Amsterdam: Tulips, Canals & Windmills

Introduction
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April 14–23, 2027 / 10 Days

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Amsterdam: Tulips, Canals & Windmills

After eight nights in one of the most beautiful corners of Europe — the tulip fields and canals of the Netherlands, the medieval streets of Bruges, and the solemn Flemish fields where so much history was made — we arrive home with full hearts and lasting memories. Thank you for travelling with OregonWest Excursions.

Tour Costs:

Single Package: $6999

Double Package: $8895

Deposit due at booking: $1000

Final Payment Due: January 5, 2026

Journey Highlights

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At a glance

Day 1 - Departure from Portland

14-Apr-2027
Day 1 - Departure from Portland image

Begin Journey: Portland to Amsterdam by Air

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Suggested arrival at Portland International Airport (PDX)

Suggested arrival at Portland International Airport (PDX) — KLM international check-in; allow 3 hours before departure
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KLM Flight 615: Portland to Amsterdam

Apr 14, 2027
PDX
Portland International Airport

AMS
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

Depart Portland — KLM Flight 615 to Amsterdam (AMS). This is a direct flight.

Day 2 - Arrival in Amsterdam

15-Apr-2027
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Arrive in Amsterdam and Settle In

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KLM Flight 616: Arrival in Amsterdam

Arrival
AMS
07:40
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Arrive Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) — KLM Flight 616 at 7:40 AM.
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Radisson Blu Hotel Amsterdam

Hotel check-in — Radisson Blu Hotel Amsterdam (luggage stored on early arrival). Hotel rooms available from 3:00 PM.
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Welcome Lunch

Welcome Lunch at 11:00 AM.
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Welcome Dinner

Welcome Dinner at 5:45 PM.
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Explore Amsterdam at Your Own Pace

After an overnight flight, we arrive in Amsterdam to a city that immediately rewards the senses — narrow canal houses reflected in dark water, bicycle bells in every direction, and the particular hum of one of Europe’s most beloved cities. We gather for a welcome lunch before settling into our hotel in the heart of the old city. The afternoon is yours to explore at your own pace — a stroll along the canal ring, a wander through a market, or simply a restful few hours before we come together this evening for our first group dinner.

Day 3 - Amsterdam Canal Cruise and Rijksmuseum

16-Apr-2027
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Private Canal Cruise and Rijksmuseum Tour

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Private Canal Boat Cruise

We begin our first full day in Amsterdam the best possible way — aboard a private canal boat for a narrated cruise through the city’s legendary waterways. Gliding beneath centuries-old bridges and past the facades of Golden Age merchant houses, our guide brings the history of Amsterdam’s canals to life in a way no walking tour can match. We pass the exterior of the Anne Frank House on the Prinsengracht, see the grand warehouses of the Brouwersgracht, and follow the Amstel toward the harbor before returning to the Museum Quarter.
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Private Guided Tour of Rijksmuseum

After lunch on your own near the Museumplein, we enter the Rijksmuseum for a private group guided tour. Our guide leads us through the Gallery of Honour, where Rembrandt’s The Night Watch commands its own grand salon and Vermeer’s The Milkmaid draws visitors from around the world. The Dutch Golden Age collection is among the finest in existence, and our guided visit ensures we see its highlights with full context and without the uncertainty of navigating the museum on our own.
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Free Afternoon and Evening in Amsterdam

The remainder of the afternoon and evening are yours to explore as you wish. Amsterdam’s neighborhoods — the Jordaan, the Nine Streets, Rembrandtplein — reward the unhurried walker, and dinner this evening is on your own at one of the countless excellent restaurants within easy reach of our hotel.
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Radisson Blu Hotel Amsterdam

Overnight: Radisson Blu Hotel Amsterdam, Amsterdam

Day 4 - Amsterdam to Bruges and Culinary Tour

17-Apr-2027
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Journey to Bruges and Belgian Food Tour

