Holland and its tulips by bike and boat - guided tour

from 2 090 € / pers.

Reference : HL5
8 days / 6 days riding
Difficulty : Easy
Round trip
From April to May
Departure: Thursday
Electric bike rental possible > Book this trip

Some questions about this trip ?
Contact us +33(0)2 54 78 62 52 or by email

HL5 map > Download tour program

Your cycling tour in Holland

The program of this tour is totally dedicated to this beautiful flower. You will cycle through hectares of spring flowers and tulips, passing along the river Zaan and windmills but also along the North Sea! You will cycle as well through typical polders and visit different cities of art and history (Haarlem, Leiden, Amsterdam…).

This way, you will discover the blooming Netherlands while being comfortably accommodated aboard “Wending” boat!

Guided tour - Guaranteed departures


travel dates : from april 30th to may 7th, 2022 and from may 7th to may 14th, 2022

Day 1 : Amsterdam - Spaarndam - Haarlem | 15 km


You are expected on our barge on Saturday the latest at 2 PM. When you arrive on board you can put your luggage away in your cabin and then enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. It is also a good moment to become acquainted with the guide, skipper and crew and of course your fellow passengers.
The first part of the tour you sail to Spaarndam – known as the village of Hansje Brinker – and from here you make an easy ride into the beautiful city of Haarlem.

Day 2 : Haarlem - Keukenhof - Leiden | 40 km


Todays trip leads you through the oldest tulip fields of Holland and along the Keukenhof. Of course you have time to admire the most beautiful bulb park in the world. Keukenhof is the place where the spring breaks. An overwhelming blaze of colours; seven million flowering tulips in a magnificent 80-acres’ background of traditional and modern gardening architecture. You also can admire the various hyacinths, narcisses and many other colourful flowers. You spend the night in Leiden which is Rembrandt’s hometown but also Armin van Buuren’s.

Day 3 : Leiden - Kudelstaart | 45 km


Today you continue your tour around the Haarlemmermeer. In case you have a lunchstop at the other side of the bridge in Leimuiden, imagine that this polder once was the biggest lake in Holland and nicknamed ‘the waterwolf’. The cycleroute leads you through the green heart of Holland, an area characterized by small cycle paths, typical black and white cows and despite the work of Mr Leeghwater, a lot of water. Your destination for today is Kudelstaart: a small town bordered by the Westeinderplassen.

Day 4 : Kudelstaart - market of Aalsmeer - Wormerveer | 45 km


Early in the morning, after few kilometers of navigation, you discover the incredible flower auction of Aalsmeer. As a visitor you walk over a specially designed gallery to experience the hustle and bustle of demand and supply experience the hustle and bustle lead by the auction clock but also enjoy the gorgeous flowers that are showed in. While flowers and plants start their world tour, you have breakfast while sailing towards Amsterdam. From Nieuwe Meer lock, you disembark to continue your tour by bike along the river Amstel and right into the city. A ferry brings you to the other side of the river ‘IJ’. Here you leave the city behind and continue your tour through lush green polders towards the world famous hamlet of Zaanse Schans. A unique place where people live and work, with original houses and windmills from the river Zaan area. The hamlet overhangs running windmills, the older one has been built in 1673. The village is home to museum of clockmaking, traditional grocery, clogmaker and a cheemonger. You then go to Wormerveer.

Day 5 : Wormerveer - Alkmaar | 45 km


From Wormerveer you cycle through the most beautiful dunes of the Netherlands and if weather permits, you may like to swim in the North Sea during your lunch break at the beach. Todays’ overnight stay is in cheese town Alkmaar. An historic lively city with many small and bigger shops. A little less than 400 heritage sites, canals and harbour dominate the townscape.

Day 6 : Alkmaar - Purmerend | 35 km


Today you discover the Beemster Polder, dating from the early 17th century, which is an exceptional example of reclaimed land in the Netherlands. It has preserved intact its well-ordered landscape of fields, roads, canals, dykes and settlements, laid out in accordance with classical and Renaissance planning principles. There is time to visit the windmills at the Rijp and see the house where Mr. Leeghwater was born. Graft and Rijp are two charming typical villages from XVIIe century. They especially prospered thanks to whaling.

Day 7 : Purmerend - Amsterdam | 35 km


Purmerend lies at the edge of an area called ‘Waterland’ where roads and water are nearby on the same level. You visit the nice village of Zunderdorp and Ransdorp. The better cyclists can cycle the long route to Edam and Volendam and if time permits you can cross the lake Gouwzee to admire the traditional fisherman’s village Marken with its typical wooden houses.
In Amsterdam you can look back at cycling seven days in great variation of typical Dutch landscapes, towns and many highlights.

