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Bike/Barge Tour from Amsterdam (8 days)
Route: Amsterdam > Haarlem > Leiden > Delft > Schiedam > Dordrecht > Gouda > Amsterdam
Price: $1095/person (double occupancy), on Standard Class or Standard Plus barge.barge.
Single supplement: $220/person (only one single per departure, rest of singles have to share).
Dates: Saturdays July 26, August 2, 23, 2008 on standard or standard plus barge.
On this tour you will visit 6 towns that have been very important during the Dutch Golden Age: Haarlem, Leiden, Delft, Schiedam, Dordrecht and Gouda. These towns still show the signs of this period of wealth in Dutch history. The influence of the 17th Century is still noticable in the many monumental buildings and different trades you see on this tour. In Haarlem a beer connoisseur tells you about the many breweries in Haarlem and especially the local beer, Jopen, during a special beer dinner. In Leiden, birth place of Rembrandt, the tour leader takes you for an evening walk. In Delft you bring a visit to the pottery ‘De Porceleyne Fles’ where the world famous Delft Blue, china originating from the Golden Age, is still being manufactured. Passing many greenhouses in the horticultural area called Westland, you arrive in Schiedam. The town is famous for the high windmills and the gin distilleries. Maybe you would like to try our national ‘borreltje’ (drink). You bike to national park De Biesbosch, a uniqe
nature reserve. From Dordrecht, a historical harbor town you cycle to the 19 windmills of Kinderdijk, an eye-catcher in this Dutch landscape. Crossing the beautiful polderlands of the Alblasserwaard you pass the mills of Groot Amers and the smallest fortified town of the Netherlands, Nieuwkoop. You take the ferry to Schoonhoven, famous for its many silversmiths, and go on to cheese town Gouda. A potter shows you the making of traditional Gouda pipes from clay. He is the only crafstman who still practices this art. Your holiday ends in Amsterdam where you can admire the glory and splendor of the Golden Age making a canal cruise.
Day-by-Day Itinerary:
Saturday
Cycle trip ca. 15 km. In Spaarndam you leave the barge and cycle to Haarlem. Lots of Flemish moved here to find there luck and fortune. It was partly because of them that the linen commerce grew immensely. The wealth that came along with this commerce attracted lots of artists, among them Frans Hals. In the evening you will enjoy a delicious meal and a special guest will tell you all about the history of the Haarlem Breweries.
Sunday:
Cycle trip ca. 30 km. After a sailing cruise you cycle right through Holland's Green Heart to Leiden, the birthplace of Rembrandt. In 2006 Leiden will be the center of the 400th birthday celebration of Rembrandt. The Leiden University is one of the oldest in the Netherlands. We suggest to visit to the local museum De Lakenhal, where you'll find an interesting collection of industrial art and paintings from the 17th-20th century. In the evening you will make a city walking tour through the historical center.
Monday
Cycle trip ca. 35 km. You will leave the barge in Leidschendam for your bike ride to Delft. In the 17th century the Delft potters were so impressed by the China ware that was imported, that they created there own Delft ware (Delft Blue). A visit to the china ware factory `De Porceleyne Fles' gives you a good impression of the Delft Blue and modern ceramics.
Tuesday
Cycle trip ca. 30 km. After a city walk through the center of Delft you cycle via the Westland region to the town of Schiedam. Here you will find the 5 highest mills of the world. Schiedam is also famous for its many gin distilleries (called jenever in Dutch) that were founded during the Golden Age. Before you might try a `jenevertje' in the distillery museum, you will first visit museum mill `De Nieuwe Palmboom'.
Wednesday
Cycle trip ca. 40 km. Today the program consists of a cycle tour past small rural villages and a part of the national reserve `De Biesbosch'. The cycle trip ends in Dordrecht, one of the first ports of transfer shipment (sea ships to river ships) of the Netherlands. In the Dordrecht Museum you will find an interesting collection of paintings of several Dutch Masters.
Thursday
Cycle trip ca. 35 km. How Dutch can a landscape be? After leaving Dordrecht you get the 19 windmills of Kinderdijk in sight. After visiting one of the mills you continue to Gouda. On the central market square, open air markets have been held since the middle ages. The famous St. Jans church with here beautiful stained windows is certainly worth a visit. You visit a potter who shows his crafts in making earthenware and Gouda clay pipes.
Friday
Cycle trip ca. 25 km. Early in the morning the barge leaves Gouda. Around noon you disembark and cycle along the river Amstel into Amsterdam. In the afternoon there's time left to visit Amsterdam. In the evening you may wish to do a canal trip (at your own expense) or join your guide for a walk.
Saturday
After breakfast, your guide and the crew will say good-bye, as your stay aboard has come to an end.
Included in tour:
• 7 nights accommodations on board of barge in double cabin
• Full board (breakfast + packed lunch + 3-courses dinner)
• Coffee and Tea on board
• Services of tour leader (guide)
• Route description with map
• Use of 7-speed bicycles with pannier
• Booking fee
• Visit Keukenhof (April/May)
• Visit Porceleyene Fles
• visit Museum of Spirits and strong liquor De Gecroonde Brandersketel
• Several citywalks
• Credit card fee
• Reservation fee
• Compensation Bicycle dammage
Not included in tour:
• Airfare
• Excursions not in program
• Drinks (other than coffee & tea)
• Transfer between airport and barge in Amsterdam
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