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Avalon Waterways Grand Tulip Cruise of Holland & Belgium with 1 Night in Amsterdam (WHHQ)

16 Day River Cruise Amsterdam to Amsterdam 
Admire blooming views on your springtime cruise in Holland and Belgium. Before your cruise, spend a night in the colorful city of Amsterdam. Enjoy a guided canal cruise through the iconic city’s stately waterways of the Golden Age before embarking on your tulip season cruise.

In Arnhem, tour its WWII Airborne Museum commemorating the brave battle of 1944. In Maastricht, go for a sightseeing tour of the old cobblestoned university town.

On to Belgium for a sightseeing tour of medieval Namur and free time to browse its ancient architecture, charming cafes, and bookshops. In Liège, see the ancient quarters of the “Fiery City” as well as its romantic streets, steps, and tiny alleyways. Next, you’ll explore the city of Antwerp—birthplace of the master painter Peter Paul Rubens. Stroll its cobbled lanes amid 16th-century guildhall houses and the cathedral’s stunning altarpiece paintings by the famous artist. In Brussels, you’ll find landmark buildings and a collection of cafes and shops on your guided tour. Visit Ghent, for stunning Flemish artwork in St. Bavo’s Cathedral. Visit Bossuit’s Flanders Fields Museum with moving battlefield memorials.

Explore Middelburg’s grand history in the Dutch East India Company. Tour the world’s largest flood-protection system at the Veere Delta. Continue your cruise through Kinderdijk—where windmills built in 1740 helped the iconic structures become a symbol of Holland. See the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam, and the quintessential Dutch towns of Zaandam and Haarlem. Your cruise through Holland and Belgium returns to Amsterdam to conclude your colorful cruise!

Ships: Tranquility II - Imagery II

Avalon Highlights & Sightseeing

Day 1 Amsterdam: Welcome to Holland

Day 2 Amsterdam (Embarkation): Canal cruise; onboard welcome reception

Day 3 Nijmegen. Excursion to Arnhem: Choice of biking tour, or guided sightseeing of Arnhem, or guided tour of Airborne Museum in Arnhem; free time in Nijmegen

Day 4 Maastricht: Choice of guided tour or walk with your Adventure Host

Day 5 Namur: Choice of guided tour or bike with your Adventure Host

Day 6 Liège: Guided tour

Day 7 Antwerp-Brussels: Choice of guided tour in Antwerp, visit the central Grote Markt or bike with your Adventure Host; free time in the evening in Brussels

Day 8 Brussels: Choice of guided tour, see the Town Hall, or attend a chocolate workshop or bike with your Adventure Host

Day 9 Brussels: Day at leisure

Day 10 Ghent: Choice of guided tour or walk with your Adventure Host

Day 11 Bossuit: Visit to Flanders Field Museum in Ypres; visit to the battlefields; Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate

Day 12 Middelburg-Veere: Choice of guided tour in Middelburg or bike with your Adventure Host; choice of guided tour of the Delta Works or bike with your Adventure Host

Day 13 Kinderdijk–Rotterdam: Choice of guided tour in Kinderdijk or bike with your Adventure Host; harbor cruise in Rotterdam; choice of guided tour in Rotterdam

Day 14 Zaandam-Haarlem: Free time in Zaandam; choice of guided tour in Haarlem or bike with your Adventure Host

Day 15 Amsterdam: Choice of canal cruise, or biking tour

Day 16 Amsterdam (Disembarkation): Your cruise ends this morning

Special Interest Departures

04/12/2025 - Grand Tulip Cruise of Holland & Belgium for Garden and Nature Lovers with 1 night in Amsterdam

Related Avalon Tours

WHH - Grand Tulip Cruise of Holland & Belgium
WHHQ - With1 Night in Amsterdam

Itinerary (2024)

Day 1AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND
 Arrive in Amsterdam for a day of leisure. Explore shops and cafés in this colorful city.
Day 2AMSTERDAM (EMBARKATION)
 

CLASSIC Explore the iconic waterways of Amsterdam on a Guided Canal Cruise past stately homes of Amsterdam’s “Golden Age."

Your day in Amsterdam is free to explore at your leisure. During tulip season, you may take a Guided Optional Excursion to Keukenhof gardens—with more than seven million tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths, as well as other bulbs, planted each year. Outside of tulip season, join a Guided Optional Excursion to Zaanse Schans to see historic windmills and charming Dutch houses.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO NIJMEGEN

(B,D)
Day 3NIJMEGEN. EXCURSION TO
 ARNHEM Wildlife, WWII Valor, and Famous Mills

ACTIVE Explore the new face of old Nijmegen on a bike tour through its recently renovated River Waal side channel, city island, road bridge, and railway bridge that invites adventurers to explore on two wheels! OR:

DISCOVERY Join a Guided Sightseeing to discover Arnhem-a key WWII operations site and home to impressive historical monuments and memorials-then visit a medieval castle for a regional herb and vegetable product tasting, OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour of the Airborne Museum of Hartenstein commemorating the 1944 WWII Battle of Arnhem.


