Tulip Tour - Amsterdam to Bruges

Day-To-Day Itinerary

Aboard the Quo Vadis
Day 1: Amsterdam - Haarlem, 16 miles (26 km)
Day 2: Haarlem - Oude Wetering - Gouda, 26 miles (42 km)
Day 3: Gouda - Willemstad - Zierikzee, 25 miles (40 km)
Day 4: Zierikzee - Veere - Middelburg, 26 miles (42 km)
Day 5: Middelburg - Vlissingen (Flushing) - Terneuzen - Gent, 28 miles (45 km)
Day 6: Gent - Bruges, 27 miles (43 km)
Day 7: Bruges and the North Sea, 30 miles (48 km)
Day 8: Bruges departure

Day 1: Amsterdam - Haarlem, 16 miles (26 km)
After embarkation in Amsterdam, the Quo Vadis will depart for Spaarndam at 1 pm. From there, you start a short bike trip to the oldest lock of Europe passing by the famous statue of Hansje Brinker. From there, you will go on along the river Spaarne to Cruquius where you'll participate in a guided tour through the oldest and largest steam machine in the world

Day 2: Haarlem - Oude Wetering - Gouda, 26 miles (42 km)
After breakfast, you will bike through beautiful polders full of tulips and hyacinths. The first stop will be at the famous Keukenhof. After visiting the beautiful Flower Gardens, you will continue on to Oude Wetering, where the ship will be waiting. The Quo Vadis will sail over Alphen aan de Rijn – the River Rhine during the Roman Empire – to the famous Cheese town of Gouda.

Day 3: Gouda - Willemstad - Zierikzee, 25 miles (40 km)
Starting early from Gouda, you will enjoy a sailing breakfast while motoring along the industrial area of Rotterdam to the old fortress town Willemstad. From there, you will start biking mostly below sea-level to the delta of the great rivers. There used to be many open connections with the sea here, but after the big flood disaster of 1953, the Delta Works plan was initiated. As a result, most tidal inlets are now closed off from the sea by dams. Be sure to take a closer look at the interior and exterior of the storm surge barrier. A beautiful tour on the island of Schouwen-Duiveland comes next. Your destination for today is the well-preserved town of Zierikzee.

Day 4: Zierikzee - Veere - Middelburg, 26 miles (42 km)
Today's bike tour will start by taking you towards the western part of the island, Schouwen. At Westenschouwen, you will begin crossing the Oosterscheldedam. Halfway along the dam, you can spot the former artificial island, Neeltje Jans. Although all the islands of the provinces Zuid-Holland and Zeeland are now connected, and should no longer be called islands, they have all retained their own character. With a strong headwind, this trip can be very strenuous. In that case, you may prefer to do the first part of today's route on board the ship and start cycling at Zandkreek. Quiet country roads will take you into Middelburg.

Day 5: Middelburg - Vlissingen (Flushing) - Terneuzen - Gent, 28 miles (45 km)
By ship or on the bike, you will head to Vlissingen (Flushing), an important port at the mouth of the Westerschelde. Here, you will take the ferry to Breskens in Zeeuws Vlaanderen (Zeeland's Flanders), which takes about twenty minutes. Belgium is now getting close. While cycling through the spacious land and scattered villages, you may not even notice that you are crossing the Dutch-Belgian border. The city of Ghent is proud of its rich past, but is much more than just a museum town. This lively city has numerous squares and cozy pubs and is an excellent mixture of medieval edifices, stylish shopping streets, splendid mansions, working-class quarters from the beginning of the 20th century which now often house students, and busy little squares where people eat out till the wee hours during the summer.

Day 6: Gent - Bruges, 27 miles (43 km)
Today you will bike from Gent through the Belgium polders, partly along the Gent-Oostende canal. Starting from Lovendegem, just outside the city, you will cycle through the beautiful country of Western Flanders to Bruges, the Venice of the North. This town is one the most beautiful of all Flemish cities. Its old center, which dates from the Middle Ages, is almost completely intact. Bruges was, in old times, a metropolis and center of commerce and art. Bruges historic center with its numerous canals, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 7: Bruges and the North Sea, 30 miles (48 km)
The last bike tour takes you to a quiet canal from Napoleon, along where you’ll find lots of poplars, through an attractive polder landscape with nice small farm houses to the North Sea coast. A 12-kilometer long sandy beach, numerous cafés, and the attractive dune landscape of Knokke/Heist provide enough variety during your lunch break. Then back to Bruges.

Day 8: Bruges departure
Departure after breakfast

Aboard the Merlijn
Day 1: Arrival in Amsterdam, cruising to Harlem
Day 2: Haarlem - Lisse - Keuhenhof - Leiden, 18 mi. (30 km)
Day 3: Leiden - Gouda - Dordrecht, 21 mi. (35 km)
Day 4: Dordrecht - Willemstad - Tholen - Antwerp, 27 mi. (45 km)
Day 5: Antwerp - Baasrode, 21 mi. (35 km)
Day 6: Baasrode - Merelbeke - Ghent, 27 mi. (45 km)
Day 7: Ghent - Bruges, 24 mi. (40 km)
Day 8: Departure from Bruges

Day 1: Arrival in Amsterdam, cruising to Harlem
The Merlijn, your sailing hotel, awaits you in Amsterdam. Embarkation is between 1:00 PM and 1:30 PM. The barge departs at 2 PM to cruise to Haarlem. It is necessary to leave on time because of the operating hours of the bridges. The crew will welcome you on board and while you enjoy a welcome drink, you will be informed about the barge and the daily tours. The barge stays overnight in the neighborhood of Cruquius, just past Haarlem.