Day 8 : Departure in the morning


Select your category

standard category
Reference: HL5 STD
Mid season
  • from April 18th to May 2nd
  • Departure: Thursday
 
2 persons basis :(price per person)
* Single supplement
2 090 € / pers.
2 090 € / pers.*

Category's details

Including :

• 7 nights on board of the « Wending » (in a two-person cabin)
• Full-board (from dinner of day1 to breakfast of day 8) and coffee/tea on board
• Multilingual tour guide, cycles with the group
• Ferry fares on the route
• Entrance in the market of Aalsmeer
• Entrance in the garden of Keukenhof
• 1 travel folder (per cabin)
• Hotline 7 days a week

Not including :

• Bike rental
• Optional insurances (Cancellation Insurance OR Tranquility Insurance)
• Bike insurance (possible to take it out the day of your arrival on board)
• Return transfers to meeting place
• Visits not mentioned in the program
• Single room supplement (7 nights included)

According to the category(price per person)

standard category
Reference: HL5 STD

Extras


+ € / pers.

• Bike rental supplement
+ 150 € / pers.

• Electric bike rental supplement
+ 290 € / pers.

Your accommodation


standard category


You are comfortably accommodated aboard “Wending” boat which is a former freight barge that started a new life in the early nineties as a luxury passenger motor barge and has been completely renovated in 2015. It is 42m long and has a roomy and cosy saloon, equipped with a complete music installation. There are 10 twin cabins and 2 triple cabins. The beds in the cabins are side by side. In the triple cabin one bed is placed over the other two. All cabins are equipped with private bathroom and central heating.
Sheets and towels are provided.
Soap, shampoo and hairdryer are not provided.
Given that storage space is limited in the cabin (one small cupboard), we suggest you to bring only one average-sized luggage per person.

Free Wifi aboard (limited to 100MB) and 220V electricity.
Pictures for indicative purposes. Depending on the availability.

Your cycle hire

Hybrid bicycle Batavus Boulevard - 24 gears

Man or Lady frame

  • 1 rear pannier
  • 1 lock
  • 1 flask
  • 1 helmet

Repair kit on request.

Possibility to rent an electric assistance bike :
Electric bicycle Unisex
E-bike

Universal frame

  • 1 rear pannier
  • 1 lock
  • 1 flask
  • 1 helmet
  • 1 detachable lithium-Ion battery

Repair kit on request.

Practical details
  • Bikes will be directly delivered on board.
  • At the end of the tour, leave the rental bikes on board.
> Your journey
> How to arrive in Amsterdam

Your journey

The lightest cycling holiday, suited for everyone and people of all ages. On virtually flat terrain, on cycle path, with distances up to 50 kilometers. You spend about 4 hours on your bicycle. No difficulty. Don’t forget that Netherlands are a flat country where we quietly cycle.

A tour guide will accompany you during each stage.
Please note that the boat could follow another route than bikes. Sometimes, itinerary is modified due to weather forecasting or maintenance operation on bridges or locks. So your guide could agree with the captain to change the boarding place. Of course, you can still decide to stay on board if you want for one or several days.

How to arrive in Amsterdam

> by plane :
Paris – Orly Airport >> Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) (about 1h30).
There is a direct train that leaves 4 times per hour from the airport to Amsterdam Central Station. It takes about 15-20 minutes. The price for a train ticket Schiphol-Amsterdam Central is €5 per person for a single journey. Walking distance to the barge is about 10 to 15 minutes. A taxi from the airport to the barge in Amsterdam takes about 30 minutes. It costs about €60.

> by train :
Paris Gare du Nord train station >> Amsterdam train station (about 3h20).
More informations on Thalys (regular trains).
The nearest train station to the embarkation point of the barge is Amsterdam Central Station. Walking distance to the barge is about 10 to 15 minutes. A taxi from the station to the barge takes about 5 minutes, costs about €15.

> by car :
We recommend you to arrive earlier to unload your luggage. You can find more information about parking possibilities here : www.iamsterdam.com.
The barge needs to leave the mooring place in Amsterdam at 2.15 PM. It is very important you are on time. The barge can’t wait due to the opening hours of bridges and/or locks.

The nearest parking is Parking Oosterdok (about € 150 per week, it is not necessary to reserve in advance; 500m walking distance to the barge).