Bike and Barge Holland: Tulips, Towns and Typical Dutch!

Day 1: Windmill visit and check-in

Our trip starts Monday at 11 a.m. when you are welcome onboard Feniks. We leave our luggage and head off to visit the impressive Rembrandt Mill outside of Amsterdam. Here the miller gives us a tour of the mill and invites us to coffee and treats afterwards.

We meet the Feniks on route and captain sails us to the little town of Kudelstaart where we take a test ride in preparation for the next day.

Day 2: Flower Auction and Gouda (25 miles)

We leave our boat very early and cycle a few miles to get first peak at the workings of the famous Flower Auction of Aalsmeer - largest in the world. We will witness the exciting process in which millions of flowers and plants are bought and sold to be shipped to countries all over the world.

From here you enjoy Holland Green Heart cycling through blossoming fields and polder landscapes criss-crossed with lovely canals. After a pause for buffet breakfast at a lovely Dutch restaurant, we enter Gouda through the Goudse Hout (woods)- a recreational area surrounded by a huge lake that we cycle across like we're floating on the water while gazing upon a beautifully preserved grassland landscape.

We enjoy the rest of the afternoon to visit the quaint city center; learn about and taste the famous Stroopwafel from the original bakery, and enjoy a tour of the longest church in NL-imposing St. John's Church with world-famous stained-glass windows from 1500.

Day 3: Kinderdijk and Rotterdam (20 miles)

A trip to the south of Netherlands is not complete without a visit to the largest port in the world. Since its devastation in WWII, Rotterdam has become a center for modern architecture and showcase of city urban development.

Then there is the impressive Old Harbor and Delfshaven- oasis of history and culture within the modern city- and point from which the Pilgrim Fathers left for America in 1620.

We stop at amazing Kinderdijk for a photo-op. Honored as a World Heritage Treasure by UNESCO in 1997, 19 sturdy mills were built in 1740 and preserved to this day- a concentration of this number found nowhere else in the world.

We meet our ship and enjoy a short evening sail into Delft.

Dating back to 1075, Delft is known as the birthplace of Golden Age artist Johannes Vermeer and the fine hand-crafting of Delftware porcelains.

Day 4: Day in Delft, Visit to The Hague

This morning we will visit the Royal Blue Delft Factory to see firsthand the artwork and production of fine porcelain in the world-famous Delft tradition.

Then we will also enjoy a town walk of the picturesque city center with its romantic tree-lined canals and countless historic monuments.

Our exciting day includes a visit to The Haag (by train). The most important city in the Netherlands, it's both the seat of the Dutch government and residence of the royal family.

Our guided walk today will touch on history and show us the wonderful and beautiful highlights of this important city- from the Binnenhof- the heart of Dutch politics, to Mauritshuis- the elegant 17th-century mansion now museum of famous paintings from the 15th-18th century, to the Peace Palace donated by the American steelmaker, Andrew Carnegie.

AND, we plan to see Scheveningen, a wide sandy beach on the North Sea only 10 minutes from the city center!

Day 5: Leiden (20 miles)

We leave Delft through a beautiful green forested area and then farmland where we stop at Lidia and Teo's Farm- The Vierhuizen. The Van Leuwens run a nine-generation milk farm- now prized for their organic Gouda cheese. We'll take a tour, learn how cheese is made and buy things to take home from their lovely shop.

Just a few miles more and we reach Leiden, an unusually preserved Golden Age city. An early Roman city founded on the Rhine, Leiden is the birthplace of painter, Rembrandt, and home to the first University in Holland (1575) which has developed into a world-famous center of science.

Of special interest is that in the 16th century, botanist Clusius brought the first Dutch Tulips into flower here. Also, Leiden was home to the famous English separatists, and highlights of their life here is featured in an interesting Pilgrims Museum.

Day 6: Keukenhof Gardens to Haarlem (25 miles)

We depart Leiden into the flower fields for exciting cycling and photo taking. Mid way in our route we stop at Keukenhof Gardens to browse the blooming acreage for 3+ hours. Our stop for the night is lovely Haarlem, capital of North Holland.

Day 7: Amsterdam (25+ miles)

On this Sunday morning we linger in Haarlem to walk the beautiful town center full of old Dutch architecture, the beautiful market place, quaint courtyards called hofjes dating back to 1300 and interesting Haarlem Museum.

Heading to Amsterdam, we retrace history, first cycling the Kennermerland Dunes with a stop to visit the Brederode castle ruins from the 1300s.

We stop for a coffee break at Fort Zuid, one of the famous fortresses that was part of the historic water defense line built to protect Amsterdam.

And, we follow the Spaarndammerdijk, built in 13th century to protect the peat lands from constant flood.

Tonight we celebrate our final evening with a special Farewell Dinner!

Day 8: Goodbye to the Netherlands

After breakfast we depart ship at 9 a.m.