8 - days Tulip Tour 2024

Bike and Barge tulip tour

In April and May we offer special tulip tours, centered around the Tulip theme. You will cycle amid countless hectares of spring flowers and tulips. And, of course, you visit the world-famous park The Keukenhof.

Overwhelming colors of spring

On this bike and barge tour you will ride through the green heart of Holland, with its meadows, ditches and farms. The route leads through vast fields of tulips between Leiden and Haarlem. You will visit the world-famous, 32-hectares flower garden the Keukenhof, where you can admire the wonderful colorful fields with flowering bulbs in peace and quiet. Over 7 million bulbs will bloom, with a total of 800 varieties of tulips. A unique, unforgettable experience! The tulip bulb, originally from Turkey, reached the Netherlands at the end of the 16th century. The flower and bulb were thought to be so special that a lively trade arose quite quickly. In 1634 there was one single bulb that was so expensive, a whole canal house in Amsterdam could be bought with the money worth it. Apart from the beautiful flowers you also see the famous cheese city of Gouda. The 19 windmills of Kinderdijk (World Heritage List).The international port of Rotterdam and the Residence The Hague.

Day 1 Amsterdam - Oude Wetering, 10 km

You are expected to arrive on our barge on Thursday no later than 1.30 PM. The barge needs to leave the mooring place in Amsterdam at 2 PM. It is very important you are on time. The barge can’t wait due to the opening hours of bridges and/or locks. Boarding time is between 12.30 PM and 1.30 PM. When you arrive on board the barge, you can put your luggage away in your cabin and then enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. It is also a good moment to become acquainted with the guide, skipper and crew and of course your fellow passengers. During dinner aboard the ship, the program for next day and the global planning of the week are discussed. After diner the guide will take you on a short ride around Oude Wetering to try out the bikes.

Day 2 Oude Wetering – Gouda, 45 km

From Oude Wetering you will continue your tour over country roads, along river banks and channels through the Green Heart to the city known for its cheese: Gouda. Who thinks of Gouda, not only thinks of cheese, pipes, ‘stroopwafels’ (treacle-waffle) and pottery, but also of beautifull stained glass windows, a fairy-like town hall and atmospheric canals. Gouda is a beautiful Old Dutch city with a mostly intact city centre. As on most days, after dinner you can take a walk through the city.

Day 3 Gouda – Delft, 40 km

From Gouda you cycle past scenic polders via Kinderdijk to Rotterdam. Kinderdijk has the largest group of windmills in the Netherlands. The windmills at Kinderdijk were still actively used until 1950. These days, a large pumping station is responsible for controlling the water level in the polder. After visiting the windmills of Kinderdijk you take the ferrey to Rotterdam. In Rotterdam you embark and from there the ship takes you to Delft. Delft, the town famous for its pottery, the ‘Delft blue’. The Prinsenhof Museum is housed in the former St Agatha’s monastery. In 1572 William of Orange chose the convent as one of his residences. It was from here that he led the revolt against the Spanish tyranny of Holland. He was murdered on the steps of the Prinsenhof on July 10, 1584, by Balthazar Gerards, a Spanish sympathiser. Two bullet holes in the wall of the stairs bear witness to this event.

Day 4 Delft - Leiden, 36/48 km

Today is Sunday, the day on which most Dutch take out their bikes for a ride. From Delft we cycle in the direction of The Hague, through ‘het Haagse Bosch’, a large park, and past the former Royal Palace ‘Huis ten Bosch’. The long tour leads you over tranquil cycle paths through the dunes to Wassenaarse Slag. Here you can see the remains of the Atlantikwall. Five bunkers are connected by nearly 3,000-feet-long brick tunnels. Now 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, ‘Kattuks’. Following the course of the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine) river we 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 brings you along ‘Vlietlanden’ a 130 ha big recreational lake to Leiden.

