Best of Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg

Launch your holiday in Brussels. Later, you’ll meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Reception, including a light meal and welcome drink.  Our Stays With Stories hotel is the elegant Sofitel Brussels Europe. The hotel has long been the lodgings of choice for the world’s movers and shakers, including Mark Zuckerberg and Angela Merkel. It’s surrounded by leafy parks, cafes and museums, in the heart of the tranquil European District.

Today, your Travel Director will take you on an Orientation tour of Brussels, see the Atomium, designed for the 1958 Brussels World's Fair, Mannekin Pis and the exquisite Grand Place with its opulent and ornate guildhalls. After you will have an opportunity to explore the capital as you wish, stroll past the Royal Palace and through the leafy lanes of Brussels Park or indulge in tasting delicious chocolate. Your Travel Director will assist you to make the most out of your remaining day at leisure.

Delve into centuries of trade heritage in the medieval port city of Ghent, with its picturesque riverine backdrop. See the three famous towers – Saint Nicholas Church, the Belfry and Saint Bavo's Cathedral – before continuing on to Bruges.

Wake up in beautiful Bruges and join a Local Specialist for a walking tour of the town. Take to the water and enjoy a whimsical sightseeing cruise along the city's wonderful canals lined with Gothic façades. Dive Into Culture next and admire the delicate art of Belgian lace. Spend the rest of the day at leisure, immersing yourself in the old-world allure of this town, before joining the rest of your group for a 3-course meal at your hotel.

En route to the Duchy of Luxembourg, we stop in Dinant whose famous son, Adolphe Sax, is credited with having invented the saxophone. Visit the 12th-century Cistercian Orval Abbey, renowned for being one of the few breweries that produce Trappist beer. Tonight, we wine dine at our hotel.

This morning, we pay tribute to Allied Forces hero, General George S. Patton, whose final resting place is the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial. Later, we embark on a leisurely walking tour of Luxembourg City with a Local Specialist. Our route takes us past the Cathedral and the Grand Ducal Palace, with its Flemish Renaissance façades, and includes spectacular views of the gorge of the rivers Alzette and Petrusse. Spend the rest of the day at leisure soaking up the quaint atmosphere of this tiny country or indulge in a coffee while you people-watch in the leafy Place d'Armes – the choice is yours.

Continue on to Bastogne, the site of bloody skirmishes in the World War II Battle of the Bulge. Next the fortified city of Maastricht takes centre stage, we spend some time strolling through its town centre before journeying to the magical city of Amsterdam, where we will cruise the city's famous waterways admiring the picture-perfect surrounds and gabled façades.

Explore Amsterdam’s historic city centre this morning. Dive Into Culture as you join a Small Group Sightseeing tour of the Rijksmuseum with a Local Specialist. Come face-to-face with such masterpieces as Rembrandt’s 'The Night Watch', Van Gogh’s self-portrait, and 'The Milkmaid' by Vermeer. Celebrate spring and enjoy an included visit to Keukenhof (subject to season) where you'll stroll through an enchanting wonderland of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths with millions of blooms planted across the 32-hectare site.

Soak up the gezellig Dutch atmosphere this morning, before heading to Delft via The Hague. We Dive Into Culture during a visit to the Royal Delft Pottery workshop and admire the delicate blue and white porcelain that has made this historic town famous. We continue our journey south, arriving in the edgy port city of Rotterdam where we will enjoy an informative orientation tour. Heading back to Amsterdam, we join together for a Be My Guest Farewell Dinner.

We bid Amsterdam a fond farewell this morning as we prepare to close the curtain on a memorable holiday. Find out more about your free airport transfer at trafalgar.com/freetransfers.