Itinerary

Tulip Tour with Boat & Bike: Colorful Spring in Holland

5 days / 4 nights | Ships: Fluvius & Lena Maria | Self-guided bike tours (Upgrade guided tours possible)

Experience Holland in the best possible way: a gorgeous spring short break dominated by flowers. This 5-day mini-cruise plows through the most beautiful season of the year and will take you to gorgeous areas such in “the Garden of Amsterdam”. Enjoy some unforgettable days on board of a passenger barge with excellent service and an alternating itinerary.

Amsterdam is also called, by some, the smallest metropolis of Europe. There are many unique museums, enticing shopping and, recently added to the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage list, the canals in the heart of Amsterdam certainly make a visit to Amsterdam a 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 an authentic traditional Dutch village. Other highlights of this trip are the historic city of Haarlem, the world famous flower park Keukenhof, near Lisse and the largest flower auction* in the world in Aalsmeer.

*: The Aalsmeer flower auction is closed during weekends and on public holidays. This is an optional visit.

Highlights of this tour: A spring break overflowing with flowers, Historical cities of Amsterdam & Haarlem, Flower market, Keukenhof, Zaanse Schans, Ships with 22 to max. 40 passengers

Itinerary

Day 1: Amsterdam | Amsterdam – Zaandam

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 (Cycling 24 km / 14 miles or 34 km / 21 miles)

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 center 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 (Cycling 38 km / 23 miles or 55 km / 34 miles)

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 – Amsterdam | Amsterdam Waterland cycling tour (Cycling  28 km / 18 miles)

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 while sailing through Amsterdam. During the afternoon you either have the opportunity to make a last beautiful cycling tour through the wetlands of Waterland or 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! Optional: end-of-day canal tour in Amsterdam.

*: The Aalsmeer flower auction is closed during weekends and on public holidays. This is an optional visit.

Day 5: Amsterdam

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

Note: All distances are approximate distances of recommended bike tours. Program and information provided are subject to change, such as, for example, changes in weather conditions. The company retains the right to change the program or to change the shipping time and/or the order of the program in the case it deems it necessary to do so.

Good to know
Accompanied by a competent, professional and multilingual tour leader, you and the group will visit interesting sights and places on the daily cycling tours. During the bike tour, they will explain the local history and culture behind the things you encounter along the way.
Fluvius: On this Tulip Tour with more than 22 guests the daily cycling tours will be accompanied by 2 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) bike 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 and route notes (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 12 a.m.