Complete 10-day tour of the Netherlands

Schiphol - Amsterdam

Day 1: Amsterdam walking tour

Welcome to the lowlands! After arrival in Amsterdam's airport, take a train into the city and enjoy a short walk to your hotel. Once you’ve had the chance to settle in, you’ll head out on a private guided walking tour to see all the highlights, as well as some secret spots. We start on the harbour front and from here we follow the Zeedijk, originally built in the 13th century as a seawall. We’ll wind our way along old streets and canal bridges to the Jewish Quarter and will also visit the Anne Frank House. Here you can familiarise yourself with the world-famous life story of the young Jewish girl.

The evening is free for you to explore the city further or unwind in one of the bars or restaurants near your hotel. 

Amsterdam

Day 2: Canal tour & Great Masters

Today you'll visit two of the best museums in the country - the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. But first, we’ll head to the dock for a scenic canal boat tour through the city centre.

The Rijksmuseum is the most famous museum in the Netherlands and houses some of the most important 17th-century works by Dutch Master painters. These include The Night Watch by Rembrandt and The Milkmaid by Vermeer. Right next door is the Van Gogh Museum. This prolific Post-Impressionist created over 2,000 paintings in just over a decade and the museum houses some of his most famous works. These include The Potato Eaters, Sunflowers, Almond Blossoms and one of his very last works, Wheatfield with Crows.

In the evening, enjoy dinner in one of the many excellent city centre restaurants.

Amsterdam - The Hague

Day 3: Journey to The Hague & Delft

After breakfast, head to Amsterdam's Centraal Station to catch a train to The Hague, which will be your home for the next days.
The Hague is the seat of the Dutch government and home to one of the most magnificent paintings in the country - Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. You can view the painting in the Mauritshuis, along with works by Rembrandt, Jan Steen and Frans Hals. Then, take an optional city cycle tour or explore independently on foot.

A short tram ride from The Hague is the city of Delft, famous for being Vermeer's home for many years. Spend the afternoon exploring this charming town and perhaps visiting the Vermeer Center. Another must-see in Delft is the Delft Blue Factory, Museum and Workshop. The city has long been associated with the production of this typical blue-and-white pottery. After your visit to Delft, you can catch any train heading back to The Hague, to spend the rest of the day relaxing.

The Hague - Leiden - The Hague

Day 4: Take a day trip to Leiden

Catch a train to the atmospheric university city of Leiden. Leiden boasts beautiful architecture and the center itself is downright charming, dotted with old buildings and criss-crossed by canals. Leiden University, founded in 1575, is the oldest in the Netherlands.  In the morning you’ll visit the Lakenhal Museum, with its wonderful collection of paintings.

In the afternoon, you can choose to take an optional bike tour through the sand dunes on the edge of town to the coast. You'll find plenty of beach cafés there to help you wind down for the evening. At the end of the day, you'll return to The Hague to relax at your hotel.

The Hague - Rotterdam - The Hague

Day 5: Roaming Rotterdam

This morning, a short train ride will take you from The Hague to Rotterdam. This is a fascinating city with many faces: it's famed for being a tough port city as well as for its trendy nightlife, sophisticated shopping, and hip artistic neighborhoods. Above all, Rotterdam is the architecture capital of Holland and has long been a city of innovation with an ever-changing skyline.

In the afternoon, you'll begin a guided cycle tour of Rotterdam, tasting local delicacies on the way. From the newly-built Centraal Station, you’ll head to the post-war modernist shopping area, Lijnbaan. You'll also see the Theater Square, the Timmerhuis, St Lawrence Church, and the elaborate Markthal indoor market.

The tour ends close to the biggest landmark of Rotterdam – the Erasmus Bridge. In the evening, explore the local nightlife or try some excellent food on the city's multicultural dining scene, before returning to The Hague.

The Hague - Otterlo

Day 6: Art-viewing & a parkland cycle

Today, leave the western Netherlands and head to the forested east. You’ll begin your journey by train, then bus to the Hoge Veluwe National Park. It’s also possible to cover the whole route by private taxi (for an extra charge). The Veluwe is one of the biggest wooded areas in the Netherlands. In the past, it was a private hunting ground for Dutch royalty.

Your hotel for tonight is in Otterlo, right next to the park gates. From your hotel, pick up an e-bike and cycle for about 15 minutes to the Kröller-Müller Museum, home to works by Monet, Picasso, Mondrian and Van Gogh. This may be the best place to enjoy Van Gogh’s work: it offers countless masterpieces, a beautiful building, and far smaller crowds than at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. This museum also has lovely gardens adorned with sculptures; the park is beautiful to cycle through and explore further, if you have time.

Otterlo - Bergen

Day 7: Get to know Bergen

Today you’ll travel by public transport to the peaceful town of Bergen (optional private taxi for a surcharge). Check into your hotel, then take a stroll around its pretty streets. Bergen has been an artists' village since the beginning of the 1900s, with many artists attracted to the tranquillity and wide open spaces of the area. Several painters found inspiration in the town’s marvellous location on the edge of the dunes, surrounded by nature. You can gaze upon these works at the Kranenburgh Museum. There are several other museums in town, so take your pick or simply relax in a café and watch the world go by.

Bergen

Day 8: From Bergen by bicycle

After breakfast, pick up your e-bikes for a lovely ride to the beach at Bergen aan Zee. You’ll pass through a landscape of sand dunes, arriving at a relatively quiet beach. There are several beach cafés and pavilions here if you’d like to stay for lunch.

Then cycle southbound through the dunes along the North Sea Coast to Egmond aan Zee, another beach town. Stop for a cold beer on a summer's day or perhaps a hot chocolate in cooler months. Then you head away from the coast and cycle to Alkmaar, well-known for its historical cheese market. It also has some interesting museums, cosy café terraces and a compact historic city centre that's the perfect place to enjoy dinner. The total length of the cycle route today is 29km and most of it is flat.  

Bergen

Day 9: Journey by boat & steam train

Today, you'll explore the historic towns of Hoorn, Medemblik and Enkhuizen in North Holland. All three used to be important trading centres when the Zuiderzee was still connected to the North Sea and ships could sail to Asia and Latin America.

You'll travel by public transport and board the museum ship Friesland to cross IJsselmeer Lake. The ship anchors in the harbour at Medemblik, another interesting historic town. You’ll have some time to stroll around the charming centre and harbour area before catching a steam train for the scenic ride to Hoorn. Today, Hoorn isn’t very well known, but it has a rich past, having been of great importance to the Dutch East India Company.

After Hoorn, it's time to head back to Bergen, where the evening is yours to spend at leisure. 

Bergen - Schiphol

Day 10: Return to Amsterdam

After your final breakfast at your hotel in Bergen, take a bus back to Alkmaar and from there, proceed by train to Amsterdam, where your journey with us ends.