5 Star Iris boat/barge tour reviews — 1 to 30 of 76

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

The staff on the Iris were excellent. They went out of their way to make us feel comfortable. The passenger capacity of the Iris (24 people) was just right. It afforded us the opportunity to get to know the other travelers. Although the cabins were small, they were well laid out; comfortable; and quiet. We thoroughly enjoyed cycling throughout the Netherlands with the exceptional guides on the Iris.
We would've preferred more time allocated to exploring the towns where the Iris moored daily. Most of our exploration time was limited to after dinner walks in some towns.

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

I really enjoyed the trip, especially being able to ride a bike throughout Holland and see all the flowers and small towns.

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

The whole trip was a beautiful experience full of memorable biking moments, new friendships and an attentive and talented staff. The best part of the trip was the attentiveness of the staff who met our various needs throughout the trip. I can't say enough about our tour guides and barge staff who always took the time to hear our concerns and or special needs and do their best to meet them. By the end of the trip, The Iris was our home and it always felt good to return back to our barge after a successfull and beautiful day of biking throughout the countryside. So with that being said, the trip is beautiful, but the staff made it special.

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

The beauty of the countryside and beautiful homes along the canals. I especially loved learning about heirloom tulips and the interesting facts about the Dutch people and their country. I loved all beautiful the cycling but only wish we had a little more time at the end of the day to explore the little towns while the shops were still open.

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

The guides were very good. Felix and Hetty made every bit of the trip fondly memorable. The Iris offered very nice accommodations—featuring lots of room between the beds, plenty of space to store clothing, and a lovely shower and toilet room. The other staff of the Iris were very good, too, and we enjoyed excellent meals and everything went smoothly. I went on this trip to see the tulips, and they were gorgeous—not just at the Keukenhof, but also at the visit to the bulb garden and along the way just looking at private farms.

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

The trip was fantastic. Just the right amount of cycling traveling through the beautiful Netherlands. It was great to have 2 guides to split up our group of 24. Both guides were knowledgeable and fun. The captain, crew and chef were excellent. The Isis was a comfortable boat and I would definitely sail on it again. I highly recommend this trip to others.

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

Every aspect of the trip was memorable, from biking through quaint towns and beautiful countryside to an outstanding staff and five star cuisine. Be prepared to be amazed.

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

It was a wonderful Trip. We rode the bikes evern though it was rainy and windy. It is amazing that you would do in that kind of weather, but we did, dressed warm and we loved it. We also had good weather days, when we saw the tulips and the gardens. It is amazing how many bikes are in the area. The roads are divided into one lane for the cars and a bike lane on each side of the road. Usually we biked on a paved path all the way. It was a great trip!!!!!

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

Experiencing the unique geography and history of the Netherlands and getting to sample a tange of small towns and then Amsterdam. We also enjoyed the excellent range of art and historical museums and then of course since this was the tulip tour we really appreciated biking by miles of tulip beds and seeing Keukenhof garden, truly a national treasure. Tips for others biking and in April: Bring waterproof cycling gloves, a warm layer, and rain gear. We found the electric bikes were very in dealing with headwinds which of course can be strong by the sea.

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

Tulips. Would have been good to have had more time with tulips than an afternoon at Keukenoff. Maybe a visit to a tulip processor, or other gardens. After all, this was the "tulip" tour and we really only had one day of tulips.

You should alert your clients to the possibility of cold and rainy weather. Our guides did a good job of working around it, and I did have clothing to protect me, but it is an issue. Next to last day, we got into Zaandam too late to adequately visit the nearby attractions. Should have gotten there about two hours earlier.

Other than that, I think that all of the staff did an excellent job. Great food from Ellen; guides provided information and leadership. Boat was clean, spacious and comfortable.

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

Cycling past tulip fields and visiting Keukenhof Gardens will leave a colourful memory for us, fulfilling a long awaited bucket list item. The barge and bikes were in excellent condition. The staff were lovely, going out of there way to be helpful. All meals were delicious, although in an effort to minimise waste, quantities were sometimes on the small side. Rides were enjoyable, although the wind made some feel longer than reality. The guides had excellent cornering and sweeping systems, which added to the fun and safety of the rides. We were fortunately prepared for variable weather, every day needing a different concoction of clothing. A thoroughly enjoyable week.

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

I would recommend this trip 100%. Everything about the experience was top notch. Our tour guides, Thomas and Rikko, were knowledgeable, kind and ALWAYS had safety of us "top of mind"! The food was excellent and the cabins and ship clean. All in all, a fantastic trip.

