The adventure awaits
The Netherlands is not just tulips and clogs. This country offers so much more, whatever the season. And I invite you to take a trip to the magical and quite possibly drizzly autumn Netherlands. Because that's where the colourful charm and mysterious atmosphere lies.
This trip is specially designed for those who have never been to the Netherlands before, but it will offer interesting and unfamiliar places to those who have visited the country before.
It combines classic destinations such as Amsterdam and the Zaanse Schans windmill museum with a tour of the historic city of Haarlem and a visit to the fishing town of Volendam and the nearby island of Marken.
Amsterdam will certainly not be the focus of our trip, as is usually the case when visiting the Netherlands for the first time.
Typical Dutch architecture, a canal cruise among historical jewels, a visit to a traditional harbour, shops with delicious homemade cheese, visits to renowned museums and the castle and its adjacent gardens.
On this trip, you will experience the real Netherlands and yet a little out of the ordinary with destinations that are not so typical for tourists.
On arrival at Schiphol Airport, you will be picked up in the airport lobby and transferred by train to Haarlem, the historic beer city. Here we will enjoy a city tour and sightseeing from an unusual perspective - a canal cruise.
Haarlem is like the twin city of Amsterdam. Here you will find romantic canals, museums, historic buildings and typical architecture - tall, narrow houses that line the canals. Tourists call them "Amsterdam houses." In Dutch, they are grachtenpandjes with gevels, and you won't just find them in Amsterdam, but scattered almost all over the Netherlands.
Unlike Amsterdam, however, Haarlem doesn't get nearly as many tourists a year as the capital, so Haarlem remains a picturesque but quiet place to get to know the Netherlands. That's why it will be the first on our list.
First, we'll explore the city centre, walk along the canals and visit the Grote Markt on our tour.
Around the square, we will walk through narrow streets filled with historic buildings and stop at the majestic St. Bavon Church (Cathedral).
We'll take our leave of the square, there are countless places to refresh ourselves.
If you are interested, you can see the cathedral from the inside, tickets can be bought at the entrance. After a tour of the historic centre of Haarlem, we will check in.
After checking in, we'll hit the streets of Haarlem again. At the historic Teylers Museum, we will board a boat for a tour of Haarlem's canals. On this cruise we will see a windmill, a former prison, an 18th century cathedral and many other historic buildings.
We will finish the tour in the former Jopenkerk Church, which now serves as a brewery, snack bar and restaurant. Depending on your preference, you can have a snack here and taste traditional local beer.
At the same time, you can taste traditional Dutch specialities such as bitterballen, frikandel or croquet in the local snack bar.
I'll explain what to expect from which dish, don't worry.
On the second day of our trip, we will meet after breakfast and visit one of Haarlem's museums, and after the tour we will head to the fishing bastion town of Volendam. There we will explore the harbour with its charming atmosphere, sample fresh fish specialities and take a ferry to the adjacent island of Marken.
There we will enjoy a slice of the traditional Netherlands. Verdant typical houses, white bridges, landscaped gardens, a shop full of clogs and cheese. There's also a photogenic lighthouse that watches over the other side of the island.
After breakfast, we will go on a tour of the oldest museum in the Netherlands - the Teylers Museum in Haarlem. Here we will see old paintings by Dutch painters, historical inventions and finds such as old coins and fossils.
After visiting the museum, we will take the train to Volendam. The fishing port town of Volendam will enchant you with its architecture and atmosphere. We'll walk along the harbour, which is lined with historic houses, and visit the backstreets that lead deeper into the town. You won't regret it. At every corner you'll have the chance to sample Dutch fish specialties such as kibbeling, which is fried cod or raw herring, and much more. You can try local specialities in one of the fishmongers' shops or at a street stall. All are stocked with the highest quality local produce. You can't get fresher fish than this.
From Volendam, we take a ferry to the picturesque island of Marken. The ferry runs every 30-45 minutes. The journey one way will take about half an hour. On the cruise, we will have a view of the wide Markermeer lake and, of course, the two harbours of Volendam and Marken, surrounded by boats.
