Tulip Tour - 8 Day

Day-To-Day Itinerary

Each boat has a slightly different itinerary. If you do not see your boat listed below, we will be happy to send you the specific itinerary. 

*All distances are approximate. Itinerary is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstance, including but not limited to weather, last minute mooring changes, and restructuring of locks or bridges.

ABOARD THE FLEUR, SARAH, and ALLURE

Day 1: Amsterdam - Haarlem, 9 mi. (15 km)
Day 2: Haarlem - Keukenhof - Leiden, 31 mi. (50 km)
Day 3: Leiden - Alphen by barge, cycle to Gouda, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 4: Alphen - Kudelstaart (by boat),  22 mi. (35 km)
Day 5: Kudelstaart - Amsterdam - Zaanse Schans, 28 mi. (45 km)
Day 6: Zaanse Schans - Alkmaar, 25 (40 km)
Day 7: Alkmaar - Amsterdam, 28 mi. (45 km)
Day 8: Departure from Amsterdam 

Day 1: Amsterdam - Haarlem, 9 mi. (15 km)
Boarding begins at 1:30 pm. The boat will be moored in the Oosterdok, not far from the Central Station.  It is important to be on time as the boat leaves the harbor at 2:30 pm. During this first short sailing, you can enjoy coffee, tea or another beverage, while being introduced to the crew, the boat and the program ahead. Upon arrival in Haarlem, there is opportunity to test your bike and to have necessary adjustments made to insure a comfortable ride throughout the week! Dinner will be served at 6:30 pm this evening and each evening and on most nights, a town walk will be offered by your guide.

Day 2: Haarlem - Keukenhof - Leiden, 31. mi. (50 km)
Get ready to pedal through the oldest tulip fields of Holland, including a visit to the infamous Keukenhof gardens! This is the most beautiful flower garden in the world, an overwhelming blaze of colors as seven million flowering tulips rise up in a magnificent background of traditional and modern gardening architecture. It is here that Spring begins. Hyacinths, narcissus, and many other flowers dazzle as well. After being saturated with color and scent,  the cycling continues ending in the historic city of Leiden, who unabashedly boasts of its own beauty and charm. In the evening, there will be opportunity to experience this enchanting place for yourself, strolling along the canals and alleyways, viewing the historical buildings, and, like Rembrandt himself, be inspired by its beauty.

Day 3: Leiden - Alphen by barge, cycle to Gouda, 25 mi. (40 km)
The day begins with a sailing breakfast! Imagine enjoying your morning coffee as the stunning Dutch scenery passes by! The boat will moor in Alphen from where the cycling itinerary begins and leads through the ‘green heart’ of Holland. Near Zoeterwoude, you will visit the cheese farm to learn about the cheese-making process and of course, to sample the wares! Holland is not just famous for its Tulips as you will come to know! In the afternoon, you reach Gouda, famous for the Gouda cheese. If truth be told, Gouda ("How-da" as the locals say) is one of the most popular cheeses in the world, accounting for 50 to 60 percent of the world's cheese consumption, The market square here is lovely with its Gothic town hall and  Saint John Cathedral, famous the world over, whose stain glass windows flood the interior with a diffused light and impress with understated elegance. 

Day 4: Gouda - Kudelstaart, 22 mi. (35 km)
This  morning you stay in Gouda and will have opportunity to do some shopping and to visit the market square with its cheese weigh house or you can visit the St. John's church. Once back on board the barge, you take off at noon enjoying a light lunch on board. From Alphen aan den Rijn, you bike through the green hear of South Holland via the Drecht River and the Amstel-Drecht channel to Kudelstaart.

Day 5: Kudelstaart - Amsterdam - Zaanse Schans, 28 mi. (45 km)
Today begins early! Coffee is served at 7 am and then at 7:15,  you cycle cycle  to the flower auction of Aalsmeer, the largest of Europe. Here huge quantities of flowers are trucked in and sold every day, after which they are distributed all over Europe.  Back on board, you will enjoy a late breakfast and then another cycling itinerary takes you through the ‘Amsterdamse Bos’, west of Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans, a unique hamlet where people live and work, with original houses and windmills from the Zaan River area. The hamlet is dominated by fully operating windmills, the oldest built in 1673, for grinding mustard, spices, paint and oil and for sawing wood into planks. As you walk through the village you will see a clock museum, an old-fashioned grocery store, a house with period furniture, a clog maker, and a cheese farm and get a sense of early history in Holland.

