Holland and Belgium in Spring

•   Gratuities to ship staff, drivers, local guides, Tauck Directors and Tauck Cruise Director

Day 1: Arrive Amsterdam
A transfer is included from Schiphol Airport to your riverboat. Settle into your cabin and join us for a Dutch Gin tasting this evening that is sure to whet your thirst for a fun-filled Tauck river cruise from Holland to Belgium. You will meet your fellow travelers at our welcome dinner on board the riverboat this evening.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Discover Amsterdam
Begin your day with an excursion to Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse, where millions of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are in various stages of bloom at this time of the year. Back in Amsterdam, enjoy a luncheon cruise along the city’s tree-lined canals, then visit the Rijksmuseum, one of the world’s most beloved museums. Your expert guide will share fascinating insights about the world-famous art you will see here, including Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, as well as paintings by the Old Dutch Masters Jan Vermeer, Frans Hals, and Jan Steen. More than 400 17th-century masterpieces are on display in the museum, along with a wealth of antique Delftware and silver. Your riverboat charts a course for Hoorn tonight.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 3: Keukenhof or Haarlem / Schoonhoven
Open only until May, Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse blooms with millions of tulips from hundreds of varieties, narcissi, daffodils, hyacinths, bluebells, crocuses, lilies, amaryllis, and many others every spring. Cruise departures through May will have an opportunity to visit the gardens; other departures will continue on to Haarlem via a scenic flower route. Free time enables you to explore this quaint town as you wish; Amsterdam’s little sister city in history and charm, this is where Frans Hals, Jacob van Ruisdael, and Pieter Saenredam painted many of their famous portraits, landscapes, and church interiors. Meet your riverboat in Schoonhaven and have dinner on board.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 4: Gouda, Delft & Dunes in Den Haag
Iconic images of Holland come to life today in villages where Dutch cheese, pottery and The Hague take center stage. A walking tour of Gouda introduces you to a pretty little town that takes its name from its home-produced cheese. Visit a cheese weighing facility and taste this traditional food favorite, before exploring on your own. After lunch, travel to Delft for a tour of the porcelain factory where this distinctive blue and white tin-glazed pottery is made. This town has changed little since Vermeer painted the View of Delft in 1660. Quintessential sights continue to delight on a drive along the Yellow Roads to coastal Den Haag (known as “The Hague” in English) to see its impressive sand dunes. The Hague, best known as the seat of Dutch government, was a city originally built on the dunes. Your riverboat charts a course to Arnhem late this afternoon.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 5: De Hoge Veluwe Nat’l Park / Arnhem
Travel to nearby De Hoge Veluwe National Park this morning. The largest nature reserve in the Netherlands, it is home to the Kröller-Müller Museum (subject to weekly closures). Inside you will find over 275 works by Vincent van Gogh, including the famous Café Terrace in Arles; outside, a sculpture garden hosts works by Rodin and other renowned artists. Arnhem made headlines in World War II when its strategic bridge over the Lower Rhine became the target of a massive airborne assault. A walking tour takes you to the “John Frost Bridge” and the Airborne Museum. Rejoin your riverboat for a classical music concert by La Strada as the ship cruises to Venlo for a full day at the magnificent Floriade.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6: A Floral Wonderland at Floriade
Nature speaks in a universal language at Floriade, held only once every ten years. You’ll have an opportunity to “be a part of the theatre in nature” as you spend the entire day in this floral wonderland, strolling through green-inspired pavilions and garden exhibits from over 25 different countries. An optional afternoon excursion explores its host town of Venlo on a walking tour, followed by a scenic Yellow Roads drive along the fragrant “route of the roses.” Everyone meets back at the riverboat this evening for a discovery briefing and dinner.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7: A Cemetery, A Château & A Canal
Drive to Margraten for a poignant visit to the Netherlands American Cemetery, the only U.S. military cemetery in the Netherlands. Lunch today is a Tauck Exclusive – a memorable interactive culinary experience at 17th-century Château Neercanne, the sole terraced castle in the Netherlands and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you’ll don a chef’s hat, visit the kitchen and enjoy an extraordinary meal served in the castle’s Roman grottoes. Rejoin your riverboat for a cruise along the entire length of the Albert Canal to Antwerp, one of Europe’s great cultural capitals, bustling with medieval treasures and modern-day life; on-board commentary makes the experience richer still.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 8: Discover Antwerp
Antwerp is a walking city, easily explored on foot. Meet your local guide right on the dock for an orientation tour of the city. Sightseeing includes the majestic Centraal Station, built at the turn of the 20th century, the opera house and Grote Markt, and the fanciful town hall. Visit Antwerp’s historic Jewish quarter,one of Europe’s largest Jewish communities. Return to the ship for lunch, then spend the rest of the afternoon exploring Antwerp as you wish. Your day ends with a farewell reception and Captain’s dinner aboard the riverboat.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 9: Disembark Ship / Bruges or Ghent
Disembark ship in Antwerp for a choice of guided sightseeing excursions. Travel with us to Bruges in the heart of Belgium’s Flanders region. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bruges is renowned for its extraordinary medieval Gothic architecture and its reputation as the birthplace of Flemish painting. Enjoy a tour before exploring its flower-rimmed canals, cobbled streets, half-timbered houses and ancient arched bridges on your own. Or visit the Flemish city of Ghent, where a visit to St. Baafskathedral reveals a maze of Gothic architectural details and one of Europe’s most remarkable paintings, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, painted in 1432 by Jan van Eyck. Your destination tonight is the capital city of Brussels where your accommodations at the Conrad Brussels are superbly located and are within walking distance of several historic sites. Enjoy a farewell dinner tonight, savoring a taste of regional fare.
Overnight: Hotel Amigo, Brussels, Belgium
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 10: Journey Home
Tour ends: Brussels, Belgium. Fly home anytime; a transfer from the Conrad Brussels to Brussels Airport is included. Allow a minimum of 3 hours for flight check-in. Ask at booking about additional hotel nights in Brussels or Amsterdam.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast

Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
6/24/2012 - 7/4/2012	$4,190
8/3/2012 - 8/13/2012	$3,890
Note: Departures appearing above in green are guaranteed to operate by the tour operator.
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

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