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Netherlands

Netherlands: 8-day Tulip Tour Premium

Historical cities, flower fields, spring
Amsterdam Round tour.
Premium Experience the higher levels of comfort, smaller groups and extra’s.
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Netherlands: 8-day Tulip Tour Premium

Highlights of this tour

Bike and Barge The Netherlands: 8-day Holland Tulip Tour | Fleur & Zwaantje This wonderful bike and barge trip that starts and ends in Amsterdam, takes you through the provinces of South- and North Holland while spring flowers are in bloom. You will spend time in the historical cities of Haarlem, Leiden,  Gouda and Alkmaar and learn about the water management of these lowlands at the North Sea. You will also visit the famous Keukenhof gardens, known by the hundreds of thousands of blooming tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and other bulb […]

Explore tulip fields & a cheese farm

Historical cities of Amsterdam & Gouda

Flower market, Keukenhof, Zaanse Schans

Barges with max. 20 – 24 passengers

Guidance
  • Guided cycling: A tour leader will guide you during the cycling days
  • Independent cycling: No tour leader, the ships’ crew does daily briefing, independent cycling
guidance Guided cycling
Difficulty
  • Level 1: easy tours, very flat terrain
  • Level 2: quite easy tours, mostly flat terrain
  • Level 3: requires a higher level of exertion, medium hilly terrain
  • Level 4: for experienced cyclists, hilly terrain with climbs
Difficulty level 1 Difficulty level 1
Duration of the tour.
tijd2 Created with Sketch.
8 days

About this tour

Bike and Barge The Netherlands: 8-day Holland Tulip Tour | Fleur & Zwaantje

This wonderful bike and barge trip that starts and ends in Amsterdam, takes you through the provinces of South- and North Holland while spring flowers are in bloom. You will spend time in the historical cities of Haarlem, Leiden,  Gouda and Alkmaar and learn about the water management of these lowlands at the North Sea. You will also visit the famous Keukenhof gardens, known by the hundreds of thousands of blooming tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and other bulb flowers. The world-famous Aalsmeer flower auction is on the program where an astonishing volume of beautiful flowers are being traded daily and exported all over the world the World. One night the barge mooring is at  the open air museum ‘the Zaanse Schans’ with its windmills, cheese farm and picturesque wooden houses. You will be surprised by the beautiful, varied scenery and the wonderful cycling paths of Holland.

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Day to day program

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.

Day 1 (Sat): Amsterdam – Spaarndam | Spaarndam – Haarlem (6 km/3 mi. or 14 km/8 mi.)

You are welcome to check in between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. The crew will welcome you with coffee and tea. At 2.30 p.m. the barge leaves the harbor. While the barge sails to Haarlem, your tour leader will tell you about the tour, the cycling and safety. From Spaarndam you have the option to do a little test ride. After dinner on board, the tour leader will take you on a town walk through the beautiful city center of Haarlem.

Day 2 (Sun): Haarlem – Keukenhof – Leiden (38 km/23 mi.)

Today’s trip leads you through the oldest tulip fields of Holland, including a visit of the Keukenhof gardens. This is the most beautiful bulb park in the world. Keukenhof is the place where the spring breaks. An overwhelming blaze of colors; seven million flowering tulips in a magnificent 80-acres’ background of traditional and modern gardening architecture. You also can admire the various hyacinths, daffodils and many other colorful flowers. In the afternoon you cycle to the city of Leiden. Dinner on board and after that you can join the walk through town.

Day 3 (Mon): Leiden – Gouda (32 km/19 mi. or 40 km/24 mi.)

After breakfast you will cycle out of Leiden. You will travel through the ‘green heart’ of Holland. Near Zoeterwoude, you will visit a cheese farm where you will learn about the cheese-making process and you will have the opportunity to taste the results. In the afternoon you reach Gouda, famous for the Gouda cheese. Gouda has an attractive compact center with her pretty market square and Gothic town hall. The main church of Gouda, devoted to Saint John, is world famous for its stained glass windows. After dinner you can join the walk through town.

Day 4 (Tue): Gouda – Alphen a/d Rijn | Alphen a/d Rijn – Kudelstaart (20 km/12 mi. or 44 km/27 mi.)

We stay in Gouda this morning. You have the opportunity to do some shopping and to visit the market square with its cheese weigh house or you can visit the St. Johns church. We leave by barge around noon and have a light lunch on board. From Alphen aan den Rijn you cycle through the ‘green heart’ of South Holland via river Drecht and Amstel-Drecht channel to Kudelstaart.

Day 5 (Wed): Kudelstaart – Flower auction | Aalsmeer – Amsterdam | Amsterdam – Zaanse Schans (32 km/19 mi. or 41 km/25 mi.)

At 6.30 a.m. you can drink an early cup of coffee. After that you cycle to the flower auction of Aalsmeer, the largest of Europe. Here, huge quantities of flowers are trucked in and sold every day, after which they are distributed all over Europe. After your visit you return on board (around 9 a.m.) for a late breakfast while the barge sails to Amsterdam. You will enjoy a nice cruise, right through the city.

Today’s cycling tour takes you from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans, a unique hamlet where people live and work, with original houses and windmills from the river Zaan area. The hamlet is dominated by operating windmills, the oldest built in 1673, for grinding mustard, spices, paint and oil and for sawing wood into planks. As you walk through the village you will see a clock museum, an old-fashioned grocery store, a house with period furniture, a clog maker and a cheese farm.

Day 6 (Thu): Zaanse Schans – Alkmaar (29 km/18 mi. or 40 km/24 mi.)

