Holland Yoga and Bike Adventure Retreat
April 21-28th, 2017
A gardener's dream vacation filled with thousands of varieties of flowers
Delight in a friendly, liberal, and sustainable culture
Enjoy delicious cheese, chocolate, and beer without feeling guilty because you will bike it off
Experience a bike culture where there are over 16 million bikes in use almost one for every citizen
Have fun biking on flat, easy, and bike friendly trails and roads
Delight in a friendly, liberal, and sustainable culture
Enjoy delicious cheese, chocolate, and beer without feeling guilty because you will bike it off
Experience a bike culture where there are over 16 million bikes in use almost one for every citizen
Have fun biking on flat, easy, and bike friendly trails and roads
Savor seven days of renewed vitality with fresh scenery filled with millions of tulips, beautiful old architecture, many canals, charming towns, and fascinating history while leisurely biking through the countryside and towns. Sample delicious cheeses, chocolates, beer, and culinary delights. Wake up with gentle yoga to keep you limber and feeling great. Return home with a renewed sense of wonder and delight.
- Daily yoga
- 5 days of biking
- 7 nights of cozy lodging
- 2 daily meals
- Van Gough museum Pass
- Tour of the windmills
- Walking history of tulip farming
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Schedule:
Friday, April 21st Arrive in Amsterdam Send us your Arrival time and we will pick you up 2:00-5:00pm Arrive at hotel 5:00-6:00pm Yoga 6:00- 7:30 Dinner 7:30-11:00 Free Time Saturday, April 22nd 7:30-8:30am Yoga 8:45-9:45 Breakfast 10:00-1:30 Free Time 1:30-2:30 Lunch 3:00-5:30 Van Gough Museum 6:00-7:00 Dinner 7:00-11:00 Free Time Sunday, April 23rd 7:00-8:00am Yoga 8:30-9:30 Breakfast 10:00am-1:00 Amsterdam-Haarlem bike 33 miles of tulip fields and beautiful Dutch countryside 1:00-2:00 Lunch in Haarlem 2:00-6:00pm Free Time-the city boasts a wealth of art, culture, monuments, restaurants and cafes. 6:00-7:00 Dinner 7:00-11:00 Free Time Monday, April 24th 7:00-8:00am Yoga 8:30-9:30 Breakfast 10:00am-1:00 Haarlem - Leiden 38 km, 24 miles 1:00-2:00 Lunch 2:00-6:00pm Free Time 6:00-7:00 Dinner 7:00-11:00 Free Time Tuesday, April 25th 7:00-8:00am Yoga 8:30-9:30 Breakfast 10:00am-1:00 Stay in Leiden and go to Keukenhof Flower Exhibition 1:00-2:00 Lunch 2:00-6:00pm Free Time 6:00-7:00 Dinner 7:00-11:00 Free Time Wednesday, April 26th 7:00-8:00am Yoga 8:30-9:30 Breakfast 10:00am-1:00 Leiden - Amsterdam 58 km, 36 miles 1:00-2:00 Lunch 2:00-6:00pm Free Time 6:00-7:00 Dinner 7:00- 11:00 Free Time Thursday, April 27th 7:00-8:00 am Yoga 8:30-9:30 Breakfast 10:00-12:30 Walking tour of Amsterdam 12:30-1:30 Lunch at delicious restaurant 1:30-5:30 Continue walking tour of Amsterdam 5:30-6:30 Dinner 7:00-9:00 Local music Friday, April 29th 7:00-8:00 am Yoga 8:30-9:30 Breakfast and Goodbyes Continue your trip and take a plane or train to Southern France for our Blissful Life Yoga Retreat there: Click HERE ~Friday~ Arrival Amsterdam Enjoy and evening of yoga and an evening on the town. ~Saturday~ Wander around the gorgeous and surprisingly peaceful seventeenth century canal ring area (World Heritage Site). If you like bustle, make your way to the city’s famous squares: Dam, Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein. Should you prefer to roam off the beaten track, saunter up Brouwersgracht or hire a canal bike and find out what the city looks like from the water. Parking in Amsterdam is difficult. ~Sunday~Amsterdam - Haarlem 53 km It may be tempting to linger in Amsterdam, but today is the day you get to see your first tulip fields! We will set off early and leave behind the hustle and bustle of the lively capital and enter a region called South Kennemerland. Firstly, we will head for Cruquius, a steam-driven pumping station for a lesson in Dutch water management. Just after the village of Bennebroek we will