Holland & Belgium in Bloom

Resort:	Holland & Belgium in Bloom
Operator:	Emerald Waterways
Destination:	Belgium, Europe, Netherlands
Price From:	Contact for latest offers

Itinerary:

Day 1 – Amsterdam

Return economy flights from one of up to 15 UK regional airports are included in the price of your holiday. Please call us to check if we can offer your local airport. If youd prefer not to fly, return travel via Eurostar is available.
Holland in the spring is a truly memorable sight, and the perfect introduction to any river cruising itinerary that touches on the traditional side of Dutch life. You will be met and transferred from the airport to your luxurious Emerald Waterways Star-Ship.

Meals Included:Dinner

Day 2 – Amsterdam Zaanse Schans

This morning, you will have the opportunity to experience one of Hollands many highlights as you venture to Zaanse Schans. Relax on board your Star-Ship, as your delightfulEmeraldPLUS experience this afternoon involves welcoming a local clog painter for a demonstration and the opportunity to try your hand at this unique craft.
Your tour to the Zaanse Schans historic windmills will highlight the distinctive wooden houses and artisan workshops that make up the quintessentially Dutch town, where the smell of freshly baked goods and the sight of spinning windmills offers a truly memorable experience.
Alternatively, enjoy a guided bike tour to Waterland, passing picturesque scenery and iconic fields of tulips.
EmeraldPLUS:Clog painting on board
EmeraldACTIVE:A guided bike tour to Waterland
EmeraldEXCURSION:A tour to Zaanse Schans windmills

Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3 – Rotterdam

Rotterdam is a unique example of a Dutch city because it had to be reconstructed following the air raids of WWII, leaving behind a patchwork of different styles.
Today you will have the opportunity to explore this contemporary city, perhaps trying to imagine how the gabled houses of Amsterdam would have once sat here.
EmeraldEXCURSION:A tour of Rotterdam
DiscoverMORE:A visit to a Delft pottery factory (extra expense)

Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 – Veere

Today, you will arrive in Veere, a delightful historic town where normal houses are adorned with miniature classical palace gardens and elegant architecture adorns the surprisingly quiet streets that you will stroll down during your guided tour.
Afterwards, visit the Dutch Delta Works. Witness the sheer enormity of the worlds biggest storm surge barrier and be left awe-inspired by the immense feat of engineering. If you are feeling active, then you can also enjoy a guided bike tour of Veere, stopping to learn about how it encapsulates the opulence of a by-gone era.
EmeraldPLUS:Visit the Dutch Delta Works
EmeraldEXCURSION:A guided tour of Veere
EmeraldACTIVE:A guided bike tour of Veere

Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 – Antwerp

This morning youll arrive in Antwerp, Belgiums biggest port, positioned on the River Scheldt with a large harbour linking to the sea. Home to the famous Baroque artist Pieter Paul Reubens, it attracts art-lovers and diamond dealers from all over the world.
Enjoy a guided tour of the city centre, with its caf-filled cobbled lanes, admiring the Renaissance City Hall and Hat Steen, a medieval fortress that was built during the early Middle Ages and one of the oldest buildings in the country.
Afterwards, enjoy free time to explore Antwerp at leisure.
EmeraldEXCURSION:A tour of Antwerp
DiscoverMORE:An excursion to the medieval town of Bruges (extra expense)

Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6 – Arnhem

Relax in the comfortable surrounds of your Star-Ship this morning as you sail down Dutch waterways, passing wonderful windmills and quaint traditional villages.
Arnhem is most famous for its great battle during WWII, best learned about during your EmeraldEXCURSION to the Airborne Museum, where you will have the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of British parachutists and immerse yourself in what the battle would have felt like.
Alternatively, embark on a guided bike tour of Arnhem, famous for its postcard-worthy streets, scenic parks and fine museums.
EmeraldACTIVE:A guided bike tour of Arnhem
EmeraldEXCURSION:A visit to the Airborne Museum

Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7 – Amsterdam

Touch on Hollands traditional heart today with a visit to Keukenhof Gardens, nestled in the middle of Hollands tulip farm area, where fields full of rows of colourful flowers run as far as the eye can see.
The beloved Keukenhof Gardens feature incredible displays that consist of millions of flowers and tulips, each assembled by an expert landscape architect.
EmeraldPLUS:A visit to Keukenhof Gardens

Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8 – Amsterdam UK

After breakfast, its time to bid farewell to your fellow guests and quintessential Holland as you disembark the ship for your transfer to the airport, taking memories of wooden windmills and spring-blooming flowers with you.
Your flight home is included in the price of your holiday. Please call us to check if we can offer your preferred airport. If youd prefer not to fly, return travel via Eurostar is available.

Meals Included:Breakfast

TRAVEL AWARE – PREPARING FOR SAFE AND HEALTHY TRAVEL ABROAD

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office have up-to-date advice on staying safe and healthy abroad. For more on security, local laws and the latest travel information, visit the FCO Travel Aware website www.gov.uk/travelaware. The advice can change so check regularly for the latest information.

Our ATOL number is ATOL 5592 and ABTA Member number is 89264. ATOL Protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the United Kingdom.
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