Yuletide Spirit: Amsterdam to Brussels - Southbound Aboard ms Grace
Experience the magic of Holland and Belgium during Winterfest, when friendships, fun and holiday cheer are celebrated with heartwarming festivities and colorful cultural traditions in picturesque villages along inland waterways from Brussels to Amsterdam. Ashore, discover daily life on guided walking tours in towns, museums and palaces decked out in their season's best, enjoying special moments on private visits, and music and traditions steeped in yuletide spirit. Onboard, dining and cultural entertainment light up your nights, enriching the warm camaraderie inherent in a Tauck river cruise.
Festive fixes... gluhwein, waffles, Belgian beers, stroopwafels, chocolate lace and cheese... heartwarming carols and concerts joyfully orchestrated... villages dressed in the season's best... Dutch canals, cathedrals and candles aglow with yuletide spirit... Belgian squares and medieval markets making merry... aboard a riverboat cruise all decked out with holiday cheer.
The ribboned waterscapes of Holland and Belgium take on a special glow in December when storybook villages and fairy tale towns celebrate the joys of the season with holiday traditions centuries old. Experience yuletide spirit onboard and ashore on a river cruise that delights day and night... during a visit to a town steeped in 17th-century Holland life and historic windmills... and an illuminating Amsterdam canal cruise... while having cheese and stroopwafels in Gouda... in Delft or Rotterdam, as you choose... on sightseeing excursions in Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp dressed in their holiday best... in market squares where merry making entices with hot mulled wines, waffles hot off the press, beers locally produced and chocolates laced with care... and at special receptions, dinners and cultural presentations aboard a riverboat decked out with cruising delights that make you feel right at home wherever we roam.
Festive fixes... gluhwein, waffles, Belgian beers, stroopwafels, chocolate lace and cheese... heartwarming carols and concerts joyfully orchestrated... villages dressed in the season's best... Dutch canals, cathedrals and candles aglow with yuletide spirit... Belgian squares and medieval markets making merry... aboard a riverboat cruise all decked out with holiday cheer.
The ribboned waterscapes of Holland and Belgium take on a special glow in December when storybook villages and fairy tale towns celebrate the joys of the season with holiday traditions centuries old. Experience yuletide spirit onboard and ashore on a river cruise that delights day and night... during a visit to a town steeped in 17th-century Holland life and historic windmills... and an illuminating Amsterdam canal cruise... while having cheese and stroopwafels in Gouda... in Delft or Rotterdam, as you choose... on sightseeing excursions in Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp dressed in their holiday best... in market squares where merry making entices with hot mulled wines, waffles hot off the press, beers locally produced and chocolates laced with care... and at special receptions, dinners and cultural presentations aboard a riverboat decked out with cruising delights that make you feel right at home wherever we roam.
Traveling Well Includes:
Day 1 - Welcome to Amsterdam / Embark Riverboat
Tour begins: 4:00 PM, Amsterdam. A transfer is included from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport or Centraal Train Station to Tauck's riverboat where embarkation begins at 4:00 PM. Settle into your cabin and join us tonight for a welcome reception followed by dinner.
Lodging: ms Grace
Meals: D
Day 2 - Amsterdam, historic windmills & a Light Festival
Today, you have a choice of excursions. One offers you the opportunity to visit the famed, Rijksmuseum. Housing over one million objects of different arts, crafts and artifacts created the years of 1200 - 2000 A.D. (8,000 of which are displayed publicly), the Rijksmuseum is home to some of the greatest historical and artistic masterpieces in the world, including a collection of paintings from the likes of Dutch Masters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer and Hals; your other option offers a visit to the Zaanse Schans neighborhood to get an idea of what life was like in 17th- and 18th-century Holland; see the historic windmills and green wooden houses from the period. Nicknamed the Venice of the North for the sheer number of canals (165 to be exact) found throughout the city proper, they'll be on full display this afternoon during some free time to explore Amsterdam as you please. Illuminated artwork and sculptures lining the canals add a special glow to the city's winter landscapes at night, and are a highlight of this evening's festive canal cruise.
Lodging: ms Grace
Meals: B, L, D
Day 3 - Gouda & Den Haag
A leisurely morning cruise brings you to Schoonhaven in south Holland for a drive to historic Gouda, famous for its namesake cheese, but also inviting with its lesser-known candles - and stroopwafels. Join a local guide for a walking tour of its compact canal-ringed city center - in December the market and Town Hall are stunningly candlelit! See the pride of the town, the monumental 17th-century Waag, (weighing house) and the Town Hall. Credited with inventing stroopwafels, an iconic waffle sandwich with syrup in the center, Gouda was the only city to make them until 1870. Enjoy a demonstration and a tasting during your visit to Gouda today! Continue on to the royal city of Den Haag for a walking tour that includes a visit to Escher in the Palace; housed in an 18th century palace that was once home to the Dutch royal family and is now a museum, it features a permanent exhibition of works by Dutch graphic artist MC Escher.
