Tulips and the Netherlands are an iconic match every spring, but never more so than during the massive Floriade flower show, which happens just once every 10 years.
The show, which debuted in 1962, is the mecca of flower shows and attracts more than 100 Dutch and international exhibitors and roughly 2 million visitors. This year, the Floriade will take place between April 5 and Oct. 7 on nearly 100 acres in the Venlo region, near the German border.
Most travel agents are unlikely to have horticulturalist clients looking to build an entire vacation around the event, but even casual garden enthusiasts can get a taste of the show through tours that encompass a general garden theme.
The luxury hotel barge company European Waterways, for example, unveiled tulip cruises on their newest barge, the 12-passenger Panache, that include an optional day at the Floriade.
The six-night, roundtrip cruises from Haarlem are set for April and May and will also include visits to Holland’s Keukenhof Gardens, which showcases more than 4 million tulips every year, and the cities of Delft and Gouda for local pottery and cheese, respectively.
“The first departure is on April 1, when hyacinths and tulips are in their full glory, and they continue into May, when other flowers reach their peak blossoming periods,” said European Waterways Managing Director Derek Banks.
Rates for the six-night, all-inclusive cruise start from $4,690 per person, double, not including a 10% discount on all April departures. Full boat charter discounts are also available. Visit
www.gobarging.com.
World Luxury Cruise Vacations, a division of the tour operator France Cruises, is offering eight- and nine-night Tulip Time cruises along Dutch and Belgian canals that also include a visit to the Floriade. The cruises, operated by Ama Waterways, also feature tours of Brussels and Brugges in Belgium as well as the Keukenhof Gardens.
Cruise-only tours are priced from $2,199 and $2,499, respectively. Go to
www.wlcvacations.com to book.