Highlights of Holland Cycling

• Flexible, easy routes: pancake-flat cycling on smooth cycle paths, perfect for families and first-timers!
• Soaring cathedrals, crumbling castles, ancient fortresses and musical bells
• Seafaring heritage: square-rigged clippers, seaside lighthouses, bustling canals
• Tulip fields, sand dunes, sweeping beaches, wildlife-rich marshes
• Extra nights en route: tailor your trip to suit!

They say that God created the world, but the Dutch created Holland. This is especially true of North Holland, a province of wild sand dunes, pristine coastline and picture postcard countryside, more than half of which has been reclaimed from the North Sea. New for 2012, this flexible, independent cycling tour follows a clockwise loop from Haarlem, taking in lighthouses, canals, sweeping beaches and floating houses. En-route, you'll pass fields ablaze with lavender, lillies and tulips (according to season) and stop off at heritage-rich towns filled with markets, cathedrals and musical bells. It encompasses Holland's dramatic seafaring legacy with ports and marinas at every turn - the C17 Dutch East India Company fleet was based in Hoorn, which gave its name to Cape Horn in South America.

There is nowhere in the world that caters so enthusiastically to cyclists, right down to cycling traffic lights! The cycling paths are fabulously flat, meaning it's a great choice for families, first-timers or people who haven't been on a bike in years! All routes (except day 3) can be shortened on the train if you wish, while easy-to-follow signposts combined with pinpoint accurate maps make adapting your day incredibly simple.

Extra nights can be arranged in any of our overnight stops, so you can tailor your holiday to suit. A mixture of traditional and boutique hotels await in Haarlem, Alkmaar, Hoorn, Edam and Amsterdam. Evening meals are included in Alkmaar and Edam. All other overnight stops have some great restaurant choices on the doorstep.