Summer Trip to North Holland

When you think of the Netherlands, you think of vast tulip fields, windmills, and a variety of delicious cheeses. However, this is only a small part - the Kingdom of the Netherlands has much more to offer. Experience the fascination of the Wadden Sea, get to know Frisian cities, explore the Ijsselmeer, and much more, with some fantastic extras.

Day 1: Journey to Holland

Drive via the highway passing Frankfurt – Cologne – Düsseldorf – Zwolle to Emmeloord, where we check into our rooms at the ****Hotel Van der Valk for 6 nights. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 2: Seal Station - Giethoorn

After breakfast, drive to Pieterburen. Here, we visit the Seal Center, where injured animals are cared for until they can be released back into the wild. As a group, we have the advantage of getting a behind-the-scenes look. We then take a short drive to Groningen. Explore this Hanseatic city at your leisure. In the afternoon, we head through Friesland to the picturesque water village of Giethoorn, located in the middle of the De Weerribben-Wieden National Park. With over 150 bridges and waterways, the village is known as the "Venice of the North" or the "Village without Roads". Enjoy a canal cruise and a barbecue. Return to the hotel.

Day 3: Ijsselmeer - Steam Train - Sneek

Today starts early and is dedicated to the Ijsselmeer. We cross the "Markerwaarddijk" which separates the Ijsselmeer from the Markermeer and arrive in Enkhuizen. This historic city with its 366 monuments is like a large open-air museum. After a city walk with coffee break, we take the museum ship Friesland to Medemblik, the oldest city in West Friesland. Individual lunch break in the historic center. In the afternoon, we take a steam train through the polder landscape known for its many dikes and windmills, to Hoorn. In Hoorn, our coach awaits and takes us to the 32 km long closing dike, which separates the Ijsselmeer and the Zuiderzee. In the water-dominated town of Sneek, enjoy a romantic canal cruise with an aperitif on board. Drive to Lemmer for a barbecue by the sea.

Day 4: Ameland

Early morning departure to Holwerd. With the ferry, we cross to Ameland, one of the five inhabited Frisian islands. Explore part of the island by bike or minibus. Lunch will be served at a island restaurant. During the tractor ride along the beach of Ameland, enjoy the sea breeze and nature. With luck, we might see seals in the wild. There's time for a stroll through the town of Nes with its lovely shops before the ferry takes us back to the mainland. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 5: Leeuwarden - Wadden Sea

Today's excursion takes us to Leeuwarden. During a guided city tour, we get to know the 2018 European Capital of Culture. Personalities like Mata Hari and M.C. Escher were born here. Leeuwarden invites for shopping on the perhaps most charming shopping street in the Netherlands, De Kleine Kerkstraat. In the afternoon, we visit Hindeloope and experience a journey into the time of old Friesland. In the narrow streets, you can hear sea shanties, and the approximately 700 residents offer a perfectly preserved insight into the traditional life of the Frisians. In the evening, we drive to Harlingen, where at 6:00 PM our ship sets off towards the Robbenbank on the Wadden Sea. Enjoy a Frisian dinner on board.

Day 6: Zaanse Schans - Marken - Volendam

Today is all about windmills, wooden shoes, traditional costumes, and cheese. First, we visit Zaanse Schans, a walk through the village with its many mills and wooden houses gives the impression of an open-air museum. Next, we head to the Marken peninsula, small enough to be circled on foot. Visit the wooden shoe workshop, where you can watch the production of clogs. We have lunch at Simone Hoeve and enjoy the legendary "Land Buffet". Finally, we visit Volendam. Here, you have the opportunity to buy a typical Dutch souvenir or enjoy a delicious fish sandwich. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 7: Journey Home

After a hearty breakfast, it's time to say goodbye. Return journey via the highway to Switzerland.