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 Merlijn
Day 1: Arrival in Amsterdam, cruising to Harlem
Day 2: Haarlem - Keuhenhof - Leiden, 25 mi. (40 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 Haarlem.
Day 2: Haarlem - Keuhenhof - Leiden, 25 mi. (40 km)
During breakfast the Merlin will take you a little further on to Cruquius, where your bike tour will start. Today you will visit the Keukenhof, the beautiful flower exhibition. After this visit you will bike to Leiden, where the Merlijn awaits you. Dinner on board and overnight stay in Leiden.
Day 3: Leiden - Gouda - Dordrecht, 21 mi. (35 km)
Sailing breakfast while we cruise to the starting point of the bike tour at Boskoop. You will start biking through one of the most beautiful parts of Holland – the so called Green Heart of Holland - and will visit the city of Gouda, with its candles and stroopwafels, afterwards you will reach Kinderdijk, world famous for its windmills. Here appears an impressive row of large windmills, built to drain the Alblasserwaard. You can visit one of the mills. From Alblasserdam you will embark the ferry and you will sail to Dordrecht, where the Merlijn will await you. Dordrecht is one of the oldest towns of Holland, where you will enjoy a walking tour through this charming old city before you will go out dining at your own expense in one of the many restaurants. The Merlijn will stay overnight in Dordrecht.
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 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)
The day starts with a nice sailing trip. On bike you visit the world famous windmills of Kinderdijk and the old Dutch town of Dordrecht. You embark the barge in the afternoon and sail 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.
Day 8: Transfer by bus to Amsterdam Airport. Arrival back to Schiphol airport approximately 12:30PM.
Important note for passengers aboard the 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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Travel Details
This tour is operated by Jantien Wondergem and Henk Karelse and HAT tours. We do not run these tours ourselves, we never have. We work on commission from our local partners plus a small administration fee of €20. We pride ourselves on the strong relationship we have with our local partners and the services we provide.
Tulip Tour - Amsterdam to Bruges Boats + Barges
Clair de Lune France Standard Plus Class Boat In May 2014, Marco Pouw and his wife Astrid assumed ownership of the ship Clair de Lune. In the winter of 2014, the ship was renovated and made ready for a new bike and boat adventure in and around Paris, launching in the spring of 2015.Marco has great experience as a skipper on freighters in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany and looks forward to this venture with great anticipation and enthusiasm.
Merlijn Germany, Netherlands Comfort Plus Class Boat The Merlijn has 12 luxurious cabins with two comfortable airbeds that can be pushed together or separated, a desk, a wardrobe closet, a hairdryer, and a safe. The lounge is comfortably furnished in a modern style with a restaurant area and lounge near the bar. You can enjoy fresh air, water, and nature in all weather on the sun deck. The entire ship is climate controlled and you can adjust the temperature in your own cabin.
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Customer Feedback
Marty W. 4 months ago
Marcos , captain and Kim, cook were at the helm of our trip with the Claire de Lune. They did an outstanding job; food excellent, conversation and safety of boat exceptional - we were taken care of very well. Paul, tour bike guide kept us all together on the back streets and roads, never lost and always got us back to the boat in time for relaxation time and dinner. He knew the area, well versed in the country's history and strong bicyclist and took good care of us. This trip is not for the faint at heart or easy bicycle afternoon riders. We road 30 miles almost every day - wind in our face and sometimes lucky with the wind at our backs. The riding was some back roads, some deltas and some cobble stone city riding along with traffic. Not rails to trails and no sag wagon. We saw beautiful country sides, the tulips were full aglow at the tulip fields and the windmill adventure was super. It was a good full week of adventure. The barge crew are to be commended for all that they did to make our week special.
Boat: Clair de Lune
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Sandy B. 4 months ago
It was the best trip. The food was spectacular, our guide was spectacular. I loved the whole trip.
Boat: Quo Vadis
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Rick H. 4 months ago
The most memorable parts were Keukenhof gardens and fellow bikers. Disappointed that a week long "tulip tour" ended up being about 3 hours of tulip tour. Primarily focused on 1953 Delta Plan, interesting but spent too much time...days, on it. Enjoyed seeing Kinderdijk windmills. Would have been nice to see more small towns and tulip fields.
Boat: Quo Vadis
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Patricia C. 4 months ago
Three highlights of the trip: glorious sunshine on the palette of colour at the Keukenhof Gardens; exploring the fabulous 'secret' back alleys in the Kieuperspoort district of Middelburg; the helpful, friendly and confident nature of our Dutch hosts. Fantastic holiday!!!
Boat: Quo Vadis
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Julie H. 4 months ago
The most memorable part was riding through the beautiful countryside.
Boat: Merlijn
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Betsy A. 4 months ago
The trip was fun but I don't think the description of the trip was accurate. The trip was about 85% bike riding and 15% site seeing. I would have liked more time to explore the cities we were riding through but most of the time it was too late or placed were closed. Not sure if I would do another tour like this. The riding was beautiful but I really expected more site seeing according to the trip description.
