Dutch MasterPiece
Details
- Tour Operator
- Globus
- Duration
- 8 Days
- Escorted
- Escorted - Yes
| Day | Destination | Description |
| Day 1 | Board your overnight transatlantic flight | Board your overnight transatlantic flight. |
| Day 2 | Amsterdam | You have landed in a country unlike any other in the world! The tale which will unfold for you is of astonishing contrasts: Calvinist rigor cohabiting with great tolerance and even permissiveness; a kingdom with fiercely democratic traditions; great wealth modestly understated. It's also a tale of astonishing feats of an industrious, ingenious people. For centuries this tiny nation of seafaring traders played a leading role in world history. It wrested 40 percent of its territory from a hostile sea, and in Europe's most densely populated area it is capable of producing a healthy agricultural surplus. Holland is quaint and scenic, yet it is also worth visiting because it may have many of the answers an increasingly overcrowded world needs for survival. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D) |
| Day 3 | Epe | Begin the day with a visit to the fascinating AALSMEER FLOWER AUCTION. Then start your exciting tour around famous IJsselmeer and stop in Hoorn, birthplace of Jan Pieterszoon Coen, considered to be founder of the Dutch commercial empire in the Dutch East Indies. In Hoorn the first large fishing net was made in 1416, marking the beginning of a flourishing industry. Drive through the fertile polders (reclaimed land) of North Holland to the 19-mile Barrier Dam, which since 1932 has shut out the North Sea and has transformed the saltwater Zuiderzee into the freshwater IJsselmeer. The dam over which you drive is part of an incredible system of 1,200 miles of dikes, dams, and dunes built over the last 900 years to protect the part of Holland that lies below sea level. Welcome to Friesland, home of Pieter Stuyvesant and Mata Hari! A scenic drive through the Frisian Lake District past Makkum, renowned for its luxury yacht building and pottery, and Workum brings you to Giethoorn, the real "Venice of the North." This rural paradise of traditional farmhouses can be explored by BOAT through the canals, which were dug in the past to transport peat. Detour through the rustic village of Staphorst, whose inhabitants still live according to strict Calvinist principles, before arriving at your hotel in the densely wooded, peaceful Veluwe area, where the Dutch like to spend their holidays. (BB,D) |
| Day 4 | Arnhem | The highlight visit this morning is to the Royal Palace of HET LOO and its superb formal gardens. Hear about the history of the country's popular ruling family. In The Hoge Veluwe National Park visit the KROLLER MULLER MUSEUM, which houses an important collection of paintings, sculptures, and some of Van Gogh's masterpieces. In the late afternoon visit the AIRBORNE MUSEUM in Oosterbeek, where you relive the heroic and tragic events of World War II celebrated in A Bridge Too Far. (BB,D) |
| Day 5 | Rotterdam | After a morning visit to the country's only surviving PEWTER FACTORY in Leerdam, journey westward through North Brabant to Kinderdijk, where you can admire a whole row of windmills together. Next, enter beautiful Zeeland, where geometric fields, tidy orchards, and neat rows of poplars stretch to the horizon. Take a pleasant walk in the picture-book port of Veere, once an important wool-trading center. Continue to the Storm Surge Barrier, where you hear about the world's greatest undertaking in hydraulic engineering. Begun in 1953, when a savage North Sea storm killed 1,800 people, and completed in 1986, the Delta Project is a stunning demonstration of what a nation can achieve if it focuses its energies on a vital task. From here you will enter Rotterdam. Your orientation shows that this city, which was leveled by German bombs during World War II, now has a modern, high-tech look and boasts the world's busiest port. (BB,D) |
| Day 6 | Amsterdam | After a visit to the historic center of Delft, call at the ROYAL DELFT POTTERY FACTORY with its magnificent collection of hand-painted earthenware pieces. You also see skilled craftsmen at work. Proceed through The Hague, seat of the Dutch government and the International Court of Justice, to the North Sea resort of Scheveningen. In the afternoon drive to the famous bulbfields of South Holland. Listen to the incredible tale of 17th-century Tulipomania and visit the extraordinary flower park of KEUKENHOF (departures 0402-0430 only) before returning to Amsterdam. Departures 0511-0914 visit ANNE FRANK HOUSE instead. (BB) |
| Day 7 | Amsterdam | Morning sightseeing of the capital with a Local Guide. Enjoy a CANAL CRUISE along gabled merchant houses and humpback drawbridges reminiscent of the Golden Age, but also the strikingly modern buildings of a young city with plans for the future. Next, visit the fabulous RIJKSMUSEUM with priceless paintings by Rembrandt and other Dutch masters. Finally, visit a major DIAMOND CENTER to appreciate how a rough mineral is transformed into a sparkling jewel. Afternoon at leisure to catch up on your postcards and shopping. Why not join a late afternoon optional excursion with dinner in the fishing village of Volendam? (BB) |
| Day 8 | Return Home | Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB) |
- Dates/Pricing
- Lodging
AMSTERDAM Mercure aan de Amstel (F) EPE Golden Tulip (F) ARNHEM AREA Bilderberg Wolfheze (F) ROTTERDAM Hilton (SF)
- Disclaimer
- Popular Departure - due to itinerary and time of year, this departure historically sells out quickly. Early booking is encouraged.
US$ Price Details
Applicable air fare taxes and fees
Single room supplement:
$345Triple room reduction per person:
$70Extra nights per person in Amsterdam:
Apr.: in single room $208, in twin room $140, in triple room $128
May-Sept.: in single room $232, in twin room $155, in triple room $142
Our volume buying power saves you money!
-We may be able to provide you with flight arrangements from your gateway city.
-Additional accommodations before or after your tour may be available at our low prices.Departure/arrival taxes and fares from other cities will be advised at the time of booking.
Price Guarantee: All vacation prices are based on rates (including foreign exchange rates) expected to be in effect at the time of departure. Prices are subject to increase without notice if such rates change prior to departure. The current price will be confirmed at the time of reservation. However, once Globus has received your deposit for any vacation departing during the current year, that land price is guaranteed, and any subsequent land cost increases are at our expense, not including any government tax increases. Airfares included as part of air-inclusive vacation prices are guaranteed when we receive confirmation of air itinerary and full payment. Vacation prices are per person, based on double occupancy. Single room supplements and triple room reductions may be applicable.
Not included in the tour price: Federal Inspection Fees for the U.S. Customs and immigration; International Air Transportation Tax; agricultural tax; any other taxes; security fee; airport taxes and fees; passports; visas and vaccinations; tips to your tour director; tour host; tour driver; local city guides; gratuities on ferries, trains and cruise ships; laundry; telephone; mini bar; alcohol; beverages and food not on the regular table d'hote menu (these extra items will be billed to you before leaving the hotel or restaurant); optional excursions; porterage at airports; travel protection; excess baggage fees; all other items of a personal nature.
