Gardens Galore! Tour for 2022

Upon our arrival at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, we are met by our tour leader and coach driver, and we set off through the colorful Dutch countryside along the Bollenstreek (bulb fields) lined with spring flowers as bright as an artist's palette. We reach Lisse where we tour the Keukenhof, a beautiful park with lakes and watercourses, old trees and the world's largest open-air flower show. In the afternoon we drive to Delft, the town that is famous for the manufacture of the blue Delftware pottery. Here, we have time to get acquainted with the picturesque old town traversed by numerous canals. We have dinner at a local restaurant near our hotel. Overnight in Delft. Hampshire Hotel Delft Centre or similar.

This morning we first visit the Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles, the Royal Delftware Factory from the 17th century, and watch the artists at work. An excursion then takes us to the village of Kinderdijk, where we view a collection of windmills that once pumped the excess water from the polders and are now listed on the World Heritage List. Before we return to Delft, we visit Madurodam in The Hague, a miniature replica of Holland complete with palaces, canals, windmills and the cheese market. We return to the Delft area for dinner and our overnight. Hampshire Hotel Delft Centre or similar.

After breakfast, we check out and drive to Aalsmeer, just south of Amsterdam, where we view the fascinating process of the Aalsmeer Flower Auction. After leaving the commotion of the auction floor, we drive the short distance to the tranquility of the Historic Garden and Horticultural Museum of Aalsmeer. Later, we arrive in Amsterdam and see the highlights of Amsterdam by water on a canal cruise. Included in our sightseeing this afternoon is a visit to Anne Frank's home. We check-in at our centrally located hotel, our home for the next four nights. Hoxton Hotel or similar.

Today, we have the entire day to take in Floriade 2022. Each day features a cultural program of music, dance, literature, theatre and visual art from all over the world. Sustainable, pioneering, architectural eye-catchers, as never seen before, will be shown for the first time at Floriade 2022. Using our senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell we can experience firsthand the influence horticulture has on the quality of our daily lives. Hoxton Hotel or similar.

This morning we board our coach and travel to Amersfoort, where we visit the private garden Kastanjehof at Lopikerkapel. We enjoy a coffee break and then continue to the Gardens of Appeltern, with more than 200 model gardens and the largest collection of plants in the Netherlands. After lunch, a guide leads us through the garden, pointing out all the highlights. In the late afternoon, we return to Amsterdam. Hoxton Hotel or similar.

The final full day of the tour is ours to plan - perhaps to return to the Floriade, visit Van Gogh Museum or the Rijksmuseum with Rembrandt's famous "Night Watch," take a bike tour, or do some final shopping. We celebrate our last evening in the Netherlands with a farewell dinner. Hoxton Hotel or similar.

Our journey comes to an end today, as we board our coach and bid a fond farewell to our driver at the airport. We return with memories of colorful gardens and fascinating cities, and the seeds of new friendships sewn on a delightful trip! Welcome home!