Holland: Southern Tour

Day 1: Arrival in Amsterdam
You will board your floating home at Minervahaven between 2:00 and 4:30 pm. Take the afternoon to go shopping, explore downtown Amsterdam or visit a museum. At 5:00 pm a welcome drink and the safety instructions await on board, followed by dinner, the first briefing and your first night on board in Amsterdam.

Day 2: Amsterdam – Breukelen – Utrecht (20 or 39 km) | Cruise to Rotterdam
Your first ride begins in Breukelen, following the winding River Vecht past imposing castles, stately country houses, and quaint tearooms. You will pedal into the heart of Utrecht, where you can explore the historic centre: the Dom Cathedral with its tower, the canals, special shops and nice cafés. In the afternoon, the ship will carry you southward to Rotterdam while you settle in for dinner on board.

Day 3: Rotterdam – Schiedam – Delft – Rotterdam (48 km)
You will cycle through the "jenever city" of Schiedam and the Delfland area to Delft, famous for its blue pottery, with a beautiful centre of small canals, picturesque streets, bridges and alleys. For many guests a visit to the Delftware factory is one of the highlights of the tour. You will then cycle back to Rotterdam, where you can enjoy a short city walk in the evening.

Day 4: Rotterdam – Kinderdijk – Schoonhoven (30 or 58 km)
You can cycle the first part, or the waterbus will take you and your bicycle to Alblasserdam. After just a few minutes of cycling you will reach Kinderdijk, UNESCO cultural heritage, with its impressive row of 19 large windmills. The longer route leads through the beautiful cheese city of Gouda; the shorter ride crosses the Alblasserwaard. Both end in Schoonhoven, the "silver city," where you can visit a silversmith. On some departures the night in Schoonhoven is not possible and the ship docks in Gouda instead, with all cycling highlights kept.

Day 5: Schoonhoven – Oudewater – Utrecht (36 or 44 km) | Cruise to Haarlem
Today you will ride through the very heart of Holland — the Green Heart. Small villages and quiet roads will lead you to Utrecht, and on the way you can visit a traditional cheese farm. In Oudewater, you can visit the Witches Weigh House. In the late afternoon the ship will sail from Utrecht to Haarlem.

Day 6: Haarlem – North Sea Coast – Haarlem (40 or 50 km) | Cruise to Zaandam
You will cycle through the Kennemer dunes, a national park where you can spot several bird species, Scottish Highland cattle and Shetland ponies. After a visit to the seaside resorts of Bloemendaal and Zandvoort, you will ride through the forests and the centre of Haarlem back to the ship. The longer route takes you to the Cruquius pumping station, the largest steam engine in the world, and back to Haarlem. During dinner the ship will cruise to Zaandam.

Day 7: Zaandam – Zaanse Schans – Amsterdam (32 or 53 km)
Your final ride will take you to the open-air museum of Zaanse Schans (free entry), with its beautiful windmills, an old Dutch village of traditional wooden houses, a cheese farm and a traditional clog maker. You will then pedal through the recreational area of Twiske back into Amsterdam, where the afternoon and evening are yours, with the chance to take a canal cruise.

Day 8: Departure from Amsterdam
After breakfast, disembarkation is until 9:30 am. Your week on the water comes to an end, but the memories of Holland's windmills, canals, and open skies will stay with you far longer.