The island, or rather the Marken peninsula (connected to the mainland by a 1.6 km long strip), lies to the east of Volendam. Marken is a picturesque village of less than 2000 people. We will walk past the typical colourful wooden houses, see the lighthouse on the eastern side of the island and take a one-hour break where you can either visit a shop selling cheese, clogs or typical Dutch sweets, or sit in one of the local cafes.If we are lucky, we will also see locals in typical historical costumes.
After exploring the island, we will return by ferry to Volendam and then take the train back to Haarlem, where you can have dinner and take an evening stroll through the city. Enjoy an evening stroll around the romantic water channels.
Day 3 is a combination of a typical Dutch trip and one of the hidden gems. We will head to the Zaanse Schans open-air museum, a village full of life, where we will see typical Dutch windmills and lots of traditional workshops and crafts.
We will then take a tour of one of the oldest and best fortified castles in the Netherlands, Muiderslot Castle.
Old windmills glowing with every shade of green can be found on the banks of the canals among the historic wooden houses and barns. The whole village is matched to the green colour scheme, giving it a fairy-tale feel.
But windmills are not the only thing to see in Zaanse Schans. You will also find several interesting museums or craft workshops. For example, you can take a tour of the Verkade chocolate and biscuit museum or visit the museum of the Dutch food chain Albert Heijn, which dates back to 1887.
In addition to the museums, there is, of course, the opportunity to take a peek inside a clog and cheese factory, as is customary in the Netherlands. There is also a warehouse and spice shop, a chocolate factory where the traditional Dutch delicacy liquorice is produced, and a period bakery where you can taste traditional delicacies, and that's not all.
I'll tell you where to find what, I'll introduce you to the history of this open-air museum and then I won't bore you with facts, we'll disband the group here and you'll have the opportunity to visit exactly what you're in the mood for and take typical photos at the windmills, green houses or even in your clogs, so you'll have something to remember at home.
After the tour of Zaanse Schans, we will go to Muiderslot Castle.
Muiderslot was built in the 13th century by Count Floris V.
The historic castle also includes a castle garden, where you will find a herb garden, mature plum trees and many other well-kept plants.
Muiderslot Castle is entirely surrounded by a water canal, which enhances its atmosphere.We will take a tour of the castle and also look into the castle's autumn garden.
After the tour, we will return to Haarlem to recharge for the last day of our trip.
The last day will be spent in the capital of the Netherlands - Amsterdam. We will walk through the city centre, see the famous street with traditional houses built right on the canals, walk to Dam Square and see the floating flower market on the canal.
We will arrive in Amsterdam in the morning.You will have the opportunity to visit one of Amsterdam's famous museums - the Rijksmuseum, Moco Museum, Van Gogh Museum or Rembrandt House. Tickets to these museums are included in the price of this trip, it just depends on your preferences. After the museum visit, we will explore the capital city. I'll take you on a journey along the canals, over which typical Dutch houses grow, show you the floating flower market, the famous square, the royal palace, the red-light district and the historic cathedral that hides in the shouting district.
After the city tour, we will take the train to Schiphol Airport followed by a flight home.
The Netherlands is not just tulips and clogs. This country offers so much more, whatever the season. And I invite you to take a trip to the magical and quite possibly drizzly autumn Netherlands. Because that's where the colourful charm and mysterious atmosphere lies.
This trip is specially designed for those who have never been to the Netherlands before, but it will offer interesting and unfamiliar places to those who have visited the country before.
It combines classic destinations such as Amsterdam and the Zaanse Schans windmill museum with a tour of the historic city of Haarlem and a visit to the fishing town of Volendam and the nearby island of Marken.
Amsterdam will certainly not be the focus of our trip, as is usually the case when visiting the Netherlands for the first time.
Typical Dutch architecture, a canal cruise among historical jewels, a visit to a traditional harbour, shops with delicious homemade cheese, visits to renowned museums and the castle and its adjacent gardens.
On this trip, you will experience the real Netherlands and yet a little out of the ordinary with destinations that are not so typical for tourists.