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Depart Amsterdam for Bruges

We say farewell to Amsterdam this morning and begin the journey south and west into Belgium — a drive that takes us through the flat Dutch countryside before crossing into the Dutch-speaking Flemish heartland. Our destination is Bruges, one of the best-preserved medieval cities in all of Europe and a place whose beauty seems almost too perfect to be real.
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Private Walking Food Tour in Bruges

On arrival in Bruges we are immediately immersed in the city’s extraordinary character. The afternoon features a private walking food tour through the historic center, led by a local expert who guides us through Bruges’s centuries-old culinary traditions. Belgian chocolate, fresh waffles, perfectly fried frites, and a taste of local Bruges beer are all part of the experience as we wind through cobbled lanes and market squares.
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Settle into Hotel on Burg Square

After the tour, there is time to freshen up and settle into our hotel, which sits directly on the medieval Burg Square.
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Dinner at Flemish Brasserie

Tonight we gather for dinner at an authentic Flemish brasserie a short walk from our hotel — one of Bruges’s most beloved local restaurants, known for the classics of Belgian cuisine: mussels, fresh North Sea sole, and hearty Flemish stews.
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Crowne Plaza Brugge

Overnight: Crowne Plaza Brugge, Bruges

Day 5 - Ypres and In Flanders Fields Museum

18-Apr-2027
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Day Trip to Ypres and WWI History

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Guided Orientation Walk in Ypres

Today we make a day trip to Ypres — Ieper in Flemish — the city at the center of some of the most intense fighting of the First World War. On arrival we take a brief guided orientation walk around the Grote Markt and the remarkable Cloth Hall, a vast medieval monument almost entirely destroyed during the war and painstakingly rebuilt stone by stone in the years that followed. Our guide sets the scene for what we are about to experience, placing Ypres and the surrounding Salient in the context of the wider conflict.
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Private Guided Visit to In Flanders Fields Museum

We enter the In Flanders Fields Museum for a private group guided visit — widely regarded as one of the finest First World War museums in the world. Housed in the rebuilt Cloth Hall itself, the museum uses immersive multimedia exhibits, personal stories, and the iconic interactive Poppy Bracelet to bring the human experience of the Great War to life in a way that is both deeply informative and profoundly moving. The experience is not one easily forgotten.
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Free Time in Ypres

After the museum, the afternoon is yours for lunch and quiet reflection in the cafes and squares around the Grote Markt before we return to Bruges.
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Return to Bruges and Evening at Leisure

We arrive back in Bruges with a relaxed afternoon ahead of us. The canals of Bruges in the late afternoon light are among the most beautiful sights in Belgium, and this is a rare opportunity to wander the city independently at your own pace. Dinner this evening is on your own — there is no shortage of excellent choices within easy walking distance of the hotel.
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Crowne Plaza Brugge

Overnight: Crowne Plaza Brugge, Bruges

Day 6 - Bruges, Antwerp and Return to Amsterdam

19-Apr-2027
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Antwerp City Tour and Return to Amsterdam

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Depart Bruges for Antwerp

We depart Bruges this morning and make a spirited stop in Antwerp — Belgium’s great port city and fashion capital — before continuing north to Amsterdam. Our time in Antwerp is centered on a hop-on hop-off city tour aboard the Antwerp Citytourbus, a seated touring experience that carries us past the city’s most celebrated landmarks: the magnificent Central Station, the Diamond District, the Rubens House, the Cathedral of Our Lady, the Grote Markt with its stunning guild houses, and the sweeping waterfront along the River Scheldt.
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Antwerp Citytourbus Hop-On Hop-Off Tour

Our time in Antwerp is centered on a hop-on hop-off city tour aboard the Antwerp Citytourbus, a seated touring experience that carries us past the city’s most celebrated landmarks: the magnificent Central Station, the Diamond District, the Rubens House, the Cathedral of Our Lady, the Grote Markt with its stunning guild houses, and the sweeping waterfront along the River Scheldt.
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Free Time in Antwerp

