OVERVIEW

Settle in for a panoramic drive through Amsterdam that provides a wonderful introduction to the city, which you will also view from a water perspective while cruising the canals. Enlightening commentary will add even more to your understanding of the capital of the Netherlands as it will describe the landmarks along the way in fascinating detail. You can expect to pass by the first Heineken brewery, the Jewish Museum, the ornate 19th-century Tropenmuseum and the Concertgeboux, whose acoustically perfect main concert hall was ironically designed by an architect said to have no musical talent. There are officially 165 canals in Amsterdam and cruising them is essential to gaining a full picture of the city. From the comfort of a glass-topped boat, you will view landmarks such as the original 17th-century town hall, and the National Maritime Museum.

HIGHLIGHTS

• See Amsterdam’s most recognizable landmarks on a panoramic drive through the capital.
• Cruise the iconic canals of Amsterdam in a glass-topped boat.
• Hear enlightening commentary about the history of Amsterdam.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Glide through the Venice of the North in a fitting manner, via glass-roofed canal boat. It’s an incomparable way to experience this cosmopolitan city that stretches over some 70 islands and boasts 60 miles of canals and 1,000 bridges. An obscure port mostly visited by fisherman back in the 13th century, Amsterdam steadily grew in trade importance – blossoming into one of the world’s most important ports as the Dutch Golden Age gained steam. On this relaxed waterway tour, you’ll traverse some of the four concentric canal rings that define the old city center while learning much of the history behind this watery network from your guide. Along the way, expect to pass countless variations on the signature gabled canal house design the city is so famous for. Just as colorful are the procession of houseboats and tiny skiffs tied up in organized randomness along the stone canal banks. The designated route brings you by such major monuments as the National Maritime Museum, magnificent Town Hall (once considered Europe’s largest administrative building).

OVERVIEW

See the inner workings of a functioning windmill within an open-air museum that recreates a Dutch industrial community in the 1700s. In its heyday, the area around the neighborhood of Zaanse Schans boasted as many as 600 windmills and Het Jonge Schaap – which means The Young Sheep – is an exact replica of one that was demolished in 1942. It relies on wind power to operate the sawmill inside to rough-saw beams and planks. Other windmills were used for industrial purposes such as grinding grains and spices and making paint pigments, oils and paper. Windmills also drained low-lying land knowns as polders. During free time at the Zaanse Schans museum, you will see a number of other windmills and craftspeople practicing trades such as wooden-shoe carving and cheesemaking. Zaanse Schans was considered the first industrial area in Europe and few experiences rival walking through this replica Dutch Golden Age community.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Explore the inside of a replica windmill from the 18th century.
• Come away with an understanding of how windmills grind grains and saw wood.
• Browse an open-air museum with other windmills and workshops for artisans.
• Get a feel for what daily life was like in Europe’s first industrial area.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Browse a museum in the village of Enkhuizen that focuses on the region’s maritime history and flooding, which has been controlled since a barrier dam was built in 1932. It is only fitting that you will transfer to the waterfront museum by boat once you reach Enkhuizen as canals crisscross this entire area. The exhibits begin outdoors with a collection of replica and original buildings such as a dike house, fish-smoking house and windmill. Inside the museum – which occupies several restored 17th-century seed warehouses – you will see traditional fishing boats and sailboats. You may also see exhibits of paintings, furniture and klederdract, the folk costumes of the Netherlands

HIGHLIGHTS

• Browse a regional maritime and cultural museum with a guide and on your own.
• Walk through buildings from different time periods in the outdoor collection.
• See boats, artwork, furniture and costumes that are typical of the region.
• Come away with a remarkably in-depth understanding of North Holland.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Walk through downtown Amsterdam to a popular cheese shop for a sampling that best showcases the city’s most characteristic cheeses. As you proceed through the atmospheric streets, the guide will elaborate on the capital’s history and how cheese-making has long been synonymous with Amsterdam. During the tasting that follows, you will be served five cheeses that demonstrate a wide range of characteristics such as flavor, texture and appearance. You will also hear about the different methods used to produce the various cheeses.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Sample a selection of cheeses that demonstrate the great variety of Dutch cheeses.
• Hear enlightening commentary about how each cheese is made to achieve peak flavor.
• Learn how the layout of Amsterdam has evolved over time while walking downtown.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Spend hours browsing the iconic cheese market in Alkmaar, the oldest and largest such marketplace in the Netherlands. The city was granted its first official cheese scale in 1365 and locally sourced cheese is still weighed there and distributed in great quantities from Alkmaar. Over the centuries, the cheese market became so popular that buildings around it were leveled to accommodate more vendors. Because of its size and importance, the market must run like clockwork. The cheeses arrive at a certain time or the carriers will be fined, a bell rings at 10AM sharp to announce the opening of the market and the cheeses are still weighed in a traditional manner and stamped for accuracy. The market will be abuzz with activity, and you will likely see farmers and traders negotiating prices and carriers transporting hundreds of pounds of cheese in barrows. It is a spectacle that you will not soon forget.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Explore the oldest and largest cheese market in the Netherlands on your own.
• Be awed by the spectacle and sheer size of the bustling cheese market.
• Sample a variety of cheeses, which the vendors typically offer.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

This tour combines the Dutch countryside with its windmills and the city of Amsterdam.

