Cycling Holidays in Holland: The "Green Heart" and historical towns of South Holland

Cycling cruises: A unique concept, where a bike holiday and a journey on a comfortable ship are combined. Cycling cruises are ideal for those who like to cycle during the day and explore beautiful areas, without giving up a comfortable way of travelling. During our tours you don't have to pack and un-pack your suitcases every day to travel from one beautiful place to the next! Explore the western part and the "Green Heart" of Holland during this beautiful cycling cruise and enjoy many famous towns, interesting highlights, windmills, water and beautiful scenery.

Visit famous historical towns, picturesque cities and beautiful landscapes in the surprising varied "Green Heart" of Holland by bicycle and ship. Highlights are a.o. Amsterdam with the beautiful canals, Dom-city Utrecht, harbour city Rotterdam, Delft with its famous Delftware factories, cheese city Gouda, the windmills at Kinderdijk, silver city Schoonhoven, the historical centre of Haarlem, the dunes and the North Sea beach and the open air museum "Zaanse Schans". The Southern tour is the perfect tour to explore the variety of scenery in the central part of the Netherlands with many small canals and lakes, and also the beautiful old cities during daytime and in the evening.
You will live and travel on board of the ANNA MARIA AGNES, for many years one of the most beloved vessels for cycling cruises in the Netherlands.

Route

Day 1 (Saturday) Amsteram: Arrival and embarkation

Afternoon: As from 2 PM embarkation starts in Amsterdam (centre). Explore downtown Amsterdam: time for shopping, to visit a museum or to make a canal tour (reduced tickets available on board, until 10 pm): this is an unique way to see the capital of Holland from another side. First night in Amsterdam.

Day 2: During breakfast: Amsterdam – Breukelen | Breukelen – Utrecht (ca. 30-40 km / 19-25 miles**) | Afternoon: Utrecht – Rotterdam

A bike tour from Breukelen along the beautiful small river Vecht. Along this river you will see very nice villas, cottages and small castles. You will follow the Vecht into the centre of Utrecht with its Dom (Cathedral) tower, 111 m. high. In the afternoon: continue by ship from Utrecht to Rotterdam. In the evening: a short city tour.

Day 3: Rotterdam – Schiedam – Delft – Rotterdam (ca. 40 km / 25 miles) | Evening: Rotterdam – Dordrecht

Cycling tour for example via "jenever-city" Schiedam and through the Delfland to Delft. Visit the beautiful city centre with it's beautiful canals, picturesque streets, bridges and alleys. For many guests a visit to the Delftware factories "Royal Delft" is one of the highlights of the tour. "Dinner cruise" from Rotterdam to Dordrecht. Arrival around 8 P.M.

Day 4: During breakfast: Dordrecht – Kinderdijk | Kinderdijk – (Gouda) – Schoonhoven (ca. 30-50 km / 19 – 32 miles **)

With the ship from Dordrecht to Kinderdijk. Visit Kinderdijk (Unesco World Cultural Heritage) with 19 windmills in one line. Then you have the choice between a short bike tour through the Alblasserwaard to the "silver city" of Schoonhoven at the river Lek or a longer bike tour with a visit to beautiful cheese city of Gouda, to end your cycling tour in Schoonhoven.

Day 5: Schoonhoven – Oudewater – Utrecht (ca. 50 km / 32 miles) | Afternoon: Utrecht – Beverwijk

Cycle tour from Schoonhoven through the beautiful "Green Heart" via Oudewater (visit the Witches Weigh House) to Utrecht. In the late afternoon you sail with the ship to Beverwijk.

Day 6: Beverwijk – North Sea coast – Haarlem – Beverwijk (ca. 35-50 km / 21-32 miles**) | Evening: Beverwijk – Zaandam

Today offers 2 bike tours, both leading to Haarlem: the long tour goes through the dunes via Bloemendaal and Zandvoort and along the North Sea coast; the short tour leads through the inland to Haarlem. Both tours return to Beverwijk. In the evening your ship will sail to Zaandam.

Day 7: Zaandam – Amsterdam (ca. 30 km / 19 miles)

From Zaandam you will cycle to the open air museum "Zaanse Schans" (a.o. traditional wooden houses, windmills, cheese farm and wooden shoe "clog" manufacturing). Continue bike tour through recreational area "Twiske" to Amsterdam. Afternoon and evening in Amsterdam. If you didn't go for a canal tour on the First day, you will have the opportunity to do it today.

Day 8: Amsterdam

After breakfast you will disembark: End of tour.

**: Both possibilities are being offered: the guest can choose.
All distances are "approximate distances" of recommended bike tours.
When you don't wish to cycle, you can skip the bike tour and relax on board while cruising to the next harbor. Program + details barring changes, a.o. as a result of nautical, technical or meteorological reasons.
Departures on April 21 and 28 and May 5: on Thu. opportunity to visit the world famous Tulip exhibition park "Keukenhof" in Lisse (by bus/train or partly with train+bike; transfer and entrance fee not incl.). On the arrival day is it possible to put your luggage already on board as from 9 AM. Daily individual bike tours in you own pace: tour description, maps and daily briefings of the bike tour. During the day the tour leader is cycling the daily bike tour as well and in case of emergency or breakdown can be reached on his/her cell phone.

Included:

Tour and accommodation on board 8 days / 7 nights (Sat.-Sat.) from/to Amsterdam, cabin in the booked category
Full board (7 x breakfast, 6 x picnic lunch during bike tours, 7 x three course dinner)
Use of bed linen and towels (change of towels daily possible)
Daily short cleaning of the cabin
Welcome drink and speech on the first evening
Tour leader (multilingual) with daily briefings of the bike tours, some short city tours, during the day the tour leader can be reached on his cell phone
Printed instructions and detailed maps for the daily bike tours
Daily coffee and tea till 4 PM

Not Included: Transfers to/from the docking place in Amsterdam; rental bicycle (optional), other transfers, parking fee, entrance fees & excursions, fees for ferries, drinks on board, personal insurances, gratuities (at your discretion).

Cycling Tracks

The quality of cycling tracks is very good: usually you will cycle on paved tracks without any gradients of note.

Rental Bicycles

The bicycles on board are mostly unisex touring or trekking bikes with normal mount (ladies model), with 7 or 8 gears, hand brake and/or pedal brake and pannier bag. Other bikes (e.g. E-Bikes, children's bikes, tandems etc.) can only be rented on request and in exceptional cases. Requests with a minimum of 2 months before departure date and only valid after a written confirmation by the tour operator.
A rental bicycle is optional. Guests are also allowed to bring their own bicycles (at no extra cost). However, the crew or tour operator are in no way responsible for any damage, loss or theft of such bicycles. In Germany bikers are not obligated by law to wear a bike helmet. Bike helmets are not available on board.

How to get to Amsterdam

Arrival by train at Amsterdam Centraal (main railway station). From the train station to the berth at the Sumatrakade/Azartplein take a small ferry, taxi or bus.
Arrival by car: Parking in Amsterdam: Park & Ride (P+R) Zeeburg, Zuiderzeeweg 46. Secure parking garage with attendant for approx. € 98.00 for a total parking time of 7 days including a free ticket to the railway station or to town for up to 5 persons per car. Tram 26 (IJtram) takes you to the main railway station, bus numbers 37 or 245 to the city centre.
Arrival by plane: You can take the "Sneltrein" from the airport Amsterdam Schipol. It runs every 10 minutes to the railway station Amsterdam Centraal and takes about 20 minutes.