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Southern Holland 8-day Bike & Barge Tour (dA)
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.
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.
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]
(2023 bike prices 90 EUR or e-bike 195 EUR)
Slow Tours offers other Bike & Barge tours in Europe
Amsterdam
Embarkation and check-in from 2-4.30pm in Amsterdam. Take the opportunity to go shopping, to explore downtown Amsterdam, to make a canal cruise or to visit a museum At 5 pm, a welcome drink, dinner and first briefing on board. First night on board in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam – Breukelen | Breukelen – Utrecht 25km or 40km | Utrecht – Rotterdam
Your first cycling tour starts in Breukelen. You’ll tour along the beautiful and winding river Vecht with its enchanting background of imposing castles, country houses and quaint tearooms. You will follow the Vecht into the centre of Utrecht where you will have the opportunity to explore the beautiful historical city centre: the Dom Cathedral with its tower, the canals, special shops and nice cafes. In the afternoon you will continue by ship from Utrecht to Rotterdam.
Rotterdam – Schiedam – Delft – Rotterdam 28km or 50km
Today you will cycle via the “jenever city” of Schiedam and through the Delfland area to Delft, famous, of course, for its blue pottery. Visit the beautiful city centre with its small canals, picturesque streets, bridges and alleys. For many of our guests, a visit to the Delftware factory is one of the highlights of their tour. Afterwards, you will cycle back to Rotterdam, where you can enjoy a short city walk in the evening.
Rotterdam – Alblasserdam with the “waterbus” | Kinderdijk – (Gouda) – Schoonhoven 30km or 58km
Today you can cycle the first part, or the “waterbus” will take you and your bicycle to Alblasserdam. After just a few minutes of cycling, you will reach Kinderdijk (UNESCO cultural heritage, with its impressive row of 19 large windmills). You then have the choice between a longer cycling tour with a visit to the beautiful cheese city of Gouda and a short cycling tour through the Alblasserwaard. Both tours end in the “silver city” of Schoonhoven, where you can visit a silversmith.
Schoonhoven – Oudewater – Utrecht | Utrecht – Haarlem 45km
Today you will cycle from Schoonhoven through the beautiful “Green Heart” of Holland along small villages and quiet roads to Utrecht. On your way you can visit a traditional cheese farm and in Oudewater you can visit the Witches Weigh House. In the late afternoon the ship will sail from Utrecht to Haarlem.
Haarlem – North Sea coast – Haarlem 40km or 50km | Haarlem – Zaandam
Today you can choose from 2 cycling tours. Both tours take you through the beautiful Kennemer dunes, a national park where you can spot several bird species, Scottish Highland cows and Shetland ponies. After a visit to the seaside resorts Bloemendaal and Zandvoort, you cycle through the forests and the centre of Haarlem back to the ship. The longer cycling tour leads to the largest steam engine of the world, the Cruquius pumping station and back to Haarlem. During dinner, your ship will cruise to Zaandam.
Zaandam – Amsterdam 30km or 45km
From Zaandam, your final day of cycling will take you to the open-air museum the Zaanse Schans (free entry), with its beautiful windmills, an Old Dutch village with traditional wooden houses, a cheese farm and a traditional wooden clog maker. After exploring the museum you cycle through the recreational area “Twiske” back to Amsterdam. The afternoon and evening are yours to enjoy everything Amsterdam has to offer. If you didn’t go for a canal tour on the first day, you will have the opportunity to do so today.
Amsterdam
End of your tour: Disembarkation after breakfast until 9.30am.
The tour details are barring changes, a.o. as a result of nautical, technical or meteorological reasons.
Tours marked with are special prices.