You may join a Guided Optional Excursion to the Windmill of Thorn or an Optional Cooking Workshop.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MAASTRICHT

(B,L,D)
Day 4MAASTRICHT
 Dutch History, School Spirit and an Architectural Feast

Enjoy an early morning sailing to Maastricht.

ACTIVE Maastricht's charm awaits, get physical via nordic walking with your Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Discover this vibrant university town with its lovely cathedrals, old houses, and historical buildings, and impressively cobblestoned town center.

Later, enjoy live entertainment on board.

OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO NAMUR

(B,L,D)
Day 5NAMUR, BELGIUM
 Ancient Architecture and Charming Cafés

ACTIVE Explore Namur's countryside by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of the picturesque old-town, fortress citadel, and medieval architecture.

Take free time to stroll along Namur’s cobblestone lanes and visit its charming cafés and bookshops.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN HUY

(B,L,D)
Day 6LIÈGE
 Historic Wonders and Wonderful Waffles

CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of the “Fiery City” of Liège with its beautiful ancient quarters, peculiar alleys, and romantic streets. Don’t miss sampling authentically sweet Liège Waffles.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ANTWERP

(B,L,D)
Day 7ANTWERP
 A Rubenesque Cathedral in Artful Antwerp

Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.

ACTIVE Explore Antwerp by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of this sophisticated city to visit the central Grote Markt, lined with 16th-century guildhall houses. You’ll also see the beautiful city hall, the Cathedral of Our Lady with its stunning altarpiece paintings by Rubens.

Enjoy cocktail or coffee aboard your ship as you sail to Brussels this afternoon.

Later, enjoy dinner and live entertainment.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN BRUSSELS

(B,L,D)
Day 8BRUSSELS
 Ancient Landmarks and New Haunts

ACTIVE See Brussel's Aquaculture farm on bike with your Adventure Host, OR:

DISCOVERY See the major highlights of Brussels and join a do-it-yourself chocolate workshop for a fun and interactive experience, OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour of Brussels, see the Town Hall with its landmark buildings and discover the many local bars, cafés and shops of the Lower Town Streets.

The afternoon is free to explore Brussels at your pace.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN BRUSSELS

(B,L,D)
Day 9BRUSSELS
 Filling Fare and Fabled Beer

Spend a day at leisure to sample Brussels hearty cuisine and famous beer.

Enjoy dinner on board as you sail for Ghent this evening.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO GHENT

(B,L,D)
Day 10GHENT
 Medieval Masterpieces and Flemish Finery

Visit your Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.

ACTIVE Explore a different side of Ghent by foot 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 on board.

OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BOSSUIT

(B,L,D)
Day 11BOSSUIT
 Battlefield Remembrances in Flanders

DISCOVERY Visit the In Flanders’ Field Museum in Ypres— 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 permanent remembrance ever since. 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

(B,L,D)
Day 12MIDDELBURG, HOLLAND
 A Spicy History in Middelburg’s Dutch Harbor Town

ACTIVE Explore Vlissingen by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided Walking Tour through the winding cobblestones and canals of Middelburg. See the 15th century Gothic Town Hall and learn about its important role in the spice trade and Dutch East India trading.

Enjoy lunch on board while cruising to Veere.

VEERE

The Delta Works Stand Strong as a Technical Marvel

ACTIVE Bike your way to the beach from Veere with your Adventure Host, OR:

DISCOVERY Join a Guided Tour of the Delta Works, the largest flood-protection system in the world, and a miracle of modern technology.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT SAILING IN KINDERDIJK

(B,L,D)
Day 13KINDERDIJK–ROTTERDAM
 Harnessing the Wind 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 on board.

OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ZAANDAM

(B,L,D)
Day 14ZAANDAM
 Windmills, Waterways, and Waving Fields of Flowers

Arrive in Zaandam this morning with free time to explore this quintessential Dutch town. See windmills, waterways, and flower farms, while discovering Dutch history in its handicraft shops and museums.

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

(B,L,D)
Day 15AMSTERDAM
 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."

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM

(B,L,D)
Day 16AMSTERDAM (DISEMBARKATION)
 Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning.

(B)

Avalon Pricing Details

Port charges:
$420

Gratuities to Local Guides & Excursion Drivers are included on Avalon portion only.

Avalon offers the opportunity for solo travelers to sail with no single supplement (subject to availability).

Please call for single accommodation price. Triples not available.

Avalon Notes

  • In the event of technical or water level issues, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or alter the program, including hotel overnight when necessary.
  • Guided Tours, Optional Excursions, activities, sailing and docking schedules may be contingent on weather conditions or other issues outside of our control and could therefore be subject to change at any time.
  • Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.

Avalon Waterways Fleet

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Avalon Tour Dates

Tour Land StartAvalon RetailRequest Quote
*04/05/2025 $7,257.00
*04/12/2025 $7,357.00
*04/19/2025 $7,457.00
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