Day 6: Zaanse Schans - Alkmaar, 25 mi. (40 km)
First on the agenda is the beautiful town of De Rijp. Centuries of history are still evident here in the  wooden facades, beautiful church, and town hall. From here, your ride continues across the Beemster Polder, an almost untouched open polder landscape, after which, you visit the former windmill complex of the Schermer Polder and the  Schermerhorn Windmill Museum. The it is off to Alkmaar, known as a Dutch cheese city. As you wander through the streets you'll be amazed by the beauty of Alkmaar's Old Town, with its well-preserved 17th century buildings and narrow, winding canals! Dinner this evening will be on your own!

Day 7: Alkmaar - Amsterdam, 28 mi. (45 km)
Once again, this morning, you will enjoy your breakfast as the boat cruises the Dutch canals, followed by Hortus Bulborum, a unique garden museum dedicated to the preservation of rare and historic bulbs. More than 4,000 tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other flowers are planted here. As the cycling continues, you pedal through the unique Waterland back to Amsterdam. In the late afternoon or evening there is time for a canal tour through the famous canals of the city.

Day 8: Departure
After breakfast, your adventure officially ends! Departure from the boat by 9 am.

ABOARD THE QUO VADIS

Day 1: Amsterdam, embarkation
Day 2: Amsterdam - Kudelstaart, 23 mi. (37 km)
Day 3: Kudelstaart - Leiden,  34 mi. (55 km)
Day 4: Leiden - Keukenhof - Haarlem, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 5: Haarlem, Alkmaar, 31 mi. (50 km)
Day 6: Alkmaar - Schagen - Alkmaar, 31 mi. (50 km)
Day 7: Alkmaar - Amsterdam, 28 mi. (45 km)
Day 8: Departure from Amsterdam
 

Day 1: Arrival in Amsterdam
Embarkation begins at 3 p.m. The crew will welcome you aboard Quo Vadis with coffee and tea. Explore the Dutch capital on your own. All the major tourist highlights are within easy walking distance from the mooring location of the barge.

Day 2: Amsterdam - Kudelstaart, 23 mi. (37 km)
Leaving Amsterdam, you travel along the 'Amsterdam Forest', through Schiphol and Aalsmeer to Kudelstaart on "Westeinderplassen".

Day 3: Kudelstaart - Leiden, 34 mi. (55 km)
Today begins with an early ride to Aalsmeer so you have plenty of time to visit the largest flower auction in the world. From there you will pass through the beautiful Dutch landscape through the green heart of Holland in the direction of Leiden, the birthplace of Rembrandt. Along the way, visit a traditional Cheese farm. In the evening explore the old university city of Leiden.

Day 4: Leiden - Keukenhof - Haarlem, 25 mi. (40 km)
Today you will bike to Lisse and then on to the famous ‘Keukenhof' flower gardens. The Keukenhof displays 6 million tulips, narcissi, hyacinths, and other bulb flowers. In the afternoon, you bike through the blooming fields of flowers to Haarlem.

Day 5: Haarlem, Alkmaar, 31 mi. (50 km)
Leave from Haarlem and bike to Spaarndam with a detour to the monument of the legendary figure, Hans Brinker. The route continues to the historic city of Zaandam, before your visit to the open-air museum "Zaanse Schans". Here, you can expect an Old Dutch museum village. From there you bike to Alkmaar, known for its Dutch cheese.

Day 6: Alkmaar - Schagen - Alkmaar, 31 mi. (50 km)
In the early morning the boat cruises to Schagen. Today's bike tour begins here and you will cycle through the flower fields of Anna Pauwlonapolder. The return journey takes you along the coast and the ‘Schoorlse Duinen' and ends back in Alkmaar.

Day 7: Alkmaar - Amsterdam, 28 mi. (45 km)
After a visit to the cheese market in Alkmaar, cycle through polders with beautiful villages such as Beemster, de Rijp, Schermer (mills). The tour ends back in Amsterdam where you have more time to explore.

