8 DAY BRILLIANT HOLLAND & BELGIUM
ITINERARY:
DAY 1, Saturday - Depart USA
Depart USA for Holland. Your flight includes meals, drinks,
and in-flight entertainment
DAY 2, Sunday - Arrive in Amsterdam
Arrive and transfer to your hotel. After checking in to your
room, explore the city on an orientation walk with your tour
escort. In the evening, enjoy a welcome reception and cocktail
party on board a canal boat. See Amsterdam from the waterside, a
most enchanting way to take in the city Overnight:
Amsterdam
DAY 3, Monday - Amsterdam/Van Gogh Museum/ Rembrandt Exhibit
Today is the Day of Dutch Art Masters! After a breakfast,
begin your exploration with a visit to the Van Gogh Museum,
followed by a visit to the 18th-century Rijksmuseum, which
houses an impressive collection of paintings from the Dutch
Golden Age. Enjoy time for lunch on your own at the museum. This
afternoon, visit the Rembrandt House Museum, where the famous
artist lived and worked for 19 years. Afterwards, enjoy typical
Dutch cuisine at a nearby local restaurant
Overnight: Amsterdam
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 4, Tuesday - Amsterdam/ Walking tour of city/ Dinner in a
private home
Today, enjoy a walking tour of five centuries of
architecture and garden design in Amsterdam. Begin the day with
an introduction to the history of Amsterdam and its canals,
followed by a tour of a beautiful 17th-century canal house, with
its magnificent neo-Louis XVI ballroom, dining room,
18th-century garden room and kitchen. You will also visit the
formal French garden at the back of the house to see its
"parterres de broderie" (embroidered parterres) and statues.
Discover the varying architectural and interior styles of
Amsterdamian canal houses, such as the types of gables used and
garden designs. Continue to view a selection of 18th to
20th-century canal houses, some of which comprise historically
significant interiors and a variety of gardens and coach houses
in the "Golden Bend," the most exclusive section of the
Herengracht Canal Ring. This evening, enjoy a very special
dinner at a private Dutch home, where the owners invite you to a
home-cooked, four-course meal, served in the dining rooms
overlooking the garden. Overnight: Amsterdam
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 5, Wednesday - Travel to Bruges/ Keukenhof/Flower
arranging
After an early breakfast, enjoy a visit to the Aalsmeer
Flower Auction. Serving as the world's largest flower auction,
the Aalsmeer vendors buy, sell, and ship millions of flowers and
plants each day for distribution to all corners of the world.
From here, depart for Bruges, the Pearl of Flanders. On the way,
stop to visit the Keukenhof Exhibition, a world-famous garden
and 70-acre estate, where some six million bulbs are planted
annually by local growers. Keukenhof is the world's largest
exhibition of blooming tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, which
are displayed in the gardens' three exhibition halls. Enjoy a
leisurely walk up to the windmill for views of the brilliant
flowers waving in the nearby bulb-fields. At the Keukenhof,
experience a unique hands-on workshop, where an expert gardener
will teach you how to fashion flower arrangements or table
pieces. Of course, you may take your "masterpiece" with you.
Evening arrival in Bruges. Overnight: Bruges
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 6, Thursday - Bruges sightseeing/ Chocolate making
This morning, take a walking tour with a local guide into
the city's heart, and see the medieval streets of Bruges with
their beautifully decorated houses, old guildhalls and Gothic
churches. Walk through the picturesque town center to explore
the Beguinage, Our Lady Church, and the Lake of Love. Visit the
Groeninge Museum, the best-known museum in Bruges. Built in
1929, the museum's impressive collection spans the 14th to 20th
centuries, and primarily focuses on the works of local Bruges
painters. Many of the masterpieces housed are that of the
"Flemish Primitives," referring to the painting style and school
of the Southern Netherlands; the most famous of them being The
Madonna with Canon Joris van der Paele by Jan Van Eyck. The
remainder of the day is at leisure to shop for lace or cruise
the famous canals. This evening, enjoy a chocolate surprise
unlike any you've experienced. Attend a chocolate workshop and
discover the artistry of Belgian chocolatiering.
Overnight: Bruges Meals: Breakfast
DAY 7, Friday - The Hague/ Delft
Depart Bruges for The Hague, Holland's third-largest city,
with a stop in Delft along the way. Walk through one of the most
magnificent town squares in Holland, the Burg Square, with the
Gothic Town Hall edging one side and the "New Church" bordering
the other. Delft is also renowned for its distinctive blue
porcelain. Enjoy a visit to the popular Delft Blue Pottery
factory for an exhibition tour. Arrive in The Hague for a tour
of the Houses of Parliament, the Binnenhof, Queen Beatrix's
working palace, Queen Beatrix's House, Carnegie's Peace Palace,
and the Embassy district. Enjoy a farewell dinner in the
evening. Overnight: Hague Meals: Breakfast,
Dinner
DAY 8, Saturday - Depart for USA
Transfer to the Amsterdam airport for your departure flight.
Meals: Breakfast
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For those who want to immerse themselves in the true culture of
Holland and Belgium, this is the perfect tour! Discover the
essence of both public and private life in these countries.
Learn about artists including the Dutch Masters Rembrandt and
Van Gogh and indulge your love of architecture with a tour of
historic buildings and gardens in Amsterdam. You'll then have
the opportunity to enjoy dinner in a private home. A visit to
the world’s largest flower auction in Aalsmeer, the Delft Blue
Pottery Factory, and a chocolatier's in Bruges bring you face to
face with some of the most important aspects of the local
culture. And of course you'll see the world-famous tulips at the
Keukenhof Gardens. It's the best of Holland and Belgium wrapped
in six fabulous nights.
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INCLUSIONS |
- Round trip Flights NYC-Amsterdam;
Other departure cities available.
- All transfers
- 3 nights at the Amsterdam American Hotel in Amsterdam
- 2 nights at the NH Brugge in Bruges
- 1 night at the Carlton Ambassador in The Hague
- 6 breakfasts, 3 dinners
- Tour Manager throughout
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HIGHLIGHTS |
- Small Groups
- Enjoy a cocktail party on a canal boat
- Visit the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, and the
Rembrandt House
- Dine at a local home for a Dutch dinner
- Visit the Aalsmeer Flower Auction
- Attend a chocolate workshop in Bruges
- Participate in a hands-on flower arranging demonstration
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2008 DEPARTURE DATES & RATES |
| Dates |
Land Only |
Air & Land |
| Apr 5 |
$3159 |
$3799 |
Not included: airport taxes, fees &
September 11th Security Fee, and tips to tour manager.
Land only price does not include arrival/departure
transfers.
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