Join us for a holiday cruise through the southern and northern part of Holland. Here you will find the typical Dutch landscape of polders, mills, harbours, old Dutch cities and the coast.
Our program is a good mixture of all-day bike tour, some gentle boat trips where you can enjoy the beautiful view from the sun deck and cultural highlights. You experience one of Holland's top tourist attractions "Zaanse Schans", get to know Leiden, Haarlem, Alkmaar, Hoorn and the Dutch capital Amsterdam. And you enjoy biking on small dikes and through beautiful dune areas.
Sa: Alphen
Embarkation in Alphen a/d Rijn at 16.00 'o clock and welcome by the crew. Over a cup of coffee we will introduce you to the travel program. In the evening, explore the inner city of Alphen or/and end your first day with a cosy evening on board..
Sun: Alphen-Leiden (40km)
Our first bike tour brings us through the tree nursery area of Boskoop, along the popular : Geuzenroute" along old church paths, polder dikes, small rivers and characteristic old farmhouses to the old university town Leiden, one of the most ancient cities in Holland (city rights since 1266) and birthplace of several famous Dutch painters such as Rembrandt van Rijn.
In the evening get a short impression of Leiden: Strolling through the historic centre you can see churches, historic city gates and courts, alms houses and mills.
Mo: Leiden-dunes and beach-Haarlem (45km)
Today's bike tour takes us to the North Sea coast through wide dune area's to nice seaside resorts such as Katwijk and Nordwijk aan Zee and the popular Zandvoort nearby Haarlem. Of course we have time to take a break on the beach.
Back on board Ali-B2 moored in Haarlem we enjoy our dinner and have time to visit romantic Haarlem: Walk to the Market Square (Grote Markt) and have a look around the square itself, one of the most beautiful of its kind in Holland. Come face to face with the late-Gothic Saint Bavo's church (Bavo-kerk), the 13th century town hall, the magnificent Butchers' hall (Vleeshal) built by Lieven de Key and the Fish auction hall (Vishal) and dream back in time. Or experience the atmosphere of the many historic courts.
Tue: Haarlem-Zaanse Schans-Alkmaar (45km)
We left Haarlem by bike, pass the old village Spaarndam, cross the North Sea canal by ferry and explore the Zaan region. We admire villages with houses of the typical „Zaan" style and visit one of Holland's top touristic attractions "Zaanse Schans", an inhabited open-air museum with traditional green painted wooden houses from the 17 th century, warehouses and 6 working mills.
Cycling further through the beautiful landscape of North Holland we get to know the picturesque village Rijp and arrive the centuries old Alkmaar, the second Dutch city of cheese.
Wed: Alkmaar-Hoorn-Amsterdam (ca. 50km)
A wonderful cycling tour along quiet country roads, along old rivers and canals leads us to Hoorn, a marvellous, historical port on the Ijsselmeer. Many old buildings still testify to the former importance of this town in the 17th century when ships from Holland's colonies moored here.
We cycle over old dikes, along the IJsselmeer and a water-rich polder area to Purmerend. During our sailing trip of about 3 hours to Amsterdam we enjoy a wide view over the typical landscape of North Holland situated below sea level.
Thu: Amsterdam
Today leisure time to visit the historic city of Amsterdam, one of the largest in the world. We advise you to do a described city walk of about 3 hours: Amsterdam is by nature a walking city. Nowhere else will you find so many points of interest within a single square kilometre. Or what about visiting a museum in Amsterdam, such as the famous Van Gogh museum, the Rijksmuseum of the Anne Frank House?
The crew will be pleased to help you to plan your day.
Fr: Amsterdam-Alphen (45km)
Just after breakfast our canal tour on board Ali-B2 starts: Enjoy Amsterdam in an unforgettable way, cruising "on the famous canals of Amsterdam" we pass about 10 bridges!
Our last cycle tour brings us along the wonderful Amstel river.
In the evening, we will enjoy the captain's dinner on board.
Sat: Individual departure after breakfast
