Windmills, Tulips and Belgian Delights

Welcome to Amsterdam. The Netherlands’ capital city is a treasure trove of architectural beauty, masterpiece-filled galleries, tranquil scenes of boats putting along 16th-century canals, narrow cobbled laneways filled with boutiques and cafes, and streets busy with cyclists criss-crossing their way about town. Often referred to as the Venice of the North, much of the UNESCO-listed canal system exists today as it did hundreds of years ago, lined with well-preserved canal houses and intersected by charming bridges.

A warm welcome awaits you from the crew of your Scenic Space-Ship. Raise your glass to the marvellous cruise ahead of you at this evening’s welcome reception.

Please book your flight to arrive into Amsterdam prior to 06:00 PM.

You’ll arrive in Dordrecht, one of The Netherlands’ oldest cities, this morning. Once an important trade city for wood, grain and wine, it’s made up of an historical city centre with buildings dating to the Middle Ages, as well as merchant houses and warehouses along the harbour. From here, you will explore surrounding cities and villages.
 

Freechoice:
Explore your way with one of todays’ Scenic Freechoice activities:

Excursion to Delft: Take an excursion to Delft, a pretty town whose centre is a maze of narrow canal-lined streets. It has an historic association with the Dutch Royal Family and is the origin of the globally regarded Delft Blue Pottery, created here from the 16th century. Enjoy a guided tour of the charming city of Delft before a visit to a pottery factory and museum.

Excursion to Kinderdijk: Picturesque Kinderdijk is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its 19 historic windmills that are recognised as a Dutch icon throughout the world. See these authentic windmills on today’s tour while learning about how their hydraulic works have been used to drain the land for agriculture and settlement for centuries.

Gouda Cheese Markets: A local guide will show you around the beautiful historic city of Gouda, known for its namesake cheese. Explore the city including the small alleyways, tree-lined canals and the main square where a traditional cheese market that was first initiated in 1395 is still operating. (Note: the cheese market is open every Thursday morning; tours that fall on a different day will still visit Gouda but not the market.)

Walking tour of Dordrecht: Discover the city of Dordrecht during a walking tour with your local guide. The city of Dordrecht is located next to the Netherlands most picturesque Nature Reserve, the De Biesbosch National Park. Surrounded by beautiful landscapes, including the river and wetlands, Dordrecht started out as an important merchant city, trading in wood, grain & wine and the subsequent history, wealth and culture remains today and will be evident during this walking tour. Among the highlights will be Groothoofd quay, the Grote Kerk (Great Church) and the Old Water Tower as well as the many merchant houses and warehouses that line the harbour.
 

Your Scenic Space-Ship will depart Dordrecht after dinner so you have ample time to explore the lovely town of Dordrecht at leisure this afternoon. 

You will arrive in Veere this morning, one of The Netherlands’ prettiest villages whose historic harbour is filled with bobbing yachts. While its beginnings date to the 13th century, Veere flourished in the 16th century when it became an important port for Scottish wool. This prosperity lasted two centuries and to this day the Scottish ties remain strong.
 

Freechoice:
Choose from one of this morning’s Scenic Freechoice excursions:

Guided City Tour: Discover many of the hundreds of heritage buildings of Veere on a guided tour. Set on the Veerse Meer Lake, the village is home to a harbour lined with Scottish merchant houses; a 15th century town hall with tower; a defensive tower that was later used as an inn and lighthouse; and Grote Kerk, an imposing Gothic church that has also been used as a hospital and poorhouse.

Cycling Tour: Join your local guide as you ride though the village of Veere, seeing all its key sights as well as the unspoilt natural beauty along the dykes in the surrounding area.

Delta Works Visit: Transfer from Veere to tour the Delta Works, a complex series of dams purposely created to protect the population on the Delta plain from flooding. Discover this impressive engineering feat that is over 3 kilometres long. 

Back on board this afternoon, you may wish to join in the oyster tasting. The cold conditions of the North Sea make it a perfect location for top quality, fresh oysters. Your cruise director will have some of these mouth-watering gastronomic treats for you to sample.