get a short glimpse of the tulip fields. Then we will veer north and crown our day in the city centre of Haarlem. Look up at the typically Dutch facades on the market square. The city boasts a wealth of art, culture, monuments, restaurants and cafes. ~Monday~ Haarlem - Leiden38 km Downtown Haarlem deserves to be explored thoroughly. Enjoy a city walk to discover the city’s hidden "hofjes”. A hofje is a square of tiny almshouses set around an idyllic courtyard, often built by the church or by private charity to house single older women. Also dating back to the Dutch Golden Age, the works of Haarlem painter Frans Hals (group portraiture) and his townsmen including Jacob Ruysdael (land- and seascapes) and Pieter Saenredam (church interiors) are on display at the Frans Hals museum. In the afternoon get set for a colourful bike trip through the Dune and Bulb Region. Tulips, crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths are grown here commercially (for bulb export) and temporarily transform the landscape into one of the country’s best-loved tourist attractions. ~Tuesday~ Leiden Spend a day at world famous Keukenhof flower exhibition. Leiden is our oldest university town. It has a very busy cultural events calendar and a friendly city centre with canals, monuments windmills and museums. The historical botanical gardens get special mention. ~Wednesday~ Leiden - Amsterdam58 km The route back to Amsterdam takes you past several lakes, across rural ‘Green Heart’, to the River Amstel. On the banks of this lovely river, you will encounter pretty villages and grand country houses. This is one of the greenest routes there is to get you right into Amsterdam back to your hotel. As you may have guessed, the city is named after the river. In the 13th century, Amsterdam started out as a fishing village by a dam at the mouth of the river. The oldest part of Amsterdam is around the Oude Kerk (Old Church). Known as Amsterdam’s living room, it’s the oldest building in the city. ~7 nights' accommodation
~Airport pick-up and Drop-off ~Daily yoga ~Breakfast ~Dinners ~Luggage transport to your next hotel ~Detailed route descriptions and maps ~Tourist information on all places of interest ~On-demand: Tour as GPS-file ~Saddle-bags for carrying the things you need on the road ~Seven days a week service-hotline ~Bike ~We adapt the bike to suit your wishes |
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Vanessa Charles, adventure leader, yoga instructor, and owner of Blissful Life. Vanessa has lead over 14 retreats in Maui, Kauai, Virgin Island, Big Island, Molokai, San Juan Island, Whidbey Island, and Gig Harbor, WA. She is excited to be expanding to include European adventures. Her grandfather and grandmother used to bring high school students to bike through Europe every summer. She is excited to keep the tradition going. She loves helping people gain confidence in traveling while staying healthy and vibrant. Vanessa loves traveling and has done traveling though Central America, Europe, and Australia.
Doctor Diana Duncan is passionate about living a vibrant life by eating well, enjoying outdoor activity, and savoring life. She is a world traveler who has lived in Germany and traveled all over Europe and the United States. She loves enjoying helping people travel in a healthy way.
She currently practices medicine at Heart of Wellness in Olympia, Washington. |
Retreat Deposit$300 deposit holds your spot at the retreat.
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Price:
Early Bird Price: (Before December 1, 2016): $1895 Regular Price: (After December 1, 2016): $1995 Deposit: $300 (goes towards the total price of the retreat, holds your place, refundable until January 1, 2017, after you can have credit with Blissful Life Retreats, Massage, or Yoga. Registration closes: February 1, 2017 or much sooner because this will fill up fast! |
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