On arrival at Schiphol Airport, you will be picked up in the airport lobby and transferred by train to Haarlem, the historic beer city. Here we will enjoy a city tour and sightseeing from an unusual perspective - a canal cruise.
Haarlem is like the twin city of Amsterdam. Here you will find romantic canals, museums, historic buildings and typical architecture - tall, narrow houses that line the canals. Tourists call them "Amsterdam houses." In Dutch, they are grachtenpandjes with gevels, and you won't just find them in Amsterdam, but scattered almost all over the Netherlands.
Unlike Amsterdam, however, Haarlem doesn't get nearly as many tourists a year as the capital, so Haarlem remains a picturesque but quiet place to get to know the Netherlands. That's why it will be the first on our list.
First, we'll explore the city centre, walk along the canals and visit the Grote Markt on our tour.
Around the square, we will walk through narrow streets filled with historic buildings and stop at the majestic St. Bavon Church (Cathedral).
We'll take our leave of the square, there are countless places to refresh ourselves.
If you are interested, you can see the cathedral from the inside, tickets can be bought at the entrance. After a tour of the historic centre of Haarlem, we will check in.
After checking in, we'll hit the streets of Haarlem again. At the historic Teylers Museum, we will board a boat for a tour of Haarlem's canals. On this cruise we will see a windmill, a former prison, an 18th century cathedral and many other historic buildings.
We will finish the tour in the former Jopenkerk Church, which now serves as a brewery, snack bar and restaurant. Depending on your preference, you can have a snack here and taste traditional local beer.
At the same time, you can taste traditional Dutch specialities such as bitterballen, frikandel or croquet in the local snack bar.
I'll explain what to expect from which dish, don't worry.
On the second day of our trip, we will meet after breakfast and visit one of Haarlem's museums, and after the tour we will head to the fishing bastion town of Volendam. There we will explore the harbour with its charming atmosphere, sample fresh fish specialities and take a ferry to the adjacent island of Marken.
There we will enjoy a slice of the traditional Netherlands. Verdant typical houses, white bridges, landscaped gardens, a shop full of clogs and cheese. There's also a photogenic lighthouse that watches over the other side of the island.
After breakfast, we will go on a tour of the oldest museum in the Netherlands - the Teylers Museum in Haarlem. Here we will see old paintings by Dutch painters, historical inventions and finds such as old coins and fossils.
After visiting the museum, we will take the train to Volendam. The fishing port town of Volendam will enchant you with its architecture and atmosphere. We'll walk along the harbour, which is lined with historic houses, and visit the backstreets that lead deeper into the town. You won't regret it. At every corner you'll have the chance to sample Dutch fish specialties such as kibbeling, which is fried cod or raw herring, and much more. You can try local specialities in one of the fishmongers' shops or at a street stall. All are stocked with the highest quality local produce. You can't get fresher fish than this.
From Volendam, we take a ferry to the picturesque island of Marken. The ferry runs every 30-45 minutes. The journey one way will take about half an hour. On the cruise, we will have a view of the wide Markermeer lake and, of course, the two harbours of Volendam and Marken, surrounded by boats.
The island, or rather the Marken peninsula (connected to the mainland by a 1.6 km long strip), lies to the east of Volendam. Marken is a picturesque village of less than 2000 people. We will walk past the typical colourful wooden houses, see the lighthouse on the eastern side of the island and take a one-hour break where you can either visit a shop selling cheese, clogs or typical Dutch sweets, or sit in one of the local cafes.If we are lucky, we will also see locals in typical historical costumes.
After exploring the island, we will return by ferry to Volendam and then take the train back to Haarlem, where you can have dinner and take an evening stroll through the city. Enjoy an evening stroll around the romantic water channels.
Day 3 is a combination of a typical Dutch trip and one of the hidden gems. We will head to the Zaanse Schans open-air museum, a village full of life, where we will see typical Dutch windmills and lots of traditional workshops and crafts.
We will then take a tour of one of the oldest and best fortified castles in the Netherlands, Muiderslot Castle.
Old windmills glowing with every shade of green can be found on the banks of the canals among the historic wooden houses and barns. The whole village is matched to the green colour scheme, giving it a fairy-tale feel.
