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Tentative
Itinerary
Day 1 -
Arrive Amsterdam; walking tour and dinner.
This morning you
will arrive at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Arrive no later than 10:30am.
The WTT tour leader will assist the group in transferring to the hotel.
In the afternoon we will have a canal boat ride and short walking tour
with a local tour escort for an orientation of Amsterdam. Amsterdam is a
marvel! The city is comprised of 70 islands that are separated by nearly
50 miles of canals and connected by more than a thousand bridges. We
explore the city on a narrated canal excursion, passing gabled
warehouses, arched bridges and colorful houseboats followed by an early
dinner together.
Day 2 -
Amsterdam City Tour, Diamond Factory and afternoon free.
After breakfast we
will have a coach tour of Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. The
town was founded in the Middle Ages and has many historical buildings.
We will start with a visit to a Diamond Factory. Here you can see how
diamonds are cut and polished. This is followed by a city tour and
you'll see the most important sights such as Dam Square with the
impressive Royal Palace, New Church, and Waterloo Square. This afternoon
and evening you have time to explore the city on your own. We suggest a
visit to the Rijksmuseum which features such famous paintings as
Rembrandt's `Nightwatch' and `Jewish bride' and the paintings of
Vermeer, Frans Hals, Ruysdael etc. are on exhibit. Another option is a
visit to the Van Gogh museum, designed by Gerrit Rietveld. It has a
collection of over 200 paintings and 600 drawings by Vincent van Gogh.
Amsterdam is also the location of the Anne Frank House-the hiding place
of the young Jewish girl who wrote her famous diary here.
Day 3 -
Zaanse Schans and Optional Afternoon Home Interiors and Gardens Tour.
This morning you
will leave for the open air museum Zaanse Schans. The Zaanse Schans is a
delightful old hamlet on the banks of the river Zaan with characteristic
green wooden houses, charming stylized gardens, small hump-backed
bridges, tradesmen's workshops, historic windmills and engaging little
shops. This enchanting hamlet gives an excellent impression of how a
typical Zaanse village must have looked in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries. Apart from the cluster of windmills and houses
there are also several museums, restaurants and a visitor's center.
After lunch we
return to Amsterdam to spend the afternoon at leisure or join the
Amsterdam Canal Houses Tour Interiors & Gardens (optional). During
this tour you will discover the hidden treasures behind the facades of
impressive houses. In about 3 hours you will visit 4-5 canal houses
around the Golden Blend with an art historian or garden professional.
Day 4 -
Volendam and Marken and afternoon at leisure in Amsterdam
From Amsterdam we
travel north to the village of Marken, a former fishermen's village on
lake Ijsselmeer. Here you can see life as it used to be, with the
authentic village style and where the people still wear the traditional
costumes. From Marken we take a boat ride to Volendam, picturesque and
representative of Dutch tradition. You can even have your picture taken
in traditional Dutch costumes! (not included in price). We'll also visit
a cheese farm, to see how cheese is made and of course taste the wide
variety of different cheeses. This afternoon is yours to explore
Amsterdam.
Day 5 -
Aalsmeer Flower Auction, Private garden tour and Kinderdijk.
We leave Amsterdam
today by way of the Aalsmeer flower auction. This is the world's largest
flower auction! Here flowers and plants are auctioned and then packaged
for distribution to all corners of the world. Some of the flowers that
you see sold at auction this morning could be at your local florist the
very next day! Next we're off to Maarssen to visit the private garden of
Mr. and Mrs. Hobijn. The garden is boldly planted with flower borders
that are an excitable mixture of herbaceous plants, bulbs, tubers and
roses. Our final stop for the day is Kinderdijk, which is listed on the
Unesco World heritage list. See 14 windmills in a row, along the dike (a
true photo opportunity if there ever was one!). We walk along the dike
and will visit one of the windmills. Our day will conclude in Delft.
Day 6 - The
Tulip Festival at Keukenhof and Gouda.
After breakfast we
travel through the multi-colored bulb fields on the way to visit the
Keukenhof Exhibition. This world-renowned display garden is a 70-acre
estate where 6 million bulbs are planted annually by local growers.
Keukenhof is the world's largest exhibition of blooming tulips,
daffodils and hyacinths. Stroll through the gardens, view the plantings
in the three exhibition halls and walk up the windmill for a magnificent
look at the brilliant colors in the accompanying bulb fields.
This afternoon we
stop in Gouda, which is internationally renowned for its beautiful
gothic Town Hall dating from 1450. The town also boasts the Waag
(Weighing House) dating from 1668 and the St. Jans church with its
beautiful stained windows. Oh yes, if the name Gouda is familiar it's
because of the famous cheese produced here. We will see how the cheese
is produced and enjoy a cheese tasting. Enjoy your time here and take
time have a cup of coffee/tea and a real Dutch "stroopwafel" (syrup
waffle).
Day 7 - The
Hague, Scheveningen, and the Delft Blue Pottery Factory.
Today we begin
with a short tour of The Hague. We'll pass the houses of Parliament, The
Innercourt, Queen Beatrix's working palace, Queen Beatrix House and
Carnegie's Peace Palace. Then it's on to Scheveningen, where you can
enjoy a walk along the beach, or visit Sea Life and discover the
magnificent underwater world of the North Sea with rays and sharks
(entrance not included)
This afternoon
it's off to Delft, where we will walk through the historic area of one
of the most beautiful squares of Holland, where the town hall (1618) and
the "New Church" (dating back to 1381!) can be admired. All members of
the Royal family are buried in the New Church. Delft is also the city
famous for Delft's Blue Porcelain. Enjoy a visit to the popular Delft
Blue Pottery factory for an exhibition and tour.
Day 8 -
Free day in Delft, Farewell Dinner
Today is a day of
relaxation. Spend you time visiting the sights, or just relax at the
hotel. Your WTT tour leader will have plenty of suggestions as to how
best enjoy the day. We gather for one final dinner together.
Day 9 - Depart
Holland.
After an
early breakfast we will depart for the airport of Amsterdam for your
flight back home. Book your return flight no earlier than 10:30am.
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