Hollandse Tulpenreis

Check in: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM, Merlijn will set sail for Utrecht where there is an overnight stay. We’ll present you with a welcome drink and introduce the crew. We will also provide information on the tour, the ship, and offer you a safety briefing. Dinner will be served during the cruise, and in the evening there will be time for a city walk through Utrecht.

A sailing breakfast is served while we cruise to Vreeswijk, where your bike tour to the charming silver town of Schoonhoven will start. Today’s tour takes you through one of the most picturesque parts of Holland.

This morning, the Merlijn will sail along the river Lek, while you enjoy beautiful Dutch scenery cycling from Schoonhoven to Kinderdijk. Here, an impressive row of large windmills will become visible, which were built to drain the Alblasserwaard polder. There is an opportunity to visit one of the mills. After your visit, you will cycle on to the city of Gouda, through a genuine Dutch backdrop of polder landscapes. Gouda is famous for its cheeses, candles and ‘stroopwafels’ (syrup waffles). Dinner is served on board, and we stay in Gouda overnight.

In the morning there’s more time to explore the city of Gouda and you can enjoy an included tour at the ‘St. Jan’ cathedral. After your visit, today’s bike tour starts and takes you through the Green Heart of Holland. Leaving Gouda, we will pass Boskoop, famous for its nurseries (horticulture), particularly woody plant and perennial nurseries, of which some 774 are situated on long stretches of land, divided by narrow canals. You will pass villages and small cities such as Alphen aan den Rijn. We end the day in Leiden. When exploring Leiden, you will notice its rich history, which is still very evident.

Leiden is where Rembrandt was born and developed his painting skills. Its identity is largely determined by the first university in Holland (1575), which has developed into a world-famous centre of science, while its many students contribute to the lively and convivial atmosphere in the city. After dinner you will have time to stroll through the charming centre of this city.

While you enjoy your breakfast, the Merlijn will sail the ‘Kager Plassen’, a beautiful series of lakes. Your bike tour will start from Lisse, which is near the Flower Exhibition Keukenhof. It is estimated that nearly 7 million flower bulbs are planted here annually to cover an area of roughly 80 acres. This makes Keukenhof, easily, the largest flower garden in the world. At this stop, you will get to admire all these beautiful tulips and other flowers that are cultivated in Holland.

After your visit, you will bike to the city of Haarlem, taking in some breath taking Dutch scenery and of course, more flowers! At night, you will enjoy a dinner at one of the many restaurants in Haarlem, taking a stroll at some point through the historical city of Haarlem, and perhaps rounding off the day by drinking the famous local “Jopen” beer in one of the many bars or in the “Jopen Church”.

Today’s bike tour will be from Haarlem to Amsterdam, along the Zaanse Schans, famous for its open-air museum, windmills and green wooden houses typical for this area. Your tour ends in the capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam. A farewell dinner on board will follow.

Breakfast, check out and departure. Extend your stay in Holland and reserve some time to explore the city, you might want to go on a ride through the canals, or you may want to visit the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh museum, or Amsterdam Hermitage.