Amsterdam and Brugge Sample Itinerary
Day
1: Arrive Amsterdam
Arrive Amsterdam and take a taxi to your hotel. This afternoon, take a leisurely walk around the canals and go on your own to the Bloemenmarkt and Anne Frank House.
Day 2: Amsterdam
At 9:00 a.m. Meet your guide and art historian at his home for a cup coffee or tea. He will give you a personalized lecture and discussion on the astounding visual wonders that Rembrandt has bestowed upon us. Afterwards, a short ride takes you to the nearby Rijksmuseum. You will see famous Rembrandt and Vermeer paintings with a new appreciation. Afternoon on your own. Tonight take a "canals by night" waterboat tour.
Day 3: Amsterdam
Today, explore Zaanse schans, a well known windmill village with many interesting windmills. You will be visiting a wooden shoe maker here. Then move on to the world famous fishing villages of Volendam and Marken with their wooden houses and locals wearing typical colorful styles of dress. On the way, you will stop at one of the cheese farms where the cheese is still made in the traditional way. Return to your hotel in the evening.
Day 4: Amsterdam
See the famous Vincent van Gogh paintings in a new light! You will take a private tour of this museum with your guide. You will learn about the visual wonders of Vincent van Gogh’s technique: content, brushstrokes, details, composition, and color.
Day 5: Brugge
Today, take the 9:26 a.m. train from Amsterdam to Brugge - arriving at 1:03 p.m. Brugge is a splendid medieval city, one of Belgium's crown jewels and world heritage sites. Today, enjoy a walking tour of Brugge and see the major highlights of this beautiful city. Discover Our Lady Church with the Statue by Michaelangelo; the Market Square with the Belfry and the Town Hall Square (Burg) with the Chapel of the Holy Blood. Walk by the Lake of Love (Minnewater) and the peaceful Beguinage cloister. Don't forget your walking shoes!
Day 6: Brugge
Today take time to examine the more than 50 bridges that span the canals in the city and that can be opened to allow the passage of ships. Among the many medieval buildings for you to explore in the city are the 13th-century Halles, or marketplace, with a belfry 108 m. high, the Cathedral of Saint Salvator (13th-14th century), the 13th-century church of Notre Dame, with a 122-m. tower, the 12th-century Hospital of Saint John, the 12th-century Chapelle of Saint Sang and the Hotel de Ville - the oldest town hall in Belgium, begun in the 14th century.
Day 7: Brugge
Day on your own to explore