Start | End | Max. No. Guests | Accommodation | Price p.p. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jun 18 2022 | Jun 25 2022 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,559€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,039€ | |||||
Jun 25 2022 | Jul 02 2022 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,559€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,039€ | |||||
Jul 02 2022 | Jul 09 2022 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,559€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,039€ | |||||
Jul 09 2022 | Jul 16 2022 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,559€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,039€ | |||||
Jul 16 2022 | Jul 23 2022 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,559€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,039€ | |||||
Jul 23 2022 | Jul 30 2022 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,559€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,039€ | |||||
Jul 30 2022 | Aug 06 2022 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,559€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,039€ | |||||
Aug 06 2022 | Aug 13 2022 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,559€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,039€ | |||||
Aug 13 2022 | Aug 20 2022 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,559€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,039€ | |||||
Aug 20 2022 | Aug 27 2022 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,559€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,039€ | |||||
Aug 27 2022 | Sep 03 2022 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,559€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,039€ | |||||
Sep 03 2022 | Sep 10 2022 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,559€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,039€ | |||||
Sep 10 2022 | Sep 17 2022 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,454€ | ||
Double rooms | 969€ | |||||
Sep 17 2022 | Sep 24 2022 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,454€ | ||
Double rooms | 969€ | |||||
Sep 24 2022 | Oct 01 2022 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,274€ | ||
Double rooms | 849€ | |||||
Oct 01 2022 | Oct 08 2022 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,274€ | ||
Double rooms | 849€ | |||||
Oct 08 2022 | Oct 15 2022 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,049€ | ||
Double rooms | 699€ | |||||
Mar 25 2023 | Apr 01 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,109€ | ||
Double rooms | 739€ | |||||
Apr 01 2023 | Apr 08 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,109€ | ||
Double rooms | 739€ | |||||
Apr 08 2023 | Apr 15 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,109€ | ||
Double rooms | 739€ | |||||
Apr 15 2023 | Apr 22 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,349€ | ||
Double rooms | 899€ | |||||
Apr 22 2023 | Apr 29 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,349€ | ||
Double rooms | 899€ | |||||
Apr 29 2023 | May 06 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,544€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,029€ | |||||
May 06 2023 | May 13 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,649€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,099€ | |||||
May 13 2023 | May 20 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,649€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,099€ | |||||
May 20 2023 | May 27 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,649€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,099€ | |||||
May 27 2023 | Jun 03 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,649€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,099€ | |||||
Jun 03 2023 | Jun 10 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,649€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,099€ | |||||
Jun 10 2023 | Jun 17 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,649€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,099€ | |||||
Jun 17 2023 | Jun 24 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,649€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,099€ | |||||
Jun 24 2023 | Jul 01 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,649€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,099€ | |||||
Jul 01 2023 | Jul 08 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,649€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,099€ | |||||
Jul 08 2023 | Jul 15 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,649€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,099€ | |||||
Jul 15 2023 | Jul 22 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,649€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,099€ | |||||
Jul 22 2023 | Jul 29 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,649€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,099€ | |||||
Jul 29 2023 | Aug 05 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,649€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,099€ | |||||
Aug 05 2023 | Aug 12 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,649€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,099€ | |||||
Aug 12 2023 | Aug 19 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,649€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,099€ | |||||
Aug 19 2023 | Aug 26 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,649€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,099€ | |||||
Aug 26 2023 | Sep 02 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,649€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,099€ | |||||
Sep 02 2023 | Sep 09 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,649€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,099€ | |||||
Sep 09 2023 | Sep 16 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,544€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,029€ | |||||
Sep 16 2023 | Sep 23 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,544€ | ||
Double rooms | 1,029€ | |||||
Sep 23 2023 | Sep 30 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,349€ | ||
Double rooms | 899€ | |||||
Sep 30 2023 | Oct 07 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,349€ | ||
Double rooms | 899€ | |||||
Oct 07 2023 | Oct 14 2023 | 112 | Single rooms | 1,109€ | ||
Double rooms | 739€ |
If you would like to drive yourself before or after your tour, ask us for a quote on any brand new Renault, Peugeot or Citroen vehicle for driving in Europe.
Pick up your vehicle from most capital cities in Europe and return it to your drop off destination. Top insurance cover. Email [email protected] for a competitive quote