Holland’s Southern Relax Tulip Tour

Day 1: Arrival and embarkation in Amsterdam – Oude Wetering
6 miles/10 km

Embarkation is between 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM. The barge is moored at the Oosterdok in central Amsterdam, close to the train station. Upon arrival on board, you can settle in and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. This is also a great opportunity to meet the tour leader, skipper, crew, and, of course, your fellow passengers.

The journey begins with a cruise through Amsterdam before heading to the wetlands south of the city, arriving at today’s mooring place: the village of Oude Wetering. This relaxed start allows you to get accustomed to life on the barge.

During dinner on board, the program for the following day and the overall itinerary for the week will be discussed. Instructions on cycling and safety procedures will also be provided. After dinner, the tour leader will accompany you on the first few kilometers of your bike ride during a short tour around the village.Overnight near Oude Wetering

Day 2: Oude Wetering – Gouda
28 miles/45 km

From Oude Wetering, you will continue your tour over country roads, banks and channels through the Green Heart and polders to the city known for its cheese: Gouda. Your ride takes you throguh a typical Dutch landscape, filled with green meadows, wetlands, cancals, rivers and small villages. You will cross waterways on small ferries and over bridges. Before reaching Gouda, you will ride through the Reeuwijkse Plassen, a nature reserve and renowned wetland.

Whoever thinks of Gouda, thinks not only of cheese, pipes, stroopwafels (treacle-waffle) and pottery, but also of stained-glass windows, a fairytale-like town hall and atmospheric canals. Gouda is a beautiful Old-Dutch city with a mostly intact city center.

The "St. Janskerk", Gouda's 123-meter-long church, with its renowned "Goudse Glazen" (leaded light windows), the beautiful gothic town hall and the "Waag" (a building once used for weighing cheese) are absolutely worth a visit. Furthermore, one should not forget the Goudse Kaas- en Ambachtenmuseum (Museum of Cheese and Crafts), the Museum of Dutch Resistance, the "Weeshuisplein" (famous square), the Catharinatuin, patios around the city and the Museumhaven, a harbor where historical ships are moored. Today is Sunday, the day on which most Dutch take out their bikes for a ride.

As on most evenings, after dinner you will take a walk through the city.
Overnight near Gouda

Day 3: Gouda – Delft
25 miles/40 km

From Gouda, you cycle along easy and quiet country roads, passing scenic polders on your way to Rotterdam via Kinderdijk. Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is home to the largest group of windmills in the Netherlands. The 19 windmills here are an impressive sight and were still in active use until 1950. Today, a large pumping station manages the water levels in the polder, but you can still visit one of the windmills from the inside—an impressive example of centuries-old engineering that remains functional.

From Kinderdijk, you take a ferry to Rotterdam, where the barge awaits. From there, the barge takes you to Delft, the town famous for its iconic “Delft Blue” pottery. The Prinsenhof Museum is located in the former St. Agatha’s monastery. In 1572, William of Orange chose the convent as one of his residences. It was from here that he led the revolt against Spanish rule in Holland. On July 10, 1584, he was assassinated on the steps of the Prinsenhof by Balthazar Gerards, a Spanish sympathizer. Two bullet holes in the wall of the stairs still bear witness to this historic event.
Overnight near Delft

Day 4: Delft – Katwijk – Leiden
22 miles or 30 miles/36 km or 48km

From Delft you cycle in the direction of The Hague, where you may visit the Binnenhof with the houses of parliament, the royal palace of of Noordeinde and the Vredespaleis (Peace Palace). You will continue through the Haagse Bosch, a large park, and past the other royal palace, Huis ten Bosch.

A tranquil cycle path through the dunes leads you to Wassenaarse Slag. Here, some remains of the Atlantikwall can still be seen. Five bunkers are connected by nearly 3,000-foot-long brick tunnels. Now the underground network serves as a bat reserve. The Atlantikwall was a 1,700-mile defense line, running from Norway via Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France to the border with Spain. This defense line, which was never completed, consisted of bunkers, canons and minefields. At some places the bunkers are still there, such as in Zandvoort, Scheveningen, Oostende (Belgium) and Normandy (France).

Continue through the dunes, to Katwijk aan Zee, an old fishing village. The old inhabitants of Katwijk still speak their own dialect, 'Kattuks'.