Boat: Merlijn
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A. Miller 1 year ago
We loved the trip. Hank, Jantien, & staff were super as usual. The electric bike was a bit heavy. My(Anita) electric bike at home feels much lighter--it's smaller. Look forward to another trip on Merlijn & with Jantien & Hank. --Anita & Duncan
Boat: Merlijn
Reply
L. Reisinger 1 year ago
The staff of the Merlijn were delightful and very personable. Enjoyed them thoroughly.
Boat: Merlijn
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J. Klok 1 year ago
Travel aboard the Merlijn is always a wonderful experience. Our guide, Felix, was excellent. This was our fourth trip and we will return for more.
Boat: Merlijn
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C. Martin 1 year ago
I really enjoyed this trip. The barge was very spacious and the food was excellent. The staff were friendly and the atmosphere was very relaxing. The biking was just right and our bike guide was wonderful. Felix was knowledgeable and very helpful to all. I will certainly recommend this trip to others and can hardly wait to do another bike and barge trip.
Boat: Merlijn
Reply
S. Carlson 1 year ago
Some of the other people that came on the trip were not prepared to ride a bike 20-25 miles per day. They said that they had not ridden a bicycle since they were a youth. Consequently, this significantly held up the entire group. I would recommend emphasizing the importance of being in good riding condition for the bike/barge trips. Thank you.
The staff of the Merlijn absolutely made the entire trip a pure delight! We would definitely sail with them again in the future!
Boat: Merlijn
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R. Modi 1 year ago
The entire trip for all 13 of us was superb !!! From the quality of the boat, the skipper, the chef, the cycle route, the guide, the food on board, all excellen !! A must do!! The quality of the cycles were excellent ! Which made the experience memorable! I did get a chance to compare it with other boat and bicycle tours, ours was far superior, practically new bicycles.
Boat: Quo Vadis
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J. Shah 1 year ago
Best time we ever had. It was like coming back to home after the day cycling. Staff was very friendly and felt at home. Food was good. Look forward to come again in future for sure. The E-bikes were too good and very good for us who are not regular cyclist.
Boat: Quo Vadis
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L. Chandler 1 year ago
I loved this trip. The Merlijn was well-above my expectations. Very clean and well setup. Everything on the boat was perfect. Now if only we had had better weather. :)
Boat: Merlijn
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Derek Gee 2 years ago
Both my wife and I were very happy with the overall experience. The crew, barge, daily itinerary and especially the food were all top notch. It was more then we could reasonably expect. We would and have recommended the experience to others. We hope to return soon on another bike and barge trip.
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Mary Barchiesi 2 years ago
We loved our trip so much that I just chartered another boat for 36 people in Croatia for September 2016 with another company. Better working deal than tripsite. The boat owners were rigid and probably not as congenial as they could have been. It was their boat, not our trip. I organized a group of 12 and were not demanding at all. The tour guide was over the top just amazing!!!! All in all a wonderful experience!
Boat: Merlijn
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Elizabeth Yates 2 years ago
Yes, I have recommended this trip to several people and will continue to do so. So many people have never heard of such a trip. One of my friends has already booked on our same barge (Merlijn) for next year! The staff, the rooms, the food and scenery were absolutely wonderful.
Boat: Merlijn
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Linda Scotten 2 years ago
Though not a 'delux' trip the staff and other passengers made it such a memorable trip! It might not suit everyone but we loved it!
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James Dowie 3 years ago
the captain was wonderful and the nice part was he had his two daughters on for a few days and they were lovely. They also had there small dog who was great. Missed the dog when he went with the girls. The guide Lia was excellent and very helpful at all times. They rearranged the direction of the tour to cope with the wind and to go to the Keukenhof on a day when it was not so busy. The Keukenhof Gardens were at its peak the day we went. We will never forget that day. There were many highlights the cheese farm, the floralies were flowers are sold world wide, and so many other things like a barge tour at night in one town. I could go on for pages.
Waldy the helper was always there with a smile and never did he let me carry a bag. The cabins were neat and clean. Alf the cook who did the food was sensational every day . Alf and I had a birthday on the same day (April 21st) and they had a party for us. It was my 82nd birthday one I will never forget. All the other guests were great and we mixed so well. We bonded the first day even though we were from many different backgrounds. The e-bike you arranged allowed me to keep up with everybody. It was always ready and charged up each morning. I had a minor tumble in Amsterdam landed on my head and the helmets provided did the job. Guess I have a hard head too. Only damage is a sore thumb. When it hurts from time to time it brings back fantastic memories of our wonderful trip a very positive feeling. My wife and I really hope life will let us take another bike and barge trip in Europe.
I really can not thank you all enough for the wonderful happiness you provide.
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Mary & Bill Perkins 4 years ago
The tour was packed with history, beauty & a real feel of how the people live there lives - thanks to Lia our guide. Food, decor & Jantien's hospitality aboard the Merlijn was second to none. The crew went out of there way to make this truly a memorable cycling vacation.
Thank you!
Boat: Merlijn
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