Tulip Tour on MS Allure & MS Sarah

Winter went on for ages, moods are grey. Now it’s time for some colour! Off to Holland, to the land of Tulips and Hyacinths, of Jonquils and Narcissuses. In the Keukenhof botanical gardens, hundreds of growers will conjure up spring, while Aalsmeer is home to millions of flowers being auctioned off. But even on smaller markets in Haarlem or Amsterdam you will see glowing tulips in all their splendor. Make a start into the bright season on this easy tulip tour from Amsterdam with the MS Sarah  und MS Allure.

Day 1 Arrival in Amsterdam, bike trip Haarlem, 6 km/4 mi
Embarkation at 2 pm, then a short boat trip to Spaarndam. Overnight stay in Haarlem.

Day 2 Haarlem - Leiden, visit to Keukenhof, 38 km/24 mi
Keukenhof botanical gardens offer millions of spring flowers - fresh colours after the murkey grey of winter.

Day 3 Leiden - Gouda, approx. 32-40 km/20-25 mi
Into the Green Heart of Holland and the famous cheese city of Gouda. Cheese tasting is worth it.

Day 4 Alphen a.d. Rhin - Kudelstaart, 20-44 km/11-27 mi
In the morning you can explore Gouda, then the bike tour leads through idyllic villages and past stately farms towards Kudelstaart, the “Dutch St. Tropez” and watersports hub.

Day 5 Amsterdam - Purmerend, 32-50 km/20-31 mi
Early in the morning you can experience the world’s largest flower auction. Later you cycle from Amsterdam to Purmerend with a visit to the remarkable museum village Zaanse Schans.

Day 6 Purmerend - Alkmaar, approx. 29-39 km/18-24 mi
The botanical garden museum Hortus Bulborus is located on the way to the North Sea, specializing in rare and old flower varieties. The destination is the romantic cheese city of Alkmaar.

Day 7 Alkmaar - Amsterdam, approx. 37-55 km/23-34 mi
Through the idyllic polder landscape with countless windmills, you will return to the metropolis. Take your time to explore Amsterdam.

Day 8 Disembarkation, departure or extension
The tulip tour concludes after breakfast. Disembarkation approx. 9.30 am.

Here are the details on MS Allure & MS Sarah

Included in your package "Tulip Tour":

• 7 nights aboard
• full board (7x breakfast, 6x packed lunches, 6x dinner, no dinner in Alkmaar)
• coffee/tea (breakfast and after the tours)
• bed linen and towels supplied
• welcome drink and chat where we will provide you with all the relevant information
• fees for ferries
• entrance Keukenhof
• several short guided city tours
• guided bike tours
• daily cycling stage briefings
• detailed travel documents in english
• GPS tracks
• rental helmet
• optional rental bike

Accomodation:

• outside cabins, approx. 8-10 sqm (86-108 sq ft), with ensuite WC and shower
• level-access beds
• all cabins with openable portholes/small windows

Rental bicycles:

• We offer comfortable unisex-bikes with 7-speed gearboxes and freewheel, equipped with a waterproof bike bag and a bike lock. We also offer e-bikes if desired.

Travel time 2023:

MS Allure: full booked!
MS Sarah: full booked!
*flower auction Aalsmeer is closed on these dates

• Minimum number of participants: 16. This tour can be cancelled by the provider up to 22 days prior to its commencement. If this is the case, we will strive to supply our customers with an equivalent offer.

Prices:

All prices are per person.

• 1119 € 2-bed cabin, 31.03. + 01.04.
• 1644 € 2-bed cabin, single occupancy, 31.03. + 01.04.
  MS Sarah only

• 1219 € 2-bed cabin, further dates
• 1794 € 2-bed cabin, single occupancy, further dates
  MS Sarah only

•   90 € rental bike
• 195 € e-bike
•   10 € private bike
•   25 € private e-bike
•   15 € canal boat cruise Amsterdam

• booking code "Tulip Tour from Amsterdam":
  RS-TPX-7M
• how you can save some money
• costs of cancellation

The booking process

Arrival:

• Arrival by car:
  There are three options of parking your car for the duration of the trip. In any case, please drive to the quay first and bring your luggage and (if applicable) personal bike aboard. Then
  - Drive to the car park Oosterdok near Amsterdam Centraal station. Costs are approx. 175 € / week.
  - Make use of our parking service from Centralparking. We will arrange for your car to be picked up from the quay, stored safely and returned to the ship. Your vehicle is insured against all types of damage or theft and will be parked in a protected underground facility. Cost: approx. 150 € / week.
  - Make use of the free parking space P&R at the train station in Weesp. Back to Amsterdam Centraal station by train, duration approx. 15 minutes, cost approx. 4 €.

• Arrival by train:
  Amsterdam Centraal station, get the 48 bus to the quay, duration approx. 10 minutes, cost approx 3 €.

• Arrival by plane:
  Shiphol Airport, take the train to Amsterdam Centraal station (approx. 20 minutes, approx. 5 €), followed by the 48 bus to the quay (approx. 10 minutes / 3 €)
  Alternatively, get a taxi from the airport to the quay, cost: approx. 50 € per vehicle.

Personal bikes:
In principle, you can bring your own bike along. However, please note that your bike will be loaded on and off the boat twice a day along with several others and therefore slight cosmetic damage to individual bikes cannot be ruled out, which is why we do not take responsibility or liability for such damage. We recommend reserving one the excellent rental bikes we offer.

Perfectly looked after:
During your tour, we are available between 8 am and 8 pm, 7 days a week. We are happy to help with any kind of problems you might be having. You will find this emergency number in your travel documents.

Please note:

• As is the case with all boat trips, changes in travel itineraries due to the weather, the rivers’ water levels or technical issues can be undertaken at any time.