Amsterdam City Stay

Arrive in Amsterdam and enjoy a panoramic sightseeing of the city including the Rijksmuseum,  The National Monument, The Royal Palace, The Van Gogh Museum and of course the canals then take a canal cruise before dinner. Overnight Amsterdam.

After breakfast join a full day guided tour which includes the ring of canals, bordered by thousands of gabled merchants houses from the 17th century, Amsterdam’s Golden Age. See the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, one of three palaces still in use by the Dutch Royal Family and Dam Square with its famous monument, the City Hall, Rembrandt’s House and the Jewish Quarter. Take in the Skinny Bridge and the historic windmill,  the Vondelpark, Westerkerk church and Anne Frank’s house. You’ll also visit the Coster Diamond Factory, where you can learn about the origins of diamonds and see the diamond cutters and goldsmiths actually at work.  In the afternoon proceed to Zaanse Schans living museum, one of the Netherlands’ best loved attractions, where you can see some of the working windmills and visit one of the cheese & clog farmhouses where you will be able to watch a demonstration of how Dutch cheese and wooden clogs are still made in the traditional time honoured way. Overnight Amsterdam.

Free time to explore the city at your own pace this morning. Perhaps make an in depth visit to peruse the over 8.000 objects on display at the National Museum, the Rijksmuseum, including many masterpieces from Rembrandt.  Alternatively, you can step into Van Gogh’s world in Van Gogh Museum and discover the world’s largest collection of work by the famous artist. After lunch, drop by the Heineken Experience housed inside Heineken’s historic brewery in the centre of Amsterdam. Though it is not anymore a working brewery, the attraction offers four floors of multimedia exhibits, historical brewing artifacts and a tasting bar, as well as a 4D adventure through the brewing process. Enjoy free pints of Heineken beer after the tour. Overnight Amsterdam.

Free morning in Amsterdam and time for shopping followed by departure home.

You may wish to include or add some of these superb excursions from your base in Amsterdam:

• Batavia Outlet Shopping Village in Lelystad
• Visit the Ijssel Meer – a large lake formed when a huge barrage was built to keep out the North Sea – and the fascinating Dutch Open Air Museum at Enkhuizen showing how the local rural peoples have lived and worked over the centuries.
• Marken & Volendam – traditional Dutch fishing villages.

We can arrange memorable evening dinners and entertainment – here are just a selection of ideas:

• Lunch, Dinner or Barbecue at a traditional Dutch Cheese farm – -can be combined with a hands on workshop experience
• Private dining Dutch Asian style at Happy Happy Joy Joy.
• Exclusive dinner cruise on a traditional canal barge.