Day 2: Haarlem - Lisse - Keukenhof - Leiden, 18 mi. (30 km)
During breakfast, the Merlin will take you a little closer to the Keukenhof and docks at Lisse. Here, your first bike tour will begin to the Keukenhof. After this visit, you will cycle to Leiden.

Day 3: Leiden - Gouda - Dordrecht, 21 mi. (35 km)
Enjoy breakfast while the boat cruises to the starting point of the bike tour at Gouda. You will begin by biking through one of the most beautiful parts of Holland, the"Green Heart of Holland " en route to the Kinderdijk, world famous for its impressive row of large windmills. They were built to drain the Alblasserwaard. You have the opportunity to take a tour inside one of the mills. From here, board the Merlijn and cruise to Dordrecht, one of the oldest towns of Holland, where you will enjoy a walking tour through this charming old city

Day 4: Dordrecht - Willemstad - Tholen - Antwerp, 27 mi. (45 km)
During breakfast the boat cruises to Willemstad, where your bike tour to Tholen starts. Tholen was once an island in the middle of the large Zeeland streams, where many people were fisherman by trade. Today, Tholen is connected to the mainland in various ways, but it is still a picturesque village with many relics of an eventful past. Today's bike tour ends here and the barge takes you into the Willemdok of Antwerp. Antwerp is not only known as the diamond city, but also as the native city of the painter Rubens. In the Rubens House, you can admire his work. In the heart of the city you will see the Cathedral of Our Lady and beautiful town houses from a rich past are situated around the Market Square. Tonight you will enjoy your dinner on your own in one of the many local restaurants in Antwerp.

Day 5: Antwerp - Baasrode, 21 mi. (35 km)
After breakfast, you will have more time to explore the city of Antwerp. At around 9 AM you will board a tram that brings you into the heart of Antwerp. You may want to visit the Rubens House if you did not get an opportunity earlier, or a diamond factory. You can also go shopping in the lively center. After your visit, board the Merlijn and have lunch on board while cruising to Rupelmonde. Here, your bike tour for today begins. The tour follows the river Schelde further upstream via Temse to Baasrode.

Day 6: Baasrode - Merelbeke - Ghent, 27 mi. (45 km)
After breakfast, 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. This city has a rich past with origins in Roman Times, and is located at the place where the rivers, Leie and Schelde converge. This favorable situation brought a great deal of prosperity over the years, which had its peak late 13th, early 14th century. The textile industry brought great wealth. In the city center, many old patrician houses have been preserved. In the Clothmakers’ Hall (1425) textile merchants used to meet. The major church is St. Baafs’ Cathedral, built in various ages and in various styles. In the cathedral, you can admire a number of medieval paintings, including, ‘Adoration of the Lamb’ by Jan van Eyck. 

Day 7: Ghent - Bruges, 24 mi. (40 km)
During breakfast, the barge cruises to Aalter, where your last biking tour begins and leads 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, which dates from the Middle Ages, is almost completely intact. At the time, Bruges was a metropolis, the center of trade and art. Bruges is also great for shopping. In the afternoon, enjoy a walking tour through this city. You may even want to include a ride through the canals. Farewell dinner on the Merlijn and your last overnight stay on board.

Day 8: Departure from Bruges. Disembarkation after breakfast, approximately 9AM.

Aboard the La Belle Fleur and Clair de Lune
Day 1: Arrival in Amsterdam, sailing to Oude Wetering, 6 mi. (10 km)
Embarkation and check in aboard the hotel barge. In the afternoon, the barge crosses the center of Amsterdam and heads for the village of Oude Wetering. In the evening, there’s an opportunity to test ride the bikes to ensure that everything is working correctly.

Day 2: Oude Wetering - Gouda, 15 mi. (25 km)
Enjoy easy cycling through picturesque Dutch meadowlands and end today's ride in the cheese town of Gouda. After dinner on board, you are free to explore the town. Also scheduled today is a visit to the Keukenhof Flowerpark.

Day 3: Gouda - Willemstad, 25 mi. (40 km)
First, the barge takes you to the world famous windmills of the Kinderdijk. Via the old Dutch town of Dordrecht, the route leads to the natural reserve Biesbosch to Moerdijk where the barge will pick you up. At the end of the cycling day, relax on the barge while it takes you to the beautiful walled town of Willemstad.

Day 4: Sailing to Antwerp, 27 mi. (45 km)
Today the barge motors across the impressive waterways of Zeeland. At the Kreekrak locks, you'll get on your bike to head for the lively town of Antwerp in Belgium. In the evening, your guide invites you for a short city walk and you will have some free time to explore this lively port town.

Day 5: Antwerp - Dendermonde, 31 mi. (50 km)
Cycle out of Antwerp for a ride through the pretty Flemish countryside alongside the river Schelde. You spend the night in the provincial town of Dendermonde.

Day 6: Dendermonde - Ghent, 22 mi. (35 km)
The river Schelde is a tidal river and thus the barge may have to wait for the high tide to continue. Therefore, you disembark and cycle directly to the old city of Ghent. The tour leader will invite you for a walk across the wonderful town center.

Day 7: Train to Bruges, return by train to Ghent
By train you go to Bruges and your tour leader will make you acquainted with this unique town. You have plenty of time to discover Bruges before making your return to Ghent by train. An added bonus is a horse drawn carriage ride through the center of Bruges. ABOARD THE CLAIR DE LUNE: Tour ends following the return train to Ghent and then transfer to the airport. You will arrive around 7 PM.

Day 8: Transfer by bus to Amsterdam Airport

Important note for Passengers aboard the Tijdgeest and Clair de Lune: Due to restrictions by Belgian naval authorities, passengers are no longer allowed to remain on board while the barge motors the Belgian waterways. Non cycling participants will be required to take a taxi or public transportation at their own expense. The tour leader will provide details on board. 

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