Luxury Highlights of Holland

The activities and excursions within this special itinerary in Holland are designed to accommodate cyclist and non-cyclist alike.  The art lovers and history buffs, the foodies and wine connoisseurs, even those who just enjoy relaxing onboard observing Dutch life along the canals and waterways...everyone will find this tour rewarding!

Day 1: Schiedam, 8 mi. (13 km)
Day 2: Schiedam- Delft - Leiden, 31 mi. (50 km)
Day 3: Leiden - Haarlem, 25 or 31 mi. (40 or 50 km)
Day 4: Haarlem - Zaandam, 24 or 32 mi. (39 or 52 km)
Day 5: Zaandam - Alphen aan den Rijn, 22 - 25 mi. (35 - 40 km)
Day 6: Alphen aan den Rijn - Gouda, 12 or 37 mi. (20 or 60 km)
Day 7: Gouda - Schiedam

Cruise routes are subject to change without notice.  Some waterways may be subject to occasional closures due to drought, storms, floods, canal or lock repairs, or other unforeseen circumstances that make navigation unsafe or impossible. The captain reserves the right to make changes deemed necessary.

Day 1: Schiedam, 8 mi. (13 km)
An arrival transfer at approximately 1 pm is provided from either a hotel or the airport in Amsterdam to the first night’s mooring location, in the quaint and fascinating town of Schiedam, situated on the outskirts of Rotterdam. Upon arrival on board, you can check-in and settle into your suite, enjoy a welcome drink/aperitif with canapes, and get to know the crew and your new home away from home.

If you want to cycle today, after your bike fitting, you can head to Rotterdam which is approximately 6 km by bike. Here you can bike past the Markethall, the Cube Houses, Erasmus Bridge, Euromast, and then back to Schiedam itself.

For those who want to stay in town, there are some amazing sights including six of the world’s largest working traditional windmills, a glass museum, a chocolate art factory, and a historic boat harbor. It is also famous for its Jenever (Dutch gin) distilleries, the most famous being the Nolet distillery (you will be moored right under their mill). So for the connoisseurs, a visit to the gin museum and tasting room combined with a leisurely walk around the old town is a must!  

Day 2: Schiedam- Delft - Leiden, 31 mi. (50 km)
Aurora departs at 8.30 am while you enjoy your first gourmet breakfast. At about 9 am, the ship passes through the lock onto the Maas river, sailing past the Euromast via Parksluis and then back into peaceful inland waterways heading for Delft. The ship will arrive here at about noon. Here the cyclists disembark and first enjoy lunch in the town. From Delft, you can cycle in the direction of The Hague, through a large park, and past the former Royal Palace.  A longer cycling option leads on tranquil cycle paths through the dunes to Wassenaarse Slag.

For those who love history, you can see the remains of the Atlantikwall (Atlantic Wall), an extensive system of coastal defense and fortifications built by Nazi Germany. Five bunkers are connected by nearly 3,000-feet-long brick tunnels. Today the underground network serves as a bat reserve. The route continues through the dunes, to Katwijk aan Zee, an old fishing village. The old inhabitants of Katwijk still speak their own dialect. Following the course of the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine) River, you cycle to Leiden. Leiden boasts 14 museums, including the Rijksmuseum. The ship is moored near the Zijlpoort, a gate that once formed part of the city walls.

The shorter route leads you inland after Huis den Bosch and leads along the Vlietlanden, a large recreational lake, to Leiden, Rembrandt's birthplace.    

For those who are not cycling, your day could consist of a long visit to The Hague where you can enjoy the Mauritshuis Museum with more than two hundred masterpieces by Dutch and Flemish masters are on display. You will want to see the Binnenhof (government buildings) as well as the Peace Palace.

Another option would be to visit  Madurodam, where you can enjoy Holland's highlights and heritage in this world-famous miniature and Holland theme park. You will discover Holland’s most iconic landmarks and history through a story of magnificent miniatures and indoor attractions. This is a perfect place for families!

Day 3: Leiden - Haarlem, 25 or 31 mi. (40 or 50 km)
Upon leaving the university town of Leiden you cruise by beautiful lakes and colorful flower fields towards the historical cosmopolitan and truly picturesque city of Haarlem, dating back to the 13th Century.  The cycling leads through the quaint villages and the beautiful natural surrounding with woods, dunes, and meadows, along the North Sea coastline,  through the fishing village of Katwijk and the seaside resort of Noordwijk. You can then either pass the country estates near Vogelenzang, passing the Cruquius Museum into Haarlem or keep following the beach into Zandvoort and Bloemendaal and get to Haarlem this way. Haarlem is home to the Frans Hals Museum founded in 1862 with its vast collection of Old Masters. Architectural highlights include the late Gothic masterpiece, St. Bavo’s Cathedral on the main square, where both Handel and Mozart played the magnificent Muller organ. Dream back in time, experiencing the atmosphere of the many historic courts. You will have some free time visiting a fine selection of boutique shops. Complete this day with an evening walk along the quiet canals to the market square with its café terraces or take a canal boat tour through picturesque arched bridges.

