Tulip Tour - 8 Day

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.

Day 1: Arrival aboard the Iris. Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans, 9 mi. (15 km)
Day 2: Zaanse Schans to Alkmaar, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 3: Alkmaar - Haarlem, 28 mi. (45 km)
Day 4: Haarlem - Keukenhof - Leiden, 31 mi. (50 km)
Day 5: Leiden to Gouda, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 6: Gouda -St John's Cathedral - Uithoorn, 22 mi. (35 km)
Day 7: Uithoorn - the Amstel River - Amsterdam, 28 mi.  (45 km)
Day 8: Amsterdam,  end of our tour after breakfast.

Day 1: Amsterdam - Zaanse Schans, 9 mi. (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 experience 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, 25 mi. (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, 28 mi. (45 km)
You will love your highlight this day, the private gardens Hortus Bulborum! This is a historical garden preserving the old varieties of tulips. You will take a tour with the local volunteers who are very 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, 31 mi. (50 km)
Ah, this is the day you have been waiting for, a visit to the Keukenhof, showcasing 7 million flowering tulips, hyacinths, 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, 25 mi. (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, 22 mi. (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, 28 mi. (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 the barge for a unique sail on the Amstel River to the final docking spot in the Oosterdok.

Day 8: Amsterdam
Departure after breakfast.

Day 1:  Amsterdam - Spaardnam | Spaarndam - Haarlem, 3 or 8 mi. (6 or 14 km)
Day 2: Haarlem - Keukenhof - Leiden, 23 mi. (38 km)
Day 3: Leiden - Zoeterwoude | Zoeterwoude -  Gouda, 19 or 24 mi. (31 or 40 km)
Day 4: Gouda - Alphen a/d Rijn | Alpehn a/d Rijn - Kudelstaart, 16 or 27 mi. (27 or 44 km)  22 mi.
Day 5: Kudelstaart - Flower auction | Aalsmeer - Amsterdam | Amsterdam - Zaanse Schans, 19 or 25 mi. (32 or 41 km)
Day 6: Zaanse Schans - Alkmaar, 18 or 24 mi. (29 or 40 km)
Day 7: Alkmaar - Amsterdam, 22 or 31 mi. (37 or 51 km)
Day 8: Departure from Amsterdam 

All distances in italics are covered by ship. The tours on the Allure and Sarah will be accompanied by one tour guide. The Zwaantje and Fleur will have two tour guides as long as there are 18 or more guests. During days when two distances are possible, and only one tour leader is included, he/she will make a choice to guide the longer or the shorter option after consultation of the group. Not all mentioned highlights will be visited during the short bike option.

Day 1: Amsterdam - Spaardnam | Spaarndam - Haarlem,  3 or 8 mi. (6 or 14 km)
Boarding takes place between 1 and 2 pm. It is possible to bring your luggage on board earlier at 11 am but your cabin will not be ready for check-in. It is important to be on time as the boat leaves the harbor at 2:00 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 an opportunity to test your bike and to have necessary adjustments made to ensure 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, 23 mi. (38 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 an 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 - Zoeterwoude | Zoeterwoude -  Gouda, 19 or 24 mi. (31 or 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 - Alphen a/d Rijn | Alpehn a/d Rijn - Kudelstaart, 16 or 27 mi. (27 or 44 km)  22 mi.
This morning, you stay in Gouda and will have the 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 - Flower auction | Aalsmeer - Amsterdam | Amsterdam - Zaanse Schans, 19 or 25 mi. (32 or 41 km)
Today begins early! Coffee is served at 7 am and then at 7:15,  you 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, 18 or 24 mi. (29 or 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. Then 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, 22 or 31 mi. (37 or 51 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.

Day 1: Amsterdam to Kudelstaart, 12 mi. (20 km)
Day 2: Kudelstaart - Gouda, 6, 20, or 33 mi. (10, 32, or 53 km)
Day 3: Gouda - Rotterdam - Delft, 17 mi. (27 km)
Day 4: Delft -The Hague-Leiden, 24 mi. (39 km)
Day 5: Leiden - Hoogmade - Leiden, 8 mi. (13 km)
Day 6: Leiden Harlem, 13 mi. or 24 mi. (21 or 39 km)
Day 7: Haarlem - Amsterdam, 5 or 17 mi. (8 or 27 km)
Day 8: Amsterdam

On some days a shorter tour is optional (for example on Monday 6 or 20 or 33 miles). This means, however, that you would possibly miss some of that day’s highlights.

Day 1: Amsterdam to Kudelstaart, 12 mi. (20 km)
The crew will welcome you aboard the Elodie with coffee and tea. The boat will sail through the center of Amsterdam to the locks of the Nieuwe Meer. 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, 20, or 33 mi. (10, 32, or 53 km)
The day begins 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 plants are being determined right here in this building. Millions of flowers and plants find their way all over the world when the auction starts. You will proceed 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 mi. (27 km)
Gouda is famous for its cheese and beautiful town hall, from here you will cycle to Kinderdijk, a UNESCO protected windmill park. From here, you will take the 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 where the members of the royal family, beginning with William of Orange, are buried.

Day 4: Delft-The Hague-Leiden, 24 mi. (39 km)
Before leaving Delft, pay a visit to a studio where earthenware is hand painted with the famous "Delfts blauw" (Delft's blue). On the bicycle, ride 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 got 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 where you can admire the government buildings, museums, and stately 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 - Hoogmade - Leiden, 8 mi. (13 km)
In the morning, 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 town has a charming and lively center. The Elodie lies in the center of Leiden, a good place to get acquainted with this historical town.

Day 6: Leiden Harlem, 13 or 24 mi. (21 or 39 km)
Early in the morning, set sail out of Leiden. Outside Leiden, you begin to pedal to the Keukenhof. This flower exhibition has everything Holland has to offer when it comes to flowers. You can expect to be overwhelmed by colors at this time of year when most flower bulbs show their beauty. After the Keukenhof, continue on the bicycle to Harlem. 

Day 7: Haarlem - Amsterdam, 5 or 17 mi. (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 spending more time because of its many possibilities: a boat tour around the canals, the Van Gogh museum, and the Rijks Museum; or just savor the atmosphere. For dinner, you can pick one of the many nice restaurants in the center of town.

Day 8: Amsterdam
Departure after breakfast.