Tulip mini cruise 2024

Bike and Barge Tulip cruise 2024

Experience Holland in style: with a gorgeous spring break overflowing with flowers. This 5-day mini-cruise treats you to Dutch delights in the most beautiful season of the year and will take you to hidden botanical gems in “the Garden of Amsterdam”. Enjoy unforgettable days on board a custom-built barge with excellent service and an alternating itinerary.

Amsterdam is also called, by some, the smallest metropolis of Europe. It boasts many unique museums, as well as enticing shopping, and the UNESCO-listed canals in the heart of city certainly make a visit to Amsterdam a fine Holland highlight. Visit the famous flower market in the center of the capital and discover the Zaanse Schans open-air museum, including windmills, a traditional cheese maker, a clog maker, and a traditional Dutch village. Other highlights of this trip are the historic city of Haarlem, the world famous flower park Keukenhof, near Lisse. Optional is a visit to the world’s largest flower auction* in Aalsmeer.

*: The Aalsmeer flower auction is closed during weekends and on public holidays. This is an optional visit. Please be aware that on the departure dates March 31, April 8, 21, 28 and 29 2021, a visit to the flower auction is not possible.

Description of the cabins
The upper deck has four spacious suites (14 m² – 151 sq.ft.) with two separate single beds, a small sitting area and large panoramic windows, of which the middle part can be opened. The lower deck has thirteen cabins: one premium twin cabin (13 m² – 140 sq.ft.) with two separate single beds and a small sitting area and twelve beautiful twin cabins (11 m² – 118 sq.ft.) with 2 separate single beds. In most cabins, on prior request, the beds can be set together as a double bed. On request, an extra bed is available in two twin cabins and one upper deck suite for children up to age 16 (above one of the other beds).
All cabins have en-suite facilities with a shower, toilet and sink. The cabins on the lower deck have portholes (fixed for safety reasons), upper deck suites have 2 m / 6.6 ft. wide windows (which can be partly opened) and the air conditioning in all cabins can be individually regulated. Furthermore, in each cabin you will find a flat screen satellite TV, a mini safe and a hair dryer.

Description of the ship
The upper deck has a large, tastefully furnished and spacious salon with air conditioning, a restaurant area, a beautiful bar and a lounge area with cozy sitting area, a wide screen TV and large panoramic windows. Wi-Fi is available. The Magnifique II has a beautiful, partly covered teak wooden sun deck with chairs and tables on the aft deck and a cycle storage on the front deck. On the top deck, the barge has a whirlpool/Jacuzzi and some deckchairs to relax while you enjoy the scenery when cruising.

Embarkation and check-in, where the crew will welcome you on board, takes place at 2 p.m. As soon as all guests have arrived a short cruise will bring you to Zaandam, a spot famous for its windmills. Here, your barge will berth in the center of the city for the night. Upon arrival you can enjoy taking your new bike for a brief test ride through the surrounding area. In the evening, enjoy a short walk through the picturesque center of Zaandam.

Day 2: Zaandam – “Zaanse Schans” – Zaandam | Zaandam – Haarlem (24 km/14 mi. or 34 km/21 mi.)

After breakfast you will enjoy a 5 km bicycle ride to the open air museum “Zaanse Schans” with beautiful windmills, traditional wooden houses, an old Dutch village, a cheese farm and a traditional wooden clog maker. In the afternoon you have a choice to make: you can either cycle (24 km/14 mi.) to Haarlem or take it easy and join the barge while enjoying the scenery. In Haarlem visit the historical inner city with the Grote Markt and St. Bavo church. Your barge will be berthed not far from the centre of Haarlem for the night, so you will have time to enjoy a short city walk in the afternoon or in the evening.

Day 3: Haarlem – Keukenhof – Oude Wetering (39 km/24 mi. or 57 km/35 mi.)

Today you will cycle to the Keukenhof, arguably the most famous flower park in the world where you can admire hundreds of thousands of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and many other flowers in full bloom. After an extensive visit you will get back on your bicycle and will head to Oude Wetering, a small village, where your floating hotel will be waiting for you.

Day 4: Oude Wetering –Nieuwe Meer (28 km/18 mi.) | Nieuwe Meer – Amsterdam

This morning you are in for a real treat – an early visit by bus (6.30 a.m.) to the biggest flower auction in the world at Aalsmeer. In the morning millions of flowers are auctioned off here and are instantly sent out to all parts of the world*. By 9 a.m. you will return on the your barge where a late breakfast will be waiting for you. After a short bike ride you will join the barge for an afternoon of sailing through Amsterdam. In Amsterdam you have the opportunity to discover this amazing city. Visit the inner city flower market, go to a museum, do some shopping… there is just so much to do!

*: The Aalsmeer flower auction is closed during weekends and on public holidays. This is an optional visit. Please be aware that on some departure dates a visit to the flower auction is not possible.

Day 5: Amsterdam

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

Good to know

• Cycling route distances in the travel program are approximate.
• On some days you can choose between a longer and a shorter cycling route. Please note that on the shorter routes you may not be able to visit all the highlights mentioned.
• If you prefer not to cycle on a particular day, you’re welcome to stay on board and relax while the ship cruises to the next landing place.
• The tour itinerary and route are subject to possible changes due to nautical, technical or meteorological reasons, or other unforeseen events.
• On the arrival day, you can leave your luggage on board the ship from 11.00 am.
• Detailed cycling maps, route tips and a GPS app are available for guests who wish to cycle individually and at their own pace. The tour guide is always available via cell phone in case of questions, breakdowns or emergencies.

INCLUDED:

• 5 days/4 nights
• 4 x breakfast
• Packed lunches
• 4 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 (2 tour leaders, 2 groups)
• Some short walking tours
• Maps and notes for cycling tours (1 set per cabin)
• GPS tracks
• Use of a helmet
• Use of a waterproof pannier bag
• Water bottle
• Entrance Keukenhof
• Entrance North-Holland Dune reserve
• Visit mill at Zaanse Schans
• Fees for ferries
• Wi-Fi

Not included

• Drinks
• Bicycle rental or E-bike rental
• Personal insurances
• Gratuities (at your discretion)
• Entrance fees and excursions (not mentioned under inclusions)
• Transfers to/from the docking place
• Parking fees

Additional options

• Rental bicycle Premium: € 70 per week (optional)
• Rental E-Bike Premium: € 145 per week (optional, only a limited number of electrical bikes available: pref. reservation by booking)
• Parking own bicycle: € 8 per week (only a limited number of parking places available: pref. reservation by booking)
• Parking + charge station own E-Bike: € 19 per week (only a limited number of parking places available: pref. reservation by booking)