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Brilliant and opulent fun colours are everywhere. From the tulip gardens and the decorated bicycle stands to the picturesque historical buildings, canals, and bridges, Amsterdam and Belgium are oozing with inspiration. Join us as we tour these two fairytale countries, visiting windmills, museums, and many Patchwork Quilt shops. Enjoy a fun-filled day doing a Workshop Quilting Day Cruise on the Canals, and try your hand at a Belgium Chocolate Making workshop.
$ 4895 CDN/ $ 3675 US
per person double occupancy (includes all taxes)
$ 1675 CDN / $ 1275 US
per person single supplement occupancy
(includes all taxes)
Your Land Package Includes:
Day-by-Day Itinerary
B – Breakfast, L – Lunch, D – Dinner
This tour involves a lot of walking. You must be capable of walking 10,000 – 12,000 steps during a day over uneven or cobblestone surfaces,
as well as up and down stairs. Welcome to Europe!
Day 0 – Time to Fly
(Tues April 1st) – Today board your overnight flight to Europe.
Meals to be served on the flight. For this tour, you must arrive at the first designated hotel before noon.
Day 1 – Tour of Amsterdam, Netherlands
(Wed April 2nd) – After your early arrival, either the day before or the morning of today, we will meet your tour leaders and fellow travellers in the lobby of our hotel. Your trip to Amsterdam would not be complete without a ride in a glass-top boat with spectacular views of the city of Amsterdam. Amsterdam is well known for its many canals and bicycles. Beware of the ringing bells on the bicycles, a primary mode of transportation. After our relaxing boat ride, we will head to our hotel to check in where you can relax before our Welcome Dinner with the group.
Stay overnight in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Meal(s) – D
Day 2 – Zaanse Schans & Rijksmuseum
(Thurs. April 3rd) – Following breakfast, we will head to the Zaanse Schans. Zaanse Schans is a working community where you will see and learn about the history of windmills in Holland and Dutch culture. This well-preserved village is a great place to experience many Dutch customs and traditions like clog making and cheese making. After lunch on your own, we will head back to the city to explore Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum. The Museum of the Netherlands has 800 years of Dutch history, with the great Dutch masters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Van Gogh. In the late afternoon, you will have some free time in Amsterdam. You might want to visit the Bloemenmarkt (floating flower market) or the Albert Cuypmarket (street market.) Dinner this evening is on your own. So, lots of time to explore.
Stay overnight in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Meal(s) – B
Day 3 – Our first Dutch Quilt Shop & the House of Anne Frank
(Fri April 4th) – After breakfast, a visit to the House of Anne Frank is a must. Take a look around and explore the Secret Annex where Anne Frank was in hiding for more than two years during World War II, and where she wrote her diary. Let your imagination take you back to Anne Frank’s time and the silence. Feel Anne’s presence and experience what her family had to endure.
As we walk around Amsterdam, you can stop for lunch in any of the many shops or restaurants. After lunch, we will continue our walk to visit the Den Haan & Wagenmakers quilt shop. Known in English as Dutch Quilts, this company stocks a fantastic range of Dutch reproduction fabrics. Next to Den Haan & Wagenmakers, you will find Petra Prins Shop, a quilt shop combining traditional fabric with fresh, fun fabrics.
Stay overnight in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Meal(s) – B
Day 4 – Fabric, More Fabric and More Fabric!
(Sat April 5th) – This morning, after breakfast, we will depart early to Utrecht. Here you will visit the biggest fabric and textile market in the Netherlands, it is also the oldest: the first linen market was organized there in 1597. Now, some 400 years later, the Lapjesmarkt has grown to a weekly market with dozens of stalls showcasing countless fabrics, ribbons, zippers, buttons, and anything else you can think of. After having lunch on your own in Utrecht, we will board the bus and continue our journey to the Unesco World Heritage Site of Bruges, Belgium where we will have a group dinner and stay overnight for the next 3 nights.
Stay overnight in Bruges, Belgium
Meal(s) – B, D
Day 5 – Yum! Bruges and Chocolate. What a great combination!
