Tour Overview: This tour starts and ends in Amsterdam. In the Middle Ages a treaty existed among many trading towns which were located near waterways. On this cycle tour through the eastern part of the Netherlands you will visit several of these so-called Hanseatic towns. In the vicinity you will find lots of grand castles and estates often in very pretty landscaped areas. You visit Wijk bij Duurstede, a fortified town founded in the year 1500. You visit national park De Hoge Veluwe and the Kr”ller Mller Museum, with a fine collection of Van Gogh paintings.
In the vicinity you will find lots of grand castles and estates often in very pretty landscaped areas. You visit Wijk bij Duurstede, a fortified town founded in the year 1500. You visit national park De Hoge Veluwe and the Kr”ller Mller Museum, with a fine collection of Van Gogh paintings. Some stretches of the route are partly done by barge, partly by bicycle.
Bike/Barge Tour from Amsterdam (8 days)
Price: $995/person (double occupancy), on Standard/Standard Plus bargebarge.
Dates: Saturdays, June 21, July 12, 19, August 9, 2008 on standard or standard plus barge
Day-by-Day Itinerary:
Saturday
Cycle trip ca. 15 km. After the embarkation in Amsterdam you'll be sailing the Amsterdam-Rijn canal to Wijk bij Duurstede, dating back to 1500, the stop for the night. In the evening there's a short `warming-up' cycle trip outside the city, which passes the castles Zandenburg and Walenburg.
Sunday:
Cycle trip ca. 50 km. The barge sails the river Nederrijn to the lock near the village Heveadorp, where the cyclists disembark to start their cycle trip. You will cycle to National park `De Hoge Veluwe' and museum Kr”ller-Mller, where you'll find a fantastic exhibition of Vincent van Gogh paintings. A visit to the famous statue garden is also very worthwhile. The cycle trip ends in Arnhem, where the ship is moored in the river Nederrijn.
Monday
Cycle trip ca. 50 km. Today you will cycle past castle Rozendaal to the ferry near Rhenen. The ferry takes you across the river IJssel and the trip continues through the villages Doesburg and Brummen to the Hanseatic & walled town of Zutphen, near the river IJssel.
Tuesday
Cycle trip ca. 60 km. Since the barge stays in Zutphen, you can do a roundtrip bicycle ride today. You will pass castle Vorden and the rural communities of Ruurlo and Lochem. After a visit to Mansion Verwolde you follow the Twenthe canal back to Zutphen. Alternatively you may wish to spend a day shopping and/or visiting musea in Zutphen. The Stedelijk Museum has an interesting cultural-historical collection that creates a telling image of Zutphen and its suroundings.
Wednesday
Cycle trip ca. 55 km. Today you sail by barge to the hanseatic town of Deventer, where the cyclists disembark. Enjoy the picturesque views while following the river IJssel to Diepenveen, castle Oud Rande and rural estate Hoenlo. After passing the village of Windesheim the trip ends in Kampen, a historic hanseatic town.
Thursday
Cycle trip ca. 35 km. Today's motto is `relaxing aboard' as there's a 4 hour sailing trip to Harderwijk, where you'll stay for the night. In the afternoon there's a cycling trip through the rural area around Harderwijk.
Friday
Cycle trip ca. 60 km. By barge you will sail to Spakenburg today. After the disembarkation you will cycle to Spakenburg, a former fishing village which is still famous for the traditional costumes. Via castle Groeneveld in Baarn we bike across the lake area called Ankeveense Plassen to castle Muiderslot. After a visit to this beautiful old castle, you continue cycling to Amsterdam. In the evening you may wish to join the guide for a walk through the center or you may do a canal tour by yourself (not included in price). Overnight on board in Amsterdam
Saturday
After breakfast, your guide and the crew will say good-bye, as your stay aboard has come to an end.
Included in tour:
• 7 nights accommodations aboard barge
• Full board (breakfast + packed lunch + 3-courses dinner)
• Coffee and Tea on board
• Services of tour leader
• information package and map with marked route
• Use of 7-speed bicycles with panniers
• Visit Mansion Verwolde
• Visit National Park Hoge Veluwe
• Visit Kröller Müller Museum (exhibition van Gogh)
• Compensation Bicycle dammage
• Credit card fee
• Booking fee
Not included in tour:
• Airfare
• Excursions not in program
• Drinks (other than coffee & tea)
• Transfer between airport and barge in Amsterdam
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
* Leave US one or more days before departure dates. Tour starts at 1 PM sharp. Can fly back on last day of tour. No air fare is included.
* Included in tour:
- 7 nights accommodations on board of barge in double cabin
- All meals while on board of barge from dinner first day to breakfast last day, packed lunch from the breakfast table
- Coffee and Tea on board
- Services of tour leader
- Route description
- Use of 7-speed bicycles
- Bicycle damage protection insurance
- Credit card fee
- Booking fee
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
Netherlands
Bicycle Touring
Cultural Journey
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