Holland Tours
The Netherlands (often referred to as Holland) is a small country, big on character. A fusion of old and new comes to life with historic WWII sites and classic masterpieces contrasted by creative modern arts and contemporary architecture. Marvel at fields of tulips from late March through mid-May, explore windmill lined back roads on a guided tour or set off across Europe on a river cruise from Amsterdam.
Popular Tours
10 Days Brussels to Amsterdam
Operator: Trafalgar
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11 Days Brussels to Amsterdam
Operator: Insight Vacations
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3,711pp
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856pp
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Must do experiences and highlights in the Netherlands
Visit a Delftware Workshop 
Holland from Handlebar Height 
Rotterdam's Architecture 
The Tulips of Keukenhof 
Amsterdam's Galleries and Museums Latest Reviews
What our clients are saying about their journeys through the Netherlands
Glimpse of Europe - Fast paced trip but worth it
Glimpse of Europe
Hen E., QLD, Australia, Apr 2024
The trip did meet our expectations of seeing a glimpse of Amsterdam, Germany, Switzerland and Paris. Some of the optional experiences are worth taking specially the Cabaret in Paris. All hotels were comfortable except the City Hotel Brunnen in Switzerland. Our room has a tiny bathroom with the wash basin in the bedroom. A hotel at Luzern would have read more been preferable. Special mention and thanks to the Restaurant staff at the Hotel NH Weinheim, Germany for preparing special gluten free meals for my coeliac condition.
Our Tour Director Steve is exceptional, sharing his knowledge of history of the countries and well-organised in making sure we make the most of our time in each city. The cold and wet weather in April did not dampen the mood of our small group and we still got to see the main attractions. We came home with happy memories. 😊
Our Tour Director Steve is exceptional, sharing his knowledge of history of the countries and well-organised in making sure we make the most of our time in each city. The cold and wet weather in April did not dampen the mood of our small group and we still got to see the main attractions. We came home with happy memories. 😊
Delightful green landscapes
Best of Holland
Anita & Jim, WA, Australia, Jun 2019
Thank you Hannah of Global Journeys for making our booking so easy.
Our tour director IIja was a charming Dutch lady who was proud to show off her country. Regrettably she had little concern for the slower walkers on city walks, often heading off through traffic and intersections. The tour included museums and art galleries which was not too everyone's read more taste, although in fairness to Iija she did give us extra time to take photographs at the John Frost bridge in Arnhem and served up lots of Dutch treats throughout the journey.
Our overnight stay on SS Rotterdam was a waste of time... our cabin was dated and cold. The corridor carpets were worn which caused me to trip. We were told dinner was not included, so if anyone did not want to have dinner on board, then we may choose to catch a taxi into the city. Since most guests had no idea of the layout of Rotterdam or even where to find a restaurant, we became a "captive audience" settling for dinner on board. In our case our meal was disappointing costing $107.81 for 1 serve of steak & veg and 1 serve of 6 tiger prawns plus two beers. I found a black human hair in my prawns, after bringing it to the attention of staff was told it was a prawn hair!!!
The Sprio boat trip around Rotterdam harbour was too long, with little views other than that of the docks and rusty hulks. Some guests were surprised to find the optional excursions was an extra to the tour cost. Something to keep in mind when booking.
Our tour director IIja was a charming Dutch lady who was proud to show off her country. Regrettably she had little concern for the slower walkers on city walks, often heading off through traffic and intersections. The tour included museums and art galleries which was not too everyone's read more taste, although in fairness to Iija she did give us extra time to take photographs at the John Frost bridge in Arnhem and served up lots of Dutch treats throughout the journey.
Our overnight stay on SS Rotterdam was a waste of time... our cabin was dated and cold. The corridor carpets were worn which caused me to trip. We were told dinner was not included, so if anyone did not want to have dinner on board, then we may choose to catch a taxi into the city. Since most guests had no idea of the layout of Rotterdam or even where to find a restaurant, we became a "captive audience" settling for dinner on board. In our case our meal was disappointing costing $107.81 for 1 serve of steak & veg and 1 serve of 6 tiger prawns plus two beers. I found a black human hair in my prawns, after bringing it to the attention of staff was told it was a prawn hair!!!
