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Explore the photogenic Dutch capital and iconic sights beyond its canals on this in-depth Amsterdam trip. You'll feast with the locals, see how they carve their sturdy clogs and experience first-hand the enduring symbols of Holland, from windmills to cheese.
This shows the 2021 itinerary of the Amsterdam Explorer. To see the 2022 itinerary, click on AVAILABLE DATES and select a 2022 departure date.
Deals, savings and exclusive private touring options available, plus if you need a different date or itinerary change we can create a custom trip. Contact us for more details >>
Explore the photogenic Dutch capital and iconic sights beyond its canals on this in-depth Amsterdam trip. You'll feast with the locals, see how they carve their sturdy clogs and experience first-hand the enduring symbols of Holland, from windmills to cheese.
This shows the 2021 itinerary of the Amsterdam Explorer. To see the 2022 itinerary, click on AVAILABLE DATES and select a 2022 departure date.
Deals, savings and exclusive private touring options available, plus if you need a different date or itinerary change we can create a custom trip. Contact us for more details >>
Welcome to the picture-perfect city of Amsterdam, buzzing with bicycles and boats. Every alley leads to another cosy bruin café and the canals are more plentiful than in Venice. Delve into the gezelligheid of Amsterdam during a city orientation - to see its beautifully preserved medieval buildings and tree-lined canals. Then, enjoy a Welcome Reception and laid-back city cruise along the winding canals, soaking up the alluring setting as you enjoy a light meal.
This morning, we Dive Into Culture and enjoy a Small Group Sightseeing tour of the Rijksmuseum, home to masterpieces of Rembrandt, Hals and Vermeer. Spend the rest of the day exploring the city your way. Visit the floating flower market or stroll along the gabled façades that line Amsterdam's ring of canals. End your day with delicious local flavours at one of the city's many cosy restaurants. However you choose to spend your day, you're in for a gezellig time in one of Europe's cutest capitals.
Trip Summary Meals IconIncluded Meals - Breakfast
Optional Experience
Hidden Amsterdam
We'll pay a visit to The Royal Palace in Amsterdam with our Local Specialist. Built in 1648, it originally served as the Town Hall and is still in use by the Dutch Royal Family today. It has also been a Napoleonic Palace, before its current role. Its rich history and the interior of this magnificent building in the heart of Amsterdam make this a must see.
Adult Price: €48.00*
* The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change.
Optional Experience
Van Loon Museum
In the heart of the canal district lies Museum Van Loon, a magnificent private residence built in 1672. The former residence of the artist Ferdinand Bol, the 18th-century interior still evokes the splendour of the Golden Age. With our Local Specialist, we’ll discover the large collection of paintings, fine furniture, precious silver and porcelain from several centuries. A short walking tour in the heart of the city will then take us to the Beguinage (Begijnhof), a hidden courtyard where extremely pious women lived for almost 700 years. This glimpse behind the façades of Amsterdam's world-famous canals is highly recommended.
Adult Price: €42.00*
* The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change.
Optional Experience
Holland's Favorite Foods
Nibble your way through Amsterdam's international dining scene on a tasting tour led by a Local Specialist. Learn about the international flavors that have influenced Dutch cuisine, while grabbing bites at a cheese shop, beer garden and family restaurant. Savour handpicked local delicacies including artisanal cheeses, a sweet ‘stroopwafel’ and the best fish in town. We'll wash them all down with a beer or Jenever.
Adult Price: €62.00*
* The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change.
Day 3
A Day Exploring Dutch Culture and History
Take a trip back in time to discover the centuries-old traditions of Holland stopping in the pretty town of Haarlem. We join a Local Specialist this morning for a visit to the Corrie ten Boom House and Museum. Learn how this watchmaker helped countless Jews escape Nazi prosecution during World War II, which ultimately led to her arrest. Dive Into Culture and visit Zaanse Schans to sample delicious Dutch cheeses and investigate the inner-workings of one of the country's many windmills. Along the way, you'll learn about the Zuiderzee, and its incredible story of land reclamation and battle against the encroaching sea. We travel to the fishing village of Volendam on the shores of the IJsselmeer, our gateway into a Holland of yesteryear. This evening, we Connect With Locals to enjoy a home-cooked dinner with the Pauw family during an exclusive Be My Guest experience.
Trip Summary Meals IconIncluded Meals - Breakfast, Be My Guest
Day 4
Amsterdam Your Way
You'll get to explore Amsterdam your way today. Don your most comfortable shoes, this is a city for walking. Spend the day tracing Amsterdam's elaborate canal system and admire the centuries-old gabled homes that jostle for their spot overlooking the water. Sit back in a leafy plein and enjoy a crisp pils as you watch the busy Amsterdammers go about their day. You could choose to brave the city streets like the locals by bike. Pedal along the tree-lined canals and over bridges bound for some of the city's great highlights like the Westerkerk, tranquil Jordaan and Vondelpark.
