Tulip Time in Holland!

Fly into Amsterdam airport (AMS) and grab a taxi or an Uber to our home in Amsterdam, The Hotel Estherea, situated on the Singel canal, one of the oldest in Amsterdam. If you’re traveling overnight to get to Holland, consider arriving a day or two early to rest, relax, and get acclimated to the local time zone. (There will be an option in the Add-Ons section to arrive 1 day early). 

We’ll meet in the lobby at 1:30 p.m. for a private boat tour of the Amsterdam Historical Canal with a glass of bubbly in hand. It's a wonderful way to explore the city via its iconic waterways.

Later in the afternoon, we'll visit the Anne Frank House - always a profoundly moving experience. The preserved rooms and Anne's poignant diary entries vividly convey the fear, hope, and humanity that she embodied. 

Tonight, we’ll head to one of the historic, traditional brown bars in town, such as The Pantry to sample some typical Dutch cheese and sausages washed down by a local beer or two.

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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 wander over to the famous Rijksmuseum to see some of the Dutch masterpieces that define the country’s artwork.  

You 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. 

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 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 tulip growers. Our first stop will be a tulip greenhouse where we will learn how tulips are grown indoors. We’ll have lunch at a country cafe and then stop to pick our very own tulip bouquet. 

After a small break back at our hotel, we’ll dine this evening on classic  rijsttaffel, a medley of small plates accompanied by rice from Indonesia. This is something every self-respecting Dutchman or woman adores. 

Why Indonesian food in the Netherlands, you ask? The Dutch colonized Indonesia in the 17th century. Among mostly horrible things, the one good thing to come of this colonial era is this elaborate meal, as interpreted by the Dutch, a never-ending parade of small Indonesian plates laid out to form a proper feast.  

Bon Appétite! 

Today, we leave Amsterdam and head for Delft, a small city famous for its porcelain and its small but beautiful canals. 

On route to Delft, we’ll stop the visit the largest formal display of bulbs in Holland at the Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse, established back in the 15th century. You'll have time to wander the gardens and admire the beauty and variety of the humble yet magnificent tulip species. 

Next fill up on lekker broodjes (tasty sandwiches) at lunch in Leiden at Lot En De Walvis on the main canal.   

Then, we’ll arrive at Delft proper, we’ll check in to the stylish, minimalist Hotel Arsenaal. The hotel is a short 10-minute walk from the center of darling Delft.  

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

Dinner tonight will be at a local Dutch favorite, restaurant Huszar. The menu presents classic Dutch cuisine with a modern twist. 

Today, we’ll travel to Utrecht, one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, is known for its rich history, charming canals, and vibrant cultural scene. Just a short distance from the city lies Castle De Haar, the largest and most luxurious castle in the country. Originally dating back to the 14th century, the castle was lavishly restored in the late 19th century by architect Pierre Cuypers, blending medieval elements with modern comforts. Surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens and a vast park, Castle De Haar offers a glimpse into the grandeur of Dutch aristocracy and remains a popular destination for both history enthusiasts and casual visitors alike.

We'll meet for lunch at the Restaurant Laverie on the castle grounds. Hopefully the weather will be lovely and we can eat on the terrace. After lunch, spending time wondering the castle grounds where you will see elegant flower beds and century old trees.

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

Today 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 1700s 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 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’ll spend our last day in the capital of the Netherlands, the Hague. Here, we’ll tour the town’s parliamentary buildings, the Binnenhof, 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 city bistro. 

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

After some shopping, we'll make our way to an airport hotel to spend the night. Dinner will be a group event to celebrate our time amongst the tulips.

After a leisurely breakfast, we'll walk across the street to the airport to catch your flight home. 

All good things must come to an end, but we will always cherish the memories that we have made.