Amsterdam & Highlights of Holland

LeShuttle to Calais and on to our hotel in the Netherlands, where we stay on a bed and breakfast basis.

Amsterdam & Highlights of Holland

Picturesque canals, elegant merchant houses and bustling squares await in Amsterdam, one of Europe’s most distinctive capitals. Spend the day exploring exactly as you please, from world-famous museums such as the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House to the independent boutiques and cafés of the charming Nine Streets district. Wander the characterful Jordaan neighbourhood, soak up the atmosphere in lively squares or simply relax at a canalside café and watch the city go by. This evening, there is time to enjoy dinner at leisure before we return to the hotel.

Please note: due to local traffic regulations, there is a walk of approximately 30 minutes from the coach drop-off point to the city centre.

Amsterdam & Highlights of Holland

Beyond Amsterdam lies a different side of the Netherlands, where historic ports, fishing villages and timeless traditions await. After crossing the impressive Markerwaarddijk, the causeway separating the Markermeer from the IJsselmeer, our first stop is historic Enkhuizen, a harbour town on the IJsselmeer with beautiful old buildings, maritime history and plenty to explore at leisure. We continue to picturesque Marken, famous for its traditional wooden houses, historic harbour and enduring island traditions, before ending the day in the delightful fishing village of Volendam. Renowned for its colourful harbour and traditional Dutch costumes, Volendam offers the perfect setting to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy an early dinner at leisure before we return to the hotel.

Amsterdam & Highlights of Holland

After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and head to Calais for our journey home on LeShuttle.

Visit Enkhuizen’s historic harbour on the IJsselmeer, where cobbled lanes weave past 16th-century gables and moored wooden boats. See the stout Drommedaris gate and the lofty Westerkerk, and wander quays edged with brick warehouses that recall the town’s prosperous herring trade.

Once a powerhouse of the Zuiderzee, Enkhuizen preserves rich maritime traditions celebrated at the Zuiderzeemuseum (entry optional). Enjoy time to explore the waterfront, snap the skyline over the water, and pause for photos and reflection along breezy dikes.

Discover Marken, a former island village famed for its traditional wooden houses set on mounds and piers against the inland sea. Amble quiet lanes to the historic harbour, watch fishing boats bob at their moorings, and take in views toward the Paard van Marken lighthouse.

Long shaped by storms of the old Zuiderzee, Marken retains enduring island traditions and distinctive green-painted facades. Learn how residents adapted homes to flooding and tides, and notice costumes and craftwork that keep coastal culture alive in this compact, story-rich community.

Stroll Volendam’s colourful harbour and dike-top promenade, where fishing boats and wooden facades create a postcard waterfront. Explore snug lanes behind the Dijk and browse small galleries and cafés as sea breezes lift the flags and gulls wheel overhead.

Known for traditional Dutch costumes and living fishing heritage, Volendam attracted painters in the late 19th century and still hums with village life. Take in broad water views across the Markermeer and soak in the waterfront atmosphere before your return journey.

Cross the Markerwaarddijk (Houtribdijk), the sweeping causeway that separates the Markermeer from the IJsselmeer, with water stretching to the horizon on both sides. Watch wind turbines and reedbeds slide by and capture the scale of the Netherlands’ engineering feats from your seat.

Part of the visionary Zuiderzee Works, this 27-kilometre link reveals reclaimed polders and misty water horizons that define the Dutch struggle with the sea. It’s a quiet, contemplative traverse made for photography and appreciation of landscape design.

Explore Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed Canal Ring, where gabled merchant houses mirror in still waters and bicycles cross stone bridges. Spend time in Dam Square and the Jordaan, browse the Nine Streets, and pause at canalside cafés to soak in the city atmosphere.

This city visit lets you follow your interests—from the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum to the Anne Frank House—entries at own expense. Due to local regulations, the coach sets down outside the centre; allow about a 30-minute flat walk into the historic core.