But windmills are not the only thing to see in Zaanse Schans. You will also find several interesting museums or craft workshops. For example, you can take a tour of the Verkade chocolate and biscuit museum or visit the museum of the Dutch food chain Albert Heijn, which dates back to 1887.
In addition to the museums, there is, of course, the opportunity to take a peek inside a clog and cheese factory, as is customary in the Netherlands. There is also a warehouse and spice shop, a chocolate factory where the traditional Dutch delicacy liquorice is produced, and a period bakery where you can taste traditional delicacies, and that's not all.
I'll tell you where to find what, I'll introduce you to the history of this open-air museum and then I won't bore you with facts, we'll disband the group here and you'll have the opportunity to visit exactly what you're in the mood for and take typical photos at the windmills, green houses or even in your clogs, so you'll have something to remember at home.
After the tour of Zaanse Schans, we will go to Muiderslot Castle.
Muiderslot was built in the 13th century by Count Floris V.
The historic castle also includes a castle garden, where you will find a herb garden, mature plum trees and many other well-kept plants.
Muiderslot Castle is entirely surrounded by a water canal, which enhances its atmosphere.We will take a tour of the castle and also look into the castle's autumn garden.
After the tour, we will return to Haarlem to recharge for the last day of our trip.
The last day will be spent in the capital of the Netherlands - Amsterdam. We will walk through the city centre, see the famous street with traditional houses built right on the canals, walk to Dam Square and see the floating flower market on the canal.
We will arrive in Amsterdam in the morning.You will have the opportunity to visit one of Amsterdam's famous museums - the Rijksmuseum, Moco Museum, Van Gogh Museum or Rembrandt House. Tickets to these museums are included in the price of this trip, it just depends on your preferences. After the museum visit, we will explore the capital city. I'll take you on a journey along the canals, over which typical Dutch houses grow, show you the floating flower market, the famous square, the royal palace, the red-light district and the historic cathedral that hides in the shouting district.
After the city tour, we will take the train to Schiphol Airport followed by a flight home.
itinerary by Veronika Baars
The adventure awaits
The Netherlands is not just tulips and clogs. This country offers so much more, whatever the season. And I invite you to take a trip to the magical and quite possibly drizzly autumn Netherlands. Because that's where the colourful charm and mysterious atmosphere lies.
This trip is specially designed for those who have never been to the Netherlands before, but it will offer interesting and unfamiliar places to those who have visited the country before.
It combines classic destinations such as Amsterdam and the Zaanse Schans windmill museum with a tour of the historic city of Haarlem and a visit to the fishing town of Volendam and the nearby island of Marken.
Amsterdam will certainly not be the focus of our trip, as is usually the case when visiting the Netherlands for the first time.
Typical Dutch architecture, a canal cruise among historical jewels, a visit to a traditional harbour, shops with delicious homemade cheese, visits to renowned museums and the castle and its adjacent gardens.
On this trip, you will experience the real Netherlands and yet a little out of the ordinary with destinations that are not so typical for tourists.
On arrival at Schiphol Airport, you will be picked up in the airport lobby and transferred by train to Haarlem, the historic beer city. Here we will enjoy a city tour and sightseeing from an unusual perspective - a canal cruise.
Haarlem is like the twin city of Amsterdam. Here you will find romantic canals, museums, historic buildings and typical architecture - tall, narrow houses that line the canals. Tourists call them "Amsterdam houses." In Dutch, they are grachtenpandjes with gevels, and you won't just find them in Amsterdam, but scattered almost all over the Netherlands.
Unlike Amsterdam, however, Haarlem doesn't get nearly as many tourists a year as the capital, so Haarlem remains a picturesque but quiet place to get to know the Netherlands. That's why it will be the first on our list.
First, we'll explore the city centre, walk along the canals and visit the Grote Markt on our tour.
Around the square, we will walk through narrow streets filled with historic buildings and stop at the majestic St. Bavon Church (Cathedral).
We'll take our leave of the square, there are countless places to refresh ourselves.
If you are interested, you can see the cathedral from the inside, tickets can be bought at the entrance. After a tour of the historic centre of Haarlem, we will check in.