The Sprio boat trip around Rotterdam harbour was too long, with little views other than that of the docks and rusty hulks. Some guests were surprised to find the optional excursions was an extra to the tour cost. Something to keep in mind when booking.
Canals, Windmills and Tulips in Benelux
Country Roads of Belgium, Luxembourg & the Netherlands
J & P, VIC, Australia, Apr 2019
What a wonderful tour! April-May is the time to go, as the weather is improving (we had many days in the mid-20s Celsius after a cool beginning), and the Keukenhof Gardens are open and, in our case, were included in the tour. Our wonderful tour director, Philip Orna, went out of his way to ensure we had the best tour possible, and our driver, Ludwig, read more was also excellent.
There were a few downsides. The accommodation in Bruges is a brand new Radisson, which is still teething, is understaffed and is not well located (next to the rail yards). Apparently chosen by Insight because they received a lot of bad feedback regarding the previous hotel.
The NH hotel in Amsterdam is also new to Insight, and is very tired. It is apparently due to be renovated this year (2019), so should be in good shape by 2020, but may not be so good this year.
The Chateau D'Urspelt is lovely, but it is a true country stay. It is a long drive from Luxembourg, so those who choose not to take the optional excursion to Trier will have to remain in Luxembourg until the excursion returns. Trier is certainly worthwhile, so we would recommend taking this excursion.
We went on the majority of the optional excursions and recommend doing the same. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and made many friends among our travelling companions.
There were a few downsides. The accommodation in Bruges is a brand new Radisson, which is still teething, is understaffed and is not well located (next to the rail yards). Apparently chosen by Insight because they received a lot of bad feedback regarding the previous hotel.
The NH hotel in Amsterdam is also new to Insight, and is very tired. It is apparently due to be renovated this year (2019), so should be in good shape by 2020, but may not be so good this year.
The Chateau D'Urspelt is lovely, but it is a true country stay. It is a long drive from Luxembourg, so those who choose not to take the optional excursion to Trier will have to remain in Luxembourg until the excursion returns. Trier is certainly worthwhile, so we would recommend taking this excursion.
We went on the majority of the optional excursions and recommend doing the same. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and made many friends among our travelling companions.
Well organised Northern Netherlands tour
Best of the Netherlands
Patricia, TAS, Australia, Apr 2019
I was very happy with this tour. The tour leader was very knowledgeable, competent and thoughtful. Everything was very well organised and interesting. I thought it was very good value.
Highlights of less-travelled Benelux countries
Best of Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg
Janet, QLD, Australia, Sep 2018
A good value Trafalgar trip showcasing the cities of Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Bruges (who could not love this charming medieval city?) and Brussels. There were shorter stops in other interesting, lesser-known and less-busy places: Rotterdam, Maastricht, Orval Abbey (delightful, many left with beer samples), Trier (optional tour and dinner excellent value), read more Dinant (splendid views along the Meuse River from the cable-car ride to the citadel above), Ghent (busy) and Antwerp (optional, much less so). Waterloo was also a worthwhile optional extension.
I found the optional excursions overall good value except for the Muiderslot castle which was expensive given the very limited time we had there. The hotels were very comfortable and the included meals very good. A criticism I had was that the Kinderdijk trip was an optional excursion, it really should have been part of the tour as if you decide not to do it, there is literally nothing to do nearby for 2 hours. Perhaps the Euromast in Rotterdam (with amazing views of this extensive port city) could be the optional excursion instead - I noticed many did not want to take the ride right to the top, but admission was paid anyway.
The tour in Amsterdam included the Rijksmuseum (wonderful) and a canal cruise with dinner. One optional excursion did not go ahead due to lack of numbers. Not a problem as there is so much to enjoy, but some travellers on the tour were not aware that two main attractions in Amsterdam require pre-booking and so they were disappointed they did not get to see them in their free time: The Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank's House. Travellers need to know that it is necessary to book online at least a few days out to ensure a visit to these very popular museums which are not included on the tour.