(Sun April 6th) This morning, we will meet a local guide for a walking tour through the old city centre of Bruges. Enjoying everything Bruges has to offer, such as stone bridges over canals, chocolate shops, lace shops, and cafes. It is reminiscent of a fairy tale. After lunch, we will explore the world of delicious Belgian chocolates and learn how they are made. You will attend a workshop and learn the basics of Belgian chocolate making. You will head home with a nice box filled with the chocolates you have crafted yourself. After choosing a local restaurant for your dinner tonight on your own, you may want to take a walk around the square to explore.
Meal(s) – B
Day 6 – All things Lace
(Mon April 7th) – Today we will visit the lace museum called Kantcentrum. This museum shows a number of unique pieces of lace from Bruges collections. Displays include the basic techniques and movements, types of lace and their geographical origins, the lace industry then and now, and lace teaching in Bruges. After our time at the lace museum, you will have a free afternoon in Bruges to visit some shops on your own, like Veritas (Fashion Store), Gobelin Creatief (Quilt Shop) or the Lace Jewel, to name a few, before heading back to our hotel. Lots of time to purchase special gifts for those at home.
Stay overnight in Bruges, Belgium
Meal(s) – B
Day 7 – Quilt Shops and Famous Delft Pottery
(Tues April 8th) – After breakfast, we will say goodbye to Bruges, check out and continue our travels to the Hague/Delft area. This morning, we will make stops at two different quilt shops: quilt shop Etten-Leur and the quilt store Moni Quilt in a small place called Kethel. At Moni Quilt shop, we will have lunch and a small tour of the town surrounding this old building in which the fabric shop is housed. In the afternoon, we will visit the famous Royal Delft factory. The craftsmen have been creating this iconic, distinctive blue and white earthenware pottery, Delft Blue, for almost 400 years. Royal Delft was established in 1653 and is the last remaining original Delftware factory that still produces hand-painted Delft Blue according to centuries-old tradition. We will also visit the factory and the museum, which is filled with collections of historic and modern pieces. This evening, when we arrive at our new hotel, you will have free time to explore this new town and have a wonderful local dinner on your own. You may wish to invite others to discuss your adventures of the day. We will be spending our last few nights in Delft for the rest of the tour. Delft is considered to be one of the prettiest towns in all of Amsterdam.
Stay overnight in The Hague, Netherlands
Meal(s) – B
Day 8 – Beautiful Tulips Everywhere!
(Wed April 9th) – Enjoy a morning visit to the world’s largest flower park, Keukenhof Tulip Gardens, also known as the Garden of Europe. It is one of the world’s largest flower gardens with 7 million flower bulbs planted every year. After an early lunch on your own at the Keukenhof, we will visit another fabric and quilt shop called Hollands Stoffenhuis. This shop is very close to the beautiful seaside where we will make a quick stop for you to dip your toes in the cold North Sea. The rest of the evening is yours to enjoy and relax after a busy day.
Stay overnight in The Hague, Netherlands
Meal(s) – B
Day 9 – A Day Full of Surprises!
(Thurs April 10th) – Today will be a day to remember. After breakfast, we will board the bus and head to the ship that awaits us. Upon arrival, we will be greeted with a special reception of coffee/tea and the famous Dutch apple pie. Once settled, as we wind our way through the New Dutch Waterway, our Quilting Workshop will begin, mingled with a raffle for incredible prizes. After our fabulous lunch, we will be presented with a Show & Tell of quilts from Quilt Shop Vlijtig Lieje and from other Dutch Quilter friends. That is not all; there is a quilt shop on board that you can shop at throughout the day. This tour is the only one like it in all of Amsterdam. What a great way to spend our last day together before heading to our farewell dinner.
Stay overnight in The Hague, Netherlands
Meal(s) – B, D
Day 10 – Tot Ziens & Tot Ziens
(Fri April 11th) Goodbye and farewell as we check out of our hotel and head to the airport for our flights back home. Leaving this magical place with many new memories, many new friends, and many new projects to do and share with our quilt friends back home.
Meal(s) – B
*Subject to change
*Your Land Package Tour does not include:
- Airfare (We can book the flight for you)
- Gratuities for the guides and bus driver.
- Lunches and some dinners (unless indicated)
- Insurance coverage, Medical and/or cancellation
- Telephone calls, souvenirs, additional snacks or drinks
- Excess baggage costs (overweight and over-sized luggage may have additional costs levied by the airline)