Netherlands
Beauty in Bloom: A Cycle & Barge Adventure in the Netherlands
Program No. 24933RJ
Forget tiptoeing — get many perspectives on the Netherlands as you bike and barge along tulip fields and gardens while learning about Dutch culture.
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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date.
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All itineraries and excursions are subject to change. Weather and water conditions may affect the progress of the ship, and we may miss ports if it is not safe to dock. The operators reserve the right to change the content and duration of excursions without prior notice and so the cruise itinerary should always be regarded as provisional. Whenever possible, Road Scholar’s published daily schedule will indicate port arrival and departure times. Prior to departure, if there is a major change, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
9 days
8 nights
What's Included
16 meals (
7B, 2L, 7D
)
3 expert-led lectures
14 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
7 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
In Transit to Program
Location:
In Flight
Day
2
Arrive Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans, Bike Fitting, Orientation
Location:
Haarlem
Meals:
L,D
Stay:
De Holland
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 33 miles, under 1.5 hours riding time. Walking about 1/2 mile; generally flat terrain. Embarking the ship.
Morning:
Upon arrival at the airport, go through passport control, enter the baggage claim area and get your luggage, go through the appropriate customs section, and enter Schiphol Plaza and follow the signs to “Car Rentals.” Look for the Group Leaders with a Road Scholar sign who will be waiting. As soon as everyone on the designated group transfer (for those who purchased airfare through Road Scholar) has arrived, we will board a motorcoach and ride to de Zaanse Schans. In this village with windmills and a wooden shoe museum, we will set out on a walking field trip led by the Group Leaders and learn about the history of windmills when floods were frequent. We will be standing on land considerably lower than the North Sea, only a few miles away. We’ll also learn about the present use of the windmills: grinding flour, pigments used in paints, mustard seeds, and log cutting.
Lunch:
At a village restaurant specializing in Dutch-style pancakes.
Afternoon:
We will continue by motorcoach to Amsterdam. Here we will embark our floating hotel for the week, the De Holland. After check-in, the ship will start sailing towards Haarlem. Orientation: The Group Leaders, who will be with us throughout the program, will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Educational content will be provided by our knowledgeable Group Leaders and local experts. Whether cycling though scenic countryside, or bustling cities, Road Scholars will gain the skills to navigate local traffic, interact with fellow cyclists, and stay alert for unexpected stops. The included meals onboard as well as the ones at local restaurants will feature local cuisine. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leaders will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and specified distances or times may be subject to change based on local conditions. Should any changes occur, we will notify you as promptly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
In the ship’s dining room.
Evening:
At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Day
3
Safety Lecture, morning ride, Bloemencorso Flower Parade
Location:
Haarlem
Meals:
B,D
Stay:
De Holland
Activity Note
Biking 15 miles on flat terrain, primarily on dedicated paved bicycle paths.
Breakfast:
Aboard the ship.
Morning:
We will gather for a presentation by the Group Leaders on safety and the rules of the road. Luckily, the Netherlands has laws in place that give the two-wheeler many advantages. We begin our cycling adventure with an easy ride to get used to our bicycles. Before departing, we take our time to make sure that every bicycle is adjusted to the participant’s liking. The ride will take us though some typical Dutch polder landscape; we will stop in the village of Spaarndam. Here, we will find the oldest, still operational lock in Europe. The history of the village is strongly linked to the Spaarne River, and it began after a dam was built in the river and tolls could be collected.
Lunch:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like in Spaarndam. The Group Leaders will be happy to offer suggestions.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we'll hop back on our bicycles and make our way to the Bloemencorso (Flower Parade) route. The Bloemencorso is the biggest spring festival in the Netherlands, celebrated every year with vibrant, fragrant displays. During the parade, we'll see an array of colorful floats and luxury vehicles, all adorned with stunning flower arrangements as they travel along a 25-mile route. We'll have the chance to get an up-close view of these beautiful creations before heading back to the ship.
Dinner:
In the ship's dining room.
Evening:
At leisure. You might like to go out and explore Haarlem independently, spend time with fellow Road Scholars, or simply relax.
Day
4
Cruquius Museum, Teyler's Museum
Location:
Haarlem
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
De Holland
Activity Note
Biking 18 miles on flat terrain, primarily on dedicated paved bicycle paths.
Breakfast:
In the ship's dining room.
Morning:
We’ll start our day heading south along the canals. Our first destination is the Cruquius Museum, where a local expert will present the history of this former steam-powered pumping station, operational from 1850 to 1933. We will learn about the technology used to drain the area around Amsterdam that was threatened with flooding in the past.
Lunch:
We’ll enjoy Dutch cuisine at the museum’s Theehuis (Tea House).
Afternoon:
After Lunch, we will bicycle back to Haarlem and make a visit to the Teyler’s Museum where a local expert will show us the wonders of its permanent collection of Dutch art and science under one roof since 1784.
