Itinerary

Embarkation and check-in where the crew will welcome you on board is at 1 p.m. At around 2 p.m. MS Magnifique will depart from Amsterdam for Vianen, a small fortified village on the Lek river. After the distribution of bicycles, you can enjoy a short bicycle ride. Dinner on board.

After breakfast you will cycle a beautiful route to Schoonhoven – nicknamed Zilverstad (Silver City) – a city renowned for its talented silver smiths since the 17th century. As you continue to cycle along the Lek River you will pass through the Alblasserwaard region to Kinderdijk, a village famous for its impressive row of 19 large windmills, which have a UNESCO cultural heritage listing. From nearby Alblasserdam you will take the “Waterbus, a fast ferry that will take you and your bike in approx. 10 minutes to Dordrecht, one of the oldest towns in Holland. Dinner on board.

During breakfast the ship sails to Willemstad. Your bicycle ride goes to Tholen, once an island in the middle of the large Zeeland streams. Nowadays Tholen is connected to the mainland in various ways. In the afternoon you will sail via the impressive Kreekrak lock to Antwerp, which is not only known as diamond city, but also as native city of painter Rubens. You will find some of his paintings in the “Onze Lieve Vrouwe (our lady) Cathedral”. Dinner on board.

Today’s tour will see you cycle out of Antwerp on a beautiful cycle path along the picturesque tidal Schelde River to St. Amands, your home for the night. There is only one way to describe the landscape around the Schelde and that is “magnificent”. It is without doubt one of the natural highlights of the tour. Dinner on board.

The bike tour follows again the river Schelde in the direction of Ghent. Ghent is a lively university city, again, one with a rich past. In the afternoon you have the opportunity to discover the city some more or to shop in the lively centre. The city was founded in Roman times, where the rivers Leie and Schelde converge. The convenient location has over the years brought much prosperity, culminating in the late 13th, early 14th century. The textile industry brought great wealth. In the city, many old patricians preserved. The Cloth Hall (1425) brought cloth merchants together. The main church is the St. Bavo Cathedral, which is built in different ages and in the different corresponding styles. In the cathedral are some masterpieces of medieval art, which "Adoration of the Mystic Lamb" by Jan van Eyck is the most famous. The ship is docked at the lock in Merelbeke, a suburb of Ghent (approx. 30 min by bike from the city centre). Dinner on board.

Today you will cycle from Ghent through the beautiful countryside of Western Flanders to Bruges. Bruges also called the Venice of the North is maybe the most beautiful of all Flemish cities. Its old centre which dates from the Middle Ages is almost completely intact. Bruges was at that time a metropolis and center of commerce and art. You can still see this glory at the beautiful buildings. But Bruges is also a nice town for shopping or going out. Dinner tonight (not included) will be in town in a restaurant of your choice (recommendations available on board).

The last bike tour takes you to a quiet canal along where you’ll find lots of poplars, through an attractive polder landscape with nice small farm houses to the North Sea coast. A long sandy beach and numerous cafés provide enough variety during your lunch break. Then heading back to Bruges. Dinner on board.

After breakfast till 09:30 am: end of the tour and disembarkation.

Tour character

Easy

You cycle through Holland and Belgium on flat and well-maintained cycle paths. The routes can be categorised as easy and are also suitable for inexperienced cyclists.

Prices & Dates

Prices per person in EUR

Services & extras

Services

Included

7 nights in outside cabins on board the MS Magnifique IV with shower/WC in the booked category
Programme as per itinerary
Welcome drink
Daily cabin cleaning
Use of bed linen and towels
Meals: 7x breakfast, 6x packed lunch for bike tours, coffee and tea on board, 6x 3-course evening meal
All harbour, bridge and lock fees
Daily cycle tour briefing on board
Detailed cycle maps and information material 1x per cabin (only available on site)
Guarantee certificate for package holidays through SGR (compulsory contribution to the SGR guarantee fund for end consumers to cover against insolvency: €5.00 per person)

Not included

Arrival and departure
transfers
Bike hire
Entrance and sightseeing fees if not mentioned
City maps
insurance
Gratuities and personal expenses
Dinner on board in Bruges

Extras

Parking

For example, Oosterdok multi-storey car park
Car park directly at the central station (only for cars up to 2.10 m high). Saving rate approx. 20.00 € for 24 hours www.parkingcentrumoosterdok.nl/deutsch/
Return transfer by train from Bruges to Amsterdam, approx. 40.00 € per person.

Note

Embarkation: from 14:00
Disembarkation: After breakfast until 09:30.
Rental bikes on board: Smooth-running 7-speed unisex touring bikes from Velo de Ville with hand and coaster brakes or freewheel and pannier bag. 7-speed electric bikes from Velo de Ville with freewheel and pannier bag (limited number - early booking required). Please state your height when booking.
Bringing your own bike: Due to the limited space available on the sun deck, bringing your own bike is only possible on request and only to a limited extent
Cycle tours: Guided or individual. A cycle tour guide (two cycle tour guides for groups of 18 or more) is available daily for a guided cycle tour. If there are two cycle tour guides on board, on some days you can choose between short or long routes or between faster and slower cycling.
Please note: Not all the places/sights mentioned are visited during the shorter tours. Maps are available on board for individual cycle tours (only available on board). All kilometres mentioned are approximate distances of the recommended cycle tours
On-board language: English, German and Dutch
Cycle routes/level of difficulty: Pleasure cycling - the quality of the cycle paths is excellent, so this tour is also suitable for cyclists with a basic level of fitness
Holiday luggage: We recommend good rainwear, cycle helmet, sun hat and sports shoes.
Timetable and programme changes: Subject to change without notice. If, for example, a route cannot be travelled due to low water, high water or bad weather, the captain reserves the right to change the route for your safety (this is not a reason for cancellation free of charge).
Travel documents: EU nationals (with no special circumstances, e.g. dual citizenship, primary residence abroad or provisionally issued travel documents) require a valid identity card or passport for this trip, which must be valid for at least 6 months after the end of the trip. If you have another nationality or several nationalities or if you have to observe special legal regulations, please contact your local consulate for information on the relevant visa and entry requirements.
This tour is not suitable for people with reduced mobility.