Luxury Tulip Tour: Discovering Holland's Colorful Countryside

Day 1: Haarlem – Leiden
26 miles/43 km

Your tour starts this morning with your personal welcome meeting and introduction in Haarlem.

Cycle across Haarlem’s historic square, past the St. Bavo Church and Frans Hals Museum, and see the ‘hofjes’ with their ancient alms houses. Through an enchanting forest you get to the coastal village of Zandvoort where you turn onto the scenic cycle path across the rolling sand dunes.

Soon, you’ll see the tulip fields. Witness the astounding explosion in all colours of the rainbow from crocuses, daffodils, hyacinths and tulips, all with their own flowering seasons. You can easily spend hours gazing at this colourful patchwork but make sure to save enough time for your visit to the Keukenhof gardens with its beautifully presented displays.

Finish your day in a fantastic, ancient town: Leiden – home to the oldest Dutch university, founded in 1575. Even though it’s a lively city nowadays, it treasures its history including the medieval fortifications dating back to the 9th century (‘Burcht van Leiden’), the Botanical gardens and the impressive city canal ‘Rapenburg’.
Overnight in Leiden.

Day 2: Leiden – Woerden
25 miles/40 km

Cycling out of Leiden, you will pass the enormous Heineken brewery in Zoeterwoude and then enter the ‘Green Heart’ of Holland with it’s lowland ‘polders’, windmills and canals.

It’s worth stopping off in Boskoop. Since Count William I donated his Buckiscope estate to the Abbey of Rijnsburg in 1222, Boskoop developed into the largest connected horticultural area in the world. The Nursery Museum’s cottage and garden show the life of a nursery family at the end of the 19th century, or visit the highly-rated Esveld park & nursery.

Finish your ride today in picturesque Woerden. Though not as famous as Gouda, Edam or Alkmaar, it has long had a cheese market and you can still visit the traditional Reypenaer cheese warehouse. The town’s main highlights, all situated in the old centre, are the imposing windmill De Windhond (‘The Greyhound’) and the 600-year old castle.
Overnight in Woerden.

Day 3: Woerden – Abcoude
25 miles/40 km

Continue your ride through the ‘Green Heart’ and enjoy the majestic landscape divided by lines of tall trees, traditional farm houses, fields with grazing cows, and rivers and canals with water fowl and other birds. A great place to stop for a break will be De Haar, the largest castle in the Netherlands, situated in 135 acres of parkland with impressive trees, old gardens and ponds.

Next, you will get to the river Vecht which is lined with (more) castles and the country houses built by wealthy 17th century merchants from Amsterdam, often with elegant gardens. The historic village centers of Loenen and Breukelen are worth a visit and the perfect spot for an afternoon break. You’ll end your tour in Abcoude, a historic town with a charming centre, not far from Amsterdam.

A local representative will be on hand for your personal end-of-tour meeting. There is an easy connection back to Amsterdam (20 minutes). Or why not add a night in Abcoude?

Note: Although the route to Keukenhof is included in your route documents, entry is not included. Please be sure to book a time slot and purchase your tickets prior to your tour.