 passengers
Experience Holland in the best possible way on this gorgeous short break aboard one of our comfortable barges. This 5-day bike and barge tour will take you through charmingly scenic landscapes, such as the polder flatlands of North Holland and the sandy dunes along the North Sea coast. You’ll cycle flat terrain on dedicated bike paths along dikes, canals and bridges.
Discover the Zaanse Schans open-air museum with its windmills, traditional cheese and clog makers and authentic Dutch village. Other highlights of this trip are the cheese capital Alkmaar and the historic city of Haarlem, with its cobbled streets, pretty canals, shops and cafés.
The tour begins and ends in Amsterdam, which some call the smallest metropolis in Europe. In the heart of this historic city you’ll find many unique museums, enticing shops and UNESCO World Heritage-listed canals, all of which certainly make a visit to Amsterdam a highlight.
The ship – Your sailing hotel
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. You’ll receive a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. It’s also possible to spend a day on board if you like. There are rental bikes on board, but you can also bring your own if you mention it when booking.
Fully Guided
Accompanied by a competent, professional and multilingual tour leader, you and the group will visit interesting sights and places on the daily cycling tours. During the bike tour, they will explain the local history and culture behind the things you encounter along the way. You can also choose to ride individually with the help of a map and route notes (available on board)
Day 1: Amsterdam | Amsterdam – Zaandam
Embarkation and check-in takes place at 2 pm, with the crew welcoming you on board. Once all guests have arrived a short cruise will bring you to Zaandam, a town famous for its windmills. Here, your barge will berth for the night in the center of the city. Upon arrival you can enjoy taking your new bike for a brief test ride through the surrounding area. In the evening, enjoy a short walk through Zaandam’s picturesque center.
Day 2: Zaandam – Alkmaar (44 km/27 mi.)
A pleasant 5 km bicycle ride leads you to ‘Zaanse Schans’. This old Dutch village is home to beautiful windmills still in use, traditional wooden houses and artisans like a cheesemaker and a clog maker. Zaanse Schans is in fact more than an open-air museum, as the people you’ll see around are actual inhabitants! Your tour continues through the ‘Land of Leeghwater’, a luscious green polder area. Stroll through the former whaler’s village of De Rijp and pass by the windmills of Schermerhorn. In the cheese city of Alkmaar your barge will be waiting for you near the historic city center. As you wander through the streets of Alkmaar’s old town, you’ll be charmed by the beauty of its well-preserved 17th century buildings and narrow, winding canals.
Day 3: Alkmaar – Haarlem (48 km/29 mi.)
After breakfast you’ll cycle towards the North Sea coast. A great bike ride through the sand dunes is on the program today. In the afternoon, a local ferry will take you across the North Sea Canal, which is a major shipping route. Back on land, you’ll cycle to Haarlem: a pretty city of cobbled streets, historic buildings, grand churches, cozy bars, canals, top-notch restaurants, and antique shops.
Day 4: Haarlem – Amsterdam | Waterland loop (28 km/18 mi. or 43 km/26 mi.)
During breakfast the ship will take you back to Amsterdam. Today you can choose to take a last beautiful bike ride through the idyllic pastures and wetlands north of Amsterdam in Waterland, or to discover this amazing city. Explore the flower market in the center, visit the Rijksmuseum or a modern art museum like the Stedelijk, or go shopping in the ‘Nine Streets’… there’s so much to do!
Day 5: Amsterdam
Enjoy your last breakfast on board before disembarkation until 9.30 am. End of the tour.
Below you see an overview of the available (blue) dates; the yellow dot means that this date has 2 or less cabins available, orange is ‘on request’ and red means that on this date there aren’t any cabins available. Then click on the preferred date. After this, choose your ship (some tours have only one ship, and therefore there is no choice), the number of cabins in the required (and available) category, any desired additional products, and ‘local costs’ (such as special dietary needs, which you usually pay for onboard). On the right side, you’ll find the ‘Booking Summary.’ After completing your preferences and necessary information click ‘Book now’ to finalize your booking.
Classic elegance
Jacuzzi
Piano
Individually controlled air conditioning
Spacious teakwood deck
Jacuzzi
Intimate and exclusive
Individually controlled air conditioning
Spacious teakwood deck
Jacuzzi
Restaurant and separate lounge
Individually controlled air conditioning
Tours in France
Spacious sundeck
Free coffee and tea 24/7
Individually controlled air conditioning
A spring break overflowing with flowers
Historical cities of Amsterdam & Haarlem
Flower market, Keukenhof, Zaanse Schans
Ships with 22 to max. 40 passengers
Including entrance Keukenhof
Vistit mill at Zaanse Schans
Entrance North-Holland Dune reserve
Ships with 30 to max. 40 passengers
North Holland’s flat polder landscapes
Visit Texel Island’s sandy beaches
Romantic harbor villages incl. Enkhuizen
Ship with max. 90 passengers