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. 

Then we will visit the Anne Frank House for a introductory program and audio tour. 

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

We will have breakfast at the hotel and then walk to the Bloom Market. The market is the world's only floating flower market. Founded in 1862, it is sited in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on the Singel canal between Muntplein and Koningsplein in the city's southern canal belt. It has 15 souvenir and gift shops, with only a few still selling fresh flowers. 

After the Bloom Market, we'll wonder over to the famous Rijksmuseum. Here we'll see some Dutch Masterpieces that define Dutch artwork. 

Then we'll have lunch at The Seafood Bar before we see the illustrious Van Gogh Museum. Here we’ll wander around the refurbished museum with a guide and pick out which of his paintings are our favorites. Afterwards, we'll experience a cocktail making class at Bols. 

After a little rest back at our hotel, we’ll jump in cabs traveling 20 minutes into the suburbs for a unique dining experience – a vegetable forward meal that we’ll enjoy 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 another rest 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, stopping at one of Delft’s famous tea and cake spots.

Dinner tonight will be at a proper Dutch restaurant which is a cozy classic and a favorite of the locals, Huszar. 

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.

After lunch we will head to Haarlem where we’ll visit a few of the “hofjes” which are hidden throughout the city. The hofjes were an early way of caring for the elderly and the common trait they share is their lovely flower-filled courtyards.

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

Before heading out today, we’ll try poffertjes, delicious Dutch pancakes which you’ll find scrumptious.

Today we’ll travel to a UNESCO world heritage site about 40 minutes away. The village of Kinderdijk near Rotterdam, is home to some of the most famous windmills in the Netherlands. In the 1700’s, 20 windmills were built here and have been keeping this water-side 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. Lunch will be healthy with a riverside view.

Back in Delft you’ll have some down time to do a bit of shopping or exploring on your own.

Tonight, we’ll convene for our farewell meal 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.

Today we’ll have a late check-out and a final stroll around Delft.

Our last day will be spent in the capital of the Netherlands, the Hague, where we’ll tour the town’s parliamentary buildings, the Binnenhof, which were originally built for the counts of Holland in the 13th century. These buildings are some of the oldest parliamentary buildings still in use in the world 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 which 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. Otherwise, if you’re flying home the next day (or continuing your travels in Europe), you have the option of spending 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. (Note: If you elect to stay the night on April 30, your hotel stay is not included in the trip cost. Rates are approx $175-$200).