Tulip Tour - Amsterdam to Bruges

Belgium, Netherlands Bike + Boat Tour

Come see the beautiful spring flowers of this famous cycling route!

In April and May all of Holland is blooming. Therefore this is the perfect time to see the famous bulb fields showing the colorful tulips and hyacinths. Furthermore, this tour shows you some lovely old Dutch towns like Dordrecht and Gouda, famous for it's delicious cheese! Crossing the border to Belgium takes you to the Belgian pearls of Antwerp, Ghent and on top of that, Bruges!

A full list of all of our Holland bike tours can be found here.  All of our Belgium bike tours are here.

Tour Dates

• On the Standard Plus class boats:
• The Holland: *April 6, 2013
• *Now being offered at a discount! Please see pricing!
• The Tijdgeest: April 20, 2013
• On the Comfort boat, the Fiep (formerly the Anna Cornelia): April 13 and 27, 2013
• On the Comfort plus class boat, the Merlijn: May 4, 2013

Skill Level

Easy, guided bike & boat tour. Bicycle routes follow mainly flat bike paths & country lanes with little traffic. Occasionally heavier traffic is encountered when entering the bigger cities. Daily cycling distances range from approximately 16 to 25 miles (25 to 40 km). Guide bikes with the group but it’s also possible to cycle on your own.

Where You’ll Stay

On the standard plus boats the Holland or the Tijdgeest, the comfort class boat the Fiep, or the comfort plus class ship, the Merlijn.

Click barge information for further details about the classes of boats.

What’s Included

• On the Merlijn
• Accommodations for 8 days/7 nights on board
• Breakfasts, lunches, & dinners (except dinner in Antwerp)
• 7 speed hybrid bike (Giant) with water bottle, bike bag and use of universal helmet
• Daily cleaning of the rooms
• All bedding, towels, facial tissues, soap, etc.
• Unlimited coffee, tea, and hot chocolate during the cruise and ice water through out the meals
• Tour guide
• Entrance fee to the Keukenhof
• City tours in Ghent, Antwerp, Dordrecht, Leiden, Haarlem, and Amsterdam
• Harbor fees
• WiFi internet onboard
• On the Tijdgeest, Holland, or Fiep
• Accommodations for 8 days/7 nights on board
• All meals (breakfasts, packed lunches, and 3 course dinners)
• Tour guide
• Bicycle with gears and pannier
• Several city walks
• Information booklet and map
• Entrance fee to the Keukenhof
• Entrance fee to the Kinderdijk
• Horse and carriage ride in Bruges
• Train ride to and from Bruges
• Bus transfer from Ghent to Amsterdam Airport

What’s Not Included

• On the Merlijn
• One Dinner
• Drinks on board
• Entrance fees other than mentioned in the tour description
• Trip Insurance
• On the Tijdgeest, Holland, or Fiep
• Drinks on board
• Entrance fees other than those mentioned in tour description
• Trip insurance

Tour Boats

• Fiep
• Holland
• Merlijn
• Tijdgeest

Day-To-Day Itinerary

*On the Merlijn: 

1. Amsterdam - Haarlem
2. Haarlem - Lisse - Keukenhof - Leiden; 18 miles (30 km)
3. Leiden - Gouda - Dordrecht;  21 miles (35 km) 
4. Dordrecht - Willemstad - Tholen -  Antwerp;  27 miles (45 km)
5. Antwerp - Baasrode; 21 miles (35 km)
6. Baasrode - Merelbeke - Ghent;  27 miles (45 km)
7. Ghent - Bruges;  24 miles (40 km)
8. Departure

*All distances are approximate. The above planned itinerary is subject to change due to changing wind and weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances having to do with mooring requirements, etc.

Saturday: Amsterdam - Haarlem
The Merlijn, your sailing hotel, will be moored in Amsterdam.  Embarkation will begin at 1 pm. The Merlijn sets sail at 2 pm to Haarlem. Passengers will enjoy a welcome drink as the crew presents information about the ship, the tours and the bicycles. The boat will dock and stay overnight in the neighborhood of Cruqius.

Sunday: Haarlem - Lisse -  Keukenhof - Leiden, 18 miles (30 km)
During breakfast, the Merlijn will take you a little closer to the Keukenhof and docks at Lisse. Here, your cycling tour will begin en route to the Keukenhof where you can admire all the beautiful tulips and other flowers that are cultivated in Holland. After your visit to the Keukenhof, you will cycle to Leiden, where the Merlijn will await you.

Monday: Leiden - Gouda - Dordrecht,  21 miles (35 km) 
During breakfast the barge will cruise to Gouda, the starting point of today's cycling tour. You will begin biking through one of the most beautiful parts of Holland, the so called Green Heart of Holland. Later, you will arrive in Kinderdijk where there is an impressive row of large windmills built to drain the Alblasserwaard. This impressive row of windmills were built to drain the Alblasserwaard. You can take the opportunity to tour inside one of these impressive structures. From here, the Merlijn will sail to Dordrecht, one of the oldest towns of Holland, where you will enjoy a walking tour through this charming old city.

Tuesday: Dordrecht - Willemstad - Tholen -  Antwerp,  27 miles (45 km)
During breakfast, the barge will sail to Willemstad, where your bike tour to Tholen starts. Tholan was once an island in the middle of the large Zeeland streams where many people fished for a living. Nowadays, Tholan is connected to the mainland in various ways, but it is still a picturesque village with many relics of its rich history. Here is where the tour will end for the day and the barge will sail into the Willemdok of Antwerp.

