Netherlands, 11 Days · Tailor-made by car

Route through Holland, the Land of Water

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Departure on 26/10/2024 from Dublin

A unique journey to the soul of Holland, with its fascinating water-focussed history, its picture-postcard towns and its vibrant cities

If anything characterises Holland, it's the country's determination and audacity to expand its natural borders beyond the mighty power of the sea. A historic battle of the Dutch people against the fury of water that now means that a quarter of the country's surface sits on land reclaimed from the North Sea. An incredible feat of engineering that began in the seventeenth century with the drainage of the land occupied today by the Beemster polder, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and which still keeps the ferocity of the sea at bay with impressive constructions such as the Afsluitdijk Dam or the Delta Works. The charismatic "Tour through Holland, the land of water" is one of the most stunning and surprising road trips in the whole of Europe. A truly special itinerary that will take you closer to the Dutch soul and the amazing history of a country forever linked to water. And it's also one of the most beautiful eco-tourism routes in the whole of Europe. At the wheel, you'll discover romantic villages full of traditions such as Giethoorn and the so-called Eleven Cities Tour (Friesland); idyllic windmill landscapes such as those in Kinderdijk; beautiful tulip-swathed fields and amazing nature parks like Weerribben-Wieden and De Biesbosch; picture-postcard lakes such as Beemster and Schermer; and ancient 'dry islands' such as Schokland and Urk (Flevoland). The "Tour through Holland, Land of Water" is also an invitation to enjoy life, to savour delicious Dutch cuisine and to discover fascinating cities beyond Amsterdam, such as Utrecht, Rotterdam and The Hague. Join us on this packed itinerary and discover the Holland shaped by water and the prosperity brought by trade; the rural Holland of centennial windmills and stunningly verdant meadows; and the Holland of beautiful canals, charming cafes and restaurants, endless cultural offerings and stunning art from the great Dutch maestros.

Route through Holland, the Land of Water

Departure date

Departures from March 2024 till March 2025

From

Dublin, Shannon, Cork...

NatureCultural

Travel details

  • Travel details

  • Day 1 City of origin - Amsterdam

  • Day 2 Amsterdam - Beemster and Schermer Lakes - Amsterdam

  • Day 3 Amsterdam - Enkhuizen - Afsluitdijk - Friesland - Zwolle

  • Day 4 Province of Friesland (Leeuwarden - SPneek - Makkun - Hindeloopen - Stavoren - Sloten - Woudagemaal) - Giethoorn - Zwolle

  • Day 5 Zwolle - Giethoorn - Weerribben-Wieden National Park - Zwolle

  • Day 6 Zwolle - Schokland - Urk - Province of Flevoland - Utrecht

  • Day 7 Utrecht - Rotterdam

  • Day 8 Rotterdam - Windmills at Kinderdijk - Dordrecht - De Biesbosch National Park - Rotterdam

  • Day 9 Rotterdam - Zeeland (Domburg - Zierikzee- Ouwerkerk / Watersnoodmuseum) - Rotterdam

  • Day 10 Rotterdam - The Hague - Amsterdam

  • Day 11 Amsterdam - City of origin

Your trip includes

  • Return flight.

  • Stay in selected hotel in Amsterdam.

  • Selected meal plan in Amsterdam.

  • Stay in selected hotel in Zwolle.

  • Selected meal plan in Zwolle.

  • Stay in selected hotel in Utrecht.

  • Selected meal plan in Utrecht.

  • Stay in selected hotel in Rotterdam.

  • Selected meal plan in Rotterdam.

  • Rent-a-car.

Your trip doesn't include

  • Accommodation taxes in Holland direct payment in facility.

  • Accommodation taxes in Utrecht direct payment in facility.

  • Accommodation taxes in Rotterdam direct payment in facility.

  • Possible toll charges.

  • Insolvency protection.

Important remarks

- To avoid queues and crowds, you can book tickets to the most outstanding museums and exhibition halls online and in advance. We recommend trying to visit the museums early in the morning or in the afternoon. To obtain discounts on tickets and save yourself from having to queue, you can purchase cards such as the Holland Pass, the Museumkaart, the I Amsterdam City Card or the Rotterdam Welcome Card. Many museums offer special discounts for minors, students and pensioners.

- Triple rooms in Europe are generally rooms with twin beds or a double, in which a folding bed is installed to accommodate the third person. Due to the inconvenience this causes, we advise against using this option as far the possible.

- The proposed excursions and tours for each day are purely suggestions, as you can tailor the trip to suit your times, tastes and needs.

- A credit card is considered a guarantee, so sometimes you will need one for check-in at hotels.

- Hotels usually have cots available. Otherwise, babies will have to share a bed with an adult.

- To pick up your rental car, you'll need a credit (not debit) card in the name of the person who made the booking, who must also be the named driver of the vehicle.

- This itinerary has been developed in collaboration with the NBTC Netherlands Bureau of Tourism and Congress.

- Don't miss the futuristic-looking "Gates of Light", a permanent art installation attributable to creative artist Daan Roosegaarde that you can enjoy at Afsluitdijk. A spectacular explosion of art and light designed to commemorate the first centenary of the construction of the Afsluitdijk causeway, one of the greatest feats of engineering accomplished by man."People who live, build their future": this is the phrase that accompanies the monument in the middle of the causeway, a phrase that perfectly sums up the great aspirations and determination to succeed by the Dutch who, with endeavour and audacity, have managed to make nature a source of energy, light and life. At 32 kilometres in length, this spectacular causeway has managed to close off the flow of water towards the North Sea, turning the 'Zuiderzee' ('South Sea') into Lake Ijsselmeer and realising one of the country's greatest engineering landmarks.