Dinner:
In the ship's dining room.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
5
Oude Wetering, Keukenhof
Location:
Oude Wetering
Meals:
B,D
Stay:
De Holland
Activity Note
Biking 23 miles on flat terrain, primarily on dedicated paved bicycle paths.
Breakfast:
In the ship's dining room.
Morning:
From Haarlem, we will bike to the Keukenhof Gardens. We will already see flowers along the way to the world’s most famous spring garden. Once we enter the park, we will see more than seven million bulbs bloom in springtime, including more than 800 varieties of tulips. While its history dates back to a 15th-century castle, the gardens were redesigned in the 19th century in the English landscape style. It was then configured as a place to exhibit spring-flower bulbs and opened to the public in 1950.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy what you like at Keukenhof.
Afternoon:
We will continue our independent exploration of Keukenhof until mid-afternoon, when we will return by bicycle to our ship which is now docked in Oude Wetering.
Dinner:
In the ship's dining room.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
6
Aalsmeer, Amsterdam, Free Time
Location:
Oude Wetering
Meals:
B,D
Stay:
De Holland
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 40 miles, approximately 1.5 hours riding time. Walking about 1 mile, approximately 1.5 hours on paved terrain. Getting on/off a canal boat. No biking today. Walking and other free time activities according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
At a local restaurant following our morning field trip.
Morning:
Today, we’ll have an early start as we ride on a motorcoach to Aalsmeer. Here we will visit the largest flower auction in the Netherlands with a local expert. Buyers from around the world bid on flowers and plants online. This goes on for hours until all flowers have been sold. All the flowers are then loaded on trucks and headed for their destinations. Flowers for the U.S.A. are taken to the nearby airport and are for sale the next day, maybe at your local flower shop. Following a relaxed breakfast, we will head into Amsterdam via canal boat to see this historical city and its canals. This will conclude near the Museumplein where the Rijksmuseum and van Gough Museum reside. The remainder of the morning and the entirety of the afternoon will be free. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leaders will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy what you like in Amsterdam.
Afternoon:
Free time in Amsterdam will continue. If you make museum reservations, we suggest you do that between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. We will rendezvous at an announced time and place to reboard the motorcoach and return to the ship in the late afternoon which is now docked in Alkmaar.
Dinner:
In the ship's dining room.
Evening:
We will join a local expert for a walking field trip though Alkmaar.
Day
7
Castricum, Heiloo, Dune Reserve, Alkmaar
Location:
Alkmaar
Meals:
B,D
Stay:
De Holland
Activity Note
Biking 27 miles on flat terrain, primarily on dedicated paved bicycle paths.
Breakfast:
In the ship's dining room.
Morning:
Today’s cycling field trip leads through the dunes around Castricum and Heiloo. These dunes form part of the North Holland Dune Reserve, a nature reserve of 11,800 acres, extending from Wijk aan Zee to Schoorl. While being a lovely cycling area, they also serve as The Netherlands’ natural primary defense system against the North Sea. We will walk on the beach and look out over the North Sea and observe the fishing boats.
Lunch:
On your own at the beach.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we’ll mount our bicycles again and head back toward the ship docked in Alkmaar. On the way there, we will visit a bulb grower and learn about their export business.
Dinner:
In the ship's dining room.
Evening:
This evening aboard the ship, we’ll enjoy a lecture from our instructor about the economy of The Netherlands.
Day
8
De Rijp Museum, Amsterdam
Location:
Amsterdam
Meals:
B,D
Stay:
De Holland
Activity Note
Biking 29 miles on flat terrain, primarily on dedicated paved bicycle paths and some city traffic.
Breakfast:
In the ship's dining room.
Morning:
This field trip to Amsterdam will be on our bicycles. One final time, we’ll ride thought the polders and along the lakes and canals. Our midday destination is De Rijp, a former fishing village now surrounded by polders and lakes. In the old days, 25 percent of the world’s herring was caught by ships from this village. Before lunch, a local expert will join us to share insights into the region's nautical history, the influence of the Mennonites, and the unique wooden house still standing at the 'In 'T Houten Huis' Museum.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy what you like in De Rijp.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we’ll head further towards Amsterdam. As we get closer on the dedicated paved trails, you realize that this country had the two-wheeler in mind when it designed an extensive network of bicycle paths. Indeed, we will see school children biking in groups to and from school, and parents heading for work or shops on their bikes. The bicycle is the primary mode of transportation in Dutch culture.
Dinner:
In the ship’s dining room. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for disembarkation and departure in the morning.
Day
9
Disembarkation, Program Concludes, In Transit From Program
Location:
In Flight
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Disembarkation by 9:00 a.m. (okay to check out earlier.) See your program’s “Getting There” information regarding transfers.
Breakfast:
In the ship’s dining room.
Morning:
Having docked back in Amsterdam, we will disembark the ship by 9:00 a.m. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