Lodging: ms Grace
Meals: B, L, D
Day 4 - A Taste of Rotterdam or a Day in Delft
A choice of shore excursions today includes a locally guided walking tour of Rotterdam or a visit to Delft and its porcelain factory. In Rotterdam, view world-class architecture and urban design, along with outdoor sculptures randomly placed, and as you make your way to the city's covered Markthal; topped with sought-after glass-walled apartments, the market is lined with some 96 stalls enticing with a taste of Dutch culinary specialties under an arched fruit-and-vegetable muralled ceiling. Little changed since Golden Age artist Johannes Vermeer lived here in the 17th century, the historic center of Delft is a veritable time capsule of medieval treasures and Golden Age glories. Tour the city's Royal Delft factory to learn more about the distinctive blue and white Delftware pottery first introduced by local artisans in the 17th century, before returning to your ship in Rotterdam. Enjoy dinner tonight as your riverboat cruises to Antwerp.
Lodging: ms Grace
Meals: B, L, D
Day 5 - City Sightseeing in Bruges
Your riverboat arrives in Bruges this morning where you'll embark on a sightseeing tour. Explore the fortified medieval city, nicknamed The Venice of the North for its countless canals, on foot, meandering past its canals, magnificent squares, and narrow cobblestone lanes. Return to your riverboat for dinner in the Compass Rose this evening.
Lodging: ms Grace
Meals: B, L, D
Day 6 - Gems of Antwerp
Sugar and diamond trading put Antwerp on the map in the mid-16th century when it was one of Europe's most important cities. Today it is also famous for being the home of Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens, inviting you to walk in the artist's footsteps and see his masterpieces where he painted them. Traditionally held every December, the Antwerp Christmas Market is spread over different squares of the city, within walking distance of the Grote Markt and other landmarks you'll see today. Guided sightseeing showcases the highlights of Antwerp this morning before returning to your riverboat for an afternoon of cruising and onboard delights.
Lodging: ms Grace
Meals: B, L, D
Day 7 - Brussels in Winter
Wake up in Brussels this morning, disembarking after breakfast for a tour of the city that visits the enchanting cobblestoned square, Grand-Place, surrounded by ornately gilded 17th-century guildhouses, and the festive holiday markets of Winterfest, infused with the joys and spirit of the season. Time at leisure this afternoon lets you experience winter's wonders in Brussels as you wish. Join us aboard your riverboat this evening for a reception and farewell toast followed by dinner.
Lodging: ms Grace
Meals: B, L, D
Day 8 - Journey Home
Tour ends: Brussels. Disembark your riverboat by 9:00 AM this morning and fly home anytime. A transfer is included from the riverboat to Brussels Airport, Centraal Train Station or Brussels Midi Station. Allow a minimum of three hours for flight check-in at the airport.
Lodging:
Meals: B
Call (318) 323-3465 for more information or to book today! Mention code 18851735
- Cruise Line
- Tauck River Cruising
- Offer
- Offer valid through 12/31/2024
- Duration
- 8 Days
- Cruise Ship
- ms Grace
Click for more information on this ship.
Day | Port | Arrive | Depart |
Day 1 | Amsterdam | ||
Day 2 | Amsterdam | ||
Day 3 | Gouda | ||
Day 4 | Rotterdam | ||
Day 5 | Bruges | ||
Day 6 | Antwerp | ||
Day 7 | Brussels | ||
Day 8 | Brussels |
- Dates/Pricing
- Disclaimer
- * Land / cruise price per person in U.S. dollars, based on double occupancy, includes cruise fare, most meals, port charges, shore excursions, applicable fuel surcharges, and gratuities to Tauck Directors, Tauck Cruise Director, ship staff, local guides & drivers, and on all included meals.
Itinerary Changes - Although not expected, Tauck reserves the right to alter the sequence of ports or omit or substitute scheduled ports or attractions at any time without prior notice. Further, museums and attractions may be subject to closure due to state, local or religious holidays.
Cruises
Yuletide Spirit: Amsterdam to Brussels - Southbound Aboard ms Grace
From $4,190.00 (USD)
Destination: Europe
Ship: ms Grace
Experience the magic of Holland and Belgium during Winterfest, when friendships, fun and holiday cheer are celebrated with heartwarming fes...