On arrival in Enkhuizen make your way to the harbour and check into your cabin on the Leafde Fan Fryslan. Embarkation and check-in is from 2pm. Once on-board the skipper will introduce the crew and talk about the trip ahead - there will also of course be a safety briefing. The crew then cast off for the first cruise of the holiday. It's not far up the coast to Medemblik. After dinner on board, the tour guides invite us to join them for a leisurely stroll through the historic old town.

After breakfast and bike fitting, the guides lead us off for the first ride of the holiday. Choose whether to join the group tackling the longer or shorter route. Both routes take in the picturesque and historic village of Twisk. After the ride the crew cast off and we enjoy an afternoon cruise up the IJsselmeer, an inland lake that used to be open sea, to the locks at Den Oever. After passing through the lock into the Wadden Sea we cross the to the island of Texel. We moor for the night in the pleasant little port of Oudeschild.

Texel, the largest of the Frisian Islands, is a cyclist’s paradise, and today you have a choice of routes. A round trip of the island is well recommended, along quiet, well-signposted paths. It takes you to many of Texel’s pretty fishing villages as you pass some extremely picturesque coastal landscape. The island's sparse population, sandy beaches and grass-topped dunes make it a haven for wildlife. Don’t miss the seal sanctuary “Ecomare” and old brewery at Oudeschild.

A day off from riding today and a chance to relax and enjoy the coastal scenery as we sail from Texel up past the isle of Vlieland to the island of Terschelling. The route takes us north through the Wadden Sea sandbanks, where there’s a good chance of spotting seals basking. We arrive in the afternoon, weather permitting. No dinner is served on-board tonight so you are free to step ashore and try one of the nice restaurants in Terschelling (not included).

Today we explore Terschelling by bike , again with a cycling distance of your choice. The island has some 70 km of tracks and paths to choose from, which connect its four pristine coastal villages. You can also visit the historic Brandaris lighthouse and the island’s landscape of heath, sand dunes and mud flats. Terschelling is also home to large colonies of birds and you’re likely to spot black winged stilts, spoonbills and black-backed gulls along the way. In the late afternoon, the ship will cross the Wadden Sea and sail to Harlingen on the mainland. The largest harbour town in Friesland, Harlingen has a bustling town quay that is a pleasant place to explore by bike or on foot.

The route today leads you inland to the town of Franeker where we recommend a visit to the famous planeterium of 18th century astronomer, Eise Eisinga. The shorter option then leads you through open countryside, via several small villages, to Makkum where the boat is waiting for you. A bolt-on detour option also takes in the town of Bolsward, which features in the famous, and now rarely held, Eleven Frisian Cities ice skating race. The Leafde Fan Fryslan remains moored in Makkum overnight, a charming little town well worth an after-dinner stroll.

After breakfast you mount up for the last time and cycle south along the shore of the IJsselmeer Lake to the town of Stavoren. Along the way you’ll pass through the old trading town of Hindeloopen where we recommend a stop at the First Frisian Museum of Ice Skating. The longer route heads inland slightly, passing some smaller lakes and taking in some different scenery. From Stavoren the boat sails back across the IJsselmeer Lake to Enkhuizen where you enjoy your final evening meal with your crew and fellow passengers.

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