Tonight you will enjoy dinner in one of the many local restaurants in Antwerp.

Wednesday: Antwerp - Baasrode, 21 miles (35 km)
After breakfast you will have more time to explore the city of Antwerp. Around 9 am, you will board a tram that brings you into the heart of Antwerp. Recommended is a visit to the Rubens House or a diamond factory. Antwerp is not only known as the diamond city, but also the birthplace of the famous painter Peter Paul Rubens. In Rubens House, once his workshop and home, you can admire his beautiful work. In the center of the city there is the magnificent Cathedral of Our Lady as well as beautiful town houses situated all around the Market Square. After your visit, you will board the Merlijn for lunch while we sail to  Rupelmonde. Here, your bike tour for the day begins, the tour follows the river Schelde further upstream via Temse to Baasrode. There is a beautiful bike path along the river and the landscape around the Schelde is magnificent. Baasrode is a small town on the Schelde River where the barge will be moored for the evening.

 Thursday: Baasrode - Merelbeke - Ghent,  27 miles (45 km)
After breakfast, you will bike along the river Zeeschelde. Our first stop will be in Dendermonde, a nice country town on the Dender estuary.  The route follows this beautiful but capricious tidal river, Schelde, upstream to Ghent, a lively university city with a rich past. This city has its origins in Roman Times, at the place where the rivers Leie and Schelde converge. This position on the rivers brought Ghent great prosperity in the past, which peaked in the late 13th, early 14th century. The textile industry also brought wealth to this city. In the center, there are many old preserved patrician houses along with the Clothmakers' Hall (1425) where textile merchants used to meet. The major church, St. Baafs' Cathedral, is built in various styles and ages; here you can admire a number of medieval painting masterpieces, the most famous being the 'Adoration of the Lamb' by Jan van Eyck.

 Friday: Ghent - Bruges,  24 miles (40 km)
After breakfast, the barge will set sail for Aalter, where your last cycling tour will start. The route will take you through the pleasant countryside of Western Flanders to Bruges. Bruges, also called the Venice of the North, maybe is the most beautiful of all Flemish cities. Its old center, dating back to the Middle Ages, is almost completely intact. At one point, Bruges was a buzzing metropolis; a center for trade and art, which can still be enjoyed today. It is a perfect place to go browse and shop. In the afternoon, there is an opportunity for a walking tour where you will have more time to explore this charming city.

In the evening is a farewell  dinner on the Merlijn and your last overnight stay on board.

 Saturday: Bruges
Breakfast, check out, and departure

*On the Holland, Tijdgeest, or the Fiep: 

1. Arrival in Amsterdam, sail to Oude Wetering
2. Oude Wetering - Gouda, 15 mi. (25 km)
3. Gouda - Willemstad, 24 mi. (40 km)
4. Sail to Antwerp 
5. Antwerp - Dendermonde, 21 mi. (35 km)
6. Dendermonde - Ghent, 18 mi. (30 km)
7. Ghent - Bruges
8. Departure

Saturday: Arrival in Amsterdam
Check- in on board. In the afternoon, the barge crosses Amsterdam and heads for the village of Oude Wetering.

Sunday: Oude Wetering - Gouda, 15 mi. (25 km)
Early in the morning you will cycle Holland through the reclaimed land of the Haarlemmermeer to flower park, the Keukenhof. After seeing all the blooming tulips and daffodils you will return to the barge and set sail for cheese town Gouda. Upon arrival in Gouda you will have the opportunity to explore the town in the late afternoon and also following dinner on board.

Monday: Gouda - Willemstad, 24 mi. (40 km)
Today, a visit to the world famous windmills of Kinderdijk is on the agenda. Here, you will be able to tour the inside of one of the windmills. Following your visit to the Kinderdijk is a cycle tour through Dordrecht and through the natural reserve Biesbosch, to Moerdijk. The night will be spent in the walled town of Willemstad, a real Dutch beauty!

Tuesday: Rest day, sail to Antwerp
Today the barge will take you across the impressive waterways of Zeeland to the lively town of Antwerp in Belgium. After arrival in Antwerp, will be free time to explore this port town.

Wednesday: Antwerp - Dendermonde, 21 mi. (35 km) 
The day begins with a sailing trip to the outskirts of Antwerp. Here the cycling tour for the day will begin and cross the riverland of the river Schelde. In the charming provincial town of Dendermonde, you'll spend the night aboard the barge.

Thursday: Dendermonde - Ghent, 18 mi. (30 km)
Today, the barge will sail further on the tidal river Schelde all the way to Ghent and your cycling tour will continue across the flat, Flemish countryside. In the old city of Ghent, you will join the tour leader for a walk across the wonderful town center.

Friday: Rest day, Bruges
Today, a train will take you into Bruges. A horse and carriage ride and a short, guided walk past the many historic monuments in the center of Bruges is planned for the morning. In the afternoon, you will return by train to Ghent.

Saturday: Departure
Check out and transfer by bus to the Amsterdam airport.

Book This Trip

Questions? Call us! 877-965-2064 or e-mail us

• Portugues: Tour das Tulipas - Amsterdã a Bruges