Day 8: Departure from Amsterdam
Tour ends after breakfast. Disembarkation by 10 a.m.

ABOARD THE IRIS 
Day 1: Amsterdam - Zaanse Schans, (15 km)
Day 2: Zaanse Schans - Alkmaar, 40 km
Day 3: Alkmaar - Haarlem (45 km)
Day 4: Haarlem - Keukenhof - Leiden, (50 km)
Day 5: Leiden - Gouda, (40 km)
Day 6: Gouda -  Uithoorn, (35 km)
Day 7: Uithoorn - Amsterdam (45 km)
Day 8: Amsterdam

Day 1: Amsterdam - Zaanse Schans, (15 km)
You will be welcomed onboard the Iris at 2.30 pm. As you meet your fellow travelers, guides and crew, the boat will navigate the harbor of Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans followed by a short cycle ride to become accustomed to your bike. You will experiernce the 19th century living and working community in the Zaan district, a living museum of farmsteads, paths, wooden houses, warehouses and windmills, ditches and fields. Stroll past the bakery museum and enjoy the smell of fresh bread, or take a look at the warehouse where clogs are made. You should be sure not to miss the cheese factory, pewter foundry and the various windmills. The Zaanse Schans is a unique part of the Netherlands, full of wooden houses, mills, barns and workshops.

Day 2: Zaanse Schans - Alkmaar, 40 km
You will get to explore the  Zaanse Schans a bit more. The cycling itinerary leads through lovely villages like De Rijp and a stop to the Windmill Museum. Following little canals and fields of flowers, you bike into the cheese city Alkmaar. The barge will be docked within walking distance of the heart of this delightful city.

Day 3: Alkmaar - Haarlem (45 km)
You will love your highlight this day, the private gardens Hortus Bulborum! This is an historical garden preservating the old varieties of tulips. You will take a tour with the local volunteers who arevery proud of their unique work. You continue biking along the coastal area to the beach and lunch. Perhaps you would enjoy a swim? The local ferry the transfers the group to the other side of the canal between Amsterdam and the North Sea and then onward to Haarlem, with its old and well preserved intact inner city with a big market square, terraces and dominant church. 

Day 4: Haarlem - Keukenhof - Leiden, (50 km)
Ah, this is the day you have been waiting for, a visit to the Keukenhof, showcasing 7 million flowering tulips, hycacinths, narcissus and more, in a traditional and modern landscape. These gardens are visited by millions of international guests every year!

Once again, the barge will dock within walking distance of  Leiden  city center. 

Day 5: Leiden - Gouda, (40 km)
After an early sail out of Leiden, the first stop will be at a cheese farm, for a tasting and experience of how cheese is made! The city center of Gouda has quite a few cheese shops. A highlight here is the 17th century Town Hall at the market square. Dinner is on your own this evening!

Day 6: Gouda -  Uithoorn, (35 km)
You will visit the St. John’s Church this morning, built in the Gothic style during the 15th and 16th centuries,notable not only for its beautiful windows but also because it is the longest church in the Netherlands. The church has been placed on the UNESCO list of Dutch monuments specifically for its stunning stained-glass windows.

While you enjoy  lunch on board, the IRIS will navigate to a drop off point so you can cycle along the canals and rivers passing the smallest lock just big enough to let the barge pass through.

At Uithoorn, it is onboard again. Tomorrow begins bright and early.

Day 7: Uithoorn - Amsterdam (45 km)
Early in the morning, you will bike to the Flower Auction at Aalsmeer. Although the internet has brought a new era of trading, it is still a place where a lot of logistics are handled. Loads of flowers are auctioned and brought to their destinations all over the world.

After a late breakfast back on board the barge, the last stretch takes you to the outskirts of Amsterdam to join thebarge for a unique sail on the Amstel River to the final docking spot in the Oosterdok.

Day 8: Amsterdam
Departure after breakfast.