Following the course of the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine) river, you cycle on to Leiden. Leiden originated around 800 AD as a market place at the confluence of the Old and New Rhine rivers, the Vliet River and the Mare ("Leyten" means "at the waters"). For a long time it was considered to be the second city after Amsterdam. It was the center of the textile industry in medieval times. A well-known episode from the history of Leiden is the siege of 1574 by the Spanish. These were finally driven away after dikes had been broken through and a Watergeuzen (see Rotterdam) fleet had come to help. The relief of Leiden is still celebrated every year on October 3rd. In 1575 Leiden was given the right to establish a university as a reward for the courage shown during the siege. It is also the birthplace of Rembrandt (van Rijn!).

Leiden boasts 14 museums, including the Rijksmuseum for Anthropology with many priceless foreign objects, the Municipal Museum (Lakenhal, 1640) including works by Dou, Steen, Rembrandt and Van Goyen, the Rijksmuseum of Antiquities with Egyptian antiquities. The Hortus Botanicus (Botanical Garden), a 400-year-old garden with innumerable exotic plants and trees, is certainly worth seeing. In the centre of town you can go shopping or enjoy sitting on an outdoor terrace on the water's edge.

The ship is moored near the Zijlpoort, a gate that once formed part of the city walls. You have an option of a shorter route leading you inland after 'Huis den Bosch' and brings you along the recreational lake 'Vlietlanden' to Leiden.
Overnight near Leiden

Day 5: Leiden – visit to Keukenhof by public transport

Today you will visit the Keukenhof Gardens, renowned as the most beautiful spring park in the world. Here, seven million flowering tulips create an overwhelming blaze of color across 80 acres, set against a backdrop of both traditional and modern garden architecture. The abundance of blossoms, along with flowering rhododendrons and azaleas, is a true feast for the eyes.

The park’s pavilions host unique flower shows, and among the vibrant colors, you will discover surprising works of art. This unparalleled combination delights visitors at every turn.

Keukenhof features a variety of gardens and gardening styles, including the English Landscape Garden, the Historical Garden, the Natural Garden, the Japanese Natural Garden, the Formal Garden, and three special color-themed gardens. Spread throughout the park are approximately eighty sculptures by well-known Dutch artists, along with other artistic displays such as the collection Surprising Tulips.
Overnight near Leiden

Day 6: Leiden – via the flower bulb fields to Haarlem
25 miles/40 km

From Leiden, you cycle through stunning flower fields on your way to Haarlem. Between March and May, the bulb fields are in full bloom, beginning with daffodils and followed by hyacinths, tulips, and lilies. The vibrant colors of the fields are breathtaking and almost surreal.

Upon arrival in Haarlem, you can take a short tour of the city to see some of its typical hofjes—historic almshouses with charming courtyards, now often home to elderly residents. Haarlem, which gave its name to Harlem in New York, is a lively city with excellent shopping opportunities. The barge is moored in the city center, offering views of St. Bavo’s Church and easy access to the Grote Markt, lined with numerous outdoor cafés.

As on most evenings, the tour leader will accompany you on a leisurely walk around the city after dinner.
Overnight near Haarlem

Day 7: Haarlem – Amsterdam
25 miles/40 km

From Haarlem, you sail to Spaarndam, a picturesque village on the outskirts of the city. Spaarndam gets its name from the dam built in the Spaarne River to protect the area from flooding. Here, you can see the statue of Hansje Brinker on the IJdijk—a character from an American novel who famously “saved” the country from flooding by putting his finger in the dike.

From Spaarndam, the Buitenhuizen ferry takes you across the North Sea Canal, and from there you cycle to the Zaanse Schans. With its traditional weatherboard houses, warehouses, and windmills, the Zaanse Schans may feel like stepping back into the 17th or 18th century. Yet this is no museum; it is a lively neighborhood where people live and work. Here, you can visit a cheese farm, a clog maker, and an old bakery, among other attractions.

The final kilometers of the day are a leisurely ride into Amsterdam.
Overnight near Amsterdam

Day 8: Departure from Amsterdam

After breakfast the tour ends (disembarkation by 10:00am).

Our partner reserves the right to cancel tours with fewer than 12 participants up to 21 days prior to the date of departure. This program is subject to change without notice due to weather, nautical reasons, technical issues and other unforeseen circumstances.