8-day Bike & Barge tour Holland's South

It doesn’t get any better than the Holland Southern Tour onboard your home away from home, the barge! Not only will you get the chance to visit a number of famous Dutch cities, but you will also uncover another side of Holland as you cycle through the countryside – the country’s “Green Heart”. It is here that you will see a landscape of water, meadows, grazing cows, windmills and picturesque farms... it is a landscape that is impossible to feel or look any more Dutch. In short, the Southern tour is the perfect tour for anyone wanting to see as much of “typical” central Holland as is possible in one week. What you will come away with at the end of the tour is a greater appreciation of why this part of the Netherlands attracts so many visitors from all corners of the globe every year.

As well as being able to discover the natural beauty of Holland’s Green Heart you will visit: The world-famous city of Amsterdam; Utrecht, the geographical centre of Holland; Rotterdam, the busiest port in Europe; Delft, a city with close ties to the Dutch Royal family and the world-renowned painter Johannes Vermeer; Haarlem, a sightseers’ paradise.

Other attractions over the course of the tour include the cheese city of Gouda, the windmills at Kinderdijk, the silver city of Schoonhoven, the dunes and beaches of the North Sea coastline and the open-air museum “Zaanse Schans”. For the duration of the tour, you will live and travel on board our barge. In 2014 all of the barge’s cabins and the salon/restaurant at the front of the vessel were fully renovated, with the result that you are guaranteed a week of travel in total comfort.

Semi-guided cycling tours: daily individual cycling at your own pace. The tour leader also cycles all tours and is available for tips, directions and in cases of emergency.

A guided option:

On a few departure dates, you can book a fully guided option. That means you will cycle with a tour leader in a small group of max. 20 guests. If you have already booked a semi-guided tour on one of these dates, you can add the fully-guided option. (limited availability).

Accommodation:

The barge has a spacious restaurant on the lower deck. The pleasant lounge on the upper deck has large windows around, which offers you a great view of the surroundings. There is also a bar with a dance floor. Wi-Fi is also available. On the partially roofed sun deck, chairs and sun loungers invite for a stay. Here you can relax and have a drink and enjoy the scenery while sailing.  Bicycles will be stored on a separate part of the sun deck.

The lower deck offers space to 30 twin cabins (11 m² – 135 sq.ft.) The upper deck has 18 twin cabins (11 m² – 135 sq.ft.) and 8 spacious suites (15 m² – 200 sq.ft.). All twin cabins have two separate single beds (200 x 80 cm – 78 x 31 inches), the suites have two separate beds set next to each other as a hotel-style bed (200 x 160 cm – 78 x 62 inches) which, on previous request, can be arranged as two separate single beds. All 56 cabins aboard have an individual climate control system, digital TV, wardrobe, mini-safe, hairdryer, 230V and 115V sockets and a private bathroom with shower, toilet and basin.

The twin cabins have a large picture window (140 x 90 cm – 55 x 35 inches) that can be partly opened. The suites have the same amenities as the twin cabins, but are larger and – in addition – also have a minibar, a “French Balcony” (floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors) instead of a window.

Included in the Bike and Barge Tour:

• 8 days/7 nights 
• Breakfast
• Packed lunches
• 7x three-course dinner
• Use of bed linen and towels (change of towels daily possible)
• Daily short cleaning of the cabin
• Welcoming drink 
• Semi-guided cycling tours (guest cycle independently, tour leader also cycles the tour)
• Some short walking tours Maps and notes for cycling tours (1 set per cabin)
• GPS tracks
• Use of a waterproof pannier bag
• Wi-Fi is available in the restaurant – data use is not included
• Live music on board

Not included in the tour:

• Coffee and Tea on board after 4pm
• Drinks 
• Bicycle or E-bike rental
• Helmet
• Personal insurances
• Gratuities (at your discretion)
• Entrance fees & excursions
• Fees for ferries/waterbus
• Transfers to/from the docking place
• Parking fee
• Tulip exhibition park entrance fee (option day 6)
• Dietary requirements on request/surcharges may be calculated

Notes:

• All distances are “approximate distances” of recommended bike tours. 
• A knowledgeable and multilingual tour leader is available onboard. He/she will provide you with all necessary tour information during daily briefings.  You will cycle the tours independently, at your own pace, with the help of a detailed cycling map, GPS-tracks and printed route notes (available onboard).
• The tour leader will also be cycling the daily tours and can – for assistance – be reached on his/her mobile phone in cases of emergency or technical breakdown of the bicycle.
• During days when several bicycle options are possible, not all mentioned highlights can be visited during the shorter cycling options.
• Canal cruise Amsterdam: Ticket for a 1-hour canal cruise through Amsterdam – special price for our guests: 14 EUR (at the ticket desk approx.: 16 EUR). Please book your ticket in advance and you can collect it onboard your ship on the first day of the tour.
• If you don’t feel cycling for a day (or more) you are welcome to relax and stay on board while the ship is sailing. But please note: lunch will not be served on board. So you can enjoy your packed lunch.
• On arrival please bring your luggage on board from 11am.

Arrival/parking/departure:

• Parking in Amsterdam (valet parking): prices and pre-booking on request.
• Departure Saturdays only

If you would like to rent a bike (85 EUR), E-bike (185 EUR) or helmet (10 EUR), please contact our office when booking: [email protected]

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