After the tour we have time on our own near the Grote Markt — a perfect opportunity for lunch in one of Antwerp’s atmospheric brasseries or a browse through the streets around the cathedral.
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Continue to Amsterdam

We then continue north across the Belgian border into the Netherlands, arriving in Amsterdam in the mid-afternoon. After the past two days in Bruges and Ypres, it is good to be back in the Dutch capital, and our hotel in the old city center gives us an excellent base for the days ahead.
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Welcome-Back-to-Amsterdam Dinner

Tonight we come together for our welcome-back-to-Amsterdam dinner at a magnificent 15th-century building on the Nieuwmarkt — a former weigh house lit entirely by candlelight, with stone walls, carved beams, and an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in the city. It is one of Amsterdam’s most memorable dining venues, and a fitting celebration of our return.
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Radisson Blu Hotel Amsterdam

Overnight: Radisson Blu Hotel Amsterdam, Amsterdam

Day 7 - Keukenhof Gardens and Van Gogh Museum

20-Apr-2027
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Keukenhof Flowers and Van Gogh Masterpieces

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Keukenhof Gardens Visit

Today offers one of the most celebrated experiences in all of the Netherlands: a morning at Keukenhof Gardens, the largest flower garden in the world. Seven million tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths bloom across 79 acres of parkland during the spring season, creating sweeping rivers of color that have to be seen to be believed. Paved paths wind through the garden in every direction, and benches are set throughout — this is a place designed for leisurely enjoyment, not hurried sightseeing. We explore at our own pace and come together for a group lunch on site before departing.
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Group Lunch at Keukenhof Gardens

We explore at our own pace and come together for a group lunch on site before departing.
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Van Gogh Museum Private Guided Tour

The afternoon brings us to the Van Gogh Museum for a private group guided tour — the most visited museum in the Netherlands and home to the largest collection of van Gogh’s work in the world. Our guide leads us through the masterpieces: The Potato Eaters, Sunflowers, Almond Blossom, The Bedroom, and the haunting self-portraits, connecting van Gogh’s life and letters to the canvases that made him immortal. There is a certain resonance to visiting this museum on the same day as Keukenhof — the painter who obsessed over flowers and colour, seen on the day we have been surrounded by both.
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Evening at Leisure in Amsterdam

After the museum we make our way back to the hotel — a walk or tram ride through the canal ring. The evening is yours, with Amsterdam’s Rembrandtplein and Nieuwmarkt both within easy reach for dinner on your own.
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Radisson Blu Hotel Amsterdam

Overnight: Radisson Blu Hotel Amsterdam, Amsterdam

Day 8 - Zaanse Schans Open-Air Museum and Dutch Traditions

21-Apr-2027
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Windmills, Clogs, Cheese and Historic Amsterdam Dining

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Zaanse Schans Open-Air Museum Visit

This morning we step back several centuries at Zaanse Schans, a living open-air museum on the banks of the River Zaan just north of Amsterdam. The site preserves a collection of original 17th and 18th-century Dutch windmills, workshops, and houses in a setting that gives an immediate sense of what this part of the Netherlands looked like during the Golden Age. We begin with a visit to a working windmill — our guide explains how these engineering marvels ground spices, pressed oil, and sawed timber for a city being built on the water. We then move on to a clog-making workshop, where the ancient craft of carving wooden shoes is demonstrated from rough log to finished product, before visiting a traditional Dutch cheese farm where tastings await.
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Free Time at Zaanse Schans and Afternoon in Amsterdam

After the programme, there is free time at Zaanse Schans to wander the riverside, browse the craft shops, or find a coffee and a Dutch pancake at one of the on-site restaurants before we return to Amsterdam. The afternoon in the city is entirely free — a welcome chance to revisit a neighbourhood you loved, do some shopping, or simply enjoy a quiet few hours at the hotel before our evening out.
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Group Dinner at Historic Amsterdam Restaurant

