2019
Bike and Barge in Holland
On MS Flora & MS Lena Maria in Holland's Green Heart
- Round trip from Amsterdam
- Daily routes ●●○○○
- Altitude profile ●○○○○
- Bike & Boat: MS Flora & MS Lena Maria
Your bike and barge tour takes you to Holland's Green Heart, to long sandy beaches along the North Sea coast and to historic towns such as Amsterdam, Leiden, Gouda, Haarlem and Rotterdam. After your holiday through South Holland, you will know how Gouda cheese is made, where 19 windmills can be found all in a row and will have followed Rembrandt's traces. Cycling in Holland is a joy: the paths are even, well signed and are usually kept separate from normal road traffic. This tour is recommended for untrained cyclists. After the bike & boat cruise is over, you can extend your stay if you like, in Amsterdam, Netherlands's wonderful capital.
You can book the trip on the MS Flora with on-board tour guide. On the tour with the MS Lena Maria you will also be accompanied on the bike tours by a tour guide.
Itinerary
Brief Information
- Booking code
MS Flora: NL-SHSSJ-08I
MS Lena Maria: NL-SHSSL-08G - Start / Destination
Amsterdam - Duration
8 days, 7 nights - Length
approx. 210 – 305 km
Daily routes ●●○○○
between 15 and 65 km, Ø 45 km
Altitude profile ●○○○○ - Parking informationThere is a number of public car parks close to the pier which can't be reserved in advance.
Secure parking (outdoors), costs approx. 90 € per week incl. transfer, can be booked in advance.
Valet Parking: Your car is picked up from the boat on your day of arrival and taken to a covered, secure car park. On your day of departure it is brought back to the boat. Costs approx. 150 € per week.
Please always drive to the boat first to hand in your luggage before parking. - Minimum number of participants
MS Flora: The minimum number of 12 participants should be reached 4 weeks prior to the arrival date.
MS Lena Maria: No minimum number of participants.
Changes to boat trips due to weather, water levels or technical conditions are possible; we reserve the right to make changes. - Tour operated by
Local cooperation partner
Your cruisers: MS Flora and MS Lena Maria
A homely, friendly boat: the MS Flora. The well-attuned board crew takes excellent care of its guests and are very good at telling the odd anecdote or two. The atmosphere on board is friendly and the cabins are fitted very comfortably. You can explore small towns from the centrally-located mooring points. And if you prefer not to go exploring on your bike, you can stay on board the boat.
On this boat of MS Lena Maria which was converted into a passenger ship in 2006, you are accommodated in a spacious two-bed cabin, which offers sufficient freedom of movement. The air-conditioned saloon also functions as restaurant and bar. A friendly atmosphere awaits you on the sun deck. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere in the evenings on board.
Day 1: Individual arrival in Amsterdam
On this cycling holiday you will have the opportunity to discover one of the most beautiful cities in Europe: Amsterdam! There are a number of activities to help you pass the time including a canal tour, a stroll through the Old Town, extended shopping tours or a visit to one of the many museums. Other highlights include the Vondel Park, the Artis Zoo or the infamous red-light district. Boarding begins at 14.00.
Day 2: Amsterdam – Zaandam (by boat), Zaandam – Haarlem, approx. 40 / 55 km
Today, after your short boat trip, you will visit the museum town of Zaanse Schans, which is one of the top tourist attractions in the Netherlands. A unique residential and working and trading quarter with museums, mills, shops, old crafts and trades, restaurants, an information centre and an excursion service will ensure that you are transported back in time. After your visit you will then cycle on towards Haarlem.
Day 3: Haarlem – Leiden, approx. 40 / 50 km
You will leave Haarlem with its warehouses built by the 17th century merchants and cycling along the North Sea you will pass through the sea-side villages of Noordwijk and Katwijk aan Zee, which both offer beautiful sandy beaches, and onwards towards the university city of Leiden. Rembrandt was born here and opened his first studio here. Also interesting is the Archaeological Museum, the most significant of its kind in the Netherlands with an original Egyptian temple.
Day 4: Leiden – Delft, approx. 35 / 40 km
You will cycle towards the seat of the royal family, The Hague. Along with many old buildings the town also offers a number of modern architectural designs which have all been given fitting nicknames by the city’s residents: the fountain-pen or the lemon-squeezer. Continuing on you will come to the well known sea-side resort of Scheveningen. In Delft you will have reached your destination for the day.
Day 5: Delft – Kinderdijk (by boat), Kinderdijk – Gouda, approx. 25 – 65 km
Delft is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands. The Old Town is home to a number of attractions and is filled with houses in the Gothic style and from Renaissance times. By boat you will visit the impressive harbour of Rotterdam. Almost 7 % of the Dutch gross domestic product is generated here. From Kinderdijk with its 19 windmills in a row, which were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you will continue on by bicycle to the cheese-producing town of Gouda.
Day 6: Gouda – Kudelstaart, approx. 55 km
Gouda should not only bring the famous cheese to mind. Tobacco pipes, syrup waffles and earthenware products are also symbolic of the town along with the glass windows of the Johanneskirche or the Gothic-style Town Hall. Cycling from the point where the Dutch rivers IJssel and Gouwe meet, you will continue on through the canal-filled landscape of Southern Holland towards the pretty town of Kudelstaart.
Day 7: Kudelstaart – Amsterdam, approx 30 / 40 km or Kudelstaart – Amsterdam (by boat)
Early in the morning you will head for the famous flower auction in Aalsmeer (not included), returning afterwards to the ship which will bring you over the Amstel and back to Amsterdam. There you will have the opportunity to experience the incomparable atmosphere of this extremely charming town and let yourself be carried away with the colourful nightlife of the city on this your last evening of the holiday.
Day 8: Individual departure
After breakfast your bike and barge tour in South Holland onboard the MS Flora or MS Lena Maria comes to an end. After breakfast you will disembark and return home.