Holland, Belgium, and Paris 2010 Tour Itinerary
Overview | Itinerary | Pricing | Tour Photos
Tour dates: April 14 - 25, 2010
Last day to send in registration and deposit: January 15, 2010
April 14
Fly from your home airport on an overnight flight to Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
April 15 and 16: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Arrival in Amsterdam, where your tour guides will meet you at Schipol Airport. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon with your fellow travelers and tour guides. We'll check into a Christian-run youth hostel which will be our home base for the next five nights. We'll start off our Dutch experience with a visit to the world-class Rijksmuseum art gallery, to see the best of Rembrandt, Vermeer, and other Dutch artists. We'll also catch a canal boat for an introductory tour of the city, reflect on the city's WW2 history at the Anne Frank house, and spend some time shopping at a popular flea market.
April 17: Haarlem, Netherlands
Get your first taste of fresh Dutch stroopwaffel (syrup waffles), poffertjes (tiny sugar-dusted pancakes), and frite met mayo (French fries with mayonnaise) at the Saturday morning market in Haarlem. The adventurous may want to try the local specialty - smoked or pickled herring. We'll take a peek inside St. Bavo's Church, home to Holland's greatest pipe organ, once played by both Handel and Mozart. Later we'll discover a little more about Holland's WW2 history at the Corrie ten Boom house.
April 18: Zaanse Schans and Amsterdam, Netherlands
We'll start our day at the open-air museum of Zaanse Schans. There we'll climb to the top of a windmill and explore its inner workings, watch cheese and wooden shoes being made using traditional methods, and relax and watch the river traffic sail by. In the afternoon we'll head back to Amsterdam for a relaxing afternoon; you'll have time to check out some more museums, or - if you're feeling energetic - rent a pedal boat on the canals.
April 19: Keukenhof and Delft, Netherlands
Make sure those camera batteries are charged up for this morning's excursion to Keukenhof, Holland's stunningly beautiful and most photographed floral park. Holland's bulbs will be in their prime. Later we'll take a short hop by train to the typical Dutch town of Delft, world-renowned for its fine porcelain. You'll have the options of climbing to the top of the church spire for views of the canals and countryside, perusing the many shops bordering the large market square, and exploring the quaint side streets.
April 20 and 21: Brussels and Bruges, Belgium
A scenic train journey will take us through the Dutch countryside on our way to Belgium. Our first stop will be an afternoon in Brussels, Belgium's capital city. We’ll spend time in the Grand Square, shopping and indulging in fine Belgian chocolates or the local specialty: waffles with strawberries. Then we'll head over to Bruges. We'll stop in the Church of Our Lady to see Michelangelo's "Madonna and Child" carving, enjoy the old gabled buildings along the market square, take a scenic bike ride into the countryside (weather permitting), and visit the chocolate museum.
April 22, 23, and 24: Paris, France
Ooh la la...the beautiful city of Paris! We’ll climb Napoleon’s Arc de Triomphe for a view of the Champs-Elysées, snap photos of Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower, and marvel at the grandeur of the Notre Dame Cathedral. You'll have time to check out the gorgeous stained glass at Saint Chapelle, do some high-class Parisian shopping, and of course get a taste of Europe's biggest and best art gallery: the Louvre. You'll be wowed by the opulent Versailles Palace, and - if you like - get your caricature drawn at Montmartre. We’ll top everything off with a scenic evening boat ride on the Seine River, where we’ll watch the Eiffel Tower come alive with twinkling lights.
April 25
After breakfast, we'll escort the group to the Paris airport. Fly home from Paris.
Overview | Itinerary | Pricing | Tour Photos
