Group tour operator and DMC for tours to the Netherlands

Depart the UK

Travel to Dover and take the ferry across to Calais.  Continue through France and Belgium and into Holland and to Alkmaar and our hotel for the next 4 nights.  After check-in, dinner will be together at the hotel this evening.

Alkmaar is famous for its traditional cheese market where you can watch the traditional way of weighing and trading cheese every Friday from April to September.  Explore the old town, where you can admire the medieval buildings, canals, and windmills. There are many museums, such as the Stedelijk Museum, which showcases the art and history of Alkmaar, or the Beatles Museum, which displays memorabilia of the legendary band.

(We can alternatively arrange the overnight cruise ferry from Hull to Rotterdam, Harwich – Hoek van Holland or Newcastle to Amsterdam – please ask for further details.)

Keukenhof Gardens

With over 50 years of displaying its floral art and with a different theme every year and a fresh look every day, Keukenhof has developed into a showcase for the flower bulb and ornamental plant industry. The history of Keukenhof, the name meaning ‘kitchen garden’, goes back to the 15th Century. Tulips proliferate but there are daffodils, hyacinths, narcissi and crocuses to admire as well.

Explore these magnificent gardens and displays at your own pace, relax with a drink or something to eat in the on-site cafe/restaurant or treat yourself to some bulbs from the gift shop.  Alternatively, see the gardens from a different perspective on a ‘Whisper Boat’ cruise (optional extra/payable locally). Guided tours are also possible.

Return to the hotel for dinner and an evening at leisure.

Heritage Boat and Steam Train Experience

Travel to the town of Hoorn where you will join the ‘Museumstoomtram’, an historic narrow gauge, steam hauled train for a scenic railway journey to Medemblik.  The train stops at stations along the route, each a little museum in its own right, with views of windmills and (in season) the fields of tulips. On arrival, perhaps visit the town’s Bakery Museum and cafe whilst you wait to board the museum ship ‘Friesland’ for a relaxing cruise on the Ijsselmeer to Enkhuizen, passing the remarkable Houtribdijk, a 17- mile dyke and dam completed in 1975 as part of the Zuiderzee land reclamation project.

Before returning to the hotel, maybe visit the Zuidersee Museum where you can go back in time with over 140 historic buildings including working windmills and watch craftsmen and women at work.  (Entrance cost not included)

(Note – this excursion may be operated in reverse subject to availability and schedules)

Windmills, Dutch Traditions and Pottery

This morning we will visit  Zaanse Schans ’Windmill Village’, a living and working community whose origins date back to the 18th Century. Watch traditional clog and cheese making and visit the historic windmills and buildings. Local charges apply for some attractions, museums and entrance to the Windmills but worth stepping inside for the experience.

Continue to Delft and a visit and tour of the Royal Delft Porcelain Factory Blue Pottery, reknowned worldwide for its artistry. On a guided tour you will learn all about the instantly recognisable beautiful blue porcelain and watch the craftsmen and women at work.  There will be time to browse the on-shop before returning to Alkmaar.

If time allows, return via the chic seaside resort of Scheveningen and a drive along the coast or maybe stop for a visit of the excellent Mauritshuis Museum in the Hague, home to many Dutch masters including Vermeer’s ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’.

Enjoy a final dinner and an evening at leisure at the hotel.

Return to the UK

Depart after breakfast for the return journey to Calais and the short sea crossing to Dover.