The Green Heart of Holland, MS Flora

Embarkation and check-in where the crew will welcome you on board is from 2 p.m. in the center of Amsterdam.  After unpacking your luggage in your cabin an introduction to the tour will take place at 3 p.m. After that your rental bicycles will be distributed and your tour leader will invite you to a short test-ride. Upon your return your first dinner on board will be served.

After a short cruise on board the MS Flora, you are finally off and cycling today after first visiting the lovely open-air museum ‘Zaanse Schans’ in Zaandam where an authentic 18th and 19th century Dutch village has been reconstructed. In the museum you will learn about iconic Dutch traditions like windmills, cheese and clog making. You will then cycle to Haarlem where celebrated portraitist and genre painter Frans Hals lived and worked in the 16th Century. In the evening you can stroll through the lovely city centre and the Grote Markt (market square). If preferred, today’s bike tour can also be extended with a visit to the sea locks of IJmuiden and the Kennemer Dunes. During this bike tour you can see/visit some forts of the Defence Line of Amsterdam.

After enjoying breakfast with your newfound cycling friends, you will cycle along the North Sea coast through seaside dunes via the resorts of Noordwijk and Katwijk aan Zee to the vibrant university city of Leiden, the birthplace of celebrated artist Rembrandt van Rijn. The city’s picturesque old city centre is crisscrossed with canals lined by beautiful 17th Century buildings and is  definitely a must-see. The short bike tour leads you from Haarlem to Cruquius (steam engine museum) and Hillegom (several flower nurseries) to Leiden.

From Leiden you will cycle to Delft, which is famous for its blue porcelain. You will have the opportunity to visit a porcelain studio there. Another major attraction in the beautiful city centre of Delft is the royal crypt of the House of Orange. The longer bike tour brings you to The Hague, where you can visit the the Binnenhof (Inner Court) and the the Peace Palace (Vredespaleis). You then continue to Delft. 

This morning you will sail from Delft on the MS Flora through the remarkable international port of Rotterdam. From here you can start cycling or you can hop on the "Waterbus", a fast ferry that will bring you and your bike to Alblasserdam, from there you cycle just a few miles to Kinderdijk, a village famous for an impressive row of 19 large windmills. All 19 windmills have a UNESCO cultural heritage listing and are a definite highlight – you will have the opportunity to visit one so don’t forget to bring your camera! From Kinderdijk you will cycle directly to the cheese city of Gouda, or if you prefer, on a longer tour via the silver city of Schoonhoven to Gouda, your destination for the day. Dinner tonight (not included) will be in town in a restaurant of your choice (recommendations available on board).

The highlight of today’s cycle tour is South Holland's beautifully idyllic natural landscape. Your destination for the day is the village of Kudelstaart where the MS Flora will be waiting for you. Along the way you will cycle along numerous small canals and past picture-perfect farms and small villages. At the mooring place on the banks of the Westeinder Plassen (‘West End’ Lakes) there is a beautiful view to savour while enjoying a wine during or after dinner.

If you are keen for an early start to the day you can visit the world's largest trade centre for plants and flowers in Aalsmeer (optional extra, not included). The market is a hive of activity! It is guaranteed that you will never have seen so many flowers in one place before. After breakfast you can either stay on board the MS Flora as it cruises through the City of Amsterdam to its mooring place or you can cycle into the city through the city park Amsterdamse Bos or along the Amstel River. Today you also have the opportunity to visit/see some forts of the Defence Line of Amsterdam. Once you reach Amsterdam take the opportunity during the afternoon and evening to go for a canal cruise, to discover Anne Frank’s home, the Rembrandt House Museum and the Royal Palace there!

After breakfast it is time to disembark and to bid the crew farewell before 9:30 am. This is the end of your trip with us.