  Iris Tulip Tour - Amsterdam to Bruges - 11 day
Netherlands, Belgium

The guides and crew were all wonderful and did everything within their power to make the trip as enjoyable as possible. The Iris was a very comfortable boat. The cycling took us through varied landscapes. Helmets waterbottles and panniers are provided so no need to bring with you.

  Iris Tulip Tour - Amsterdam to Bruges - 11 day
Netherlands, Belgium

Great trip. The guides where wonderful.

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

Absolutely beautiful scenery-the best way to see this charming country is on a bike. The bike paths are very well maintained. I would suggest considering an e-bike. I did the first 4 days on a regular bike and this was fine. But after a day of rain and headwinds, I tried an e-bike-it was awesome! Our guides were great (Alice, Wolter and Timothy), were helpful, personable and really helped make the trip the incredible experience that it was. The food was fabulous-thanks to our amazing chef, Jules. Loved Reik (not sure of spelling of her name). Entire crew was great!

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

The staff and crew on the Iris did everything in their power to give us an enjoyable experience. It was obvious they all enjoyed their jobs and wanted us to share in that joy.

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

The barge and staff were fantastic! The meals were fabulous. The bicycle was much better than I anticipated. Overall it was a well organized trip. They kept us busy with biking and each night there was a walking tour. I highly recommend this trip and am planning another one on the same boat in the future.

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

The biking guides were personable, knowledgeable, well organized. The staff on board the Iris were top rate, helpful, interactive. The itinerary/biking paths followed/led were varied and quite interesting - loved biking through the villages and countryside. Most memorable: Keukenhof, biking past all the tulip fields, past the windmills, receiving tidbits of historical info from the guides.

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

Overall, a great trip. The crew and guides on the Iris were wonderful and helped to make the trip a memorable experience. Thought the tour itinerary was a great balance of Dutch culture, historic towns and places, canals, dikes and locks, windmills, and fields of flowers. Fun seeing the Netherlands on a bike. Chef was amazing and the Food was superb. Made good friends and enjoyed everyone on the bike tour. I would recommend this trip to anyone who wants to experience the beauty of springtime in Holland.

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

This trip was amazing. The pre-planning info, the easy to follow arrival, and the overall organization made my first trip an enticement for future excursions. The crew iof the Iris and our guides were engaging and easily created a family-like experience. Every day was greeted with smiles and experiences which made all of us feel the excitement of the voyage. Thank you for the great memories!

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

  Iris Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

Loved everything about our boat bike vacation! Great crew, accommodations and guides. Thanks so much. We look forward to more trips

  Iris Metz to Cochem
France, Luxembourg, Germany

I worked with TripSite to plan this trip for 20 friends and family and they were fantastic to work with: flexible, friendly and professional. And the trip costs half of similar trips offered by US based bike tour operators. The Iris was a superb boat in great condition and the crew were amazing, with a special shout-out to the fantastic food! The riding was hard to believe: miles and miles of flat, scenic, history drenched wine country. Every days ride was enjoyable and had nice prizes and surprises along the way. Some of my group decided to stay on board for one or more days and got to relax and watch the castles go by, read a book, drink some great local white wine, and chat with the friendly crew. This particular tour: the Mosel between Cochem and Metz, was referred to me by a good friend who has done a dozen packaged bike tours and said this was his favorite. Now it's ours!

  Iris Aschaffenburg to Cochem
Germany

The biking.

  Iris Metz to Cochem
France, Luxembourg, Germany

The places we biked to were wonderful....villages, river views, vineyards. The Iris was fantastic. Great crew, wonderful boat. Was very hot part of the trip and the crew did a great job adapting to the heat. Would highly recommend this trip.

  Iris Metz to Cochem
France, Luxembourg, Germany

  Iris Aschaffenburg to Bamberg
Germany

the biking in beautiful towns.

  Iris Aschaffenburg to Bamberg
Germany

This was my first bike and barge and I truly enjoyed it. We did have some rain and I didn't even mind it. We had come prepared. The staff were very kind and accommodating and the guides were just terrific! The room was more spacious than I expected including the bathroom. We had hot water everyday after getting back to the boat after biking all day. It was a very relaxed atmosphere and I would definitively go on another one.

  Iris Aschaffenburg to Cochem
Germany

I loved this trip. It was a great combination of physical activity, culture, phenomenal scenery , great guides and interesting fellow passengers. No question that I will do more bike and barge trips. Very well organized.

  Iris Metz to Cochem
France, Luxembourg, Germany

The biking throughout was excellent: we had great guides and the barge crew was friendly, accommodating, and VERY professional. Plus there seemed to be a castle on every hill, like biking through a fairytale.