Explore the architectural landmarks and world-class museums in Amsterdam and visit several historical districts in the nearby countryside, where you will discover more traditional ways of life.
NOTE: Due to newly implemented restrictions on tour coaches in the city center, there will be a short walk (0.4 miles) from your hotel to the bus staging area for your tours each day.
Day 1
After flying into Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, you will be met outside the customs and baggage claim area and transfered to your hotel in Amsterdam. Check-in is at 3:00pm.
Rooms may not be ready beforehand, however luggage storage is available at the Reception Desk. If your flight arrives early in the day, you may wish to book an extra night so a room will be ready upon arrival.
Depending on your arrival time, the afternoon and evening will be spent at leisure and all meals are on your own. There is plenty to see nearby, such as the Royal Palace on Dam Square and the Anne Frank House. Amsterdam’s nightlife also offers diverse options for dining and entertainment.
Day 2
Your day starts with breakfast at the hotel, followed by a short coach transfer to the Van Gogh Museum. This museum contains the largest collection of Van Gogh paintings in the world. With an audioguide at your disposal, you will explore the museum, which includes masterpieces such as Sunflowers and Self-Portrait with Straw Hat.
Afterwards, you will enjoy a short stroll to the canal boat pontoon, where a private saloon boat awaits you for a nearly two-hour cruise along Amsterdam’s canals.
After disembarking the boat, take a guided walk through the city center afterwhich you can spend the remainder of the afternoon at your leisure, perhaps lingering over lunch, browsing the shops, or exploring museums such as the Rembrandt house, Rijksmuseum, Hermitage or the Jewish Historical Museum.
Day 3
Following breakfast at the hotel, you will enjoy a scenic coach drive to an area north of Amsterdam. In contrast to the urban atmosphere in Amsterdam, you can expect a more natural environment.
The first stop will be Zaanse Schans, a re-creation of an 18th-century Zaan community. Here, you will see some of the Netherlands’ famed windmills, as well as people practicing traditional trades such as clog-making. When the guided tour ends, you will enjoy free time to explore further.
A leisurely drive will then bring you to Monnickendam, an historical harbor town founded in 1355 around the shipping industry. Following more free time here, during which you may shop or stop for lunch, you will visit a nearby farm known for cheese-making.
Then, it’s on to the idyllic village of Broek in Waterland for an enlightening walking tour before you return to your hotel for the evening.
Day 4
After breakfast and check out, depart for Haarlem, a lovely medieval city. While meadering through Haarlem’s historic downtown, you will past landmarks such as the city hall, Grand Market Square, and the Grote, a church also known as St. Bavo Kerk.
While browsing the church’s interior, you will see its famous organ, which has been played by some of the world’s most famous composers, including Mendelssohn, Händel and the 10-year-old Mozart.
The next church on the tour, Jopenkerk, has been converted into a brewery and a café where you may savor a local beer before returning to Amsterdam to board the ship.
Land Program Details Step by Step
• The order of sites visited may vary to avoid congestion. Program times are approximate, given here for general reference purposes and subject to change.
• Itineraries with the up-to-date details will be issued when you are emailed your final cruise documents 21 days prior to sailing. You will then receive a final itinerary from our ground operator with a Welcome Letter upon arrival or at your hotel. Please review the letter and your final itinerary carefully for further amendments.
• The hotels used for your land program will be the hotels listed in this document unless you have been advised otherwise in advance of the land program start date.
• Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered a no-show and their hotel space released.
Extra Nights
• If you book extra nights through the cruise line, you will be met as per the flight details provided and transferred to your hotel. Check-in is 3:00pm (subject to change). Meals other than breakfast, as well as activities, are on your own until day 2 of the program.
• If you have an early-arriving flight, you may wish to book an extra night as your room will not be ready for occupation until approximately 3:00pm.
• If you book extra nights on your own, transfers are not included.
DAY 1
Fly into Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, where you will be met outside Customs and baggage claim
Transfer to the hotel
3:00 pm check-in at your hotel
Overnight at the Radisson Blu (or similar hotel)
Meet and Greet and transfers
• Final cruise documents will be emailed 21 days prior to sailing. The local ground agent’s telephone number will be on page 1, if you can’t locate the meet-and-greet representative upon arrival. Be aware that the representative may be assisting others and may not be in sight when you first exit Customs and the luggage claim area.
• Look for someone holding a sign with the cruise line logo and possibly your name. If in doubt, ask the airport staff to direct you to the meeting area for transfers or to page our representative.
• Meet and Greet and transfers are arranged for guests arriving on Day 1 of a land program or for extra nights booked through the cruise line and are arranged based on the flight details received by guests at least 14 days before sailing. Guests arriving independently before the program start date will not have a transfer included.
