Green Heart of Holland Boat & Bike

Day 1: Amsterdam (0 km)
You will board your barge in the centre of Amsterdam from 2 p.m., where the crew will welcome you and show you to your cabin. At 3 p.m. your tour leader will introduce the week ahead, hand out the rental bicycles and invite you on a short test ride. On your return the first dinner will be served on board.

Day 2: Amsterdam – Zaandam – Zaanse Schans – Haarlem (40 km)
After a short cruise on the barge you will finally get into the saddle. You will first visit the open-air museum of Zaanse Schans in Zaandam, where an authentic 18th and 19th century Dutch village has been reconstructed and you will learn about windmills, cheese and clog making. You will then cycle on to Haarlem, where the celebrated portrait painter Frans Hals lived and worked, and in the evening you can stroll through the old centre and the Grote Markt. A longer 55 km variant extends the ride with the sea locks of IJmuiden, the Kennemer Dunes and some forts of the Defence Line of Amsterdam, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 3: Haarlem – North Sea coast – Leiden (42 km)
After breakfast with your new cycling friends you will head for Leiden, the vibrant university city where Rembrandt van Rijn was born and whose picturesque old centre is crisscrossed by canals lined with beautiful 17th-century buildings. On this shorter route you will ride inland from Haarlem via Cruquius, with its steam engine museum, and Hillegom and its flower nurseries. The longer 50 km option instead follows the North Sea coast through the seaside dunes and the resorts of Noordwijk and Katwijk aan Zee.

Day 4: Leiden – Delft (35 km)
From Leiden you will cycle to Delft, famous for its blue porcelain, where you will have the chance to visit a porcelain studio. The other great attraction in the beautiful old centre is the royal crypt of the House of Orange. If you prefer a longer day, the 41 km option takes you first to The Hague, where you can see the Binnenhof and the Peace Palace, before continuing to Delft.

Day 5: Delft – Rotterdam – Kinderdijk – Gouda (23 km)
This morning the barge will sail you from Delft to Rotterdam. From there you will hop on the Waterbus, a fast ferry that carries you and your bicycle across the river to Alblasserdam in 30 to 40 minutes. A few kilometres further you will reach Kinderdijk, world famous for its impressive row of 19 large windmills with UNESCO cultural heritage listing. From Kinderdijk you will ride directly to the cheese city of Gouda, or take the longer 66 km route via the silver city of Schoonhoven. Tonight's dinner is not included and will be in town, in a restaurant of your choice, with recommendations available on board.

Day 6: Gouda – Kudelstaart (45 km)
The highlight of today is the quiet beauty of the South Holland landscape. You will cycle along numerous small canals and past picture-perfect farms and small villages towards the village of Kudelstaart, where the barge will be waiting for you. At the mooring on the banks of the Westeinder Plassen there is a beautiful view to savour over a glass of wine during or after dinner. A longer 55 km variant is available.

Day 7: Kudelstaart – Aalsmeer – Amsterdam (32 km)
If you fancy an early start you can visit the largest trade centre for plants and flowers in the world at Aalsmeer, an optional extra that is not included; the market is a hive of activity and you will never have seen so many flowers in one place. After a late breakfast you can either stay on board while the barge cruises into Amsterdam, or cycle into the city through the Amsterdamse Bos park or along the Amstel river. Once there, the afternoon and evening are yours for a canal cruise, Anne Frank's House, the Rembrandt House Museum or the Royal Palace on Dam Square.

Day 8: Amsterdam (0 km)
Your tour ends here. After breakfast you will disembark by 9.30 a.m., with the centre of Amsterdam right on your doorstep.