Windmills to Wonders Amsterdam to Paris

Welcome to Amsterdam – we’ll transfer you to your hotel, and the rest of the day is yours to relax after your journey. In the afternoon, please check the information boards at hotel reception for details about the start of your tour.
Please note: This tour may have travellers joining or departing at various points along the route, meaning group composition can change during the tour. Please also be aware that depending on group composition, guiding may be in additional languages as well as English.

Today we explore the Holland of postcards – quaint houses, waterways and windmills. We begin at Zaanse Schans, noted for its traditional cottages, canals and historic windmills, before continuing to Volendam, a picturesque fishing village. From here we take a short boat ride to Marken – once an island, now linked to the mainland by a fixed dike – where houses were traditionally built on stilts to protect against flooding. In the afternoon, we enjoy a guided tour of Amsterdam, taking in a classic windmill view and the Rembrandt statue, the elegant South District and the long-established craft of diamond cutting around Museum Square. We finish at Central Station, where the tour concludes. Your guide will share practical tips so you can explore the city’s canals, street markets and cafés in your own time.

After breakfast, we leave Amsterdam for Belgium – just over 200 km to Brussels, the capital and home to key European institutions. Before reaching the city centre, we make a brief stop at the Atomium, the city’s most recognisable landmark. In Brussels we admire the Grand Place – a jewel of Flemish Baroque – and stroll past the Manneken Pis. In the afternoon, we continue into France, arriving in Paris towards the end of the day.

We spend the morning at the Palace of Versailles – entry not included – renowned for its splendid formal gardens. Returning to Paris, we visit Montmartre, the city’s historic bohemian neighbourhood known for its artists and cabarets. To round off the day, we take a panoramic tour with a local guide to admire Paris’s grand avenues and major monuments, then return to the hotel. In the evening, you can opt to attend a variety show.

We start the day in central Paris with a visit to the iconic Eiffel Tower – entry to the second floor is included. Afterwards, we enjoy a leisurely cruise along the Seine lasting around one hour and fifteen minutes. The afternoon is free for you to explore at your own pace – please note the transfer back to the hotel is not included. If queues at the Eiffel Tower are exceptionally long, we may reschedule the visit to a different time or to Sunday.

After breakfast, we conclude the tour – our services end here. We hope you depart with wonderful memories of your journey.