ABOARD THE LIZA MARLEEN and WENDING

Day 1: Embarkation in Amsterdam by 2 pm. Sailing to Ouderkerk a/d Amstel and Cycling to Uithoorn
Day 2: Uithoorn - Gouda, 28 mi. (45 km)
Day 3: Gouda – Alblasserdam, ferry to Rotterdam and sailing to Delft, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 4: Delft - (Katwijk) - Leiden, 23 mi. (36 km)
Day 5: Leiden - visit to Keukenhof by public transport
Day 6: Leiden – via the flower bulb fields - Haarlem, 23 mi. (37 km)
Day 7: Haarlem - Amsterdam, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 8: Disembarkation after breakfast, before 10 am

Day 1: Embarkation in Amsterdam by 2 pm. Sailing to Ouderkerk a/d Amstel and Cycling to Uithoorn
When you arrive on board the ship, you can put your luggage away in your cabin and then enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. (If you would like to bring your luggage on board earlier, you can so from 12 noon onward.) It is also a good moment to become acquainted with the guide, skipper, crew and of course your fellow passengers. You will leave Amsterdam cruising on the river Amstel to Ouderkerk a/d Amstel. From Ouderkerk you will cycle your first kilometers through the polder Ronde Hoep to Uithoorn. During dinner aboard the ship, the program for next day and the  planning of the week are discussed.

Day 2: Uithoorn - Gouda, 28 mi. (45 km)
From Uithoorn you will continue your tour over country roads, along river banks and channels through the Green Heart to the city known for its cheese: Gouda. When you think of Gouda, you think not only of cheese, pipes, ‘stroopwafels’ (treacle-waffle) and pottery, but also of beautifull stained glass windows, a fairy-like town hall and atmospheric canals. Gouda is a beautiful Old Dutch city with a well preserved city center. As on most days, after dinner you can take a walk through the city.

Day 3: Gouda – Alblasserdam, ferry to Rotterdam and sailing to Delft, 25 mi. (40 km)
From Gouda you cycle past scenic polders via Kinderdijk to Rotterdam. Kinderdijk has the largest group of windmills in the Netherlands. The windmills at Kinderdijk were still actively used until 1950. These days, a large pumping station is responsible for controlling the water level in the polder. After visiting the windmills of Kinderdijk you take the ferry to Rotterdam. In Rotterdam you embark and from there the ship takes you to Delft. Delft is the town famous for its pottery, the ‘Delft blue’. The Prinsenhof Museum is housed in the former St Agatha’s monastery. In 1572 William of Orange chose the convent as one of his residences. It was from here that he led the revolt against the Spanish tyranny of Holland. He was murdered on the steps of the Prinsenhof on July 10, 1584, by Balthazar Gerards, a Spanish sympathiser. Two bullet holes in the wall of the stairs bear witness to this event.

Day 4: Delft - (Katwijk) - Leiden, 23 mi. (36 km)
From Delft we cycle in the direction of The Hague, through ‘het Haagse Bosch’, a large park, and past the former Royal Palace ‘Huis ten Bosch’. The long tour leads you over tranquil cycle paths through the dunes  to Wassenaarse Slag. Here you can see the remains of the Atlantikwall. Five bunkers are connected by nearly 3,000-feet-long brick tunnels. Now the underground network serves as a bat reserve. The route continues through the dunes, to Katwijk aan Zee, an old fishing village. The old inhabitants of Katwijk still speak their own dialect, ‘Kattuks’. Following the course of the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine) river we cycle to Leiden. Leiden boasts 14 museums, including the Rijksmuseum. 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: Leiden - visit to Keukenhof by public transport
Today you visit the Keukenhof gardens, the most beautiful spring park in the world. The Keukenhof is the place where the spring breaks. In the Keukenhof various gardens and gardening styles can be found: the English Landscape Garden, the Historical Garden, the Natural Garden, the Japanese Natural Garden, the Formal Garden and three special colours gardens. Spread throughout the entire park there are approximately eighty sculptures from well-known Dutch artists as well as several other art objects, such as the collection ‘Surprising Tulips’. In 2017 the Keukenhof will be devoted to “Dutch Design” Dutch Design is characterized by Dutch sobriety combined with innovative solutions.

