Upon arrival into Amsterdam make your way to your barge where boarding is between 2pm-4.30pm. Then at 5pm there is a welcome drink and safety briefing.

If you arrive early you can drop off your luggage and head back into the city to explore. Perhaps visit the superb Rijksmuseum or Van Gogh museum or Anne Frank’s house where she wrote her famous diaries during the Second World War. Stroll through some of Amsterdam’s wonderful gardens and parks and enjoy the views or for those who like to shop – you will not be disappointed as there is such a huge choice of shops for all budgets! Your welcome briefing will be during the dinner tonight and the first night is spent on-board in Amsterdam.

During breakfast the boat cruises to Breukelen where we start our first cycle ride. Enjoy a nice, easy cycle alongside the beautiful and winding Vecht River through pleasant countryside to Utrecht. A feature of this town is De Haar Castle which is well worth a visit. Here we have a break before re-boarding the boat for a short cruise to Rotterdam.

Today we cycle via Schiedam, best known for its gin distilleries and malt houses, to Delft, home of the famous Delft Blue earthenware that has been produced here since the 17th century. The town also boasts a beautiful city centre with small canals, pretty bridges and winding streets. We then return to Rotterdam for the evening. After dinner why not step ashore for a short city walk around the old town before retiring for the night?

The day starts with a waterbus ride to the town of Alblasserdam where we disembark with the bikes for the short ride to Kinderdijk. This small village is quite unique as it’s home to 19 windmills dating back to the 1500s and the views are very impressive. Afterwards you can choose between a longer ride to the beautiful and historic ‘cheese city’ of Gouda or a shorter ride around the Alblasserwaard Polder which was one of the original land reclamation projects in Holland. Both routes conclude in Schoonhoven, known as ‘silver city’ due to the abundance of silvermiths. The boat remains moored in Schoonhoven overnight.

Today’s ride leads us through the ‘Green Heart’ of Holland. Meadows, mills, farms and dykes drift by on this easy and enjoyable route. Once in Oudewater we suggest a visit to the Witches Weigh House where centuries ago those suspected of being witches were weighed to see if they were light enough to fly on a broomstick! Nearby you can visit a cheese farm and perhaps purchase some locally produced Gouda. We then cycle on to Utrecht where we re-board the boat for an evening cruise to Haarlem.

Today you can choose between two tours which will both take you through the beautiful Kennemer dunes. Cycle through seaside resorts and through the forest back to Haarlem to board the ship. The longer route takes you to the largest steam engine in the world and pumping station before heading back to Haarlem. During dinner the boat will cruise along the waterways to Zaandam where we moor for the night.

The final day’s ride leads us along cycle paths to the open-air museum of Zaanse Schans. Although they call this a museum it is in fact a small town with authentic and well-preserved architecture that will help you appreciate what the Netherlands was like in a bygone era. There are windmills, a wooden clog makers and yes, a cheese farm as well as some tiny museums. You can walk around freely, perhaps sampling some of the local food on offer. Afterwards you cycle through the ‘recreational’ area of Twiske to Amsterdam. This is an area that has a diverse landscape including forests, pastures and of course water and where the locals go to enjoy outdoor activities. Arrive back in Amsterdam for your last night on board. The boat is conveniently located for further exploration of the city.

After breakfast it’s time to disembark, by 9.30am, and head for home or your next adventure.