This morning you will arrive in Belgium’s second city, Antwerp. Full of historical and cultural contrasts, Antwerp has a melange of architectural wonders, a medieval centre with cobbled streets and Gothic buildings, many that were severely bombed during WWII, blended with modern architecture. It’s also the diamond capital of the world, with 70 per cent of the world’s diamonds traded there.
 

Freechoice:
Select from these Scenic Freechoice excursions this morning:

Guided walking tour of Antwerp: Join your local guide on a walking tour through this beautiful city, known as the diamond capital of the world. Explore sights such as the impressive Cathedral of Our Lady, Steen Castle, the Medieval fortress, and main square lined with extravagant buildings.

Excursion to Ghent: Visit one of Belgium's most historic cities, where you can explore the myriad of medieval buildings and charming canals with your local guide. Ghent also has a rich industrial past, which is evident in its old factories, many of which are being gentrified as cultural hotspots. The city was also named a Creative City of Music by UNESCO in 2009.

It’s all aboard your Scenic Space-Ship this afternoon as you cruise towards the Dutch city of Arnhem, perhaps enjoy a regional beer or wine in the Panoramic Bar & Lounge.

Arrive in Arnhem, a city made famous by the Battle of Arnhem, a bold but failed attempt to outflank German forces in north-west Europe during WWII. It resulted in thousands of British and Polish troops being killed, wounded or taken prisoner. Much of the city and its river bridges were destroyed by the battle and subsequent bombings, but Arnhem has been rebuilt and is now an attractive and picturesque city.
 

Freechoice:
A range of Scenic Freechoice activities are on offer to choose from this morning:

Arnhem Airborne Museum: Visit the Arnhem Airborne Museum with your local guide to learn about the Battle of Arnhem. The Airborne Experience allows you to follow in the footsteps of British parachutists as they made their way to Arnhem in September 1944. The museum is housed in the beautiful Villa Hartenstein, the former headquarters for the British troops.

Netherlands Open Air Museum: Discover the stories and immerse yourself in life in The Netherlands from years gone by. Your local guide will take you on an exploration of this fascinating 44-hectare outdoor museum, to see replicas of historic houses, mills and farmhouses, and to learn about Dutch work, customs and traditions.

Het Loo Royal Palace: Het Loo Palace dates to 1685 and served as the royal family's summer home for centuries. Since 1984 it has been turned into an incredible museum showcasing the rich history of the Dutch royal family. Guests can admire the elaborately decorated rooms, an impressive collection of coach stables and the magnificent gardens. 

The wonderful town of Hoorn was a prosperous trading centre from the Middle Ages to the 17th century. Its main harbour, Binnenhaven, houses beautiful traditional warehouses, while there are many historical buildings and monuments throughout town including a defence tower used in the 16th and 17th centuries, and a well-preserved city gate first built in 1578.
 

Freechoice:
Explore the region with one of today's selection of Scenic Freechoice activities:

Guided tour of Hoorn with tasting: Join a local guide for a walking tour of Hoorn, including a visit to its charming inner harbour area. You will also have the opportunity to sample some of Hoorn’s delicious specialities such as local fish and cheese.

Cheese farm: Discover the tradition of cheese making in the Netherland. Meet a local producer and learn the art of cheese making while you tour the farm and learn about long-standing techniques.

Ancestry of the Kitchen: Traditional Dutch apple pie making class: Traditional recipes have long been passed down through generations. Today you’ll be let in on the secrets of a family recipe as you learn how to make traditional Dutch apple pie with a local.

Cycling tour of Hoorn: Join your local guide on an active cycling tour of the harbour city of Hoorn. See some of the key sights of the city such as the Oosterkerk (the Old Church) as you cycle towards Ijssel Lake dyke, the biggest lake in The Netherlands.

