Highlights
- Tour the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam
- Discover bustling cities and the Dutch countryside
- See historic windmills and quaint fishing villages
- View masterpieces by Vincent van Gogh in several museums
- Explore Hoge Veluwe National Park on an e-bike
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Visit the Anne Frank House & Van Gogh Museum | Amsterdam |
| Day 2 | Take a Trip to Marken & See the Windmills at Zaanse Schans | Amsterdam |
| Day 3 | Explore the University City of Leiden | Leiden |
| Day 4 | Go on a Walking Tour of Rotterdam | Rotterdam |
| Day 5 | See the Windmills of Kinderdijk | Dordrecht |
| Day 6 | Enjoy Nature and Art at Hoge Veluwe National Park | Otterlo |
| Day 7 | Depart Amsterdam - End of Trip |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Visit the Anne Frank House & Van Gogh Museum
Welcome to the Dutch Lowlands! After arriving in Amsterdam, you'll transfer to your hotel in the city center, a picturesque labyrinth of canals and small streets dotted with old houses and buildings. You'll start exploring Amsterdam with a visit to the Anne Frank House. Learn about the famous story of a young Jewish girl who lived here during the Second World War; the museum is built around the secret annex where she and her family hid for over two years.
After lunch, you'll go on a private boat cruise through the city's canals. After about two hours on the water, the boat will drop you off in front of the Rijksmuseum, the most famous museum in the country. It's home to The Night Watch by Rembrandt van Rijn, considered one of the most important paintings ever created in the Netherlands. Near this massive artwork, you'll also see The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer and many other 17th-century works by Dutch Masters.
Next, you'll stop by the Van Gogh Museum. Take a break for lunch in the museum's café, then explore the collections at your own pace. Van Gogh famously created over 2,000 paintings in a little over a decade. The museum houses some of his most famous works, including The Potato Eaters, Sunflowers, Almond Blossom, and one of his very last works, Wheatfield with Crows.
In the evening, have a leisurely dinner at one of the many restaurants near your hotel.
Day 2: Take a Trip to Marken & See the Windmills at Zaanse Schans
After exploring the rich culture of the capital city, it is time to check out some other Dutch icons: wooden shoes, fishing villages, cheese, and windmills! Today, you will experience the beauty of the countryside north of Amsterdam.
Begin in the picturesque village of Marken, located on an island in the Markermeer lake. Explore the small town and visit a wooden shoe factory before catching the ferry to Volendam, Holland’s best-known fishing village. The quaint harbor is lined with cafés and fish vendors. It's a good place to sample local treats like kibbeling (traditional battered and fried fish nuggets). Next, your guide will take you to visit the centuries-old cheese market area in Edam. The market happens on Wednesdays in July and August, but the market square and waag (weigh house) itself are very much worth a visit even outside those times.
The last stop on your tour today is Zaanse Schans. During the 17th century, over 600 windmills were constructed in the area as part of an early industrial zone. The windmills were used to grind spices, produce paint and oil, and cut wood. A number of these windmills still exist and can be visited today, inside and out.
Day 3: Explore the University City of Leiden
After breakfast, take the train to the charming city of Leiden. A university city, it's full of wonderful museums, scenic canals, and inner courtyards lovingly called hofjes. The town center itself is gorgeous and busy with bicycles. Leiden University, founded in 1575, is the oldest university in the country. You'll explore all of this on a guided bicycle tour with a private guide.
In the afternoon, visit the Lakenhal Museum, offering a collection of paintings from the past four centuries, including several works by Rembrandt. Or choose to visit the nearby Museum of Archeology or Museum of Ethnology, the Museum Boerhaave (focused on science and medicine), Naturalis (a museum dedicated to flora and fauna), Corpus (with exhibits on the human body), Hortus Botanicus Leiden (a botanical garden), or the unique Museummolen de Valk (a windmill museum).
Alternatively, you could go on a self-guided bike tour to Noordwijk. On the way, you will pass by picturesque sand dunes. Once you reach the beach, go for a walk or enjoy a drink in one of many cafés. If you like seafood this is also the place to order a fresh catch. Return to Leiden by bike and enjoy a relaxing dinner.
Day 4: Go on a Walking Tour of Rotterdam
After breakfast, take a quick train ride to The Hague. Known to the Dutch as Den Haag, it's the seat of the Dutch government and home to one of the most magnificent paintings in the country, Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring. You'll have a chance to view it in person while visiting the Mauritshuis. The museum features a few of the 37 paintings Vermeer created during his life, as well as works by Rembrandt, Jan Steen, and Frans Hals.
In the afternoon, continue to Rotterdam. It's a city of many faces, known for its rough-and-tumble port history, trendy nightlife, upscale shopping options, and lively art scene. Above all, perhaps, Rotterdam is an architectural highlight of Holland. Enjoy lunch at a café before heading off on a private excursion to the Museumpark, a creatively landscaped outdoor space that connects Rotterdam’s major museums, including the Kunsthal Rotterdam art museum.
Continue your explorations of Rotterdam on a walking tour that takes you to the newly built Central Station. As you walk through the city, stop to admire monuments like the Lijnbaan, a post-war Modernist shopping area, Theater Square, and the Timmerhuis, one of the most unique and sophisticated indoor markets in all of Europe. The tour ends near the iconic Erasmus Bridge.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Day 5: See the Windmills of Kinderdijk
Catch the train to Dordrecht this morning. With its origins dating back around a thousand years, this is the oldest (official) city in Holland. Dordrecht was an important merchant city with a lively trade in wood, cereal, and wine, thanks in part to its location in a wetland area connected by other regions by the Merwede, Noord, and Ouwe Maas rivers.
The city's history, wealth, and culture are clearly visible today — the city center is filled with beautiful old monuments, some of which have been transformed into restaurants, museums, and theaters. Within walking distance of your hotel, you can board a waterbus (a public transport boat) and cruise over to Kinderdijk. Have lunch at the charming Grand Café Buena Vista before going on a walking tour of the area's windmills. Kinderdijk has sixteen 18th-century windmills, and this is one of the best places in the country to view these iconic structures up close.
In the afternoon, you'll have the option to explore Biesbosch National Park on a boat tour. In the largest freshwater tidal zone in Europe, you will spot many different bird species and a large population of beavers — the largest rodent in Europe and a symbol of the park!
Later, return to Dordrecht and enjoy dinner in one of the city's many cozy restaurants.
Day 6: Enjoy Nature and Art at Hoge Veluwe National Park
The adventure continues with a trip to De Hoge Veluwe National Park, one of the largest forested areas in the Netherlands. It once served as the private hunting grounds for Dutch royalty. Check into your hotel in Otterlo, right next to the park gate, and travel by e-bike to the Kröller-Müller Museum. The museum has the second-largest Van Gogh collection in the world, with almost 90 paintings and over 180 drawings. Among these are Cafe Terrace at Night (1888), Sorrowing Old Man (1890), and Country Road in Provence by Night (1890). You'll also find masterpieces by Georges Seurat and Pablo Picasso.
In the sculpture garden, one of the largest in Europe, stroll around hundreds of works sculptures by artists including Aristide Maillol, Jean Dubuffet, Marta Pan, and Pierre Huyghe. Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the surrounding park on your e-bike. Then enjoy one last Dutch-style dinner before the trip reaches its conclusion.
Day 7: Depart Amsterdam - End of Trip
Today the trip comes to an end. You'll transfer to the airport in Amsterdam to catch a flight out. Safe travels!
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