Tulip Time in Holland!

Arrive in Amsterdam Monday morning and grab a taxi (they are plentiful at the airport) to the centrally located and gorgeously decorated Hotel Estheréa, situated right on one of the main canals which make this city so iconic. Take time to rest and relax.

We’ll meet up in the lobby at 1:30 pm for an Amsterdam Historical canal tour by private boat with a glass of bubbly in hand. 

We'll hop off the boat to visit the Anne Frank House for a introductory program and audio tour. 

Tonight, we’ll savor typical Dutch cheese and sausages washed down by a local beer or two at one of the historic, traditional brown bars like the The Pantry.

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll walk to the world’s only floating flower market, the Bloom Market. Founded in 1862, it is on the Singel canal between Muntplein and Koningsplein in Amsterdam’s southern canal belt. It has 15 souvenir and gift shops. Only a few still sell fresh flowers.  

From the Bloom Market, we'll wonder over to the famous Rijksmuseum to see some of the Dutch masterpieces that define the country’s artwork.  

You’ll can have lunch at your own chosen venue before we see the illustrious Van Gogh Museum . Here we’ll wander around the refurbished museum with a guide and pick out our favorite Van Gogh. Next up, we have a cocktail making class at Bols.

After a little rest back at our hotel, we’ll take a 20 minute cab drive into the suburbs for a unique dining experience – a vegetable forward meal enjoyed with with natural wines inside a greenhouse.  This team takes farm to table dining to the next level.

Today is our BIG tulip day! We’ll explore the Tulip Bulb Fields and meet with a tulip grower. We’ll have lunch at a country cafe and stop to pick our own tulip bouquet. We’ll tour an historic windmill and take a charming boat ride through one of the most picturesque canal towns in the Netherlands.

After a small break back at our hotel, we’ll dine this evening on the classic rijsttaffel, a medley of small plate dishes from Indonesia, something every self-respecting Dutchman or woman adores. Why Indonesian food in the Netherlands you ask? The Dutch colonized Indonesia, back when that was in vogue. Among mostly horrible things, the one good thing to come of this colonial era is the elaborate meal interpreted by the Dutch, a never-ending parade of small Indonesian inspired plates laid out to form a proper celebratory feast.

Bon Appétite!

Today, we leave Amsterdam and head for Delft, the small city famous for its porcelain and its gorgeous small canals. On route we’ll stop and see the largest formal display of bulbs in Holland at the Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse, established in the 15th century.

After, we’ll fill ourselves up on some lekkere broodjes (tasty sandwiches) at lunch in Leiden at Lot En De Walvis on the main canal. 

Then we’ll arrive at Delft proper, where we’ll check-in to the stylish Hotel Arsenaal that’s less than a 10 minute walk into the very center of darling Delft.

This afternoon we’ll take a guided historical tour of this lovely city and learn about one of Delft’s most famous residents, Johannes Vermer. 

Dinner tonight will be at a cozy, classic Dutch restaurant, Huszar,   a local favorite.

Today we’ll travel to Alksmaar for the cheese market, which has been taking place here since 1365! We’ll get a private behind-the-scenes tour and then have time to roam around and shop this extremely charming village on your own. We’ll then meet up for lunch then head for Haarlem where we’ll visit a few of the “hofjes” hidden around the city. 

The hofjes were an early way of caring for the elderly. They share a common trait, their lovely flower-filled courtyards. 

We’ve had a big day – rest, relax and enjoy dinner on your own tonight.

Before heading out today, we’ll try poffertjes, delicious Dutch pancakes. They’re scrumptious, so you’re in for a treat. 

Now, we’re off to a UNESCO world heritage site about 40 minutes away. The village of Kinderdijk 

near Rotterdam, is home to some of the Netherlands’ most famous windmills. Twenty windmills were built here in the 1700’s and have been keeping this waterside town dry for hundreds of years. We’ll tour the mills and museum, ride a boat, and learn about life here with a guided tour. We’ll enjoy a healthy lunch with a riverside view. 

Back in Delft you’ll have some time to explore and shop on your own. 

We’ll convene for our farewell meal tonight at a modern lively cafe the  Post Office (in Dutch). We’ll toast to our week in Tulip Heaven and the new friendships we’ve made.

We have a late check-out and a final stroll around Delft. 

We’ll spend our last day in the capital of the Netherlands, The Hague, Here we’ll tour the town’s parliamentary buildings, the Binnenhof, originally built for the counts of Holland in the 13th century. These buildings are some of the world’s oldest parliamentary buildings still in use and one of the Netherlands’ top heritage sites. We’ll lunch at a charming bistro in the city.

Later, we’ll pop in to see the unspeakably famous painting, the Girl with Pearl Earring by Vermeer, as well as works by Rembrandt. The paintings are housed in the small but lovely Mauritshuis Museum.

We’ll finish our day around 4pm-5pm, so if you’re flying home today, please make sure you book an evening flight. If you’re flying home the next day (or continuing your travels in Europe), you can spend the night in The Hague or at a hotel near the airport. In The Hague, we recommend  The Collector Hotel or Hotel des Indes. At the Amsterdam Airport, we recommend the Citizen M or The Sheraton. (Note: If you elect to stay for the night of April 30, your hotel stay is not included in the trip cost.).