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Southern Holland 8-day Bike & Barge Tour (PO)
It doesn’t get any better than the Southern Tour of Holland on board your home away from home. 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:
Other attractions over the course of the tour include the cheese city of Gouda, the windmills at Kinderdijk (Unesco World Heritage Site), the silver city of Schoonhoven, the dunes and beaches of the North Sea coastline and the open air museum “Zaanse Schans”.
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. You’ll receive a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. It’s also possible to spend a day on board if you like. There are rental bikes on board, but you can also bring your own if you mention it when booking.
Your ship is an elegant medium-sized river cruise ship sailing the Dutch, German and Belgian rivers and canals. You will immediately feel at home on board this beautiful and intimate ship. The relaxed atmosphere and excellent service make every trip a pleasure. The ship sails under the Dutch flag and management and has a very enthusiastic and helpful crew.
The lower deck has 20 twin cabins (approx. 11 m2 / 118 sq.ft.) and one triple cabin (approx. 15m2 / 161 sq.ft.). On the upper deck there are 25 twin cabins (approx. 11 m2 / 118 sq.ft.) and one larger triple cabin (approx. 15 m2 / 161 sq.ft.). Each twin cabin has two comfortable separate single beds. During the day, the crew modifies one bed into a bench. The triple cabin on the lower deck has three separate single beds. The triple cabin on the upper deck has two separate single beds and one bunk bed. All cabins have air conditioning, a TV, mini-safe, plenty of cupboard space, a small desk, hair dryer and a large window that can be partially opened. The bathroom has a sink, shower and toilet.
Characteristic of the contemporary interior are the carefully selected types of wood and warm upholstery. The reception is in the centrally located hall. The lounge with cozy bar on the upper deck has comfortable seating areas and large windows, so that you can view the surroundings during the cruise while enjoying a drink. The restaurant on the lower deck also has large windows. The lounge and restaurant are air-conditioned. You can optimally enjoy the view from the spacious and partially covered sun deck. The bicycles are stored on a separate part of the sun deck
During this trip there is an expert and experienced tour leader on board. He or she will discuss the next day’s cycling routes on a daily basis and provide you with tips and information about the route. You will cycle the tours independently and at your own pace using a detailed cycling map, GPS directions via the free Ride With GPS app and printed route descriptions (available on board). The tour leader will also cycle the routes, so they will be riding nearby and can be reached by phone in case of emergencies, problems or questions.
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]
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 19 2022 | Jun 26 2022 | 96 | Single rooms | 1,424€ | ||
| Double rooms | 949€ | |||||
| Jun 26 2022 | Jul 03 2022 | 96 | Single rooms | 1,424€ | ||
| Double rooms | 949€ | |||||
| Jul 17 2022 | Jul 24 2022 | 96 | Single rooms | 1,424€ | ||
| Double rooms | 949€ | |||||
| Jul 24 2022 | Jul 31 2022 | 96 | Single rooms | 1,424€ | ||
| Double rooms | 949€ | |||||
| Aug 14 2022 | Aug 21 2022 | 96 | Single rooms | 1,424€ | ||
| Double rooms | 949€ | |||||
| Aug 21 2022 | Aug 28 2022 | 96 | Single rooms | 1,424€ | ||
| Double rooms | 949€ |
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
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