This morning you cycle to the Hortus Bulborum, a unique garden museum dedicated to the preservation of rare and historic bulbs. More than 4,000 tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other flowers are planted here. Your cycling tour continues to Egmond at the Northsea. The tour goes through the dunes to Alkmaar. This town is known as a Dutch cheese city. As you wander through the streets you’ll be amazed by the beauty of Alkmaar’s Old Town, with its well-preserved 17th century buildings and narrow, winding canals. Dinner in town at your own account.

Day 7 (Fri): Alkmaar – Amsterdam (37 km/22 mi. or 54 km/33 mi.)

After breakfast your cycling tour leads you to the former windmill complex of the Schermer Polder. Here we visit the Schermerhorn Windmill Museum. Your next stop is the beautiful town of De Rijp. Centuries of history are still evident here in De Rijp’s wooden facades, beautiful church, lock and town hall. From here, your ride continues back to Amsterdam. In the late afternoon or evening there is time for a canal tour through the famous canals of the city.

Day 8 (Sat): Amsterdam

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

Good to know
  • With 18 guests or more, the daily cycling tours will be accompanied by two knowledgeable and multi-lingual tour leaders. On most days, the tour leaders will offer a long and a short (or a quicker and a more relaxed) cycling option. The option for a long tour is also depending on weather conditions and wishes of the group.
  • When there are less than 18 guests aboard, the tours will be accompanied by one knowledgeable and multi-lingual tour leader. During days when two bicycle options are possible, the tour leader will make a choice to guide the longer or the shorter option after consultation of the group.Not all mentioned highlights can be visited during the short cycling option.
  • 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 (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..

 


Prices & information

The price of a charter depends on many things. The beauty of the tours that we offer is that they are fully customizable. We can add extra services such as special bikes, extra meals or we can organize visits to the highlights of the region where you cycle that are not included in the program. That all affects the price. You can request a quote here for a trip of your choice. Our team of specialists will assist you to choose the right ship and itinerary or design a customized program for you.

Included in this tour

8 days/7 nights

7 x breakfast

Packed lunches

6 x 3-course dinner

Coffee and tea on board

Welcome drink

Use of bed linen and towels

Daily cleaning of the cabin

Climate-controlled cabin

Daily briefings

Fully guided cycling tours (from 18 guests: 2 tour leaders, 2 groups)

Some short walking tours

GPS tracks

Use of a helmet

Use of a waterproof pannier bag

Water bottle

Fees for ferries

Entrance Keukenhof

Visit original Dutch cheese farm

Entrance North-Holland Dune reserve

Entrance flower auction Aalsmeer

Wi-Fi

Excluded in this tour

1 x dinner (Alkmaar)

Drinks

Bicycle rental or E-bike rental

Personal insurances

Gratuities (at your discretion)

Entrance fees and excursions (not mentioned under included)

Transfers to/from the docking place

Parking fees



Reviews

based on 6 reviews on
15 May 2018

Mark and Wendy Thomas

The Bike & Barge trip was as good as advertised and better. The barge (Fleur) was comfortable and clean, all amenities worked well crew and staff competent, welcoming and accommodating to our needs. Food was FIVE Star in quality and presentation. Guides were knowledgeable and friendly, with each day interesting and well planned.

5 May 2018

hbh

great crew and leaders. we think we couldn’t have had a better bunch of professionals to deal with. everything was done to make our journey as smooth as possible. Loved it all

4 May 2018

Norm and Maryann Gravelle

We had a very enjoyable tour, the bicycling was very fun and the daily tours interesting and the guide took the group for walks each evening that were very informative.

26 Apr 2018

A J Clark

Our experience was fabulous. I just have one recommendation. To put hand sanitizer stations at the top of each stairwell, as you enter the door from outside and before entering the dining room. There can never be enough hand washing on a boat!


Available ships for this tour

Premium Experience the higher levels of comfort, smaller groups and extra’s.
Ship Fleur Belgium, France, Netherlands

Tours in France

Covered sundeck

Free coffee and tea 24/7

Individually controlled air conditioning

max. 20 passengers
10 cabins
6 tours available with this ship
Premium Experience the higher levels of comfort, smaller groups and extra’s.
Ship Zwaantje Belgium, France, Netherlands

Tours in France

Spacious sundeck

Free coffee and tea 24/7

Individually controlled air conditioning

max. 24 passengers
12 cabins
6 tours available with this ship

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Ship with max. 44 passengers

Duration of the tour.
tijd2 Created with Sketch. 5 days
Guidance
  • Guided cycling: A tour leader will guide you during the cycling days
  • Independent cycling: No tour leader, the ships’ crew does daily briefing, independent cycling
guidance Guided cycling
Difficulty
  • Level 1: easy tours, very flat terrain
  • Level 2: quite easy tours, mostly flat terrain
  • Level 3: requires a higher level of exertion, medium hilly terrain
  • Level 4: for experienced cyclists, hilly terrain with climbs
Difficulty level 1 Difficulty level 1
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Barges with max. 20 – 24 passengers

Duration of the tour.
tijd2 Created with Sketch. 8 days
5 stars
6 Reviews
Guidance
  • Guided cycling: A tour leader will guide you during the cycling days
  • Independent cycling: No tour leader, the ships’ crew does daily briefing, independent cycling
guidance Guided cycling
Difficulty
  • Level 1: easy tours, very flat terrain
  • Level 2: quite easy tours, mostly flat terrain
  • Level 3: requires a higher level of exertion, medium hilly terrain
  • Level 4: for experienced cyclists, hilly terrain with climbs
Difficulty level 1 Difficulty level 1

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Netherlands: 8-day Tulip Tour Premium

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