Amsterdam to Bruges - 12 days

Amsterdam to Bruges

Day 1: Amsterdam
Day 2: Amsterdam - Volendam, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 3: Flevopolder - Vianen, 31 mi. (50 km)
Day 4: Vianen - Kinderdijk - Dordrecht, 30 mi. (48 km)
Day 5: Dordrecht - Tholen, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 6: Tholen - Antwerp, 20 mi. (32 km)
Day 7: Antwerp, 10 mi. (17 km)
Day 8: Antwerp -  Dendermonde, 32 or 20 mi. (52 or 32  km)
Day 9: Dendermonde - Gent, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 10: Ghent - Bruges, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 11: Bruges, varied distances
Day 12: Departure

*All distances are approximate. The itinerary is subject to change, at times without prior notice.  Some waterways may be subject to occasional closures due to drought, storms, floods, canal or lock repairs, or other unforeseen circumstances that make navigation unsafe or impossible. The captain reserves the right to make any changes deemed necessary.

Day 1: Amsterdam
After a welcome meeting and a short test ride of your rental bike, you have the rest of the afternoon to explore the city. The bike guide will take you on a stroll along the canals and squares while educating you about Amsterdam’s great history. Amsterdam once was the leading capital of the world in trade and finance and the impressive buildings its merchants built are still there to be admired today. Early night in? Or a canal cruise on your own? Or a pub? The evening is yours to decide.

Day 2: Amsterdam - Volendam, 25 mi. (40 km)
Your morning starts with a ferry ride across the IJ, the lake that splits Amsterdam in two, thus you avoid the busy bike paths that lead out from the city.  You then head out into the water-rich farmlands north of Amsterdam, where the scenery is comprised of birds and farm animals!  Your route leads to the small island of Marken and one of the most beautiful lighthouses in the country, the Horse of Marken. Situated on a pier in the water, this lighthouse is worth a picture or two. The day ends with another ferry ride to the town of Volendam. This famous fishing village is mostly known for its greenhouses and traditional clothing. 

Day 3: Flevopolder - Vianen, 31 mi. (50 km)
In the morning, the Iris crosses the IJsselmeer, the big lake in the center of the Netherlands, and passes from the old to the new as you are dropped off in the Flevopolder. This 370-square-mile island has been reclaimed from the sea in the 1950’ and ’60s and you experience firsthand Dutch urban planning where bike and car never meet. Bridges and tunnels make it so that apart from the buildings you wouldn’t even know you’re riding in a city. A very high bridge leads back into the old with Muiderslot Castle from 1370, awaiting. You find more of the old along the river Vecht, which is known for its famous 17th-century merchants’ estates, beautiful gardens, and little tea houses along its banks. The day ends with a crossing over the bridge into Breukelen, where you board the Iris again for navigation to your docking town for the day,  Vianen.

Day 4: Vianen - Kinderdijk - Dordrecht, 30 mi. (48 km)
Today’s ride is a rural one, following a small stream with farms and windmills lining the banks. You visit the area of the Kinderdijk, a land reclamation project of the 18th century, and today a Unesco World Heritage site,  replete with 19 windmills. Back on board, you will navigate to Dordrecht, the oldest town in the Netherlands.

Day 5: Dordrecht - Tholen, 25 mi. (40 km)
As you enjoy your breakfast, the Iris will navigate to Willemstad. This star-shaped fortified town was once an important defensive position, named after the founding father of the Netherlands, William of Orange. Your cycling route follows the impressive complex of locks "de Volkerak’" to Tholen. Tholen was once an island in the middle of the large Zeeland streams, otherwise known as the Rhein Delta on the North Sea where many fishermen lived. Today, Tholen is connected to the mainland, but it retains its picturesque charm and boasts many fishing and boating relics from its colorful past.

Day 6: Tholen - Antwerp, 20 mi. (32 km)
There aren’t many forests in Holland, but you will have the unique thrill of biking through the Wouwse Plantation, an otherworldly landscape of sand dune forests alternating with fields of heather and moorlands. Along the way, you visit a Canadian and British World War Two Cemetery, an opportunity for a contemplative walk. After this short ride,  back on board, you enjoy a cruising lunch to Antwerp, the city of Diamonds. Antwerp was home to the famous painter Peter Paul Rubens. Many of his paintings are still in the city to be admired. Antwerp’s Golden age was the 16th century when its trade blossomed and it became the sugar capital of Europe. Many of the buildings in the center still originate from that time and while walking the streets, you feel as if you have been transported back 500 years. From the 19th century until recently, Antwerp was the world center for diamond refining and trading.

Day 7: Antwerp, 10 mi. (17 km)
Today, you will explore the city of Antwerp more fully, including significant sights like the Cathedral of Our Lady, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. with its celebrated paintings by Rubens, such as The Raising of the Cross, Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and The Descent from the Cross, and many lesser-known but beautiful paintings by artists such as Otto van Veen, Jacob de Backer, and Marten de Vosold. You can also visit a Beguinage where unmarried women could live like nuns until they found a suitable husband. The rest of the day is for you to spend by yourself in the city. You could visit museums like the Rubens House, which has many paintings in his old residence, or the Red Starline museum highlighting the history of the ships that brought many American immigrants to the US more than 100 years ago. If you’d like to go biking, you can join your bike guide for an alternative sightseeing tour on your bike.

Day 8: Antwerp -  Dendermonde, 32 or 20 mi. (52 or 32  km)
In Antwerp, you will make use of an iconic way of crossing the river,  a tunnel, and elevators ONLY for pedestrians and bicyclists! You then make your way up the Scheldt river. by ferry. This will not be your last ferry of the day as you cross the river a few times. Lunch is enjoyed in the garden of Castle Wisselkerke. This won’t be the last castle of the day! The bike route crosses flood zones many times which attracts a wide variety of waterbirds to the area. Our docking for the day is in Dendermonde, a small but historic town with a great town square for us to enjoy a real Belgian beer.

Day 9: Dendermonde - Ghent, 25 mi. (40 km)
The Belgian country roads lead through small towns, by lakes and castles, and into Ghent. As the birthplace of Charles V and the biggest city in the 13th century in Northern Europe after Paris, this city has many historical sights to see and, by many, is regarded as prettier than even Bruges. In the evening a small boat will pick us to see the city as most traders would have, from the water.

Day 10: Ghent - Bruges, 25 mi. (40 km)
More time to explore Ghent is set aside this morning and then you continue your path to the final destination.

From Ghent, you bike into forests and eat lunch at an old estate. Utilizing an old rail-to-trail route, you enter Bruges by bike. The Iris will be docked in the center of this small city so that you easily explore its criss-cross of canals and medieval alleys.

Day 11: Bruges, varied distances
The mesmerizing city of Bruges offers so many options to spend a day that we have decided to offer two nights on the barge here, so you will be able to visit everything you want. Of course, for those who’d rather bike, a bike route will be offered. Depending on the weather, you could go to the beach or do a city sightseeing tour. And then, finally, at the end of all these days, sit on the front deck and enjoy a Belgium beer!

An informal last dinner on board will be the perfect way to end this unique trip.

Day 12: Bruges
Today is the official end of the tour after enjoying your last breakfast. You can leave your luggage on board until 12.00 and spend some more time in Bruges. Taxis can be arranged by the ship. Enjoy some more time in Bruges! 

Bruges to Amsterdam

Itinerary coming soon!

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