Netherlands

A Cycling Journey: Tulips and Windmills in the Netherlands

Program No. 22618RJ
Bicycle along Holland’s famed tulip fields as you learn the history of the country’s windmills, delve into the flower industry and enjoy the world-famous Bloemencorso flower parade.

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At a Glance

After windmills and wooden shoes, tulips and bicycles may be the most recognizable icons of the Netherlands, a country with more bikes than residents and home to the world’s largest permanent display of tulips. Combine these emblems of Dutch culture on a bike journey in the provinces of North Holland and South Holland. Learn the story of the tulip craze and go inside today’s evolved tulip industry as you experience the Netherlands’ famous bike-friendliness firsthand.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
I enjoy getting my heart going on my bike or on trails. Nothing beats the thrill of taking on a rewarding climb or ride on varied terrain with inclines. Let’s keep moving — occasional stops only, please.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

What You'll Learn

  • Attend the world-famous Bloemencorso flower parade and visit the Keukenhof, known as the Garden of Europe, with its seven million spring-flowering bulbs.
  • Learn about a famed former steam-powered pumping station at the Cruquius Museum.
  • Explore and learn about the beautiful city of Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, with its canals, museums and lively outdoor terraces.

General Notes

Included in the cost of the program is a good quality European road bike. For an additional cost, an e-bike can also be ordered for this program.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
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. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
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9 days
8 nights
16 meals
7 B 2 L 7 D
DAY
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
DAY
2
Arrive Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans, Bike Fitting, Orientation
Akersloot
L,D
Van Der Valk Hotel Akersloot

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 33 miles, approximately 1.25 hours riding time. Walking about 1/2 mile; generally flat terrain.

Morning: Upon arrival at the airport, go through passport control, enter the baggage reclaim 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 Leader 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 Leader and learn 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 Akersloot, in the province of North Holland, and check in to our hotel. After some time to freshen up and relax, we will gather for our Orientation Session at a time and space the Group Leader will announce. Orientation. The Group Leader, 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. Upon arrival in Akersloot after check-in, the two Group Leaders will do the individual bicycle fittings and skill testing. Educational content will be provided by our knowledgeable Group Leader and local experts. Whether bicycling in beautiful countryside or vibrant cities, Road Scholars will learn to understand and deal with local traffic, account for other bicyclists along the way, and be prepared for sudden stops. A Group Leader in a support vehicle will accompany the group while bicycling each day in the event of emergency situations. The included meals at our hotels as well as local restaurants will future 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 Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: Join a welcome dinner in the hotel dining room, featuring a plated three-course dinner menu plus water; other beverages are available for purchase. Dinner each night will follow this description.

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
The Corner System & Safety, Dunes, Hortus Bulborum
Akersloot
B,D
Van Der Valk Hotel Akersloot

Activity note: Bicycling about 19 miles; generally flat terrain, primarily dedicated and paved bicycle paths.

Breakfast: In the hotel dining room, an ample buffet offers eggs, meats, cheeses, fruits, cereals, yogurt, breads, juices, milk, water and hot beverages. Breakfast each morning will follow this description.

Morning: We will gather for a presentation by the Group Leader on the Corner System, designed to make sure no one gets lost, followed by a Safety Lecture on rules of the road. Luckily, the Netherlands has laws in place that give the two-wheeler many advantages. We will begin learning adventure with a bicycling field trip through the dunes around Castricum and Bakkum. These dunes form part of the North Holland Dune Reserve, a nature reserve of 11,800 acres, extending from Wijk aan Zee to Schoorl.

Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like in Bakkum. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Afternoon: Next, we head towards the town of Limmen, home to the Hortus Bulborum Foundation. A local expert will share with us this unique garden collection that features more than 4,000 spring flowers, primarily tulips, narcissus, and hyacinths. The garden also functions as a gene bank. After our field trip, we will bicycle back to the hotel in Akersloot.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure. You might like to go out and explore independently, spend time with fellow Road Scholars, or simply relax.

DAY
4
De Rijp, History of Dutch Flowers
Akersloot
B,D
Van Der Valk Hotel Akersloot

Activity note: Bicycling about 24 miles; generally flat terrain, primarily dedicated and paved bicycle paths.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will start our day bicycling towards De Rijp, past fields of tulips along the way. As we bicycle on dedicated paved trails, we will 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 bicycling in groups to and from school, and parents heading for work or shopping on their bicycles. The bicycle is the primary Dutch mode of transportation.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like in De Rijp, a village with an old church and a drawbridge.