After checking in, we'll hit the streets of Haarlem again. At the historic Teylers Museum, we will board a boat for a tour of Haarlem's canals. On this cruise we will see a windmill, a former prison, an 18th century cathedral and many other historic buildings.
We will finish the tour in the former Jopenkerk Church, which now serves as a brewery, snack bar and restaurant. Depending on your preference, you can have a snack here and taste traditional local beer.
At the same time, you can taste traditional Dutch specialities such as bitterballen, frikandel or croquet in the local snack bar.
I'll explain what to expect from which dish, don't worry.
On the second day of our trip, we will meet after breakfast and visit one of Haarlem's museums, and after the tour we will head to the fishing bastion town of Volendam. There we will explore the harbour with its charming atmosphere, sample fresh fish specialities and take a ferry to the adjacent island of Marken.
There we will enjoy a slice of the traditional Netherlands. Verdant typical houses, white bridges, landscaped gardens, a shop full of clogs and cheese. There's also a photogenic lighthouse that watches over the other side of the island.
After breakfast, we will go on a tour of the oldest museum in the Netherlands - the Teylers Museum in Haarlem. Here we will see old paintings by Dutch painters, historical inventions and finds such as old coins and fossils.
After visiting the museum, we will take the train to Volendam. The fishing port town of Volendam will enchant you with its architecture and atmosphere. We'll walk along the harbour, which is lined with historic houses, and visit the backstreets that lead deeper into the town. You won't regret it. At every corner you'll have the chance to sample Dutch fish specialties such as kibbeling, which is fried cod or raw herring, and much more. You can try local specialities in one of the fishmongers' shops or at a street stall. All are stocked with the highest quality local produce. You can't get fresher fish than this.
From Volendam, we take a ferry to the picturesque island of Marken. The ferry runs every 30-45 minutes. The journey one way will take about half an hour. On the cruise, we will have a view of the wide Markermeer lake and, of course, the two harbours of Volendam and Marken, surrounded by boats.
The island, or rather the Marken peninsula (connected to the mainland by a 1.6 km long strip), lies to the east of Volendam. Marken is a picturesque village of less than 2000 people. We will walk past the typical colourful wooden houses, see the lighthouse on the eastern side of the island and take a one-hour break where you can either visit a shop selling cheese, clogs or typical Dutch sweets, or sit in one of the local cafes.If we are lucky, we will also see locals in typical historical costumes.
After exploring the island, we will return by ferry to Volendam and then take the train back to Haarlem, where you can have dinner and take an evening stroll through the city. Enjoy an evening stroll around the romantic water channels.
Day 3 is a combination of a typical Dutch trip and one of the hidden gems. We will head to the Zaanse Schans open-air museum, a village full of life, where we will see typical Dutch windmills and lots of traditional workshops and crafts.
We will then take a tour of one of the oldest and best fortified castles in the Netherlands, Muiderslot Castle.
Old windmills glowing with every shade of green can be found on the banks of the canals among the historic wooden houses and barns. The whole village is matched to the green colour scheme, giving it a fairy-tale feel.
But windmills are not the only thing to see in Zaanse Schans. You will also find several interesting museums or craft workshops. For example, you can take a tour of the Verkade chocolate and biscuit museum or visit the museum of the Dutch food chain Albert Heijn, which dates back to 1887.
In addition to the museums, there is, of course, the opportunity to take a peek inside a clog and cheese factory, as is customary in the Netherlands. There is also a warehouse and spice shop, a chocolate factory where the traditional Dutch delicacy liquorice is produced, and a period bakery where you can taste traditional delicacies, and that's not all.
I'll tell you where to find what, I'll introduce you to the history of this open-air museum and then I won't bore you with facts, we'll disband the group here and you'll have the opportunity to visit exactly what you're in the mood for and take typical photos at the windmills, green houses or even in your clogs, so you'll have something to remember at home.
After the tour of Zaanse Schans, we will go to Muiderslot Castle.
Muiderslot was built in the 13th century by Count Floris V.
