Grand Tour of the Netherlands: Cities, Islands, Windmills & Waterland

Today you immerse yourself in Amsterdam's canals and world-class art. You take a classic canal cruise along the UNESCO ring of the Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht, gliding past tilting merchant houses, houseboats, terraces and countless bridges. With your guide you visit the magnificent Rijksmuseum, standing before Rembrandt's colossal 'Night Watch', Vermeer's luminous 'Milkmaid' and Golden Age masterpieces, then the Van Gogh Museum, following the artist's short, brilliant life. You wander the intimate Jordaan and the floating flower market. The beauty and culture are captivating. As the day ends, you settle onto a canal-side terrace. This evening, savour Amsterdam's cosmopolitan dining. Rest well, for tomorrow you leave the city behind and cross by ferry to the wild Wadden island of Texel, a very different Netherlands of beaches and vast skies.

Today you journey to a wild, windswept corner of the Netherlands. Driving north, you pause at the storybook village of Zaanse Schans, watching real windmills turn and seeing clogs and cheese being made, then continue to the coast and cross by ferry over the UNESCO Wadden Sea to Texel, the largest of the Wadden Islands. Here you enter a windswept world of endless sandy beaches, rolling dunes, heath, sheep-dotted polders and pretty villages, famous for its birdlife, seals, lighthouse and local lamb and cheese, which you explore beneath vast skies. The wildness and space are captivating. As the day ends, you settle into your island hotel. This evening, savour fresh Texel lamb and local produce. Rest well amid the beautiful, windswept peace of Texel, far from the bustle of the mainland.

Today you cross from island wilderness to storybook village. After a morning enjoying Texel's beaches, dunes and birdlife, perhaps visiting the lighthouse or a seal sanctuary, you take the ferry back to the mainland and drive east to Giethoorn, the fairytale 'Venice of the North'. This enchanting village has almost no roads, its centuries-old thatched cottages sitting on little islands amid gardens and reeds, linked by more than a hundred wooden bridges and quiet canals. You explore by silent whisper-boat, drifting past flower gardens and mirror-still water, and stroll the car-free paths. The contrast and beauty are magical. As the day ends, you settle into your peaceful village stay. This evening, dine in this dreamlike setting. Rest well amid the tranquil charm of Giethoorn, ready for the heart of the country tomorrow.

Today you journey to the delightful heart of the Netherlands. After a final gentle boat ride or stroll across Giethoorn's wooden bridges, past the thatched cottages and mirror-still canals, you drive south to Utrecht, one of the oldest and most delightful cities in the country. You explore its unique two-level canals, whose medieval wharves sit right at the water's edge and now brim with lively cafe terraces, and admire (or climb) the soaring Dom Tower, the tallest church tower in the Netherlands, wandering the medieval lanes and welcoming squares. The charm and atmosphere are captivating. As the day ends, you settle into your Utrecht hotel. This evening, dine on a canal-wharf terrace right by the water. Rest well in lively, historic Utrecht, ready to explore its surroundings and the cheese town of Gouda tomorrow.

Today you enjoy the charm of Utrecht and a classic cheese town. In Utrecht you explore more of the atmospheric two-level canal wharves, the medieval lanes and characterful shops, perhaps taking a boat at water level or climbing the Dom Tower for sweeping views. You make a short trip to Gouda, whose broad market square, historic weigh-house and traditional cheese market give their name to the world's most beloved Dutch cheese, tasting the rich, creamy wheels and admiring the great church with its famous stained glass. The canals, towers and flavours are delightful. As the day ends, you return to Utrecht. This evening, savour a relaxed dinner on the wharf. Rest well in historic Utrecht, ready to journey south to the windmills of Kinderdijk and bold Rotterdam tomorrow.

Today you journey south, swapping historic canals for iconic windmills and a bold, modern city. You stop at Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage site where nineteen stately eighteenth-century windmills stand in a long row along the polders and canals, their sails turning against the vast sky, which you explore on foot and by small boat. You continue to Rotterdam, rebuilt daringly after the war into a showcase of cutting-edge architecture, from the tumbling yellow Cube Houses and the vast curving Markthal to the swan-like Erasmus Bridge and a skyline of glass towers above Europe's largest port. The contrast is exhilarating. As the day ends, you check into your Rotterdam hotel. This evening, savour the buzzing waterfront dining. Rest well amid the energy of modern Rotterdam, ready for the Golden Age art of The Hague and Delft tomorrow.

Today you explore two Golden Age jewels near Rotterdam. In stately The Hague, the elegant seat of Dutch government, you visit the jewel-box Mauritshuis, coming face to face with Vermeer's exquisite 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' and serene 'View of Delft', alongside Rembrandt and Fabritius's 'The Goldfinch', and take in the grand Binnenhof parliament and the seaside at Scheveningen. You continue to serene, blue-tiled Delft, with its tranquil canals, handsome market square, Vermeer connections and the historic Royal Delft workshop, where the famous blue-and-white pottery is hand-painted. The art and charm are captivating. As the day ends, you return to Rotterdam. This evening, enjoy a special farewell dinner celebrating your grand journey across the Netherlands. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow, savouring your final evening in the country.

After a final morning in the Netherlands, perhaps a last look at Rotterdam's daring skyline or a coffee by the water, you are transferred to Schiphol Airport for your onward departure. You leave having seen the whole of this endlessly varied country, enchanting Amsterdam and its Golden Age art, the wild Wadden island of Texel, fairytale Giethoorn, delightful Utrecht and cheese-town Gouda, the great windmills of Kinderdijk, bold modern Rotterdam and the treasures of The Hague and Delft, all warmed by the openness and friendliness of the Dutch. The images stay vivid long after you land, the glittering canals, the windswept island beaches, the thatched cottages on the water, the great row of turning windmills and Vermeer's 'Girl with a Pearl Earring'. The Netherlands offers beauty, culture and variety in abundance, and you depart already dreaming of a return.