Uniworld Cruise

Amsterdam to Amsterdam - Dutch Dreams

The Netherlands. Home to Van Gogh, Rembrandt, the Dutch East India Company with its rich trading and maritime history, tulips, and some of the most dynamic cities in Europe. We’ll take you through the heart of the Netherlands in high style.

Explore the rich seafaring cities of Hoorn and Enkhuizen where you’ll learn about how the history of this region is forever tied to the sea. Visit the Rijksmuseum, home to the great Dutch Masters such as Vermeer and Rembrandt. Stroll through the fragrant floral landscape of Keukenhof Gardens showcasing more than 7 million flowers, with 1,000 tulips alone, that will leave your senses mesmerized. Sample wonderful cheeses, including the famous round-balled cheese from Edam. Or simply admire the pastoral landscapes as your ship leisurely sails from one charming destination to the next.

Who will enjoy this cruise: Art lovers, gardeners and history buffs will enjoy the best the Netherlands has to offer. Plus, those with a real curiosity to see what life was like in centuries past in this colorful part of Europe.

Included Features

• 7-night cruise in an outside stateroom on River Ambassador
• All meals onboard the ship
• 7 shore excursions with English-speaking guides
• Captain’s Welcome & Farewell Dinners
• Exciting onboard entertainment and insightful lectures

Featured Excursions

• City Tour and Rijksmuseum
• Enkhuizen Walking Tour with Zuider Zee Museum, and Hoorn Walking Tour
• Liberation Museum
• Kinderdijk Windmills
• Keukenhof Gardens and Rotterdam Harbor Cruise

The Ships

Itinerary

Day 3 Amsterdam
Spend your first full day in Holland’s largest city, Amsterdam. Your guided tour will take you though the canal-lined streets where you’ll view the Mint Tower, Dam Square, the Royal Palace and Museum Square. Visit the renowned Rijksmuseum, which holds the most important collection of Dutch paintings in the world, including Rembrandt’s The Night Watch.

Day 4 Enkhuizen and Hoorn
Depart Amsterdam in the early morning and travel to Enkhuizen, a lively trading center since the 17th century. Walk Old Town, where you’ll see the Drommedaris—a magnificent tower built in 1540 to keep watch over the port. You’ll then proceed on to the Zuider Zee Open Air Museum, a museum village portraying life on the Old Zuider Zee. During your afternoon walking tour through Hoorn, you’ll uncover its rich seafaring history, with its old harbor and admiralty buildings. Your guide will point out and explain the markings on medieval buildings noting the former inhabitants’ trades. Hoorn was also home to the Dutch East India Company.

Day 5 Volendam
Our next port of call is Volendam, another small town where you can experience early Dutch life. Spend your day at leisure exploring this small fishing village on the IJsselmeer. Your ship is conveniently docked in the heart of the village, making it easy for you to discover Volendam. Be on the lookout for some locals still dressing in traditional costumes. Visit a clog making shop and try on a pair of the traditional wooden shoes!

Day 6 Nijmegen and Dordrecht
The oldest city in the Netherlands, Nijmegen dates back to Roman times. We’ll visit the Liberation Museum situated in nearby Groesbeek to learn about Nijmegen’s more recent history and the role this part of the Netherlands played during World War II.

Day 7 Dordrecht and Schoonhoven
This is quintessential Holland – narrow unique architecture and windmills. You’ll drive from Dordrecht to Kinderdijk, where you’ll discover 19 well-preserved windmills, which were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997. During the afternoon, we sail to Schoonhoven, where the ship will dock providing you with time to explore this quaint town on your own. Known from the Middle Ages as“Silver Town,” there is still a silver and goldsmith school here and numerous jewelry and silver shops.

Day 8 Rotterdam
Visit the Keukenhof Gardens, one of the most impressive public gardens in the world with over seven million bulbs planted on over a 70-acre site. And then during the afternoon, you’ll take a harbor cruise through Rotterdam.

Day 9 Depart Amsterdam
Disembark the ship and transfer to the airport in Amsterdam for your flight home.

Cost of This Trip