Hidden Highlights of the Netherlands

Day 1 UK to Amsterdam to Zaandam

Travel to Amsterdam and embark Spirit of the Rhine.

Enjoy a welcome reception and dinner on board as you depart early this evening for Zaandam where you moor overnight.

Day 2 Zaandam to Hoorn

This morning an optional tour explores the historic village of Zaanse Schans. The Zaan region was an industrial area and its hundreds of windmills were used in the production of a wide variety of different items. See the traditional houses, warehouses, workshops and reconstructed windmills and you'll get an idea of what it was like to live here in the 18th and 19th centuries. Depart during lunch for Hoorn arriving late afternoon and mooring overnight. This region of Friesland is largely agricultural and particularly famous for its black-and-white Friesian cattle.

Day 3 Hoorn to Enkhuizen

When the Dutch navigators Willem Schouten and Jakob Le Maire first sailed past Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South America back in 1616, Schouten named it after this, his home town of Hoorn. Look forward to an included walking tour this morning. Enjoy a guided walk around the attractive harbour town, once home to many an adventurous mariner – including Abel Tasman and J P Coen, founders of the Dutch East India Company. As a result of its early seafaring wealth, Hoorn boasts many pretty historic buildings. Your ship sails on to Enkhuizen at lunchtime arriving later this afternoon and mooring overnight.

Day 4 Enkhuizen to Medemblik

Spend the day at leisure in the former fishing port of Enkhuizen. Once known as Herring Town, Enkhuizen was one of the Dutch East India Company's main operational ports in the 17th century and rivalled Amsterdam in status. Stroll the prettily preserved streets, indulge in some retail therapy and visit the fascinating Zuiderzee Museum on an included excursion. There is also a delightfully quirky bottle ship museum – home to the world's largest collection of ships in bottles! Depart Enkhuizen during dinner and sail to Medemblik, where you will moor overnight.

Day 5 Medemblik to Lelystad

Wake up in Medemblik and after breakfast perhaps join an optional tour of Texel Island to see more of the area. Set sail from Medemblik early this afternoon afternoon and cruise on to arrive in Lelystad during dinner and moor overnight.

Day 6 Lelystad

Wake up in Lelystad and join an included excursion this morning visiting the pretty, car-free village of Giethoorn, known as the ‘Venice of the Netherlands’, where distinctive thatched houses line the network of canals. There are no roads in the centre of the village, so locals use punts to get around and cars remain outside the village.

Depart Lelystad before dinner and sail through the night to Kinderdijk.

Day 7 Kinderdijk to Willemstad

You’ll arrive at Kinderdijk, the extraordinary location of 19 windmills dating from the 15th century, this morning. On an optional excursion you can go ashore and inspect the different models designed for pumping water from the land. Reboard Spirit of the Rhine late morning and cruise through lunch to arrive in Willemstad, where you can join an optional walking tour.

Early this evening your ship departs for Brussels, sailing overnight.

Day 8 Brussels to UK

After cruising through the night, arrive in the Belgian capital before breakfast.

Disembark Spirit of the Rhine after breakfast ahead of your return journey to the UK.