For those who prefer not to cycle, you can visit the  Frans Hals Portrait Gallery.

Day 4: Haarlem - Zaandam, 24 or 32 mi. (39 or 52 km)
From Haarlem, you set sail in the morning around 9 am, through the Spaarnsluis Lock and cruise through the North Sea Canal, to the mooring spot in Zaandam which is usually by the Zaan Theater. From here, you will cycle into Zaanse Schans only about 6 km away. The Zaanse Schans, with its traditional weatherboard dollhouses, warehouses, and windmills allows you to step back in time to the 17th or 18th century. This is more than an open-air museum, but a lively neighborhood where people live and work. Among other things, you can visit a cheese farm, a clog maker, an old-fashioned bakery and a clock museum. Lunch will be in the village so that you can taste the authentic local cuisine in one of the quaint restaurants.

From Zaanse Schans, you cycle the Zaanse Schans Cycle Route and for those who desire a more sportive option, you can cycle east across the beautiful countryside through the picturesque villages of Broek in Waterland, Monnickendam, and Marken with the option of taking a ferry across to Volendam cycling approx. 60 km total.

For those who do not cycle, you can have a longer visit in Zaandam and Zaanse Schans.

Day 5: Zaandam - Alphen aan den Rijn, 22 - 25 mi. (35 - 40 km)  
From Zaandam, you will cruise into Amsterdam, through the heart and the very center of the city where the small canals lined with houseboats and traditional architecture will take you back to a previous century. Just past the Olympic Stadium at approx 11, you will begin to cycle, passing through the beautiful Amsterdamse Bos forest, Amstelveen village, and along the Westeinder Plassen and Braassermermeer Lakes. After lunch, you will continue on through the bucolic Green Heart of Holland until arriving to the Aurora which will be moored in Alphen aan den Rijn. If you would like to shorten this day, you can do so by boarding the  Aurora in Oude Wetering by the lake and enjoying the cruise across the lake.

If you do not wish to cycle you can spend your time in Amsterdam and depending on your interests, visit one of the numerous museums. Another option is to visit one or two of the traditional fishing villages, Volendam and/or Marken.

Day 6: Alphen aan den Rijn - Gouda, disance pending
From Alphen, you will continue your tour over country roads, along river banks and canals through the Green Heart to the city known for its cheese,  Gouda!

Gouda is more than cheese, think pipes, ‘stroopwafels’ (treacle-waffle), and pottery, but also beautiful stained glass windows, a fairy-like Gothic town hall, and atmospheric canals. Gouda is a beautiful old Dutch city with a mostly intact city center. This is where you will have your lunch and either you choose to leisurely cycle around this charming town or you can cycle on through the scenic water-rich, rural region past the Hollandse IJssel river, following the dike and towpath along the river to Haastrecht, Hekendorp, and the Heksenwaag (witches weighhouse) in Oudewater. There is a fascinating history behind this weigh house, where alleged witches from all over Europe came to be weighed to prove their innocence. Via the Reeuwijske Plassen (lakes formed by turf-cutting) the route takes you back to Gouda. 

 As on most days, after dinner, you can take a walk through the city.

*If you would like to get up very early this morning, you can visit the colorful Aalsmeer Flower Auction, where some 17 million cut flowers from all over the world are traded each day. 

Day 7: Gouda - Schiedam, 12 or 37 mi. (20 or 60 km)
The Aurora departs early in the morning for the last cruise, leaving the capital of cheese and candles behind. You end back in Schiedam around 11 am. Disembarkation about noon.

If some enthusiasts wish to spend their last day cycling, they can cycle again through the Green Heart of Holland and follow the winding river Rotte to enter the modern city of Rotterdam and follow the path all the way to Schiedam. You may want to consider booking an extra night in the city!

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  Deluxe Class Motor Yacht

  Onboard the Aurora, an ultra-deluxe vessel, you can enjoy a unique bike and boat or luxury river cruise in style. Peppered with various activities, you will enjoy professionally prepared quality food, personalized service, and itineraries as unique as you are. Read More