Compare Tulip Time Highlights by Avalon Waterways vs Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam Tour by Discovery Nomads
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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4.5 | Great
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| Duration | 8 days | 6 days |
| Price From | $ 3,599 | $ 1,417 |
| Price Per Day | $ 450 | $ 236 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Group tour | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Standard |
| Physical Level |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included | N/A |
3 Breakfasts |
| Description | See your visions of tulip season in Holland and Belgium come into view while cruising from Brussels to Amsterdam. Take in the quintessential Dutch scenes of windmills, waterways, and seemingly endless rows of blooming color. Embark in Brussels and sail to Ghent—“The Diamond of Flanders.” Visit St. Bavo’s Cathedral with its stunning Flemish artwork. 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. Take in the tulips and other flowering bulbs in the flower farm regions of Zaandam and Haarlem, and conclude your river cruise through Belgium and Holland with a visit to Amsterdam. Take a guided canal cruise past bridges and homes of a golden age. |
Take a short trip to the most beautiful European capital cities, walk around Monmartre in Paris, take a gourmet tour in Brussels, explore Amsterdam by boat and enjoy unique culture and cuisine of European countries. |
Day 1: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (EMBARKATION)
Welcome to Belgium. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding.
Flights into Brussels must arrive by 2:00 pm.
Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.
Enjoy dinner on board as you sail for Ghent this evening.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO GHENT
(Dinner)
BRUSSELS-GRAND-PLACE.jpg
Day 2: GHENT
Medieval Masterpieces and Flemish Finery
Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.
ACTIVE Explore a different side of Ghent by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:CLASSIC Explore Ghent—“The Diamond of Flanders”— with a Guided Sightseeing Tour of this showcase of medieval Flemish wealth. You’ll visit St. Bavo’s Cathedral—with its remarkable Flemish artwork.Alternatively, you may choose to join a full-day Guided Optional Excursion of Bruges to explore its canals, cobbled streets, and medieval buildings. You’ll see its crisscrossed canals, the 13th-century belfry of Market Square, and charming patrician houses.
This evening, enjoy live entertainment onboard. OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BOSSUIT(Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
GHENT.jpg
Day 3: BOSSUIT
Battlefield Remembrances in Flanders
DISCOVERY Visit the In Flanders Field Museum in Ypres—named for the soldier’s famed poem. Learn about the story of the invasion of Belgium, the first months of the mobilization, the four years trench war in the Westhoek, the end of the war, and the lasting remembrance to follow. After your visit, enjoy lunch at the museum’s café.DISCOVERY Following the museum, visit battlefields, cemeteries, memorials and private collections. DISCOVERY Experience the Last Post Ceremony, taking place nightly under the arches of the Menin Gate. Enjoy some free time for dinner before the Ceremony starts. OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MIDDELBURG
(Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
YPRES.jpg
Day 4: MIDDELBURG, HOLLAND
A Spicy History in Middelburg’s Dutch Harbor Town
CLASSIC Join a Guided Walking Tour through the winding cobblestones and canals of Middelburg. See the 15th-century Gothic Town Halland learn about its important role in the spice trade and Dutch East India trading.Enjoy lunch on board while cruising to Veere.
ACTIVE Alternatively, bike from Middelburg to Veere with your Adventure Host.VEERE
History and Scottish Houses
CLASSIC Explore the town of Veere with an expert local guide.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO KINDERDIJK
(Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
MIDDELBURG-DETAIL.jpg
Day 5: KINDERDIJK–ROTTERDAM
Harnessing the Wind for 300 Years
Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.
ACTIVE See the windmills of Kinderdijk by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour of Kinderdijk where 19 windmills were built in 1740 as flood prevention and water management. You’ll hear about the windmill’s vital role in the Netherland’s history and why it became a national symbol of Holland.
Enjoy a cruise through Rotterdam harbor.
ACTIVE Experience Rotterdam by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Rotterdam featuring innovative architecture, including the marvelous Erasmus Bridge.Later, enjoy live entertainment onboard.
OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ZAANDAM
(Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
KINDERDIJK.jpg
Day 6: ZAANDAM
Windmills, Waterways, and Waving Fields of Flowers
Arrive in Zaandam this morning with free time to explore this quintessential Dutch town. During tulip season, you may take a Guided Optional Excursion to Keukenhof gardens. Outside of tulip season, join a Guided Optional Excursion to Zaanse Schans to see historic windmills and charming Dutch houses.
Cruise to Haarlem this afternoon while enjoying lunch onboard.
HAARLEM
Tulips and North Sea Trading Ports
ACTIVE Enjoy an easy bike ride to the beach with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC Visit Haarlem, a major flower bulbs growing district outside of Amsterdam. Explore the former North Sea trading port with its medieval features, gabled houses, and leafy courtyards.
Enjoy dinner on board your ship this evening as you sail to Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM
(Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
ZAANDAM.jpg
Day 7: AMSTERDAM
Canals of Colorful Amsterdam
ACTIVE Join a Biking Tour through the Dutch countryside past polders, dykes, and quaint centuries-old villages, OR:
CLASSIC Explore the iconic waterways of Amsterdam on a Guided Canal Cruise past stately homes of Amsterdam’s “Golden Age”.
This afternoon, you might consider joining one of the Optional Excursions available.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM
(Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
AMSTERDAM-CANAL-CRUISE.jpg
Day 8: AMSTERDAM (DISEMBARKATION)
Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning.
(Breakfast)
AMSTERDAM-SUNRISE.jpg
Day 1-2: Paris
Accommodation: Mercury Paris Opera or similar
Arrival at any time. Explore fascinating Paris, visit the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, take a walk through the creative Montmartre, visit Sacre Coeur Cathedral and in the evening you will have free time to explore the nightlife of the city.
Day 3: Brussels
Accommodation: Novotel Brussels Centre or similar
Take your chance and discover the political centre of Europe. ee the world-famous market square, glance at the remarkable city hall and discover the secrets of Belgian chocolates or beer and try its amazing seafood.
Day 4-6: Amsterdam
Accommodation: NH Amsterdam Museum Quarter or similar
You will travel by train to Amsterdam, a city which is called the Venice of the North, to see the cute little houses, ride on the boat, explore the museums and see masterpieces of the Van Gogh Museum, and additionally see Madame Tussauds museum or enjoy Heineken brewery.
