Festive Benelux: 7-Day Trip

Duration7 days / 6 nights

TypeGroup trips

The experience

This Christmas and New Year we are travelling to the Benelux, the Low Countries – Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg! Our magical journey through the Low Countries begins in Belgium and Brussels, where we will get to know the most important decision-making centres of the European Union and stroll around the impressive Grand-Place and the picturesque lanes of the city’s historic centre. Next, we will fall head over heels for fairy-tale Bruges before moving on to the Netherlands and Amsterdam, the city that symbolises freedom, where we will feel its pulse as we walk along its canals and through the famous “Red Light” district. Among other things, we cannot miss the traditional Dutch fishing villages of Marken and Volendam, nor the characteristic Dutch windmills in the beautiful village of Zaanse Schans.

Departure

Departure and return point: Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos”
Departure time: 10.45

Festive Benelux and the Low Countries — 1/3

Festive Benelux and the Low Countries — 2/3

Festive Benelux and the Low Countries — 3/3

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Day by day

Itinerary

01Day

ATHENS - BRUSSELS – ANTWERP - AMSTERDAM

Meet at the airport and take a direct flight to Brussels, the capital of Belgium. On arrival, we board our coach and set off for Antwerp, Belgium’s diamond port, which has rightly earned its nickname as it handles 70% of the world’s diamonds. The centre of the old town, built around the country’s most impressive cathedral, is as beautiful today as it was centuries ago. The whole city feels like a museum, from the medieval castle beside the river to the modern creations on the waterfront. Gothic and Flemish Baroque architecture, with the house of Peter Paul Rubens, the greatest Baroque artist of northern Europe, as a characteristic example, will delight us. We will stroll through the picturesque little streets with their thousands of restaurants and bars, antique shops, art galleries, designer boutiques and shops selling diamonds and other precious stones, concentrated in the Jewish quarter. Transfer to our hotel in Amsterdam and check-in. Overnight stay.

02Day

AMSTERDAM

Breakfast at the hotel and a tour of the sights of the “floating” city. We will see the traditional “Rembrandt Mill” on the banks of the River Amstel, the impressive “Arena Stadium”, the imposing “Rijksmuseum”, the towering “Western Church” (Westerkerk), the “unique Royal Palace” and Central Station. We will also see Dam Square with the Royal Palace and the New Church, Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein, the impressive building of the floating railway station and picturesque Rokin, ending up at the large square with the Opera House. Return to the hotel and free afternoon. Overnight stay.

03Day

AMSTERDAM – ZAANSE SCHANS – VOLENDAM – MARKEN

Breakfast at the hotel, then we set off through the classic Dutch countryside with its polders and little canals to reach the famous and beautiful village of Zaanse Schans with its traditional windmills. We continue with a visit to the picturesque Dutch fishing villages of Volendam and Marken. During the excursion we will also visit a traditional local cheese farm, where “the Little Dutch Girl”, dressed in traditional costume, will explain how the famous Dutch cheeses are made, and we will have the chance to taste them. Return to Amsterdam in the late afternoon. Overnight stay.

04Day

AMSTERDAM - THE HAGUE - DELFT - ROTTERDAM - BRUSSELS

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for the city of “Peace”, The Hague, seat of the International Court of Justice and the Dutch Parliament, with the famous “Peace Palace”, the exceptional buildings housing ministries and embassies, and Scheveningen, the most elegant as well as the largest and most fashionable beach in the Netherlands. We will then head for the medieval town of Delft, the first capital of the Dutch state, a town with a beautiful historic centre and majestic royal churches. We continue to Rotterdam, at the mouth of the River Rhine, the largest commercial port in the world, with its skyscrapers, modern buildings of particular architectural merit and the impressive Willem & Erasmus bridges. Arrival in Brussels in the late afternoon. Check-in. Overnight stay.

05Day

BRUSSELS – GHENT – BRUGES

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for picturesque Ghent, one of Belgium’s oldest cities and capital of the province of East Flanders, a city that was a major European trading port in the Middle Ages. On our tour of the medieval centre we will see the Castle of the Counts and St Bavo’s Cathedral, which holds works by the famous painter Rubens and by Hieronymus Bosch, as well as the wonderful triptych attributed to the Van Eyck brothers. We continue to the capital of the province of West Flanders and one of the most beautiful cities in central Europe, Bruges. We will walk through the historic centre and see the park with the “Lake of Love”, St John’s Hospital, the oldest hospital in Europe, the Church of Our Lady, the much-photographed St Boniface Bridge, the Hall of the Lords, the Arents Gardens and finally the College of Europe and the world’s first stock exchange, a unique jewel of the city. Return to our hotel in Brussels in the late afternoon. Overnight stay.

06Day

BRUSSELS – LUXEMBOURG – DINANT

Breakfast at the hotel. We board the coach and, crossing the Ardennes with their lush green forests, picturesque little villages and majestic castles, we will visit the smallest state in the European Union, Luxembourg. On our tour we will see the Grand Ducal Palace, the Cathedral of Our Lady, the impressive Red Bridge and the walls of this city of banks. Our route then continues to the tiny, strikingly picturesque Belgian town of Dinant, birthplace of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone. This is also home to the only statue of (General) Charles de Gaulle that depicts him as a simple lieutenant. The town is characterised by its famous rock crowned by a citadel and by its wonderful cathedral. Return to our hotel in Brussels in the late afternoon. Overnight stay.

07Day

BRUSSELS (city tour) - ATHENS

Early breakfast and a panoramic tour of this aristocratic city, seat of the European Union. We will see the beautiful Grand-Place with its impressive Town Hall, the building housing the City Museum and the Flemish Renaissance buildings, as well as the little statue of Manneken Pis, the symbol of the city, the Royal Palace, the Belgian Parliament, the Gothic Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula, the European Union buildings, the Triumphal Arch in Cinquantenaire Park and finally the Atomium, the trademark of Brussels. Transfer to Brussels airport for our return flight to Athens.

At a glance

What’s included

Included in the price

Economy class air tickets Athens – Brussels – Athens with Sky Express
One suitcase of up to 20 kg and one piece of hand luggage of up to 8 kg.
Accommodation in selected 4* hotels (NH Louise Brussels 4*, Park Inn Radisson Amsterdam 4*) or similar, with buffet breakfast daily.
Transfers and transport by luxury air-conditioned coach.
Visit to Zaanse Schans, where we will see the traditional windmills.
Tours, excursions and guided visits as set out in the detailed itinerary.
Civil/professional liability insurance
VAT