Leave Amsterdam behind and enjoy a drive through the beautiful countryside to the Dutch village of Broek in Waterland. This utterly charming village is well known for its classic wooden houses and farms. After a leisurely stroll through this fairy-like community, you'll re-join your coach and proceed to Beemster Polder, the oldest area of reclaimed land in the Netherlands. In 1999, this well-preserved and historic area was registered on UNESCO's World Heritage Site list. The highlight of your time here will surely be the visit to an original 17th century windmill where you will learn how the Dutch have managed to successfully live below sea level.

A scenic drive through the lush lowlands will bring you back to Amsterdam and the center of the city. Enjoy nearly 1.5-hours of free time to do some shopping and have a quick lunch on your own. Afterwards, you'll meet up with your coach again for the return drive to the port.

Holland is known for its white and blue pottery as well as the iconic windmills that dot the countryside.

Begin with a scenic drive through the Dutch countryside to Delft. On arrival, visit the Delft Porceleyne Fles, the manufacturer of the world-famous Delft Blue ceramics. While touring the factory you'll have a chance to observe the production process and have some time to browse the gift shop.

Join your guide for a short walk of Delft’s city center, followed by nearly 2-hours of free time for lunch on your own and independent exploration or shopping.

Then, your tour continues to The Hague for an orientation drive through the city. See the Dutch government buildings, the spectacular Peace Palace, where the International Court of Justice is situated, and numerous other interesting buildings and sights.

Bicycle through the Waterland, a classic Dutch landscape that is ideal for bicycling as it is flat and spectacularly scenic. A ferry will take you to the Waterland, where you will begin pedaling at a leisurely pace well suited to the area’s laid-back ambiance. You can expect to see farmers going about their daily lives, brightly painted wooden houses and an impossibly green countryside crisscrossed with canals and dotted with seemingly endless rivers and lakes. Almost half of the Waterland is water, held in check by a series of dikes, and the landscape couldn’t be more beautiful. Expect to pass cows grazing in fields, iconic windmills pumping water out of the lowlands and a number of seaside villages, one of which you will stop in for a drink. The Waterland is also a paradise for water birds, and you will likely see countless swans and geese and perhaps even a godwit, the national bird of the Netherlands.

OVERVIEW

Gain a historical perspective of Edam – a city renowned for its eponymous cheese – before traveling into the countryside to a cheese-making facility that makes it. During an enlightening walk downtown, you can expect to see Edam’s landmark St. Nicholas Church, which was rebuilt following lightning fires in 1602 and 1699. Although those blazes significantly reduced the church’s tower, the building remains a dominant architectural treasure. Still, cheese is always top of mind when visiting Edam and has been since the 17th century when Edam cheese first became popular, especially among sailors that appreciated its long shelf life. While visiting a nearby cheese-making facility, you will watch the cheese-making process and sample the famed product, which has a mild nutty flavor that becomes tangier as the cheese ages. Incredibly, more than a quarter of the cheese produced in the Netherlands is Edam, a soft cheese made with less milk fat than most other cheeses.

HIGHLIGHTS

• See some of Edam’s most historical landmarks while walking through downtown.
• Stop at a cheese-making facility that produces Edam’s soft namesake cheese.
• Sample Edam cheese, whose mild nutty flavor changes as it ages.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Enjoy a scenic drive through the distinctive Dutch countryside from Amsterdam to the village of Marken. Follow your guide on a walk through this quaint fishing hamlet on the shores of the former Zuider Zee, an area that dates back to the 13th century when monks constructed dikes for protection from the sea. The characteristic green and white clapboard houses of Marken have remained unchanged for centuries and, many of the l residents still wear colorful ancestral costumes, adding to the special atmosphere of this beautiful place.

Visit the quaint village of Volendam, where your guide introduces you to some of the town's special treasures, some dating back to the 14th century. As you walk through town, you'll find narrow canals, quaint drawbridges; and a charming little harbor.

Enjoy an insider’s look at life in Edam by visiting a local family and touring a cheese-making facility to see how Edam’s famed cheese is produced. An enlightening walking tour will introduce you to the city. Here, you will see from the outside, St. Nicholas Church and the Edam Museum; which occupies an 18th-century sea captain’s house. For a deeper understanding of life in Edam, you will stop by a centuries-old residence and enjoy coffee and cake with the owners. They will elaborate on the long history of their home, how Edam has changed just in their lifetimes and what the future may hold. Still, it is impossible to escape the draw of cheese in Edam. More than a quarter of the cheese produced in the Netherlands is the city’s namesake cheese, a soft variety made with less milk fat than most other cheeses. While touring a cheese-making facility, you will watch the process and then taste samples.