The historic castle also includes a castle garden, where you will find a herb garden, mature plum trees and many other well-kept plants.
Muiderslot Castle is entirely surrounded by a water canal, which enhances its atmosphere.We will take a tour of the castle and also look into the castle's autumn garden.
After the tour, we will return to Haarlem to recharge for the last day of our trip.
The last day will be spent in the capital of the Netherlands - Amsterdam. We will walk through the city centre, see the famous street with traditional houses built right on the canals, walk to Dam Square and see the floating flower market on the canal.
We will arrive in Amsterdam in the morning.You will have the opportunity to visit one of Amsterdam's famous museums - the Rijksmuseum, Moco Museum, Van Gogh Museum or Rembrandt House. Tickets to these museums are included in the price of this trip, it just depends on your preferences. After the museum visit, we will explore the capital city. I'll take you on a journey along the canals, over which typical Dutch houses grow, show you the floating flower market, the famous square, the royal palace, the red-light district and the historic cathedral that hides in the shouting district.
After the city tour, we will take the train to Schiphol Airport followed by a flight home.
The Netherlands is not just tulips and clogs. This country offers so much more, whatever the season. And I invite you to take a trip to the magical and quite possibly drizzly autumn Netherlands. Because that's where the colourful charm and mysterious atmosphere lies.
This trip is specially designed for those who have never been to the Netherlands before, but it will offer interesting and unfamiliar places to those who have visited the country before.
It combines classic destinations such as Amsterdam and the Zaanse Schans windmill museum with a tour of the historic city of Haarlem and a visit to the fishing town of Volendam and the nearby island of Marken.
Amsterdam will certainly not be the focus of our trip, as is usually the case when visiting the Netherlands for the first time.
Typical Dutch architecture, a canal cruise among historical jewels, a visit to a traditional harbour, shops with delicious homemade cheese, visits to renowned museums and the castle and its adjacent gardens.
On this trip, you will experience the real Netherlands and yet a little out of the ordinary with destinations that are not so typical for tourists.
On arrival at Schiphol Airport, you will be picked up in the airport lobby and transferred by train to Haarlem, the historic beer city. Here we will enjoy a city tour and sightseeing from an unusual perspective - a canal cruise.
Haarlem is like the twin city of Amsterdam. Here you will find romantic canals, museums, historic buildings and typical architecture - tall, narrow houses that line the canals. Tourists call them "Amsterdam houses." In Dutch, they are grachtenpandjes with gevels, and you won't just find them in Amsterdam, but scattered almost all over the Netherlands.
Unlike Amsterdam, however, Haarlem doesn't get nearly as many tourists a year as the capital, so Haarlem remains a picturesque but quiet place to get to know the Netherlands. That's why it will be the first on our list.
First, we'll explore the city centre, walk along the canals and visit the Grote Markt on our tour.
Around the square, we will walk through narrow streets filled with historic buildings and stop at the majestic St. Bavon Church (Cathedral).
We'll take our leave of the square, there are countless places to refresh ourselves.
If you are interested, you can see the cathedral from the inside, tickets can be bought at the entrance. After a tour of the historic centre of Haarlem, we will check in.
After checking in, we'll hit the streets of Haarlem again. At the historic Teylers Museum, we will board a boat for a tour of Haarlem's canals. On this cruise we will see a windmill, a former prison, an 18th century cathedral and many other historic buildings.
We will finish the tour in the former Jopenkerk Church, which now serves as a brewery, snack bar and restaurant. Depending on your preference, you can have a snack here and taste traditional local beer.
At the same time, you can taste traditional Dutch specialities such as bitterballen, frikandel or croquet in the local snack bar.
I'll explain what to expect from which dish, don't worry.
On the second day of our trip, we will meet after breakfast and visit one of Haarlem's museums, and after the tour we will head to the fishing bastion town of Volendam. There we will explore the harbour with its charming atmosphere, sample fresh fish specialities and take a ferry to the adjacent island of Marken.
There we will enjoy a slice of the traditional Netherlands. Verdant typical houses, white bridges, landscaped gardens, a shop full of clogs and cheese. There's also a photogenic lighthouse that watches over the other side of the island.