I found the optional excursions overall good value except for the Muiderslot castle which was expensive given the very limited time we had there. The hotels were very comfortable and the included meals very good. A criticism I had was that the Kinderdijk trip was an optional excursion, it really should have been part of the tour as if you decide not to do it, there is literally nothing to do nearby for 2 hours. Perhaps the Euromast in Rotterdam (with amazing views of this extensive port city) could be the optional excursion instead - I noticed many did not want to take the ride right to the top, but admission was paid anyway.
The tour in Amsterdam included the Rijksmuseum (wonderful) and a canal cruise with dinner. One optional excursion did not go ahead due to lack of numbers. Not a problem as there is so much to enjoy, but some travellers on the tour were not aware that two main attractions in Amsterdam require pre-booking and so they were disappointed they did not get to see them in their free time: The Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank's House. Travellers need to know that it is necessary to book online at least a few days out to ensure a visit to these very popular museums which are not included on the tour.
Glimpse of Europe
Glimpse of Europe
Abbie & Tony, QLD, Australia, Aug 2018
This tour is as described. A quick glimpse and historical account of Europe. Firstly, this is the second tour that my husband and I have taken with Trafalgar, booked through Global Journeys. If you are one who doesn't fare too well on long drives, then this tour is not for you. There are 2 days where all you do is drive through Europe in your coach. read more We had Bern, as our tour guide. She was fabulous. Loved to chat, but was very personable, friendly and very much approachable and knowledgeable of all areas visited.
Day to day consisted of time lines, mostly early, but this was to ensure you missed peak hour, got to spend more of your free time in locations and beat all the other tour buses to the rest stops/services. Hotels, look, going via a costsaver trip, there are costs saved to ensure the tour is within the budget you set. All places were clean and for my husband and I, were very spacious. However, European rooms are generally smaller. Most complaints come from American travellers. We were in Europe during their heatwave. Europe is not prepared for hot days. More often than not there are no air conditioning units and one of the hotels ran out of fans (literally fans were sold out in one of the areas we stayed). Most locations are safe to leave your window open when going to bed but we didn't.
We did all the optional experiences. Some couples went off and did their own thing. We knew that if we didn't join the optional experiences, we would have just stayed indoors and missed out on seeing and experiencing unique experiences for that location. Highlights was certainly the folklore evening and going up to the top of Mt Pilatus. The Arc De Triomphe and Eiffel Tower were amazing. Paris was certainly cleaner than I had been told. I didn't find it dirty at all.
Food. I'm lactose intolerant. Again, this is something that is very foreign in Europe. Patience and understanding is required, as they will offer alternatives which include other dairy or you will literally get three slices of orange and 2 slices of tin pineapple on your plate for dessert. If you have no limitations, you will have plenty of options.
Day to day consisted of time lines, mostly early, but this was to ensure you missed peak hour, got to spend more of your free time in locations and beat all the other tour buses to the rest stops/services. Hotels, look, going via a costsaver trip, there are costs saved to ensure the tour is within the budget you set. All places were clean and for my husband and I, were very spacious. However, European rooms are generally smaller. Most complaints come from American travellers. We were in Europe during their heatwave. Europe is not prepared for hot days. More often than not there are no air conditioning units and one of the hotels ran out of fans (literally fans were sold out in one of the areas we stayed). Most locations are safe to leave your window open when going to bed but we didn't.
We did all the optional experiences. Some couples went off and did their own thing. We knew that if we didn't join the optional experiences, we would have just stayed indoors and missed out on seeing and experiencing unique experiences for that location. Highlights was certainly the folklore evening and going up to the top of Mt Pilatus. The Arc De Triomphe and Eiffel Tower were amazing. Paris was certainly cleaner than I had been told. I didn't find it dirty at all.
Food. I'm lactose intolerant. Again, this is something that is very foreign in Europe. Patience and understanding is required, as they will offer alternatives which include other dairy or you will literally get three slices of orange and 2 slices of tin pineapple on your plate for dessert. If you have no limitations, you will have plenty of options.