Tonight we walk together to dinner at one of Amsterdam’s most atmospheric restaurants — a collection of five interconnected 17th-century canal houses, often described as a culinary museum, with dining rooms decorated with original Rembrandt etchings, antique Delft blue tiles, and centuries-old gilt leather walls. The menu celebrates modern Dutch seasonal cuisine. It is a dinner that feels like the city itself: layered, beautiful, and deeply rooted in its own history.
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Radisson Blu Hotel Amsterdam

Overnight: Radisson Blu Hotel Amsterdam, Amsterdam

Day 9 - Anne Frank House, Hortus Botanicus & Rembrandt House

22-Apr-2027
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Anne Frank House and Amsterdam Farewell Dinner

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Anne Frank House Visit

We walk from the hotel to the Anne Frank House on the Prinsengracht for our timed group entry — the preserved hiding place where Anne Frank and seven others lived in concealment for more than two years during the Nazi occupation. The experience is deeply moving and not easily described; it is the kind of visit that stays with you long after you have left Amsterdam. We walk through at our own pace, guided by the audio commentary, with time to reflect.
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Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam Visit

We continue to the Hortus Botanicus — one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world, founded in 1638, and a place of remarkable tranquillity in the middle of the city. In April, the tulip and bulb garden is at or near its peak, and the three-climate greenhouse holds plants from every corner of the globe.
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Rembrandt House Museum Guided Tour

After the garden we make our way to the Rembrandt House Museum, where the great painter lived and worked for nearly 20 years. A guided visit takes us through the reconstructed studio and living quarters, and our guide connects the works on display to the man who created them.
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Farewell Dinner at Waterfront Brasserie

Tonight we gather for our farewell dinner at a lively waterfront brasserie a short walk from the hotel, situated opposite Amsterdam’s Central Station with views over the IJ harbour. The menu is built on ingredients from Dutch soil and waters — a fitting final toast to the food and culture of the Low Countries.
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Radisson Blu Hotel Amsterdam

Overnight: Radisson Blu Hotel Amsterdam, Amsterdam

Day 10 - Departure - Amsterdam to Portland

23-Apr-2027
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Return Journey from Amsterdam to Portland

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Early breakfast at hotel

Early breakfast at hotel.
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Coach transfer to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

Depart hotel by coach transfer to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
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KLM Flight 615: Amsterdam to Portland

AMS
10:25
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

PDX
12:45
Portland International Airport
Depart Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) at 10:25 AM on KLM Flight 615 to Portland (PDX).
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Arrive Portland International Airport

Arrive Portland International Airport (PDX) — welcome home.
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Map

1. Portland International Airport (PDX)

7000 NE Airport Way, Portland, OR 97218, USA

2. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)

Evert van de Beekstraat 202, 1118 CP Schiphol, Netherlands

3. Radisson Blu Hotel Amsterdam

Rusland 17, 1012 CK Amsterdam, Netherlands

4. Rijksmuseum

Museumstraat 1, 1071 XX Amsterdam, Netherlands

5. Keukenhof Gardens

Stationsweg 166A, 2161 AM Lisse, Netherlands

6. Van Gogh Museum

Museumplein 6, 1071 DJ Amsterdam, Netherlands

7. Zaanse Schans

Schansend 7, 1509 AW Zaandam, Netherlands

8. Anne Frank House

Westermarkt 20, 1016 GV Amsterdam, Netherlands

9. Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam

Plantage Middenlaan 2a, 1018 DD Amsterdam, Netherlands

10. Rembrandt House Museum

Jodenbreestraat 4, 1011 NK Amsterdam, Netherlands

11. Crowne Plaza Brugge

Burg 10, 8000 Brugge, Belgium

12. Burg Square, Bruges

Burg, 8000 Brugge, Belgium

13. Grote Markt, Ypres

Grote Markt, 8900 Ieper, Belgium

14. In Flanders Fields Museum

Grote Markt 34, 8900 Ieper, Belgium

15. Antwerp Central Station

Koningin Astridplein 27, 2018 Antwerpen, Belgium

16. Grote Markt, Antwerp

Grote Markt, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium