Holland Southern Tulip Tour

Day 1: Amsterdam - Oude Wetering | Oude Wetering, 6 - 9 mi. (10 - 15 km) 
Day 2: Oude Wetering - Gouda, 28 miles (45 km)
Day 3: Gouda - Alblasserdam | ferry to Rotterdam | Rotterdam - Delft, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 4: Delft - via Katwijk - Leiden, 23 to 30 mi. (36 to 48 km)
Day 5: Keukenhof 
Day 6: Leiden -  Haarlem, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 7: Haarlem - Amsterdam, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 8: Amsterdam, disembark at 10 am

All distances are approximate. This itinerary is subject to change, even on very short notice, due to changing wind and weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances having to do with mooring requirements, docking location changes, lock repairs,  etc.

Day 1: Amsterdam - Oude Wetering | Oude Wetering, 6 - 9 mi. (10 - 15 km) 
Embarkation on Saturday between 12:30 pm and 1:30  pm at Oosterdok, situated in the heart of Amsterdam and close to the train station. Upon boarding, you can settle in and enjoy a warm cup of coffee or tea. This is also a great opportunity to get to know your tour leader, skipper, crew, and fellow passengers.

As you embark on your journey, you will first sail through Amsterdam before reaching the wetlands to the south of the city. The barge will then dock in the quaint village of Oude Wetering, where you can start to relax and get accustomed to life on the barge.

During dinner on board the ship, the tour leader will discuss the itinerary for the following day, as well as the overall plan for the week. Additionally, instructions on cycling and safety procedures will be provided. After dinner, the tour leader will accompany you on a short bike ride around the village.

Day 2: Oude Wetering - Gouda, 28 miles (45 km)
From the charming village of Oude Wetering, you continue through the Green Heart and polders along country roads, banks, and channels to reach the city renowned for its cheese - Gouda.

Your cycling journey will take you through a quintessential Dutch landscape filled with lush green meadows, picturesque wetlands, serene canals and rivers, and small villages. Along the way, you will cross waterways on small ferries and bridges. Before reaching Gouda, you will ride through the beautiful Reeuwijkse Plassen nature reserve, famous for its wetlands.

Gouda is not just famous for its cheese, pipes, stroopwafels (treacle waffles), and pottery but also for its stunning stained-glass windows, fairy-tale town hall, and atmospheric canals. The city boasts a beautiful and mostly intact old-Dutch city center.

The 123-meter-long St. Janskerk, with its renowned Goudse Glazen (leaded light windows), the stunning gothic town hall, and the Waag (a building once used for weighing cheese) are some of the top attractions that are worth a visit.

As is the norm, the tour guide will take you on a leisurely walk through the city after dinner.

Day 3:  Gouda - Kinderdijk | ferry to Rotterdam | Rotterdam - Delft, 25 mi. (40 km)
You will embark on an easy and peaceful cycling journey from Gouda, along serene country roads that pass through scenic polders, and eventually lead you to Rotterdam via Kinderdijk. Kinderdijk is a UNESCO cultural World Heritage site and boasts the largest group of windmills in the Netherlands. The 19 windmills at Kinderdijk are a magnificent sight and were in active use until 1950. Nowadays, a large pumping station controls the water level in the polder. You can also visit a windmill from the inside, which is an impressive example of centuries-old technology that remains functional to this day.

After exploring Kinderdijk, you will take a ferry to Rotterdam, where the barge will be waiting for you. The barge will then take you to Delft, a town renowned for its pottery, specifically the famous Delft Blue. The Prinsenhof Museum is located in the former St. Agatha's Monastery. In 1572, William of Orange selected the convent as one of his residences, and it was from here that he led the revolt against the Spanish tyranny of Holland. Unfortunately, he was assassinated on the steps of the Prinsenhof on July 10, 1584, by Balthazar Gerards, a Spanish sympathizer. The two bullet holes in the wall of the stairs bear witness to this historic event

Day 4: Delft - Leiden, 23 to 30 mi. (36 to 48 km)
Today is Sunday, the day on which most Dutch take out their bikes for a ride. From Delft, you will cycle Holland in the direction of The Hague, through the Haagse Bosch, a large park, and past the Royal Huis ten Bosch Palace. A tranquil cycle path through the dunes leads you to Wassenaarse Slag. Here, some remains of the Atlantikwall can still be seen. The Atlantic Wall was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by the German Third Reich in 1942 until 1944 during World War II along the western coast of Europe. Now, this underground network serves as a bat reserve! It was nearly 1,700 miles long. 
Continuing on through the dunes, to Katwijk aan Zee, an old fishing village (the inhabitants still speak their own dialect called Kattuks), you will follow the course of the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine) ending in Leiden. Leiden originated around 800 AD as a marketplace at the confluence of the Old and New Rhine rivers, the Vliet river, and the Mare (‘Leyten’ means ‘at the waters’). For a long time, it was the second city after Amsterdam. It boasts 14 museums. The Hortus Botanicus (Botanical Garden), a 400-year-old garden with innumerable exotic plants and trees, is certainly worth seeing. In the center of town, you can go shopping or enjoy sitting on an outdoor terrace on the water’s edge. 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: Keukenhof
Today, you will have the opportunity to visit the Keukenhof Gardens, which are considered the most stunning spring park worldwide. The park covers a vast area of 80 acres and is home to seven million tulips, which create a breathtaking explosion of colors against a backdrop of both traditional and modern gardening architecture. The stunning blossoms, along with the flowering rhododendrons and azaleas, provide a feast for the eyes. The pavilions are not to be missed, as they present unique flower shows, and the many art objects scattered throughout the park add an element of surprise to the experience. Additionally, Keukenhof has a wide variety of gardens and gardening styles, including the English Landscape Garden, the Historical Garden, the Natural Garden, the Japanese Natural Garden, the Formal Garden, and three special color gardens. The park also boasts roughly eighty sculptures from renowned Dutch artists, as well as the "Surprising Tulips" collection, making it an unparalleled display of art and natural beauty.

Day 6: Leiden - via flower bulb fields - Haarlem, 25 miles (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 ship is berthed in the city center, 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, 25 mi. (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, who 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: Individual departure from Amsterdam
Disembarkation by 10 am.

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