• If we have not received your flight details or your flights have changed, and the Destination Services Land Team has not been notified, then a transfer cannot be provided, and guests will be responsible for getting to the land program hotel at their own expense. Please immediately contact our Reservations Department for any flight changes before departure.
DAY 2
7:15am Breakfast at the hotel
8:15am Short walk with your guide (0.4 miles) to the coach loading area
8:30am Drive to Van Gogh Museum
9:00am Visit to Van Gogh Museum (audioguide)
10:30am Short walk to the canal boat pontoon
10:45am Canal cruise
12:30pm Guided walk
1:30pm End of guided walk back at the hotel
Remainder of day at leisure
Dinner on own
Overnight at the Radisson Blu (or similar hotel)
DAY 3
7:45am Breakfast at the hotel
8:45am Short walk with your guide (0.4 miles) to the coach loading area
9:00am Drive to Zaanse Schans
9:30am Guided tour of Zaanse Schans
10:15am Free time at Zaanse Schans
11:15am Drive to Monnickendam
12:00pm Guided walk in Monnickendam
12:30pm Free time in Monnickendam
2:30pm Transfer to cheese farm
2:45pm Visit to the cheese farm
3:30pm Transfer to Broek in Waterland
3:45pm Guided walk in Broek in Waterland
4:30pm Transfer to Amsterdam
5:00pm Short walk from the coach drop off area to the hotel (0.4 miles)
5:15pm Arrive at the hotel
Overnight at the Radisson Blu (or similar hotel)
DAY 4
From 7:15am Breakfast at your hotel
9:00am Check out and short walk with your guide (0.4 miles) to the coach loading area
9:30am Drive to Haarlem
10:15am Guided walk in the city centre including a visit to the Grote Kerk
11:30am Have a beer at Jopenkerk
12:00pm Short walk back to the coach
12:15pm Transfer to the port
1:00pm Arrival at the port for embarkation
Expected Weather
Typically, by the second half of May, the temperatures can pleasant with highs around 25 °C (77 °F) or even above.
From June to August, the daytime temperatures are between 20 °C and 25 °C (68 °F and 77 °F)
In September, the average temperature is 15.1 °C (59 °F), with a minimum of 11 °C (51.8 °F) and a maximum of 19.2 °C (66.5 °F).
In October, the average temperature is 11.2 °C (52 °F), with a minimum of 7.7 °C (45.9 °F) and a maximum of 14.7 °C (58.5 °F).
What to Bring
Weather-appropriate clothing, comfortable walking shoes, sun protection and an umbrella.
Currency
Euro
Electricity
220 Volts. We recommend bringing your own travel converter if you have electric devices.
Documents and Visa Requirements
A valid passport is required to travel
Accommodation
Radisson Blu Hotel
Rusland 17, 1012 CK Amsterdam, Netherlands
Phone: +31 20 623 1231
*We will only source different hotels in unforeseen situations. If similar hotels are required, they will be of equal ratings and standards guests will be notified in advance. If guests are not notified of changes before departure, then the hotel(s) listed in this program will be used
Program Includes
3 nights accommodation at the Radisson Blu (or similar hotel) – Superior Room
English-speaking tour guide
All sightseeing per the itinerary
Transfers
Breakfasts
Please Note: Guests booking their own flights (independent of the cruise line) are responsible for ensuring that the cruise line has the updated arrival information, so your transfer can be arranged. If you book additional nights independently of the cruise line, an arrival transfer is not provided. If we do not receive flight details a minimum of 14 days in advance, transfers will not be provided.
Program Excludes
Personal expenses
Extras at the hotel, including mini bar and room service
Meals and beverages where not specified
Porterage at hotels
Gratuities to the drivers and guides
Please note: Land programs that encompass multiple days ashore customarily include extensive and prolonged activity, while those of shorter durations typically have more moderate activity levels. However, each program varies, and participants should be prepared to negotiate a mixture of surfaces which may include: inclines, cobblestones, sand, and gravel or natural paths. There may also be a need to climb steps or stairs on occasion. Guests who utilize a wheelchair and those with mobility concerns are advised to check with the cruise line in advance to see if any portion of the tour program may not be considered suitable for their individual situation. Weather appropriate clothing; hats; sunglasses; and flat, comfortable walking shoes are generally recommended.
Please note: All land programs are capacity controlled and subject to availability. Programs falling under the minimum number of required participants are subject to cancellation. Pricing listed is also subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases for transportation, land arrangements or currency fluctuations. Once purchased, pricing is guaranteed and not subject to change. Land Programs must be purchased no later than 60 days prior to your sail date. Cancellations made within 60 days or less prior to the sail date are subject to 100% cancellation penalty. There are no refunds for unused portions of any program. Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered a no-show and their hotel space released.