After breakfast, we will go on a tour of the oldest museum in the Netherlands - the Teylers Museum in Haarlem. Here we will see old paintings by Dutch painters, historical inventions and finds such as old coins and fossils.
After visiting the museum, we will take the train to Volendam. The fishing port town of Volendam will enchant you with its architecture and atmosphere. We'll walk along the harbour, which is lined with historic houses, and visit the backstreets that lead deeper into the town. You won't regret it. At every corner you'll have the chance to sample Dutch fish specialties such as kibbeling, which is fried cod or raw herring, and much more. You can try local specialities in one of the fishmongers' shops or at a street stall. All are stocked with the highest quality local produce. You can't get fresher fish than this.
From Volendam, we take a ferry to the picturesque island of Marken. The ferry runs every 30-45 minutes. The journey one way will take about half an hour. On the cruise, we will have a view of the wide Markermeer lake and, of course, the two harbours of Volendam and Marken, surrounded by boats.
The island, or rather the Marken peninsula (connected to the mainland by a 1.6 km long strip), lies to the east of Volendam. Marken is a picturesque village of less than 2000 people. We will walk past the typical colourful wooden houses, see the lighthouse on the eastern side of the island and take a one-hour break where you can either visit a shop selling cheese, clogs or typical Dutch sweets, or sit in one of the local cafes.If we are lucky, we will also see locals in typical historical costumes.
After exploring the island, we will return by ferry to Volendam and then take the train back to Haarlem, where you can have dinner and take an evening stroll through the city. Enjoy an evening stroll around the romantic water channels.
Day 3 is a combination of a typical Dutch trip and one of the hidden gems. We will head to the Zaanse Schans open-air museum, a village full of life, where we will see typical Dutch windmills and lots of traditional workshops and crafts.
We will then take a tour of one of the oldest and best fortified castles in the Netherlands, Muiderslot Castle.
Old windmills glowing with every shade of green can be found on the banks of the canals among the historic wooden houses and barns. The whole village is matched to the green colour scheme, giving it a fairy-tale feel.
But windmills are not the only thing to see in Zaanse Schans. You will also find several interesting museums or craft workshops. For example, you can take a tour of the Verkade chocolate and biscuit museum or visit the museum of the Dutch food chain Albert Heijn, which dates back to 1887.
In addition to the museums, there is, of course, the opportunity to take a peek inside a clog and cheese factory, as is customary in the Netherlands. There is also a warehouse and spice shop, a chocolate factory where the traditional Dutch delicacy liquorice is produced, and a period bakery where you can taste traditional delicacies, and that's not all.
I'll tell you where to find what, I'll introduce you to the history of this open-air museum and then I won't bore you with facts, we'll disband the group here and you'll have the opportunity to visit exactly what you're in the mood for and take typical photos at the windmills, green houses or even in your clogs, so you'll have something to remember at home.
After the tour of Zaanse Schans, we will go to Muiderslot Castle.
Muiderslot was built in the 13th century by Count Floris V.
The historic castle also includes a castle garden, where you will find a herb garden, mature plum trees and many other well-kept plants.
Muiderslot Castle is entirely surrounded by a water canal, which enhances its atmosphere.We will take a tour of the castle and also look into the castle's autumn garden.
After the tour, we will return to Haarlem to recharge for the last day of our trip.
The last day will be spent in the capital of the Netherlands - Amsterdam. We will walk through the city centre, see the famous street with traditional houses built right on the canals, walk to Dam Square and see the floating flower market on the canal.
We will arrive in Amsterdam in the morning.You will have the opportunity to visit one of Amsterdam's famous museums - the Rijksmuseum, Moco Museum, Van Gogh Museum or Rembrandt House. Tickets to these museums are included in the price of this trip, it just depends on your preferences. After the museum visit, we will explore the capital city. I'll take you on a journey along the canals, over which typical Dutch houses grow, show you the floating flower market, the famous square, the royal palace, the red-light district and the historic cathedral that hides in the shouting district.
After the city tour, we will take the train to Schiphol Airport followed by a flight home.
