Holland’s Southern Tour Bike and Barge

Day 1: Arrival and embarkation in Amsterdam; sailing to Spaarndam and cycle to Haarlem
9 miles/15 km

The barge is moored at the Oosterdok in central Amsterdam, near the train station. Arrival on board is expected on Thursday between 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM. Once 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 barge departs at 2 PM, first cruising through Amsterdam and along the North Sea Canal before reaching the village of Spaarndam. 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, you take an easy ride into the beautiful city of Haarlem, where you will see the first of many windmills. During dinner aboard the ship, the program for the next day and the overall itinerary for the week will be discussed. Instructions on cycling and safety procedures will also be provided. As on most evenings, the tour leader will accompany you on a leisurely walk through the city after dinner.
Overnight in Haarlem

Day 2: Haarlem – Leiden
28 miles/45 km

Upon departure from Haarlem you will first cycle to the ‘Cruquiusgemaal’ (Cruquius Pumping Station): one of the three steam-powered pumping stations that drained the Haarlemmer Lake between 1849 and 1852. Now a museum, it gives you an excellent idea of the Dutch ‘battle against the water’. From this monument you ride towards the coast and into the dunes. On the way to the sea you will pass many beautiful country estates near Vogelenzang, and at lunchtime, you reach the seaside resort of Noordwijk.

Over separate cycling lanes through more sanddunes and via the fishing village of Katwijk you reach the university city of Leiden. Do not foget to bring your swimming gear when the weather is fine. Leiden is a historic city with many little courtyards, façades, and historical buildings built between the 15th and 18th century. It also is the birthplace of the painter Rembrandt van Rijn. Leiden houses the oldest and most prestigious university of the Netherlands. All members of the royal family have studied here in the recent past. The right to found a university was given to Leiden after the city broke the Spanish siege in 1574. Still today this event is celebrated each year on the 3rd of October. The ship is moored near the Zijlpoort, a gate that once formed part of the city walls.
Overnight in Leiden

Day 3: Leiden – Delft
25 miles/40 km

You leave the city in a southerly direction and cycle along the Vliet canal. In Voorschoten you turn westwards towards the coastline and through some of the richest villages of the country like Wassenaar. At ‘Wassenaarse Slag’ is an entrance to the beach and here you can take a nice break. The beach stretches for miles on end on both sides. From here we cycle through extensive dunes to Den Haag (The Hague), where you can visit the Binnenhof with the houses of parliament, the royal palace Noordeinde and the Vredespaleis (Peace Palace).

The route to Delft takes you along different waterways once again. The old centre is well worth a visit. This is a well-conserved medieval city with canals, a magnificent town hall and a royal tomb in the Nieuwe Kerk.
Overnight in Delft

Day 4: Rest day: Delft

Today you can choose to stay in Delft to explore its charming old town or take public transport to visit The Hague or Rotterdam.

Delft is a delightful town to wander through—don’t miss the Oude and Nieuwe Kerk. Rotterdam, the main port of the Netherlands, is bustling and modern, with impressive architectural highlights, interesting museums, and skyscrapers that reach for the sky. On the Maas River, the iconic Erasmus Bridge leads to the Kop van Zuid district.

The Hague (Den Haag) has an international atmosphere, with wide avenues, parks, and stately mansions. Highlights include the Peace Palace, home of the International Court of Justice; the Binnenhof, the seat of the Dutch government and parliament; the royal palaces Noordeinde and Huis ten Bosch; and the Mauritshuis Museum, which houses masterpieces by Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Rubens.
Overnight in Delft

Day 5: Delft – sailing to Rotterdam/Kinderdijk – cycling to Gouda
25 miles/40 km

From Delft the barge first sails to Rotterdam where you board a fast ferry to Kinderdijk. Kinderdijk has a UNESCO cultural World Heritage listing and is the largest group of windmills in the Netherlands. The 19 windmills at Kinderdijk are an impressive sight and were still actively used until 1950. These days, a large pumping station is responsible for controlling the water level in the polder. Here you can visit a windmill from the inside. An impressive piece of centuries-old technique that is still functional today.

`From Kinderdijk you will cycle over quiet countryroads and narrow cycling paths to Gouda. You ride past scenic polders and through the beautiful Alblasserwaard and the deepest lying polder of the Netherlands, Krimpenerwaard. Along the way you will pass green meadows with cows that produce the famous Gouda cheese. Who thinks of Gouda, not only thinks of cheese, pipes, ‘stroopwafels’ (treacle-waffle) and pottery, but also of stained-glass windows, a fairy-like town hall and atmospheric canals. Gouda is beautiful Old-Dutch city with a mostly intact city center.
Overnight in Gouda

Day 6: Gouda – Oude Wetering
28 miles/45 km

Before we continue on our way to Amsterdam a visit to the ‘St. Janskerk’ is in fact a must. Gouda’s 123-meter-long church is home to its renowned ‘Goudse Glazen’ (stained glass windows). You will also see the beautiful gothic town hall and the ‘Waag’ (a building once used for weighing cheese) before embarking on a ride through the Reeuwijkse Plassen, a nature reserve, and well-known wetland.

Later this day you ride through again typical Dutch landscape filed with green meadows, wetlands, canals, rivers and small villages. You will cross waterways on small ferries and over bridges. Our last mooring place before Amsterdam is the quiet village of Oude Wetering.
Overnight in Oude Wetering

Day 7: Oude Wetering – Amsterdam
28 miles/45 km

Today you will first ride along different small waterways that lead you to the village of Uithoorn on the Amstel river. From here you will follow the Amstel river all the way to the mooring place of the barge. Along the way you will see several fortifications. They are part of De Stelling van Amsterdam, a 135 km long ring of fortifications around Amsterdam from 1885, and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Amsterdam's name derives from Amstelredamme, indicative of the city's origin as a dam of the river Amstel. Almost without noticing you enter Amsterdam, following the Amstel River. The extensive network of bicycle paths ensures a relatively easy way back into the city, showing you some remarkable sites in the centre. Then it is time to say goodbye to your bike.

Before the farewell dinner you may want to go for a walk in town. At night there you may want to take a canal trip or go on a city walk through the centre of the city
Overnight in Amsterdam

Day 8: Amsterdam

End of the trip after breakfast (disembarkation by 10:00am).