La Nouvelle Etoile sails through some of the most picturesque parts of Holland on a 7-day private classic cruise. Find a collection of well-preserved windmills and houses in the Zaanse Schans. After that, visit a Gouda cheese farm and take in the city's striking architecture and stained-glass windows afterward. Continue to Delft Pottery Works, which is painted entirely by hand. See the world's most magnificent spring garden, Keukenhof Gardens, which boasts over 32 hectares of color and aroma thanks to its 7 million tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths. Your Dutch expedition concludes in Aalsmeer, the world's largest flower auction, before disembarking in Haarlem.
Highlights
View the fascinating windmills of Zaanse Schans with your private group of up to 8 guests
Enjoy Aalsmeer and see its gorgeous flower auction
Visit the Royal Delft pottery shop, where traditional Dutch pottery is made.
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Guests meet in Amsterdam and transfer to La Nouvelle Etoile which is moored in the center of Haarlem. The whole crew prepares you for your cruise with a champagne welcome. Haarlem has its charming beauty which can be seen through its retained medieval character of cobblestone streets and gabled houses. You can find the majestic St. Bavo's Cathedral in the main square where Mozart and Handel played on its muller organ.
After breakfast, take a cruise to the reconstructed historic village of Zaanse Schans. Find working windmills, clog makers, cheese farms, mustard mills, and everything the Dutch are known for in this sweet village. In the afternoon, be taken back to a previous century as you cruise through the heart of Amsterdam with its narrow canals and architecture. After this visit, continue cruising along the Amstel River to Uithoorn.
A morning cruise to Gouda warms up your day for its famous cheese, pipes, and candles. Visit a local cheese farm and explore Gouda's unique architecture and stained glass windows, the remarkable windows in St. John's church date back to the15th century. Browse or shop while you are in Gouda.
After breakfast this morning cruise to Rotterdam, the world’s largest port, stop at a vodka distillery en route, Ketel, one of the oldest distillery in Holland still owned by the same family. Continue to Delft, a beautiful town with many historical connections, including being one of the starting chambers of the Dutch East India Company and the birthplace of artist Jan Vermeer. The day’s visit also includes a tour of a factory to learn how the world-famous pottery is made. Spend the rest of the afternoon strolling around this delightful and historic Dutch city. Dinner on board.
The sailing adventure continues as you cruise through the canals past Leiden, where many Pilgrims lived before they set out to the New World. The ship crosses the Brasemmer Lakes to Oude Wetering. In the afternoon, visit the famous Keukenhof Gardens and explore the 70-acres which exemplify the Dutch floral industry. This showcases an ever-changing display of spring flowers beginning with narcissus followed by hyacinths and tulips from late March to mid-May.
Aalsmeer is where the world's largest flower auction is held and where 10 billion flowers are sold every year. After visiting this gorgeous place, return to the hotel barge to cruise to Haarlem with an optional side trip to Cruquius Museum. The Cruquius pumping station is a beautiful neo-Gothic building built-in 1846. Visit the town of Haarlem and the Frans Hals Museum, an international collection of Old Masters and works that represent the Dutch Golden Age. Tonight enjoy the Captain's farewell dinner on board.
Day 7: Haarlem | Disembark
1 Breakfast
After breakfast, disembark La Nouvelle Etoile and transfer back to Amsterdam.
This itinerary is no longer available. For other trip ideas, please visit Netherlands River Cruises.
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Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Suites
200 sq. ft. including en-suite facilities. Twin/double beds, private bathroom with shower, wardrobe, small tables and a chair.
Initial deposit is 25%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure by Credit card, check, and bank transfer. All final payments by credit card subject to a surcharge of 2.5% and maximum of $20,000 charge
This was our first trip to South America and we were a little nervous. But Adventure Life made things so easy! All our questions were answered before we left, and our guide, Vidal, was amazing! He gave us enough space to explore without rushing us along. He also knew where the best picture taking opportunities were, which was great.
The persons I spoke with knew the material. I wont know until I actually take the trip if it was all correct but at this point they were helpful in finding a trip that met my criteria
SS
5 days ago
Creating a checklist was very beneficial and meeting objectives on certain dates helped as well (to keep my trip organized). The Adventure Travel personnel helped keep me on track which is why my trip was so successful. Communication from both travel agencies (AT/MT) was vital.
Iziah Carthens
6 days ago
This is an amazing company to work with. I generally do not use tour companies as I am more of an independent traveller so I was slightly reticent. They were fantastic from the start - 10/10 - from lining up a phone call to discuss requirements, then their ongoing communication in the lead up to the tour and during it (thank you, Franny and Phen). They also explored cost-effective options (eg group transfers). The tour was in Patagonia so Adventure Life organised a pickup from the El Calafate airport to the El Chalten accommodation, two day hikes with a private guide and then to the El Calafate accommodation. A tour coordinator came to the hotel to explain, using the maps, what was involved in each day tour and what should be expected, and patiently answered all questions. The tour guide Marcos was excellent - very professional, knowledgable, communicative and at all times felt very safe with his navigational skills (important in the Patagonian wilderness). On the second day I forgot to take hiking poles so Marcos kindly gave me his. I honestly wouldn't have changed a thing and would happily recommend and book through them again.
Petrina Sta
1 week ago
Adventure Life has been great throughout my planning process for our up and coming Galapagos cruise. Kevin Moore, in particular, was very helpful in assisting me in making choices and providing me with options. He was also very patient, as I worked through figuring out what I really wanted in this vacation.
Lucy Greenway
1 week ago
Adventure Life was a pleasure to work with. They helped us find different options for our charter and answered a lot of questions with patience and clarity.
