Do you love nature and birds? And are you looking for a comfortable long weekend away out of season? Perhaps the Birding Trip with ship Josefien is something for you!
Duration: 4 days
Start and End Point: Dokkum
Available Dates 2025:
- October 23, 16:00 – October 26, 16:00
National Park Lauwersmeer
The National Park Lauwersmeer is a beautiful nature reserve in the north of the Netherlands, created after the closure of the Lauwerszee in the 1960s. The area consists of vast reed beds, marshes, marshland and islands, making it the ideal habitat for a wide variety of birds.
Birdwatchers are especially attracted by the rich biodiversity and the many species you can see here, such as spoonbills, bald eagles, flocks of cranes, curlews and kingfishers. The area is an important resting and nesting area for birds, and you can make special observations throughout the year. The viewpoints and bird huts make it possible to enjoy nature and bird watching in peace.
Itinerary
Thursday, October 23
At 4 p.m. you can embark in Dokkum, where the ship is moored. You can come by car (free parking) or by public transport. You can meet the other participants. The maximum group size is 20 people.
In the evening, you will enjoy a 3-course dinner on board. After dinner, the crew will tell you something about the trip and the area you are sailing through.
Friday October 24th
After an extensive breakfast, Josefien casts off her mooring lines and you will sail along on the Dokkumer Grutdjip, through the lock at Dokkumer Nieuwe Zijlen across the Lauwersmeer to Zoutkamp, a picturesque fishing village. On board you will enjoy a delicious lunch and during the cruise you will enjoy the natural landscape and birds. In the afternoon you can look around Zoutkamp and in the evening a delicious 3 course dinner will be served on board again.
You can also choose not to travel the route by boat, but by bicycle (bicycles are on board and included in the price). It amounts to a route of about 25 kilometers. You can also explore the surroundings by bicycle from the berth in Zoutkamp.
Saturday, October 25
After breakfast, the ship sails to the Lauwersmeer, where you will spend the afternoon with a bird guide. At night the ship will remain moored to an island in the Lauwersmeer and you will enjoy the tranquility that the nature reserve has to offer. On board you will be fully taken care of and enjoy the warmth and coziness the ship has to offer.
Sunday, October 26
This last day the ship sails back to Dokkum. You can also choose to cycle from Dokkumer Nieuwe Zijlen to Dokkum (12 kilometers).
If weather conditions are more convenient, the Friday and Saturday programs can be switched.
The interior spaces on board are heated. From the salon you can easily look out through the large windows, so you won’t miss anything from the route. You can also sit on deck on our terrace under a canopy. There are also many benches on deck, so that even in sunny weather you can always find a place out of the wind.
You can book this trip for € 585 per person. This includes 9% VAT and tourist tax. For this you get:
- A comfortable double cabin with private shower and toilet
- Made beds, towels, shampoo, soap and bottled water
- A deluxe breakfast and lunch (packet for the road)
- Every evening a delicious 3 course dinner, except one evening, then you can eat out
- A gear bike from ship Josefien
- Unlimited coffee, tea and chilled water on board
- Detailed descriptions of the bicycle routes, both on paper and digitally available
- You can use a bicycle bag, helmet, safety jacket and phone holder
Optional additional booking:
- E-bike from ship Josefien: per day
- Mini fridge for in cabin, capacity 6 liters: € 5 per day.
- Cancellation insurance, 6% of the basic amount. You can cancel until departure. Your payment will be refunded, excluding cancellation insurance.
