Day 1: Amsterdam - Monnickendam
Your week of sailing and cycling starts in Amsterdam. The crew welcomes you on board between 1 and 2 P.M. Once all guests have checked in, the ship sails under motor to Monnickendam. From the port of this former fishing village, a short warm-up ride leads you through the rural nature reserve of Waterland with its many villages.
Day 2: Monnickendam - Volendam / Volendam - Hoorn, approx. 32 or 51 km
A very Dutch start of the day: you cycle to a nearby, family-run cheese and clog shop for a short demonstration of cheese and clog making, and of course a cheese tasting.
Your next destination is Edam, a lovely town whose lanes and canals deserve a stroll. Via the main dike of the Ijsselmeer you arrive at the promenade of Volendam, where the ship is docked. After dinner, let the historical city center lure you into a digestive walk. Later in the evening, the ship sails to Hoorn.
Day 3: Hoorn - Enkhuizen - Urk, approx. 28 or 39 km
Through small rural hamlets and villages, today’s ride brings you to Enkhuizen. Pass by windmill De Krijgsman, the highest windmill in the province of North-Holland and one of a handful of old Dutch windmills still in use to produce flour commercially.
In the afternoon, weather permitting, we sail across the Ijsselmeer to the port of Urk.
In the evening you may stroll through the narrow streets and alleys of Urk.
Day 4: Urk - Vollenhove, approx. 37 km
After breakfast, cycle along the lake on a tarmacked cycle path to the former island of Schokland. Continue your bike ride through the polder to Vollenhove, another charming, former fishing village.
Day 5: Vollenhove - Giethoorn , approx. 37-49 km
From Vollenhove you cycle through the ovenen landscape to the small town of Blokzijl. Here begins the Nato nalpark Weerribben- Wieden, which is considered to be the largest freshwater wetland in Northwest Europe and an oasis of peace for plants, animals and people. There is a cycle path through the centre of the park and you can fully immerse yourself in the Stlle of this area. With a bit of luck you may discover a kingfisher or even an otter. You drive through Kalenberg, a village that was only accessible by boat until the fifties. A meandering route through a rural landscape with narrow fields surrounded by dikes leads you to the beautiful town of Giethoorn, also known as the "little Venice of the North";.
Day 6: Giethoorn - Lelystad
Today you can enjoy a full day of sailing and relaxing on board. Again, you can help the captain sail the ship if you wish. Or you can simply sit back on deck and relax. Early afternoon the ship will arrive in Lelystad, capital of the province of Flevoland that was entirely reclaimed from the sea.
Here you can stretch your legs and visit the Batavia Werf, an extraordinary shipyard, where ships with an important maritime history are taken from oblivion and returned to their former glory. Or go shopping at Batavia Stad, an outlet center with all the famous brands.
Day 7: Lelystad - Blocq van Kuffeler, 20 or 29 km
In the morning you’ll disembark for your last half day of cycling. You’ll ride through the Oostvaardersplassen—a nature reserve on new land, left to find its own balance like nature did in old times on old land. Sections of the ride wind through forested areas, while others give you panoramic views of expansive reed beds and marshes. This is a birdwatchers’ paradise.
Day 8: Amsterdam
Disembarkment at 09:30 a.m. after breakfast and individual trip home.
