The Heart of Holland

SUMMARY

Date: Saturday September 21st to Thursday September 26th  5 nights and 6 days.

Guide: our local guide plus one of the WalkingWomen UK team.

Walking Grade: Goat Level 1 – walks will be up to 14km/8.6 miles. This is longer than the usual Goat 1 but we have graded this holiday Goat 1  because it is very flat and at a steady pace. We also have a mini bus with us and can shorten walks – or you can just do the culture part if you so wish. This holiday is to walk to discover the varied landscape of Holland whilst also spending time visiting some cultural attractions.

Highlights: wide variety of walks and landscapes, birdlife, hiking on mudflats, quintessential Dutch heritage sites, boutique hotels to end your day, great Dutch food.

We can also help get tickets for the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam and the Van Gogh museums for anyone who would like to see them whilst in Holland.

Base: We stay at different boutique hotels as we travel from Amsterdam to the Veluwe Forest and then on to the Wadden Sea Coast and back to Amsterdam.

Arrivals: We suggest arriving into Amsterdam by 14.00ish on Saturday Sept 21st. For those coming from London we recommend travelling by train together on the 8.16 arriving 14.14.  The journey takes approx 5 hours.

For those flying you arrive into Amsterdam Schiphol and take the short trip by train into Amsterdam city centre.

The boat journey is a fun way to travel from England and there are ferries from Harwich , Hull and Newcastle . You can check out fares here  Ferry Travel

Departures: From Amsterdam on Thursday 26th – we suggest travelling after 14.00 to give you a morning for free time to explore more of Amsterdam. We can help with any extensions to your trip.

Price: £2,100 per person solo occupancy or £1900 per person if you bring a friend/partner and are sharing a room.

Included:

• Solo occupancy en-suite room in boutique hotels
• All meals – breakfast , packed lunches whilst walking, evening meals
• All transport by minivan(s) during your trip
• Local female, English speaking guides
• WalkingWomen UK team support
• All Water, snacks, fruits, and soft drinks on tour days
• All entrance tickets and/or activity rentals for the itinerary during the trip

Not included:

• Souvenirs, personal purchases
• Any meals not specifically mentioned above, alcoholic beverages
•  Any tickets/rentals not specifically mentioned above in the included list

DETAILS

This trip is a special small group tour to show you the best sights and excursions in Holland, often off the beaten track.

For such a small country, the landscape is extremely diverse. From high sand dunes along the coast to the ancient woods of the Veluwe, from moors and hills formed in the ice age to grassland, rivers, and canals in the lowlands. And where else in the world can you hike on the bottom of the ocean?

You will visit the capital city of Amsterdam, the inland lowlands, the sea as well as a variety of cultural heritage sights along the way. You are sure to try some cheese, see a windmill and by the end will surely be in love with this country!

ITINERARY

The itinerary is to give an example and may change depending on weather, tides and at the discretion of our guides. You will be briefed each day by your guide so you always know of any changes.

Day 1
• Arrival and free afternoon in Amsterdam
• Welcome dinner.
• Overnight in Amsterdam

Day 2
• Hike in the green heart of Holland. This 14km hike goes past windmills and castles, through villages, forests and open grassland. We visit Castle de Haar in the afternoon. This middle aged castle, restored by Baron Etienne in 1890, is the biggest and most beautiful castle of the Netherlands!

Transfer by mini bus to Veluwe forest for dinner together at our hotel.
Overnight Veluwe forest.

Day 3
In the morning we hike 12 km in National Park Hoge Veluwe, looking for Red Deer and wild boar. This ancient area combines open moors with heather and deep dark woods. After lunch we visit the Kröller-Müller Museum (with the second largest collection of Van Gogh in the world)
Overnight Veluwe Forest

Day 4
We head north and will do a 13 km hike in Sallandse Heuvelrug around the Holterberg. This hilly landscape was formed in the ice age and provides beautiful views. We will visit Giethoorn, “ the Venice of the North” in the afternoon. This small village with its thatched roofed farms, no roads and a hundred bridges is best viewed from the water.
Overnight Wadden Sea coast

Day 5
From the North shore in Friesland we will hike the mudflats at low tide! This is a unique experience that can only be done in this area which is a UNESCO world heritage site Wadden Sea.

We will get the chance to do some Birdwatching on the Wadden Sea coast. We will visit numerous hides and observe the migrating coastal birds of the East Atlantic Flyway refuelling on their trek.

In the evening we will explore the 17th century town of Harlingen
We drive back to Amsterdam in the evening.  Overnight in Amsterdam

Day 6
• Free morning / day in Amsterdam if you have time.