Holland & Belgium Bike & Boat: Amsterdam to Bruges, Aboard the Magnifique II 2021

Depart home for the Netherlands. The particulars of your arrival overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary.

Upon arrival at the Amsterdam airport, claim your luggage and clear customs. If any portion of your luggage appears to be lost, fill in a PIR form before leaving the customs area — VBT representatives are not allowed into the customs area. (Please note: Also make certain your VBT luggage tags are affixed to your bag so your VBT representative can identify you.)

After exiting customs, enter the arrival hall and look for your VBT representative, who will be holding a VBT sign. Please wait here while your representative arranges your transportation to your Amsterdam hotel (travel time is approximately 20 minutes, depending on traffic).

Important: Transportation is provided by Schiphol Taxi, who will be looking for you and carrying a VBT sign. You may be approached by other companies offering transportation. Please use only Schiphol Taxi, telephone +31 654 354 601 or +31 681 299 101. Transportation provided by any other company will be at your own expense.

Note: If you cannot find the VBT representative, or have been delayed in customs because of lost luggage or another reason, please follow the signs and wait at the Meeting Point in the main arrival hall. The Meeting Point is across from Burger King and in between the entrances to train platforms 3/4 and 5/6. You can also go to one of the yellow information desks in the main hall and ask if they will telephone Schiphol Taxi (using the number above) on your behalf.

Please note: Hotel check-in time is 3:00 p.m., but the staff will do their best to get you to your room as soon as possible. When you have checked into your hotel, you have the rest of the day to relax or to begin your exploration of the city. VBT provides you with city information that includes recommendations on what to see and do in Amsterdam.

Accommodation: Mercure Hotel Amsterdam Centre Canal District, Amsterdam
Included Meals: Breakfast

After an included breakfast, make sure your luggage is packed and ready to be transported to the barge. At 9:30 a.m., meet one of your VBT trip leaders in the hotel lobby for a walk to the barge, passing some of the city’s highlights and taking some free time for lunch on your own. You will board the barge at 1:45 p.m. and depart at 2:00 p.m. At the docks, meet the barge crew and your second VBT trip leader, who will welcome you aboard with refreshments. Cruise out of Amsterdam on the IJ waterway, catching glimpses of houseboats and floating houses.

You will dock before dinner for our warm-up ride, which follows the river Vecht. This evening, gather with the group for a welcome dinner on board. You moor overnight in Vianen, a small city on the river Lek.

Please note regarding WiFi on board the barge: Due to the nature of the barge movements, Internet access is not always available. If stable Internet access is critical to you, VBT recommends that you purchase your own bundle before traveling overseas.

Please note regarding Ride with GPS: Due to the limited WiFi on board, VBT also recommends downloading your VBT Maps & Route Notes from a WiFi zone prior to arrival on the barge if you wish to use Ride with GPS on your smartphone. During your vacation, you will be able to follow these route notes on your smartphone with turn-by-turn voice navigation as you ride. This option is in addition to VBT’s traditional printed maps and route notes available on tour.

Hotel: Barge Magnifique II
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today’s Ride Choice:
Cumulative Distance Range: 17 km (10 miles)
Afternoon
Nigtevecht to Breukelen Warm-up: 17 km (10 miles)

What to Expect: The warm-up ride starts at Nigtevecht, at the connector between the old river and the modern Amsterdam-Rhine canal. Although the road is quiet, it is narrow, and you will encounter some light traffic. You will cross the original Brooklyn Bridge into Breukelen town, the home of the first settlers in New Amsterdam (New York).

After breakfast, cycle along the small canals of the rural region of Krimpenerwaard. You will trace the route of the river Lek through Schoonhoven, known as the “Silver City” for its long silversmithing tradition. Continue to Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage site where 19 of Holland’s famous windmills — some more than 260 years old — adorn the horizon. Then you can ride (or cruise, if you prefer) to Dordrecht, one of Holland’s oldest towns and birthplace of the state of the Netherlands, founded by William of Orange. Take some time to stroll through the city’s historic center to get a glimpse of its rich past. This evening, your barge captain will give a short talk and introduce the crew. Enjoy dinner on board in Dordrecht, where the barge moors overnight.

Hotel: Barge Magnifique II
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today’s Ride Choices:
Cumulative Distance Range: 26 – 56 km (16 – 35 miles)
Morning
Vianen to Schoonhoven: 26 km (16 miles)
Afternoon
Schoonhoven to Alblasserdam via Kinderdijk: 30 km (19 miles)

What to Expect: Today’s ride starts in Vianen. First, you cross a big bridge over the River Lek. The next stretch leads you through villages in the Krimpenerwaard Polder, where a small fietspad (bike path) takes you through private backyards. In the small old city of Schoonhoven, choose a restaurant for lunch on your own. You can board your barge, disembark, or continue riding here.

From Schoonhoven, you’ll cross the River Lek by ferry. The route continues to Nieuwpoort town and into the Alblasserwaard Polder. This is mainly dairy farming and pasture land with black-and-white Frisian cows and variety of water fowl. Your fietspad continues through Kinderdijk amid the country’s largest collection of traditional windmills.

This morning, enjoy a short language lesson while sailing to Willemstad, an old fortified town on the Haringvliet. Its massive walls were laid out in the shape of a seven-pointed star, each rampart named for one the seven provinces of the Republic of United Netherlands. Enjoy time at leisure here to explore.

Then cycle to Tholen, once an island in the middle of the large Zeeland streams where many people fished for a living. Today, it is connected to the mainland, but it remains a picturesque village with relics of an eventful past. Pedal through its quiet farmlands, and pause for a picnic lunch at historic locks before arriving in Tholen. Here, you will rejoin the barge and enjoy dinner on board. Afterward, we’ve invited for some local families to meet you at the barge and accompany you back to their homes for an evening of camaraderie and cultural exchange.

Hotel: Barge Magnifique II
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today’s Ride Choices:
Cumulative Distance Range: 24 – 67 km (15 – 42 miles)
Morning
Willemstad to Dintel Locks: 24 km (15 miles)
Afternoon
Dintel Locks to Tholen: 22 km (14 miles)
OR
Additional Tholen Island Loop: 21 km (13 miles)

What to Expect: Ride through the relatively “new” rural agricultural corner of western Brabant province. It is a country of potatoes and sugar beets. You’ll enjoy a picnic lunch at the historic Dintel River Locks. Afterward, cross the bridge to Tholen, a former island in Zeeland province reaching Oud-Vossemeer, the home of the Rooseveldt family. Finally, arrive in Tholen, the tiny island capital.

Today is a non-biking day. This morning, take time to relax on board during a morning cruise to the impressive port of Antwerp. After lunch on board, you have the rest of the afternoon to explore. Antwerp is known as the “Diamond City” and the native city of painter Peter Paul Rubens. You may wish to visit the Cathedral of Our Lady and the Market Square, lined with beautiful historic townhouses. Tonight, enjoy dinner on your own in a local restaurant.

Today’s Ride Choice:
Non-biking Day: Cruise to and explore Antwerp

Hotel: Barge Magnifique II
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After cruising out of Antwerp, you will dock and mount your bike for a ride along the Scheldt River to Temse, pausing along the way for lunch on your own near Wissekerke Castle in Basel. In the afternoon, enjoy magnificent river views as you cycle to Dendermonde, a centuries-old city with a Benedictine abbey and pretty market square at its center. Before dinner on board tonight, you can learn more about Belgian beer during an onboard beer tasting.

Hotel: Barge Magnifique II
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today’s Ride Choices:
Cumulative Distance Range: 34 – 59 km (21 – 37 miles)
Morning
Antwerp to Temse: 34 km (21 miles)
Afternoon
Temse to Dendermonde: 25 km (16 miles)

What to Expect: Your route begins with a spin through a special bike-and-pedestrian tunnel under the Scheldt River. Afterward, crisscross through agricultural and quiet suburban areas to reach Kruibeke with its Wednesday market. You’ll arrive back at the Scheldt after passing through Rupelmonde, with its unique tidal watermill and statue of the mathematician and mapmaker Mercator. He was the world’s premier geographer in the 16th century and created both the terrestrial and celestial globes. Continue on to the city of Temse, once a trading center. The second part of the ride is most scenic, crossing the river three times, then over the Temse Bridge to ride on the Scheldt Dike to the Mariekerke ferry. Dendermonde is reached by another huge bridge.

After breakfast, cycle from Dendermonde to Ghent. Located at the confluence of the Scheldt and Leie rivers, this “City of 200 Bridges” was founded around 600 AD and boasts many beautiful buildings dating to medieval times, when the textile industry brought great wealth to Ghent’s merchants.

After a leisurely lunch on board the barge, embark a local boat for an excursion into the center of Ghent with a guide. You’ll also have time to explore this attractive medieval canal city on your own. Many old patrician houses have been preserved in the city center. One historic building is the 1425 Cloth Makers’ Hall, where textile merchants met and traded. The city’s major church is St. Baaf’s Cathedral, constructed and enhanced in various styles over many centuries. In the cathedral, admire a number of masterpieces of medieval painting, including Jan van Eyck’s famous Adoration of the Lamb. Try one of the local restaurants for dinner on your own.

Hotel: Barge Magnifique II
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today’s Ride Choice:
Cumulative Distance Range: 36 km (21 miles)
Morning
Dendermonde to Ghent: 36 km (21 miles)

What to Expect: Today, there is only a morning ride. After crossing the modern Dender Locks, cycle to Appels ferry for another river crossing. From the village of Berlare, you’ll divert through more quaint villages and scenic agricultural lands to the lovely town of Schellebelle. After some pedal strokes on the river dike, you’ll follow a suburban stretch to the large locks of Merelbeke. Here, you’ll embark for lunch on board while the barge sails to its canal mooring site. In the afternoon, you will visit Ghent.

During breakfast, your barge cruises to Bruges. The barge will briefly dock farther along the waterway at Aalter Bridge, where the day’s cycling begins. The barge rejoins the main canal and meets us all in Bruges in the late afternoon. Alternately, if you have chosen the longer ride option, you will cycle to Bruges with an extra countryside ride via Damme.

Regarded by many as Europe’s best-preserved medieval city, Bruges is laced by a network of canals lined by beautiful houses built by wealthy textile merchants. A 350-foot (106.7-meter), 13th-century belfry tower, which houses Europe’s most famous carillon, presides over the city’s Market Square. You have ample time to marvel at the medieval ambiance of this lovely city and to walk its winding streets. Dine on the barge one last time this evening.

Hotel: Barge Magnifique II
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today’s Ride Choices:
Cumulative Distance Range: 32 – 57 km (19 – 34 miles)
Morning-Afternoon
Aalterburg to Bruges: 32 km (19 miles)
Aalterburg to Bruges via Damme: 57 km (34 miles)

What to Expect: After an early-morning barge cruise, disembark at Aalterburg to start biking. This route leads along the World War II Moerbrugge Monument, then on to Bruges. The longer option diverts through the countryside via an old abbey and Damme, an ancient literary town and former Bruges harbor.

After breakfast, say goodbye to your barge crew and one trip leader, then walk through Bruges’s winding streets to the hotel with your second trip leader, enjoying an orientation of the historic city center along the way. Please note that hotel check-in time is 3:00 p.m. There may be a VBT group checking out of the hotel, so please do not plan for your room to be available earlier. VBT and the hotel appreciate your understanding and cooperation. You may leave your bags with reception while you explore Bruges. There is so much to see and do just around the corner. VBT provides you with city information that includes recommendations.

Bruges was northern Europe’s leading trade center between the 13th and 15th centuries, driven largely by its thriving wool and textile industries. The city has been famous for its fine lace for 500 years; you may wish to visit one of the small cottage industries revolving around lace-making. Enjoy dinner on your own tonight.

Hotel: Hotel Navarra
Included Meals: Breakfast

From your centrally located hotel, walk the cobbled streets of this enchanting town. Be sure to go to the top of the Belfort Tower for a panoramic view of the splendid medieval cityscape. You may want to visit the 12th-century Basilica of the Holy Blood, said to contain a small vial of Christ’s blood that was brought to Bruges from the Holy Land in 1149. Or stop by the Memling Museum, housed in one of the oldest surviving medieval hospitals in Europe.

Tonight, try one of Bruges’ wonderful restaurants for dinner on your own using VBT’s city information as your guide.

Hotel: Hotel Navarra
Included Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast* this morning, transportation to the Brussels airport will be provided (an approximately 1 to 1.5 hour drive, depending on traffic) for your departing flight**. Please ensure you are ready in the hotel reception at the designated time and location. *For guests with early-morning departures, breakfast at the hotel may not be available. Please check with the front desk to verify the times that breakfast is served.

** Please note: VBT transportation times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.

Included Meals: Breakfast

You are responsible for making your own way to meet our barge. Plan to arrive between 1:00 and 1:45 p.m. Please note that you cannot embark before this time, as the barge is being prepared for you. If you are late, you must contact the barge as soon as possible to make alternative arrangements. The barge will be moored in Veemkade which is located to the east of Amsterdam’s Centraal Station. If traveling by taxi, ask to be taken to the Withoedenveem from the Piet Heinkade. Please refer to the information listed in the tour handbook. The barge sails at 2:00 p.m.

You will dock before dinner for our warm-up ride, which follows the river Vecht. This evening, gather with the group for a welcome dinner on board. You moor overnight in Vianen, a small city on the river Lek.

Please note regarding WiFi on board the barge: Due to the nature of the barge movements, Internet access is not always available. If stable Internet access is critical to you, VBT recommends that you purchase your own bundle before traveling overseas.

Please note regarding Ride with GPS: Due to the limited WiFi on board, VBT also recommends downloading your VBT Maps & Route Notes from a WiFi zone prior to arrival on the barge if you wish to use Ride with GPS on your smartphone. During your vacation, you will be able to follow these route notes on your smartphone with turn-by-turn voice navigation as you ride. This option is in addition to VBT’s traditional printed maps and route notes available on tour.

Hotel: Barge Magnifique II
Included Meals: Dinner

Today’s Ride Choice:
Cumulative Distance Range: 17 km (10 miles)
Afternoon
Nigtevecht to Breukelen Warm-up: 17 km (10 miles)

What to Expect: The warm-up ride starts at Nigtevecht, at the connector between the old river and the modern Amsterdam-Rhine canal. Although the road is quiet, it is narrow, and you will encounter some light traffic. You will cross the original Brooklyn Bridge into Breukelen town, the home of the first settlers in New Amsterdam (New York).

After breakfast, cycle along the small canals of the rural region of Krimpenerwaard. You will trace the route of the river Lek through Schoonhoven, known as the “Silver City” for its long silversmithing tradition. Continue to Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage site where 19 of Holland’s famous windmills — some more than 260 years old — adorn the horizon. Then you can ride (or cruise, if you prefer) to Dordrecht, one of Holland’s oldest towns and birthplace of the state of the Netherlands, founded by William of Orange. Take some time to stroll through the city’s historic center to get a glimpse of its rich past. This evening, your barge captain will give a short talk and introduce the crew. Enjoy dinner on board in Dordrecht, where the barge moors overnight.

Hotel: Barge Magnifique II
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today’s Ride Choices:
Cumulative Distance Range: 26 – 56 km (16 – 35 miles)
Morning
Vianen to Schoonhoven: 26 km (16 miles)
Afternoon
Schoonhoven to Alblasserdam via Kinderdijk: 30 km (19 miles)

What to Expect: Today’s ride starts in Vianen. First, you cross a big bridge over the River Lek. The next stretch leads you through villages in the Krimpenerwaard Polder, where a small fietspad (bike path) takes you through private backyards. In the small old city of Schoonhoven, choose a restaurant for lunch on your own. You can board your barge, disembark, or continue riding here.

From Schoonhoven, you’ll cross the River Lek by ferry. The route continues to Nieuwpoort town and into the Alblasserwaard Polder. This is mainly dairy farming and pasture land with black-and-white Frisian cows and variety of water fowl. Your fietspad continues through Kinderdijk amid the country’s largest collection of traditional windmills.

This morning, enjoy a short language lesson while sailing to Willemstad, an old fortified town on the Haringvliet. Its massive walls were laid out in the shape of a seven-pointed star, each rampart named for one the seven provinces of the Republic of United Netherlands. Enjoy time at leisure here to explore.

Then cycle to Tholen, once an island in the middle of the large Zeeland streams where many people fished for a living. Today, it is connected to the mainland, but it remains a picturesque village with relics of an eventful past. Pedal through its quiet farmlands, and pause for a picnic lunch at historic locks before arriving in Tholen. Here, you will rejoin the barge and enjoy dinner on board. Afterward, we’ve invited for some local families to meet you at the barge and accompany you back to their homes for an evening of camaraderie and cultural exchange.

Hotel: Barge Magnifique II
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today’s Ride Choices:
Cumulative Distance Range: 24 – 67 km (15 – 42 miles)
Morning
Willemstad to Dintel Locks: 24 km (15 miles)
Afternoon
Dintel Locks to Tholen: 22 km (14 miles)
OR
Additional Tholen Island Loop: 21 km (13 miles)

What to Expect: Ride through the relatively “new” rural agricultural corner of western Brabant province. It is a country of potatoes and sugar beets. You’ll enjoy a picnic lunch at the historic Dintel River Locks. Afterward, cross the bridge to Tholen, a former island in Zeeland province reaching Oud-Vossemeer, the home of the Rooseveldt family. Finally, arrive in Tholen, the tiny island capital.

Today is a non-biking day. This morning, take time to relax on board during a morning cruise to the impressive port of Antwerp. After lunch on board, you have the rest of the afternoon to explore. Antwerp is known as the “Diamond City” and the native city of painter Peter Paul Rubens. You may wish to visit the Cathedral of Our Lady and the Market Square, lined with beautiful historic townhouses. Tonight, enjoy dinner on your own in a local restaurant.

