Paris to Amsterdam Explorer

Paris – Bruges – Brussels. We collect you from your hotel at 07:30 for the 295 km motorway journey to Bruges – around 3.5 hours in a comfortable, air–conditioned Mercedes minivan – with a short rest stop. You arrive at around 11:15 and begin a two–hour walking tour of the historic centre. Bruges is famed for its medieval architecture and canals – highlights include the 83–metre Belfort on the Market Square, first built in 1240 and now part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. You then have free time for lunch from 13:15–14:15.

From 14:30–15:30 you visit the Bourgogne des Flandres brewery bar for a tasting of six locally brewed beers. From 15:30–16:45 you take a canal boat trip with audio guide – the cruise itself lasts 30–45 minutes – followed by some free time. At 18:00 you depart for Brussels – about 100 km and 1.5 hours – arriving around 19:30 to check in to a centrally located hotel.

Brussels – Antwerp – Amsterdam. At 08:30 you set off with a local guide for a panoramic tour of Brussels’ historic centre, taking in the Royal Residence, Royal Square, the Houses of Parliament, elegant Art Nouveau façades, the Triumphal Arch, the European Parliament and the Atomium. From 10:30–14:00 you have free time in Brussels to explore at your own pace.

At 14:00 you depart for Antwerp – about 1 hour by road (45 km). Enjoy a guided walk through Antwerp from 15:00–16:30 - the heart of ancient Flanders and the city of Rubens and van Dyck, and the world’s largest centre for diamond cutting. You visit the Grote Markt and see the Plantin–Moretus Museum and the medieval fortress of Het Steen.

At 17:00 you continue to Amsterdam – around 2 hours by road (160 km) – arriving at approximately 19:00 for hotel check-in.

Amsterdam – Zaanse Schans – Volendam – Amsterdam. At 09:00 you set out on a guided walking tour of Amsterdam’s historic centre, taking in Dam Square, the Royal Palace, the Rembrandt House Museum and the famous Red Light District.

From 11:00–12:00 you visit a diamond factory to see the full process of cutting diamonds. You then cruise the Amstel and Amsterdam’s UNESCO listed canals, viewing the 17th century gabled houses from the water. The cruise end at around 13:00.

At 14:00 you depart for a half day trip to Zaanse Schans and Volendam. Zaanse Schans is an open air museum with six windmills – historically, more than 10,000 were built in Holland – along with 35 wooden houses from the 17th to 18th centuries, a spice mill, an oil mill, a bakery museum, a wooden clog workshop and a cheese factory.

You then transfer to Volendam – around 25 km away – a fishing village with its own harbour that presents the life of Dutch fishermen in earlier times, where you can see locals in traditional clothing. At 19:00 you return to Amsterdam.