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Day 1 Sat (Or Tue): Arrive Amsterdam. Cruise to Haarlem, 7 miles (10km).
After joining your barge in Amsterdam, meeting the crew and other guests you will set off at approximately 1.00pm and cruise to Spaarndam, the picturesque village of Hans Brinker. From here there is a short cycling trip to Haarlem. In the evening you can accompany your tour leader for a walk through the old centre.
Day 2 Sun (or Wed): Haarlem to Leiden, 10 miles (15km).
Today you sail to Lisse where you unload your bikes and cycle to the famous flower garden ‘Keukenhof’ for a visit. Thousands of flowers in an enormous variety of colour, shape and scent will welcome you. You will then have a spectacular ride, cycling through the bulb fields to Leiden, birthplace of the world famous painter Rembrandt and the oldest university town of the Netherlands.
Day 3 Mon (or Thu): Leiden to Uithoorn, 19 miles (30km).
In the morning you will have time to walk through and see the sights of Leiden. Later you will cycle through the fine Dutch landscapes in the so-called 'Green Heart' of Holland to Uithoorn. During this cycle trip you will visit a traditional cheese farm and a miller will tell you about the history and working of his windmill.
Day 4 Tues (or Fri): Uithoorn to Aalsmeer, 10 miles (15km). Sail to Amsterdam.
The last day you rise early, 6.30am, vacate your cabin and leave by bike to visit the world’s biggest flower auction in Aalsmeer. Then it’s back to the barge that will return you to the centre of Amsterdam by approximately 11.30 to 12.00. Here it is the end of the tour and so it is time to say farewells, exchange contact details and make your way home.
(Please note that the above itinerary may change if circumstances beyond the control of the barge captain and operator occur) |
Cruise and Cycle
The "Holland" is one of the barges used on this tour. Classified as a Standard barge it has 10 cabins and will take up to 22 people. 8 cabins have 2 bunk beds with private facilities and 2 cabins have 4 bunks with private facilities. In the saloon, where meals are eaten, there is an "honesty" bar. You help yourself to wine, beer or soft drinks and record what you have taken so that you can pay at the end of the week. We use an operator in Holland for these holidays, and as they sell to other agents in Europe such as ourselves it is likely you will have a mix of different nationalities on this tour adding to the cultural enjoyment.