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Day 1 Saturday: Arrive Amsterdam. Amsterdam to Hoorn, 9 miles (15km).
In the morning you will be able to check into the barge, be shown your cabin and meet your fellow travellers. At approximately 1.00pm your barge will cruise through the locks to the IJssel Lake. The sailing trip to Hoorn takes about 4 hours. In the evening there is a short ‘warming-up’ cycle ride in and around Hoorn.
Day 2 Sunday: Hoorn to Lemmer, 19 miles (30km).
Today’s cycle trip rides through the Noordholland scenery through villages with names like Nibbixwoud and Hoogkarspel. In Enkhuizen you will rejoin the barge for the crossing to Lemmer in the province of Friesland. In the evening your guide will invite you for a walk in town.
Day 3 Monday: Lemmer to Blokzijl/Vollenhove, 22 miles (35km).
The province of Friesland is well-known for its numerous lakes and other waterways and today you will be passing some canals and the lake called ‘Tjeukemeer’. You will stop in the tiny village of Ossenzijl, on the edge of the Weerribben national park. We recommend a visit to the visitor’s center of this nature reserve, which is unique in Europe. Following the Kalenberger canal, the cycle trip for today ends in Blokzijl/Vollenhove.
 Day 4 Tuesday: Round trip Blokzijl/Vollenhove, 25 miles (40km).
The barge stays in Blokzijl/Vollenhove and the cyclists ride via Steenwijk to Giethoorn, called ‘the Venice of the North’. One of the possibilities here is renting a ‘punter’, the local boat, for a trip. After leaving Giethoorn, you will pass the lake Beulaker Wijde and through Dwarsgracht to return to Blokzijl/Vollenhove. As an alternative you could spend the day on your own and make a trip by canoe or by bike in the Weerribben nature reserve.
Day 5 Wednesday: Blokzijl/Vollenhove to Kampen, 38 miles (60km).
Today you will pass the lakes Belter Wijde and Schutsloter Wijde on your way to Zwartsluis. In this lively town, situated on a crossing of waterways, it is pleasant to sit down on one of the many terraces. You will reach Genemuiden by ferry and cycle on top of the Kamper Zeedijk, an old dyke, to the 16th century Hanseatic town of Kampen situated alongside the River IJssel.
Day 6 Thursday: Kampen to Harderwijk, 28 miles (45km).
Your first stop, a ‘must’, is in the splendidly preserved fortified town of Elburg. After having passed Nunspeet, you enter the moorlands of Elspeet and the forestries around the country estate ‘Huis te Leuvenum’. Finally you reach Harderwijk, a picturesque port that is known for its Dolphinarium.
Day 7 Friday: Harderwijk to Amsterdam, 38 miles (60km).
The barge takes you to Spakenburg a former fishing village that has a traditional harbour and is known for its traditional clothing still worn by a number of locals. Next you will pass villadom Blaricum and cross the wood and moorlands of the Tafelberg before paying a short visit to the 14th century Naarden-Vesting, a fortified town. Alongside the IJ-Lake and via Muiden you arrive back in Amsterdam to rejoin your barge. In the evening you may like to join the guide for a walk around the city or a roundtrip of the Amsterdam canals would make a memorable end to your holiday.
Day 8 Saturday: Depart from Amsterdam.
It is the end of the tour and so it is time to say farewells, exchange contact details and make your way home.
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Cruise and Cycle
The "Noorderzon" is one of the barges used on this tour. Classified as a Standard barge it has 12 cabins with bunk beds, all with their own facilities and will take up to 24 people. In the saloon, where meals are eaten, there is an "honesty" bar. You help yourself to wine, beer or soft drinks and record what you have taken so that you can pay at the end of the week. We use an operator in Holland for these holidays, and as they sell to other agents in Europe such as ourselves it is likely you will have a mix of different nationalities on this tour adding to the cultural enjoyment.