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2024 Season

Grand Tulip Cruise of Holland & Belgium for Garden and Nature Lovers with 1 night in Amsterdam


cruise: WHHQ-T1
16 Day River Cruise Amsterdam to Amsterdam
Begin your tulip season cruise in Amsterdam -perfect for garden and nature enthusiasts. For flower lovers, during the second stretch of your cruise, an expert botanist will provide lectures onboard, sharing his knowledge about botany and the world of plants! Enjoy a guided canal cruise through the iconic city’s stately waterways of the Golden Age before embarking on your tulip season cruise.

Choose a visit to Arnhem’s WWII Airborne Museum or a bike ride. In Maastricht, tour the old cobblestoned university town.

On to Belgium for a sightseeing tour of medieval Namur and free time to browse its ancient architecture, charming cafes, and bookshops. In Liège, see the ancient quarters of the “Fiery City” as well as its romantic streets, steps, and tiny alleyways. Next, you’ll explore the city of Antwerp—birthplace of the master painter Pieter Paul Rubens. Stroll its cobbled lanes amid 16th-century guildhall houses and the cathedral’s stunning altarpiece paintings by the famous artist on your guided tour of the diamond capital. In Brussels, you’ll find landmark buildings of Town Hall with a collection of cafes and shops on the Lower Town streets on your guided tour. Visit “The Diamond of Flanders”, Ghent, for stunning Flemish artwork in St. Bavo’s Cathedral. Sail to Bossuit for moving battlefield remembrances, including In Flanders Fields Museum and the Last Post Ceremony. On to Holland for a visit the former Dutch East India Company trading port. Visit the fascinating Flood Museum to hear and see the stories of the flood of 1953. In Kinderdijk, see 19 windmills built in 1740 for water management and marvel at the Erasmus Bridge in the historic port city of Rotterdam.

Be amazed at the varieties and volume of tulips and other flowering bulbs in the flower farm regions of Zaandam and Haarlem and delight in a visit to see the breathtaking blooming colors of Keukenhof, also known as the “Garden of Europe.” With 70 acres of parkland and lakes, Keukenhof is one of the world’s largest flower gardens with more than 7 million flowering bulbs each year.

This beautiful and historic springtime river cruise concludes with two nights in Amsterdam. Take a guided canal cruise past bridges and homes of a golden age.

cruise

at-a-glance


Day 1 Amsterdam: Welcome to Holland

Day 2 Amsterdam (Embarkation): Canal cruise; visit at Keukenhof garden; onboard welcome reception

Day 3 Nijmegen. Excursion to Arnhem: Choice of biking tour in the Ooijpolder Nature Reserve, or guided walk in Nijmegen, or guided tour of Airborne Museum in Arnhem; free time in Nijmegen

Day 4 Maastricht: Choice of guided tour, or visit to Hoge Kempen National Park and Research Center Ecotron, or walk with your Adventure Host

Day 5 Namur: Botany lecture; choice of guided tour, or visit water garden Les Jardins D’Annevoie, or bike with your Adventure Host

Day 6 Liège: Guided tour

Day 7 Antwerp-Brussels: Choice of guided tour in Antwerp, visit the central Grote Markt or bike with your Adventure Host or visit a botanical garden; botany lecture; free time in the evening in Brussels

Day 8 Brussels: Choice of guided tour, see the Town Hall, or attend a chocolate workshop or bike with your Adventure Host

Day 9 Brussels: Choice of visit to Floralia Spring Flower Exhibition or take a day at leisure

Day 10 Ghent: Choice of guided tour or bike with your Adventure Host

Day 11 Bossuit: Visit to Flanders Field Museum in Ypres; visit to the battlefields; Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate

Day 12 Middelburg-Veere: Choice of guided tour in Middelburg or bike with your Adventure Host; choice of visit of the Flood Museum and guided walking tour of Veere, or hiking, or bike with your Adventure Host; botany lecture

Day 13 Kinderdijk–Rotterdam: Choice of guided tour in Kinderdijk or bike with your Adventure Host; harbor cruise in Rotterdam; choice of guided tour in Rotterdam

Day 14 Zaandam-Haarlem: Free time in Zaandam or half-day visit to Keukenhof Gardens or Bike with your Adventure Host; choice of guided tour in Haarlem or bike with your Adventure Host

Day 15 Amsterdam: Choice of canal cruise, or biking tour or visit Amsterdam secret gardens

Day 16 Amsterdam (Disembarkation): Your cruise ends this morning

Avalon has designed included activities with a choice of experiences. We invite you to select the tours, activities, and events that interest you most, so you can experience your cruise your way. Plus, we offer independent exploration options and the use of our exclusive AvalonGO APP on most of our cruises. 

Below are 3 types of included shore excursions for you to experience.

The "Starting at" or "From" listed price is based on the lowest price available to book. Price is per person based on double occupancy and any applicable non-commissionable taxes and fees and intra-vacation flight are included in the price shown. Any included overnight stay in Canada, applicable GST/HST is also included in the price shown. International airfare, however, is not included. If price is crossed out, the new price shown includes limited-time promotional offer(s). Please review current promotions or deals for additional information.