This afternoon, enjoy some time at leisure as you cruise towards Amsterdam. You may wish to spend time in the wellness centre, relaxing with a massage, or head to the exclusive Salt Therapy Lounge, which has natural anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
 

Enrich
Tonight's Scenic Enrich - Fabrique des Lumierès: During after-hours access be welcomed with a glass of champagne as you visit Fabrique des Lumierès.  Located in a former 19th century gas works, you will see the works of the worlds most renowned artists projected onto the 17-metre-high walls, accompanied and complemented by a musical soundtrack.

Amsterdam combines the unrivaled beauty of the 17th-century Golden Age city center with plenty of museums and art of the highest order, not to mention a remarkably laid-back atmosphere. It all comes together to make this one of the world's most appealing and offbeat metropolises in the world. Built on a latticework of concentric canals like an aquatic rainbow, Amsterdam is known as the City of Canals—but it's no Venice, content to live on moonlight serenades and former glory. Quite the contrary: on nearly every street here you'll find old and new side by side—quiet corners where time seems to be holding its breath next to streets like neon-lit Kalverstraat, and Red Light ladies strutting by the city's oldest church. Indeed, Amsterdam has as many lovely facets as a 40-carat diamond polished by one of the city's gem cutters. It's certainly a metropolis, but a rather small and very accessible one. Locals tend to refer to it as a big village, albeit one that happens to pack the cultural wallop of a major world destination. There are scores of concerts every day, numerous museums, summertime festivals, and, of course, a legendary year-round party scene. It's pretty much impossible to resist Amsterdam's charms. With 7,000 registered monuments, most of which began as the residences and warehouses of humble merchants, set on 160 man-made canals, and traversed by 1,500 or so bridges, Amsterdam has the largest historical inner city in Europe. Its famous circle of waterways, the grachtengordel, was a 17th-century urban expansion plan for the rich and is a lasting testament to the city’s Golden Age. This town is endearing because of its kinder, gentler nature—but a reputation for championing sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll does not alone account for Amsterdam's being one of the most popular destinations in Europe: consider that within a single square mile the city harbors some of the greatest achievements in Western art, from Rembrandt to Van Gogh. Not to mention that this is one of Europe's great walking cities, with so many of its treasures in the untouted details: tiny alleyways barely visible on the map, hidden garden courtyards, shop windows, floating houseboats, hidden hofjes(courtyards with almshouses), sudden vistas of church spires, and gabled roofs that look like so many unframed paintings. And don’t forget that the joy lies in details: elaborate gables and witty gable stones denoting the trade of a previous owner. Keep in mind that those XXX symbols you see all over town are not a mark of the city's triple-X reputation. They're part of Amsterdam's official coat of arms—three St. Andrew's crosses, believed to represent the three dangers that have traditionally plagued the city: flood, fire, and pestilence. The coat's motto ("Valiant, determined, compassionate") was introduced in 1947 by Queen Wilhelmina in remembrance of the 1941 February Strike in Amsterdam—the first time in Europe that non-Jewish people protested against the persecution of Jews by the Nazi regime.

Wake this morning in Amsterdam and enjoy an excursion with your fellow guests to Keukenhof Gardens to see the most magnificent display of tulips.  

Transfer via coach to Keukenhof Gardens, where you’ll witness a display of more than seven million tulips in bloom. There are around 800 varieties of tulips carefully arranged here in beautiful patterns and colours, making it one of the most magical public gardens in the world

Return to Amsterdam this afternoon for free time to explore this city steeped in history, art and quirky culture. You could fill an afternoon wandering the labyrinth of narrow laneways and canals that are lined with beautifully preserved 17th century buildings. Or visit the Rijksmuseum to see masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh; take a poignant walk-through Anne Frank’s House; or hop aboard a scenic cruise along some of the 100 kilometres of canals, passing elegant merchant’s residences, churches and warehouses that date from the Golden Age.

After breakfast, transfer to Amsterdam airport or train station for your onward journey. 

This itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons such as high and low water. As such, the cruise may operate altered from that stated above. Please refer to our terms and conditions.