The Netherlands shares borders to the south with Belgium and to the east with Germany, while the North Sea lies to the north and west. Large areas of The Netherlands have been reclaimed from the sea and consequently one-fifth of the country lies below sea level. The Netherlands is a lively mix of tradition, in the form of windmills and tulips, and fast-paced modern European life. The Netherlands is an ideal destination for those who enjoy pursuits like cycling or walking without over-exerting themselves. But it is a cultured land as well, as the seemingly endless list of great Dutch artists testifies.

Amsterdam City Tour and Keukenhof Gardens:

Once you have boarded the coach, you will have a multi lingual guided tour with detailed information on the sights and monuments that you will visit in Amsterdam during the first part of this tour. You will drive past the Royal Palace, the National Monument, the Skinny Bridge, the Albert Cuijp Market, beautiful houses along the canal and a windmill on the river Amstel. A stop will be made at the diamond factory followed by a two hour lunch break. After lunch, we set off for the Keukenhof tour at 14.15hrs. This colourful tour will take you through the outstanding flower fields in the direction of Keukenhof. Here you will see and admire in a very relaxed way, some of the most beautiful flowers in the world.

Getaway to the Rhine Falls:

Your coach will start from Zurich city centre and will head towards the fantastic nature spectacle Rhine Falls, Europe's largest waterfall. It is only 23 metres high but has an impressive width of 150 metres and an average of 25'000 cubic feet of water per second (700m3/sec). You will be dropped off on the north bank of the river Rhine where you can admire the turreted castle called Schloss Laufen on a cliff directly above the falls. The tour also takes you to Northern Switzerland close to the German border where you will drive through Schaffhausen, the capital of the canton with its famous Munot Fortress, dating from the 16th century.

Mount Titlis - Glacier Paradise:

An adventure excursion to the highest vantage point in Central Switzerland. A pleasant ride with our deluxe motor coach takes you to the resort of Engelberg, where you will board the aerial cableway for a 45 minute journey from the green valley bottom to the high alpine glacier region at 3020 m/10000 ft which guarantees snow the whole year round. Enjoy a magnificent ride in the world's first ever revolving 'ROTAIR' gondola, which offers a 360 panoramic view into the Alps. During 2 hours stay on the mountain visit the Ice Grotto, experience the new 'Ice Flyer' - chair lift ride over the glacier with fantastic views into crevasses and ice falls and enjoy a snow slide on the 'Fun lift'. (These activities are included in our tour). After the descent to Engelberg we board our coach for a drive to Lucerne, time at leisure (approx. 1 hour) for sightseeing and shopping before the coach takes you back to Zurich.\

Pilatus from Zurich:

First enjoy this scenic coach journey to Lucerne followed by a short city tour to see the main sights of Lucerne including Lion Monument. You will then have 1 hour to spend at your leisure before continuing your tour to Kriens. You will then take a ride on the panoramic gondolas and aerial cableway to the summit of Mount Pilatus (7000ft/ 2132m). From here you will enjoy an unforgettable view over the surrounding mountains and lakes. Descent on the world's steepest cogwheel railway (48% gradient) to Alpnachstad (between May and October only). You will then enjoy a boat ride on Lake Lucerne (between May and October only). Finally you will return to Zurich by coach. A multilingual guide will be present throughout the tour.

Rigi - Queen of the Swiss Mountains:

Follow the traces of Mark Twain and Queen Victoria with a boat ride followed by a stop in Lucerne! They were among the first famous visitors of Mt. Rigi (6000ft / 1800m), also known as "The sun terrace above Lake of the Four Cantons". Drive over the Albis Pass to Weggis. Then board the aerial cable car and oldest cog-wheel train of Europe to the top of Mt. Rigi for breath-taking views of the Swiss Alps and 13 lakes! Descent by cog-wheel train, followed by a charming boat ride (1 hour) to Lucerne, where there is some free time before returning to Zurich by coach.

The Great Tour of Zurich:

This tour shows you the highlights of Zurich and its surroundings. Start with a guided city tour of Zurich and see the commercial centre, a section of the Old Town, Fraumünster Church with its famous Chagall windows, historical Limmatquai and the university district. Along the Höhenstrasse that offers spectacular views into the Alps, we drive to Rapperswil, known as 'City of Roses'. This charming little town offers unique attractions, including the Rose Gardens, the Castle, the deer park on the Lindenhof and the picturesque Old Town. After a short guided walking tour and some time at leisure in Rapperswil, enjoy a 2-hour cruise on Lake of Zurich (unescorted). First possible boat back is scheduled to arrive at 3.15 p.m. at Zurich Bürkliplatz Pier. During winter (Nov-Mar) when no boats are operating on this course, enjoy a ride on modern train 'Gold Coast Express' back to Zurich

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Netherlands - 4N/5D

Day 1

You can fly to Amsterdam from a variety of airports or take a late morning Eurostar from London St Pancras International changing trains in Brussels (you will be accompanied by our Tour Manager), to Amsterdam. Here you will be taken to the ship where the dedicated crew welcome you on board, ensuring you settle into your comfortable and extremely wellequipped cabin and familiarise yourself with the ship, your first-class floating hotel. Great scenery and photo opportunitiesscenery.

Day 2

As we enjoy a leisurely breakfast, the ship gently cruises along the Markermeer, the south-western part of the great IJsselmeer lagoon, created when the Zuiderzee dam was constructed, separating it from the North Sea. Just after breakfast we dock in the small town of Hoorn. We spend the morning here so you may wander as you wish and during lunch we watch the picturesque shoreline slide by as we take the short cruise to Enkhuizen, nestling at the edge of the old Zuiderzee. We are berthed here this evening too, so after dinner you can take an atmospheric walk along the quayside.Great scenery and photo opportunitiesscenery.

Day 3

After breakfast, take a stroll on the Sun Deck and watch the Captain skillfully berthing in the traditional fishing village of Volendam. This morning we take the short drive through the heart of the astonishing bulbfields themselves to the world-famous Keukenhof Gardens and one of the real highlights of the tour. Nothing quite prepares you for the dazzling array of colours stretched out before you. At Keukenhof, the art of the flower garden reaches breathtaking heights as you marvel at the dramatic pageant of hues in the seven million blooms.We then return to the ship in time for a late lunch, before the afternoon is free for you to explore Volendam. Visit historical and/or cultural siteshistory

Day 4

During breakfast we gently cruise into Amsterdam. The classic glass-topped canal cruisers meet us, taking us on a sightseeing tour by this most appropriate of means. The tour brings a real insight into Amsterdam’s history, art and peoples which has been at the heart of European culture and commerce.This afternoon is free to discover the interior of Anne Frank’s house, or just wander where your feet take you. For the more culturally minded, spend time in one of the world’s great art galleries: the Rijksmuseum, or perhaps, visit the Van Gogh Museum. You may prefer to simply relax in one of the unique pavement cafés absorbing Amsterdam’s special atmosphere over a rich Dutch coffee, before returning to the ship for the Captain’s very special dinner.Air travel flight

Day 5

This morning at the appropriate time, we transfer to the train station or airport for our return journey.