Afternoon: We will re-mount our bicycles and bicycle back to our hotel in Akersloot. We will walk to a bulb grower and learn from a horticultural expert about their export business.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and motorcoach transfer in the morning.

DAY
5
Noordwijk, Keukenhof
Noordwijk
B,D
Fletcher Hotel De Witte Raaf

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 40 miles, approximately 1 hour. Bicycling about 14 miles; generally flat terrain, primarily dedicated paved bicycle paths.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will check out of our hotel and board a motorcoach to Noordwijk and drop off our luggage at the hotel where we will stay the next four nights From the hotel, we will bicycle to nearby Keukenhof, where 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 along 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. There are several restaurants. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions, including for “poffertjes” — small pancakes covered in butter and sugar.

Afternoon: We will continue our exploration of Keukenhof until mid-afternoon, when we will return by bicycle to our hotel in Noordwijk.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

DAY
6
Amsterdam, Free Time
Noordwijk
B,D
Fletcher Hotel De Witte Raaf

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 60 miles, approximately 1.5 hours riding time. Walking about 1.5 hours; paved terrain.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will leave early by motorcoach to Amsterdam, or as the Dutch call it, Mokum. With our Group Leader, we will set out on a field trip to the center of Amsterdam to explore Rembrandt Square, the Bloemenmarkt (flower market), and finally the Begijnhof (Béguinage). This tranquil courtyard dates back to the 14th century, when it was built for the Béguines, pious women who chose to live like nuns but without taking formal vows. The remainder of the morning and into 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 Leader 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. If you haven’t already been there, you might like to venture to the Anne Frank House or the Rijksmuseum. If you want to relax, seek out one of the local cafés to sip a Heineken or cup of coffee while watching the locals.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like in Amsterdam.

Afternoon: Free time in Amsterdam will continue. We will rendezvous at an announced time and place to reboard the motorcoach and return to Noordwijk in the late afternoon.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

DAY
7
Aalsmeer Flower Auction, Cruquius Museum
Noordwijk
B,L,D
Fletcher Hotel De Witte Raaf

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 36 miles, approximately 1 hour. Bicycling about 25 miles; generally flat terrain, primarily dedicated paved bicycle trails.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will board a motorcoach and ride to Aalsmeer where the Group Leader will give us a presentation and introduction to the largest flower auction in the Netherlands. Buyers from around the world bid on flowers and plants online. This goes on until all flowers have been sold. Then, within hours, all the flowers are loaded on trucks and headed for their destinations. Flowers for the U.S. are taken to the nearby airport and will usually be for sale the next day in local flower shops. Returning to the hotel after our field trip, we will continue by bicycle to Cruquius.

Lunch: At the Theehuis (Tea House) Cruquius.

Afternoon: We will walk to the Museum De Cruquius, where a docent will present the history of this former steam-powered pumping station, operational from 1850-1933. We’ll learn about the technology used to drain the area around Amsterdam that was threatened with flooding in the past. Returning to the hotel, we’ll have some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

DAY
8
Dutch Economy, Bloemencorso
Noordwijk
B,D
Fletcher Hotel De Witte Raaf

Activity note: Bicycling about 15 miles; generally flat terrain, primarily dedicated paved bicycle paths.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will begin the morning with a lecture by a historian on the economy of the Netherlands. We’ll then set out on a bicycling field trip to the dunes near Noordwijk. We’ll walk on the beach, look out over the North Sea, and observe the fishing boats.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like in Noordwijk.

Afternoon: Next, we will attend the famous Bloemencorso (Flower Parade) that starts in Noordwijk, The Bloemencorso is the largest spring festival in The Netherlands. This colorful, fragrant spectacle is celebrated annually. We will see annual parade which is the main highlight of the event when the colorful floats and the luxury vehicles decorated in masses of flowers travel the 42 km route with the addition of cheerful music from the marching bands and amusement on and around the floats. Returning to the hotel, we’ll have some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

Dinner: At the hotel. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

DAY
9
Program Concludes, In Transit From Program
In Flight
B

Activity note: Hotel check-out 10:00 a.m. See your program’s GETTING THERE information regarding transfers.

Breakfast: At the hotel. This concludes our program.

Morning: 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!






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