Today’s Ride Choice:
Non-biking Day: Cruise to and explore Antwerp

Hotel: Barge Magnifique II
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After cruising out of Antwerp, you will dock and mount your bike for a ride along the Scheldt River to Temse, pausing along the way for lunch on your own near Wissekerke Castle in Basel. In the afternoon, enjoy magnificent river views as you cycle to Dendermonde, a centuries-old city with a Benedictine abbey and pretty market square at its center. Before dinner on board tonight, you can learn more about Belgian beer during an onboard beer tasting.

Hotel: Barge Magnifique II
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today’s Ride Choices:
Cumulative Distance Range: 34 – 59 km (21 – 37 miles)
Morning
Antwerp to Temse: 34 km (21 miles)
Afternoon
Temse to Dendermonde: 25 km (16 miles)

What to Expect: Your route begins with a spin through a special bike-and-pedestrian tunnel under the Scheldt River. Afterward, crisscross through agricultural and quiet suburban areas to reach Kruibeke with its Wednesday market. You’ll arrive back at the Scheldt after passing through Rupelmonde, with its unique tidal watermill and statue of the mathematician and mapmaker Mercator. He was the world’s premier geographer in the 16th century and created both the terrestrial and celestial globes. Continue on to the city of Temse, once a trading center. The second part of the ride is most scenic, crossing the river three times, then over the Temse Bridge to ride on the Scheldt Dike to the Mariekerke ferry. Dendermonde is reached by another huge bridge.

After breakfast, cycle from Dendermonde to Ghent. Located at the confluence of the Scheldt and Leie rivers, this “City of 200 Bridges” was founded around 600 AD and boasts many beautiful buildings dating to medieval times, when the textile industry brought great wealth to Ghent’s merchants.

After a leisurely lunch on board the barge, embark a local boat for an excursion into the center of Ghent with a guide. You’ll also have time to explore this attractive medieval canal city on your own. Many old patrician houses have been preserved in the city center. One historic building is the 1425 Cloth Makers’ Hall, where textile merchants met and traded. The city’s major church is St. Baaf’s Cathedral, constructed and enhanced in various styles over many centuries. In the cathedral, admire a number of masterpieces of medieval painting, including Jan van Eyck’s famous Adoration of the Lamb. Try one of the local restaurants for dinner on your own.

Hotel: Barge Magnifique II
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today’s Ride Choice:
Cumulative Distance Range: 36 km (21 miles)
Morning
Dendermonde to Ghent: 36 km (21 miles)

What to Expect: Today, there is only a morning ride. After crossing the modern Dender Locks, cycle to Appels ferry for another river crossing. From the village of Berlare, you’ll divert through more quaint villages and scenic agricultural lands to the lovely town of Schellebelle. After some pedal strokes on the river dike, you’ll follow a suburban stretch to the large locks of Merelbeke. Here, you’ll embark for lunch on board while the barge sails to its canal mooring site. In the afternoon, you will visit Ghent.

During breakfast, your barge cruises to Bruges. The barge will briefly dock farther along the waterway at Aalter Bridge, where the day’s cycling begins. The barge rejoins the main canal and meets us all in Bruges in the late afternoon. Alternately, if you have chosen the longer ride option, you will cycle to Bruges with an extra countryside ride via Damme.

Regarded by many as Europe’s best-preserved medieval city, Bruges is laced by a network of canals lined by beautiful houses built by wealthy textile merchants. A 350-foot (106.7-meter), 13th-century belfry tower, which houses Europe’s most famous carillon, presides over the city’s Market Square. You have ample time to marvel at the medieval ambiance of this lovely city and to walk its winding streets. Dine on the barge one last time this evening.

Hotel: Barge Magnifique II
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today’s Ride Choices:
Cumulative Distance Range: 32 – 57 km (19 – 34 miles)
Morning-Afternoon
Aalterburg to Bruges: 32 km (19 miles)
Aalterburg to Bruges via Damme: 57 km (34 miles)

What to Expect: After an early-morning barge cruise, disembark at Aalterburg to start biking. This route leads along the World War II Moerbrugge Monument, then on to Bruges. The longer option diverts through the countryside via an old abbey and Damme, an ancient literary town and former Bruges harbor.

After breakfast, your tour ends. It is important that you leave the barge no later than 9:00 a.m. so the crew can prepare for their next guests. Please refer to the information listed in the tour handbook.

Bruges was northern Europe’s leading trade center between the 13th and 15th centuries, driven largely by its thriving wool and textile industries. The city has been famous for its fine lace for 500 years; you may wish to visit one of the small cottage industries revolving around lace-making. Enjoy dinner on your own tonight.

Included Meals: Breakfast