Best of the Netherlands

Famous for its tulips, windmills, and wooden clogs, Holland is a delightful country with scenic landscapes, historic monuments, and vibrant cities. You’ll get to know the country on this affordable tour of the Netherlands starting and ending in Amsterdam. Amsterdam, Holland’s capital, is a pleasant, 700-year-old city whose elegant and classic architecture, cafés and restaurants, renowned museums, and picturesque canals—not to mention the bike paths throughout the city—make for a pleasurable atmosphere. Here, your city tour includes a cruise—the best way to see Amsterdam—through the elegant canals lined with stately homes dating back to Amsterdam’s “Golden Age.” On this Holland tour, you’ll also stay in Rotterdam, a young city with the world’s busiest port and known for its modern architecture and design, as well as in some of the minor but interesting towns where you’ll discover the rural atmosphere of this country. The Netherlands are known for their flower production, which you will experience on the visit to the fascinating Aalsmeer flower auction where more than 20 million plants and flowers are sold daily. (Note that from April to May, the Aalsmeer flower auction visit is replaced by a visit to the spectacular 70-acre Keukenhof garden to see the incredible display of colors from seven million flower bulbs.) You’ll also enjoy a visit of the Royal Delft Pottery Factory to see how this precious pottery is made. Visit Gouda, known for its namesake cheese and seasonal cheese market, regularly held on the medieval Markt square. Take a stroll in Volendam, known for its old fishing boats, characteristic small houses, drawbridges, and canals. Additionally, drive over the 19-mile Barrier Dam, constructed to protect the part of Holland that is below sea level.