8 Day , Green Heart of Holland – Guided / History and Holland's Green Heart

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 you will still have plenty of time to explore this famous city.

Treat yourself to a canal tour, visit one or more museums or simply do some shopping.

An introduction to the tour will take place at 5.30 p.m., during which the crew will be presented and your first dinner on board will be served; your rental bicycles will also be distributed at this time.

After a short cruise on board the Lena Maria, 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 such as windmills and 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 center and the Grote Markt (market square).

If preferred, today’s cycling tour can also be extended with a visit to the sea locks of IJmuiden and the Kennemer Dunes. During this cycling tour you can visit some forts of the Defense Line of Amsterdam (UNESCO World Heritage Site).

After enjoying breakfast with your newfound cycling friends, you will pedal today 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 center is crisscrossed with canals lined by beautiful 17th-century buildings and is very definitely a must to see.

The longer cycling tour leads you from Haarlem to Cruquius (steam engine museum) and Hillegom (several flower nurseries) to Leiden.

From Leiden you will cycle to Delft, famous for its Blue porcelain (Delftware), where you will have the opportunity to visit a porcelain studio.

Another major attraction in the beautiful city center of Delft is the royal crypt of the House of Orange.

The longer cycling tour brings you to seaside resort Scheveningen and to The Hague, where you can visit the Binnenhof (Parliament) and the Peace Palace (Vredespaleis) and then continues to end in Delft.

This morning you will sail from Delft on the Lena Maria 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 bicycle over the river in 30-40 minutes to Alblasserdam.

From there you cycle just a few miles to Kinderdijk, world famous for an impressive row of 19 large windmills.

These 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.

The highlight of today’s cycling tour is the naturally idyllic beauty of the South Holland landscape.

Your destination for the day is the village of Kudelstaart where the Lena Maria 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 savor while enjoying a wine during or after dinner.

If you are keen for an early start to the day you can visit the largest trade centre for plants and flowers in the world at 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 the one place.

After a late breakfast you can either stay on board the Lena Maria 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.

Once you reach Amsterdam take the opportunity during the afternoon and evening to go for a canal cruise, discover Anne Frank’s House, the Rembrandt House Museum, the Royal Palace of Amsterdam and Dam Square, the very center and heart of the city.

Today is the last day of the best of the best from Holland tour where all mayor places is be visted and be sure going to places where the local go also by bicycle this is the best way to learn about the Dutch way of life and the beauty is the boat brings you from place to place that means no time is wasted we from Above-5 we hope you enjoy it ,

Before you go to leaf Amsterdam or the Netherlands don't forget to try and taste the world famous raw Dutch fish the Hering and eat it the Dutch way , they have raw or pickeled

End of your tour: Disembarkation after breakfast until 9.30 a.m.

Parts that are printed in italics parts will be covered by the ship.

All distances are “approximate distances” of recommended bike tours. The tour details are barring changes, a.o. as a result of nautical, technical or meteorological reasons.

• The daily cycling tours will be accompanied by a knowledgeable and multi-lingual tour leader.
• During the days when 2 bicycle options are possible, the tour leader will make a choice for the longer or the shorter option together with the group.
• Not all mentioned highlights will be visited during the short bike option.
• You can also choose to ride individually with the help of a map and route notes (available on board). GPS tracks will be sent to you 4 weeks before the start date of the tour.

• In case you prefer a day of rest, you can skip the bike tour and relax on board while cruising to the next town.
• On the arrival day is it possible to bring your luggage on board from 11 a.m.

8 days/7 nights

7 x breakfast

Packed lunches

7 x 3-course dinner

Coffee and tea on board

Welcome drink

Use of bed linen and towels

1 x cleaning of the cabin during the tour

Daily briefings by the tour leader

Fully guided cycling tours

Fees for ferries

Maps and notes for cycling tours (1 set per cabin)

GPS tracks

Use of a waterproof pannier bag

Wi-Fi

Drinks

Bicycle rental or E-bike rental

Helmet rental

Personal insurances

Gratuities (at your discretion)

Entrance fees and excursions

Transfers to/from the docking place

Parking fees

Rental bicycle: €75 per week Rental E-Bike: €175 per week (only on request, limited number available) You can find a description of the bicycles when you click on ship.

Helmets:       A helmet can be rented for € 10 per week, only on prior reservation and payment.

Canal cruise Amsterdam: Ticket for a 1-hour canal cruise through Amsterdam – special price for our guests: € 12,50 (at the ticket desk approx.: € 18). Please book your ticket in advance and you can collect it on board of your ship on the first day of the tour.

Parking in Amsterdam (valet parking): prices and pre-booking on request.

The Lena Maria started her second life as a passenger barge in 2006. This ship was built by Hans de Lange who had previously built and operated similar vessels. The Lena Maria is a very comfortable ship, ideal for bike and barge tours in the Netherlands and very popular on the Hanseatic tour.

Description of the cabins
The Lena Maria has twelve spacious twin cabins (10,5 m² – 113 sq.ft.) with two separate beds. Each cabin has a private shower, toilet and basin. Windows can be opened and the cabins have ventilation and central heating. Furthermore, you will find a hair dryer in each cabin.

Description of the ship
On the upper deck of the Lena Maria you will find the cozy lounge with the bar and dining area. Wi-Fi is available. The barge also has a beautiful sundeck, where you can have a drink. On nice evenings, or while cruising, you can enjoy the scenery from here.

Facts about the ship
Length:           45 m (148 ft.)
Width:             6,6 m (22 ft.)
Crew:              3
Cabins:           12
Pass.:              24 (max.)

Lena Maria

Ideal for bike and barge tours is this spacious river cruiser, Lena Maria. She offers lots of room and comfort to a maximum of 24 passengers. All of the 12 cabins, that are located on the lower deck, are provided with 2 low beds, storage facilities for your luggage, and a small, private bathroom. On the upper deck you’ll find a restaurant area on one side and on the other a salon with nice seats. A perfect spot to regain your strength after a few hours on your bicycle.

Bicycles/E-Bikes:
On board are bicycles of the brand Azor with easy-to-handle Shimano 7-speed gears, handbrakes, gel-saddle (height adjustable), a lock on the frame and a pannier bag. All bikes have 28 inch wheels. There are bicycles with 7-gear and backpedal brake on request available.  For large gentlemen (from 1.90m and above) we have a few traditional men’s models (with a horizontal bar) available.
The e-bike is a Flyer with 7 gears, 3 support levels and hand breaks only (or a comparable brand/model).

Bike rental is optional. Guests are also allowed to bring their own bicycles (at no additional fee). However, the crew or tour operators are in no way responsible for any damage, loss or theft of guests own bicycles.
Prices of other bikes (e.g. children’s bikes, “slip streamers”/tag-a-long, tandem bicycles etc. and child’s saddles (rear) are on request.

General over view of the availability of the departures

11  May departure still open for booking

15  June departure still open for booking

22  June departure still open for booking

31  August fully booked , Sorry

07  September departure still open for booking

14  September departure still open for booking

21  September departure still open for booking

ts always possible to drop us a mail in order to see dates or other availabilities on other tours.

But there are options for group departures on request as well, Group means maximum 20 Person please drop our Concierge a mail in order to see what are the option.

Note the maximum group size has to be based on the choice of boat thats cruising see below the cabin numbers

MS Lena Maria  <>  24 passengers

The Boat and Bike tours are the best ways to see holland on the best way and experience the details of the life of the friendly Dutch people