Day 5 Leiden - visit Keukenhof

Today you visit the Keukenhof gardens, the most beautiful spring park in the world. An overwhelming blaze of colours of seven million flowering tulips, in a magnificent 80-acres’ background of traditional and modern gardening architecture. The many blossoms, the flowering rhododendrons and azaleas are a feast to the eye. The pavilions will surprise you with unique flower shows. And amidst the wealth of colours there are surprising objects of art. This unequalled combination is extremely pleasing to the eye. In the Keukenhof various gardens and gardening styles can be found: the English Landscape Garden, the Historical Garden, the Natural Garden, the Japanese Natural Garden, the Formal Garden and three special colours gardens. Spread throughout the entire park there are approximately eighty sculptures from well-known Dutch artists. There are also several other art objects, such as the collection ‘Surprising Tulips’

Day 6 Leiden - Haarlem, 40 km

From Leiden you cycle through wonderful flower beds in the direction of Haarlem. In the period of March to May the bulb fields are blooming, starting with daffodils and followed by hyacinths, tulips and lilies. Once in the city of Haarlem you make a short tour through the city to see some typical ‘hofjes’ (almshouses), old houses around a central courtyard, now usually housing elderly people. These ‘hofjes ‘ are definitely worth a visit. Haarlem, which rendered its name to Harlem, New York, is a lively city with good shopping possibilities. The barge is berthed in the city centre, with a view of St Bavo’s Church and with easy access to the Grote Markt with its many outdoor cafés.

Day 7 Haarlem - Amsterdam, 40 km

From Haarlem you sail to Spaarndam, a picturesque village on the edge of Haarlem, in the direction of Amsterdam. Spaarndam’s name comes from the dam built in the Spaarne River to limit the danger of flooding from the sea. Here you can find the statue of Hansje Brinker on the IJdijk. Hansje is a character from an American novel. He was said to have saved the country from flooding by putting his finger in the dike. The Buitenhuizen ferry takes you across the North Sea Canal and from there you cycle to the Zaanse Schans. The Zaanse Schans, with its traditional weatherboard houses, warehouses and windmills may give you the feeling of stepping back into the 17th or 18th century.Yet this is no open air museum, but a lively neighborhood where people live and work. Among other things a cheese farm, a clog maker and an old bakery can be visited here.

Day 8 Amsterdam, end of tour

End of the tour after breakfast, disembarkation no later than 10 AM. If you have an early flight you can ask the tourguide to arrange a taxi to the airport.

Included

• All nights on board, cabin in the booked category
• Full board (7 x breakfast, 6 x self-made picknick lunch for bike tours, 7 x three course dinner)
• Use of bed linen and towels
• Coffee and tea on board
• Tourguide, cycles with the group; speaks Dutch/English, a few speak German and/or French
• Min. 3 city walks with the tourguide
• Free WiFi (limited available in lounge and on deck)
• Road book, 1x per cabin
• GPS-tracks (on request)
• Entrance Keukenhof, incl. public transport
• Ferry fares on the route

Not Included

• Reservation costs
• Bicycle rent, bike insurance included (optional)
• Entrance fees to museums; approx. € 25,- per tour
• Other drinks on board (payment on board)

Special details

• This tour is operated by Cycletours
• Due to weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances, the route/program may be changed without notice.
• We do not allow private e-bikes on board (due to safety regulations).
• If you have special meal requirements we ask you to mention this when booking, but at the latest until 14 days before arrival. Diets which need a special preparation or special ingredients can only be offered in limited form. We will do our best to meet your needs, but we also ask for your understanding as due to limited logistic possibilities on a barge we are not able to prepare complete specialized menus. In case of Celiac; gluten free diet; lactose free diet; vegan meals there is an additional charge of € 75, – per diet per week (possible on request up to 14 days prior to start of the tour). If ordered upon arrival this supplement is € 100,- per diet per week, to be paid on spot.
• Dutch Barge Cruises reserves the right to cancel tours with fewer than 12 participants up to 21 days prior to the date of departure.