Trip Summary Meals IconIncluded Meals - Breakfast
Day 5
Discover Gouda (or Keukenhof During Tulip Season)
The powerful aroma of delicious Dutch cheese will infuse our senses today. Seemingly frozen in time with its beautiful 15th-century town hall and medieval cheese weighing station, Gouda's status as a cheese trading town dates back to the Middle Ages. Dive Into Culture and witness this proud tradition first-hand in the town's beautiful market square, before spending the rest of the day at leisure (Please note, during the opening of Keukenhof, an excursion to see the tulip fields will be included instead of the visit to Gouda). Returning to Amsterdam this evening, you'll be treated to a superb Farewell Dinner in the heart of the city.
We'll take a short drive with our Local Specialist to imposing Muiderslot Castle, which will give us a real taste of Dutch history. It's part of Amsterdam's Defence Line and is UNESCO World Heritage Listed. During your guided tour, through rooms refurbished in 17th-century style, it's easy to picture yourself in a Rembrandt painting, as it evokes the period when Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft, known as the "Dutch Shakespeare," occupied the castle. We'll also enjoy a garden tour and a refreshment in a typical Dutch Inn.
Adult Price: €56.00*
* The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change.
Day 6
Farewell Amsterdam
The time has come to bid tot ziens to the magnificent city and your fellow travellers after an enjoyable encounter with Amsterdam and the surrounding Dutch countryside. Find out more about your free airport transfer at trafalgar.com/freetransfers.
Trip Summary Meals IconIncluded Meals - Breakfast
All optional experiences for this trip
Book with your travel director when you travel
Available on day 2
Hidden Amsterdam
We'll pay a visit to The Royal Palace in Amsterdam with our Local Specialist. Built in 1648, it originally served as the Town Hall and is still in use by the Dutch Royal Family today. It has also been a Napoleonic Palace, before its current role. Its rich history and the interior of this magnificent building in the heart of Amsterdam make this a must see.
Adult Price: €48.00*
* The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change.
Available on day 2
Van Loon Museum
In the heart of the canal district lies Museum Van Loon, a magnificent private residence built in 1672. The former residence of the artist Ferdinand Bol, the 18th-century interior still evokes the splendour of the Golden Age. With our Local Specialist, we’ll discover the large collection of paintings, fine furniture, precious silver and porcelain from several centuries. A short walking tour in the heart of the city will then take us to the Beguinage (Begijnhof), a hidden courtyard where extremely pious women lived for almost 700 years. This glimpse behind the façades of Amsterdam's world-famous canals is highly recommended.
Adult Price: €42.00*
* The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change.
Available on day 2
Holland's Favorite Foods
Nibble your way through Amsterdam's international dining scene on a tasting tour led by a Local Specialist. Learn about the international flavors that have influenced Dutch cuisine, while grabbing bites at a cheese shop, beer garden and family restaurant. Savour handpicked local delicacies including artisanal cheeses, a sweet ‘stroopwafel’ and the best fish in town. We'll wash them all down with a beer or Jenever.
Adult Price: €62.00*
* The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change.
Available on day 5
Muiderslot, A Genuine Castle
We'll take a short drive with our Local Specialist to imposing Muiderslot Castle, which will give us a real taste of Dutch history. It's part of Amsterdam's Defence Line and is UNESCO World Heritage Listed. During your guided tour, through rooms refurbished in 17th-century style, it's easy to picture yourself in a Rembrandt painting, as it evokes the period when Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft, known as the "Dutch Shakespeare," occupied the castle. We'll also enjoy a garden tour and a refreshment in a typical Dutch Inn.
Adult Price: €56.00*
* The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change.
All Optional Experiences
The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change.
Enjoy a home-cooked Dutch dinner with the Pauw family during an exclusive Be My Guest dinner. (Day 3)
Dive into Culture
Visit the Rijksmuseum, the national art gallery of the Netherlands, where you’ll enjoy its exceptional collection of works by the Dutch masters. (Day 2)
Visit a working Dutch windmill and see the inner workings of the machinery responsible for helping to reclaim the Netherlands from the sea. (Day 3)
Visit the historical cheese market of Gouda and witness the proud tradition which has made it a cheese trading town since the middle ages. (Day 5)
Sightseeing highlights
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Explore the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and Corrie ten Boom House in Haarlem with a Local Specialist
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Discover Amsterdam
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Visit a Dutch windmill and a cheese farm in Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Gouda
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Scenic Cruise of Amsterdam's canals
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Tickets for Keukenhof Tulip Bulb fields are included during the flowering season as an alternative to Gouda (end of March until mid-May)
Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
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Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
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Optional Experiences and free time
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All porterage and restaurant gratuities
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Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
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An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
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All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
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Handcrafted Highlights
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LIVE, UNEDITED & INDEPENDENT TRAVELLERS REVIEWS
Amsterdam Explorer Trip Reviews
Our guests are at the heart of everything we do, their feedback fuels our innovation, inspiring us to improve continuously and craft Simply The Best vacations. That's why we ask each of our guests to leave a third-party verified, independent review after every trip. As testament to our commitment we have been given the Trusted Service Award from Feefo, recognising we deliver exceptional experiences as rated by real guests.
