Holland & the Dutch Masters

Day 1 – Ghent & The Hague

Board our private executive coach at your designated pick up points – take the cross Channel ferry from your preferred port – originally the capital of Flanders, Ghent has retained more historical buildings than any other Flemish city, including St Bavo’s Cathedral, home to Van Eyck’s famous 24 panel altarpiece ‘The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb’ – continue with our tour manager to the 4* Voco Hotel in The Hague.

Day 2 – The Mauritshuis, Panorama Mesdag & Koninklijke Porcleyne Fles

The newly refurbished Mauritshuis is home to a marvellous collection from the 17th and 18th century old masters with ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ by Johannes Vermeer the stunning highlight of the museum – painted by Hendrik Willem Mesdag, the most famous painter at The Hague School, the Panorama Mesdag is a cylindrical painting over 14m high and 120m in circumference depicting the vista of the sea, the dunes and Scheveningen village – at Koninklijke Porcleyne Fles in Delft, the only remaining factory of the 32 earthenware factories that were established in Delft in the 17th century, after an included two course Dutch lunch our guided tour sees a master painter at work, visits the dining room of Vermeer and the Dutch Royal Family Chamber, the museum with antique Delft pieces, the historical courtyard and visit the factory.

Day 3 – Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum & canal cruise

Travel to Amsterdam to see the wonderful collection at the Van Gogh Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh – guided tour of the newly refurbished Rijksmuseum whose world famous art collection includes many Dutch Old Masters such as Jan Steen, Frans Hals, Vermeer and Rembrandt’s ‘The Night Watch’ – enjoy a relaxing canal cruise to admire some of Amsterdam’s stunning architecture from a different perspective.

Day 4 – Leiden, Delft & the Vermeer Centre

Morning at leisure in Leiden, the birthplace of Rembrandt and home to a wonderful 17th century book collection at the Bibliotheca Thysiana and one of the world’s oldest botanical gardens – time at leisure in the lovely old town of Delft, one of the principal artistic centres of the Northern Netherlands and famous for the works of Fabritius, de Hooch and Vermeer, born here in 1632 – a visit to the Vermeer Centre introduces us to Vermeer’s mastery of light, composition and colour.

Day 5 – Bruges

Bruges, whose historic city centre is included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, is famous for lace making, chocolate and its picturesque network of canals – continue for our Channel crossing back to the UK and then return to our original departure points with comfort stops en route.