Day 6: Leiden – via the flower bulb fields - Haarlem, 23 mi. (37 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 centre, 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, which 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: Disembarkation in Amsterdam by 10 am

ABOARD THE ELODIE

Day 1: Amsterdam - Kudelstaart, 12 miles (20 km)
Day 2: Kudelstaart - Gouda, 6/16/24 miles (10|32|53 km)
Day 3: Gouda - Rotterdam - Delft, 17 miles (27 km)
Day 4: Delft - The Hague - Leiden, 24 miles (39 km)
Day 5: Leiden - Voorhout - Leiden, 8 miles (13 km)
Day 6: Leiden - Haarlem, 13 or 24 miles (21 or 39 km)
Day 7: Haarlem - Amsterdam, 5 or 17 miles (8 or 27 km)
Day 8: Departure from Amsterdam

Day 1: Amsterdam - Kudelstaart, 12 miles (20 km)
The crew will welcome you aboard the Elodie with coffee and tea. The ship will sail through the centre of Amsterdam to the river Amstel. At the Nieuwe Meer you will leave the boat for your first cycle trip. In the evening your guide will give you a more detailed explanation of the program.

Day 2: Kudelstaart - Gouda, 6/16/24 miles (10|32|53 km)
You will start the day early with a visit to the flower auction in Aalsmeer. You will see the world biggest flower auction at work. Every day the world’s market prices for flowers and plant are being determined right here in this building. Millions of flowers and plants find their way all over the world when the auction starts. The route continues through the green heart of Holland towards Gouda. Along the route you can enjoy the views of windmills, lakes and green pastures.

Day 3: Gouda - Rotterdam - Delft, 17 miles (27 km)
Gouda is famous for its cheese and beautiful town hall. From here you will cycle to Kinderdijk a unesco protected windmill park and then by fast ferry to Rotterdam, the largest port in the world were the Elodie will be waiting for you to take you to Delft. Delft has a beautiful historical center. Here you will find the church that with underneath the catacombs where the royal family is buried.

Day 4: Delft - The Hague - Leiden, 24 miles (39 km)
Before you leave Delft, you will pay a visit to a studio where earthenware is hand painted with the famous “Delfts blauw” (Delft’s blue). Afterwards, by bike, the route leads to the seat of government capital, The Hague. The houses around the hunting castle “de graven van Holland” (The Earls of Holland) grew into a town, and the castle gave it its name, ‘s-Gravenhage. The area is exceptionally cycle-friendly and that makes a visit by bicycle something special. You cycle along the many cycle paths, straight through the city whilst left and right you can admire the government buildings, museums and stately facades of the mansions. The town ends abruptly on the beach of Scheveningen with its charming boulevard and fishing port. The Hague has many attractions such as “Panorama Mesdag”, a painting of enormous measurements, 14 meters high and a circumference of 120 meters. At the end of the day you cycle back to the university town of Leiden.

Day 5: Leiden - Voorhout - Leiden, 8 miles (13 km)
In the morning you will set out for a short bike tour to visit a Dutch cheese farm where you can admire and taste the art of Dutch cheese making. In the afternoon there will be plenty of time to spend in Leiden The oldest Dutch university towns has a charming and lively centre. The Elodie lies in the centre of Leiden a good place to get acquainted with this historical town.

Day 6: Leiden - Haarlem, 13 or 24 miles (21 or 39 km)
From Leiden you will sail to Lisse very close to the Keukenhof. This flower exhibition has everything Holland has to offer when it comes to flowers. You may expect to be overwhelmed by colors at this time of year when most flower bulbs show their beauty. After the Keukenhof you continue by bike to Harlem.

Day 7: Haarlem - Amsterdam, 5 or 17 miles (8 or 27 km)
In the morning there is the possibility to do a short cycle trip to the statue of Hans Brinker. The Elodie will pick you up along the route to Amsterdam (e.t.a. 12.00) Amsterdam is certainly well worth to spend some more time because of its many possibilities: a boat tour around the canals, the Van Gogh museum, and the Rijksmuseum; or just savour the atmosphere. For dinner you can pick one of the many nice restaurants in the center of town.

Day 8: Amsterdam
Departure after breakfast.

On the Elodie, on some days,  a shorter tour is optional (for example, on Monday, options are provided for 6, or 20, or 33 miles.) However, if you choose the shorter distance, you might miss some of the highlights showcased on that day. You can ask your tour leader on board for details.

ALL ITINERARIES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES.  DISTANCES ARE APPROXIMATE.

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