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Amsterdam Explorer - September 2019
Trip Rating
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5
This was the perfect itinerary to break up our 12 day visit to Amsterdam. We initially thought we would try to venture out of Amsterdam on our own but our travel agent suggested this tour for us. We’re so glad that she did, we would never have seen or experienced all that we were able to on this tour. Great job Trafalgar and special kudos to our tour director and driver — they were both fantastic.
The tour was very well organized; the tour director provided fantastic service to all on tour (and there were people of all ages and physical abilities on the tour), she was very knowledgeable and had great stories about the areas that we travelled to — it was a pleasure to be on tour with her. The local specialists we’re also very good — they were very knowledgeable and entertaining which made the tours very enjoyable. And, the driver was amazing — he was very helpful, considerate and did an amazing job driving that huge coach around the narrow, busy streets in all of the European cities that we visited.
The Amsterdam Explorer experience provides an overview of the Netherlands.
Trip Rating
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4
All services provided were well thought out, however, the itinerary could have provided more experiences of the treasures of Amsterdam city and less time spend in cheese shops and cafes.
The tour was laid out very well. We were disappointed to hear that we couldn't get into Kinderdijk. Never did get a full explanation why as I checked online on the site is open to visitors. The trip to Zaanse Scans and the private tour of the old windmill with Tom was excellent and made up for it. We did all the optional touts and enjoyed them all. The hotel was very nice, except for the bed. I still don't like the double beds pushed together and was a little old and lumpy. The coach was very good. Not excellent because we have toured with Insight and the 40 seat buses have spoiled us with the extra leg room. Beside that the bus was quiet, clean and very comfortable, no complaints.
Our tour guide Colette and are driver François were both amazing. Colette was very helpful with any of the tour questions we had and was on top of things. She went above and beyond with requests from some of the other needy tour members. The information and explanation of the history of the sites we seen were excellent. Our driver Francois was amazing the traffic, tight spots you always get in the big cities and small towns. Very helpful with the older guests that need some assistance. The local tour guides were also very good and informative. They went way above the expected with some of the tour group that had mobility issues. The hotel was very good and staff was always polite and helpful. Originally we thought the hotel being away from the city center was a bad choice but with the tram stop only being a block away we were able to easily get anywhere in Amsterdam we wished for very little money. Excellent trip and we did all the optional experiences which adds to the trip very much.
Kept you active, which I liked. Did not like back to back optional tours. Would have liked to have Van Gogh museum included in tour. Hotel and breakfast was very good, negative was that hotel was not near downtown. Enjoyed canal cruise and dinner. Tour director and bus driver were excellent. First trip with Trafalgar was very positive.
A great range of experiences. Since the country is small we were able to stay in the same hotel the entire time. Travel time to other locations were all under an hour.
Incredible trip, so much of the experience does hinge on your guide. Simone did an outstanding job and it is evident she loves what she does. The trip was very well organized and we saw so much. The itinerary offered a range of experiences. We were very pleased and would definitely use Trafalgar again.
Shared Rooming: Guaranteed Room Share is not available on this trip.
Drinking Water: Tap water is safe to drink in all of the destinations on this trip. Please remember to bring a water bottle.
King's Day is a national holiday in the Netherlands. Celebrations will be taking place throughout Amsterdam on 27 April.
Keukenhof: Tickets for Keukenhof Bulb fields are included during the flowering season (20 March - 9 May 2021). Departures 4 April, 18 April, 25 April and 2 May 2021 will include tickets to the magnificent Keukenhof tulip fields instead of a visit to Gouda.
Unless otherwise stated, trip prices are per person, land only, based on double occupancy and reflect applicable discount. Discounts are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice.
Trip prices are correct at the time of the products going live, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking. All trip information is correct at time of trips going live, however are subject to change - please confirm all details at time of booking.
Twin-share option not available for trips to South America, Costa Rica, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, South Africa, Kenya & Tanzania, Botswana, Zambia or for any holiday & cruise combination, or in Asia and Eastern Mediterranean except Highlights of Turkey (without cruise) & Best of Turkey. It's also not available on Small Group trips. Guided Vacations included in this restriction are Newfoundland and Labrador (DNLA). Does not apply to trips operated by Inspiring Journeys & our Mini-stays.
For trips that are part of our Guaranteed Room Share, please note that there is a no smoking policy in all shared rooms. Solo travel is not accepted on guided Family Experiences holidays unless travelling as part of a family group.
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