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Exterior view of the MS Gandalf

The Green Heart of Holland, MS Gandalf

Green heart of Holland

8 Days / 7 Nights
Easy
Exterior view of the MS Gandalf

On this 8 day/7 night tour aboard the charming barge, MS Gandalf, you cycle individually and at your own pace whilst discovering Holland's 'green heart', which is a region steeped in history, natural attractions, world famous cities and beautiful scenery. Along the way you can visit historical cities including Amsterdam, Haarlem, Rotterdam, Leiden and Gouda. 

 

Itinerary at a glance

Embarkation and check-in where the crew will welcome you on board is from 2 p.m. in the center of Amsterdam. After unpacking your luggage in your cabin an introduction to the tour will take place at 3 p.m. After that your rental bicycles will be distributed and your tour leader will invite you to a short test-ride. Upon your return your first dinner on board will be served.

After a short cruise on board the barge, you are finally off and cycling today after first visiting the lovely open-air museum ‘Zaanse Schans’ in Zaandam where an authentic 18th and 19th century Dutch village has been reconstructed. In the museum you will learn about iconic Dutch traditions such as windmills and cheese and clog making. You will then cycle to Haarlem where celebrated portraitist and genre painter Frans Hals lived and worked in the 16th century. In the evening you can stroll through the lovely city center and the Grote Markt (market square). If preferred, today’s cycling tour can also be extended with a visit to the sea locks of IJmuiden and the Kennemer Dunes. During this cycling tour you can visit some forts of the Defense Line of Amsterdam (UNESCO World Heritage Site).

After enjoying breakfast with your newfound cycling friends, you will pedal today along the North Sea coast through seaside dunes via the resorts of Noordwijk and Katwijk aan Zee to the vibrant university city of Leiden, the birthplace of celebrated artist Rembrandt van Rijn. The city’s picturesque old city center is crisscrossed with canals lined by beautiful 17th-century buildings and is very definitely a must to see. The longer cycling tour leads you from Haarlem to Cruquius (steam engine museum) and Hillegom (several flower nurseries) to Leiden.

From Leiden you will cycle to Delft, famous for its Blue porcelain (Delftware), where you will have the opportunity to visit a porcelain studio. Another major attraction in the beautiful city center of Delft is the royal crypt of the House of Orange. The longer cycling tour brings you to seaside resort Scheveningen and to The Hague, where you can visit the Binnenhof (Parliament) and the Peace Palace (Vredespaleis) and then continues to end in Delft.

This morning you will sail from Delft on the barge through the remarkable international port of Rotterdam.  From here you can start cycling or you can hop on the “Waterbus”, a fast ferry that will bring you and your bicycle over the river in 30-40 minutes to Alblasserdam. From there you cycle just a few miles to Kinderdijk, world famous for an impressive row of 19 large windmills. These 19 windmills have a UNESCO cultural heritage listing and are a definite highlight – you will have the opportunity to visit one so don’t forget to bring your camera! From Kinderdijk you will cycle directly to the cheese city of Gouda, or if you prefer, on a longer tour via the silver city of Schoonhoven to Gouda, your destination for the day. Dinner tonight (not included) will be in town in a restaurant of your choice (recommendations available on board).

The highlight of today’s cycling tour is the naturally idyllic beauty of the South Holland landscape. Your destination for the day is the village of Kudelstaart where the barge will be waiting for you. Along the way you will cycle along numerous small canals and past picture-perfect farms and small villages. At the mooring place on the banks of the Westeinder Plassen (‘West End’ lakes) there is a beautiful view to savor while enjoying a wine during or after dinner.

If you are keen for an early start to the day you can visit the largest trade center for plants and flowers in the world at Aalsmeer (optional extra, not included). The market is a hive of activity; it is guaranteed that you will never have seen so many flowers in the one place. After a late breakfast you can either stay on board the barge as it cruises through the City of Amsterdam to its mooring place or you can cycle into the city through the city park ‘Amsterdamse Bos’ or along the Amstel river. Once you reach Amsterdam take the opportunity during the afternoon and evening to go for a canal cruise, discover Anne Frank’s House, the Rembrandt House Museum, the Royal Palace of Amsterdam and Dam Square, the very center and heart of the city.

End of your tour: Disembarkation after breakfast until 9.30 a.m.

Route information

Easy

Prices & Dates

Prices per person in EUR

Services & Information

Further details about this tour

Inlcuded Services

  • Fully guided cycling tours according to itierary from/to Amsterdam
  • 7 nights in outside cabins in the booked cabin category
  • 1 welcome drink
  • Full meals (7x breakfast, 6x paked lunch for cyclists, 6x coffe and tea on board, 6x 3-course-dinner) 
  • On board tour guide incl. daily tour briefing 
  • Daily cabin cleaning, change of bed linen and towels as needed
  • 1 route book per cabin 
  • All harbour, lock and bridge fees
  • Wifi
  • GPS-data

Optional 

  • Bring your own bike €10,-/electric bike €25,- (on request only, limited) 
  • Rental bike insurance for rental bike €10,-/week, for electric bike €25,-/week. limitation of risk and liability in the event of damage to or loss of the bicycle you have rented 
  • Helmet €10,-/week, reservation necessary and o be paid for in advance

Arrival / Parking / Departure

  • Amsterdam train station is close to the pier
  • Oosterdok car park: secure car park at the train station, reservation on your own possible

Things to note

  • No minimum number of participants
  • Further important information according to the package travel law and additional information about your bike and boat trip can be found here!
  • This tour is a partner tour.

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Christine Pölzleitner

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Christine Pölzleitner
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