

Explore The Netherlands' inland waterways aboard a custom-designed Tauck riverboat for a unique view of the Dutch cultural landscape on this 8-day, 7-night river cruise that begins and ends in historic Amsterdam.In Friesland, tour Lake District villages or a historic pumping station; from Hoorn, cruise the IJsselmeer on a century-old sailboat, or discover the area's maritime heritage with private early entrance to the Zuiderzee Museum in Enkhuizen. In Arnhem, select a tour of the Kröller-Müller Museum in De Hoge Veluwe Nat'l Park; a bicycle ride through the park; or WWII sites and the Airborne Museum. Explore the city of Rotterdam on a culinary walking or bicycling tour; in Den Haag (The Hague), enjoy a Tauck Exclusive tour and dinner at the Mauritshuis museum, featuring live music and Dutch Golden Age paintings. Choose a visit to Rotterdam or enjoy a tour of the famous Royal Delft factory. And in Amsterdam, you'll have a choice of a visit to the famed Rijksmuseum or a bicycle tour through the windmill and canal-laced landscapes of Volendam.
Tour begins: 5:30 PM, Amsterdam. A transfer is included from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport or Central Station directly to your riverboat. After settling into your floating hotel for a memorable weeklong voyage, attend a discovery briefing prior to a welcome reception, onboard entertainment, and a toast by the captain and his officers. Enjoy a leisurely dinner in the Compass Rose as your cruise begins.
Your riverboat arrives in Kampen this morning for a choice of sightseeing in The Netherlands' northern province of Friesland. One excursion takes you to the Lake District, known for its horses and picturesque villages along the IJsselmeer, for stops in various villages and a private visit to a local horse farm, before returning to Kampen, where you'll rejoin your riverboat and spend the afternoon cruising to Enkhuizen. Or embark on a full-day excursion that explores the importance of water to Dutch culture, including a tour of the Wouda Steam Pumping Station, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest facility of its kind in the world; and a trip through the region's small villages en route to the famous Enclosing Dike at the Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a private visit to the site's center and a relaxed local dinner before catching up with the riverboat in Enkhuizen.
This morning, your riverboat is docked in Enkhuizen, considered one of the Netherlands' prettiest towns, laced with canals and historic buildings. It's here where you will enjoy an exclusive, early-morning opening of the open-air Zuiderzee Museum. Dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage and maritime history from the old Zuiderzee region, this renowned institution paints a portrait of everyday life in a Zuiderzee (south sea) fishing village between the 1880s and the 1930s. Following your time at the museum and lunch, take part in a Schooner Sail on the IJsselemeer aboard a historic century-old sailboat, where you'll be part of the team preparing the ship to sail – perhaps holding the ropes, pulling up the sails or working through the navigation; no sailing experience or special strength is necessary, just a willingness to be an active part of a sailing team! This evening, enjoy dinner aboard the riverboat as the ship sails from Enkhuizen to Arnhem.
Call on Nijmegen today for a choice of three distinct afternoon experiences. One is a guided tour of the acclaimed Kröller-Müller Museum in De Hoge Veluwe National Park, home to works by artists as wide-ranging as Seurat, Picasso and Mondrian – and to one of the world's largest collections of paintings by Dutch Post-Impressionist Vincent van Gogh, including his Café Terrace in Arles; the museum's expansive sculpture garden displays pieces by masters including Rodin, Dubuffet, Moore and Oldenburg. Another choice is a guided bicycle excursion along the bike paths of De Hoge Veluwe National Park, Holland's largest nature preserve, winding past its scenic forests, drifting sand dunes and grassy plains. Or discover Arnhem's history-making battlegrounds and their significant role in World War II – when the town's strategic road bridge over the Lower Rhine became the target of a massive Allied airborne assault – with a visit to the Airborne Museum Hartenstein in nearby Oosterbeek, chronicling the Battle of Arnhem. Back onboard, enjoy a lecture by your Tauck Director prior to cocktails and the chef's signature dinner tonight.
Arrive this morning in Rotterdam, the second-largest city in the Netherlands and a centuries-old seaport that's among the largest and busiest in the world. After most of its historic center was obliterated during World War II, the city rose from the ashes to become the thriving commercial and transportation center it is today; renowned for its cutting-edge architecture and vibrant cultural life, 21st-century Rotterdam has been called the "Gateway to Europe." You can explore Rotterdam's stunning 21st-century Markthal (Markethall) and its contemporary culinary culture on your choice of food-focused walking or bicycling tours today. After lunch, travel overland to Den Haag (The Hague) for a guided tour of this city known internationally as the Dutch seat of government, home to the royal family and renowned for its embassies, mansions, boulevards and parks. You'll also enjoy a Tauck Exclusive evening at the Mauritshuis, a museum set in a 17th-century mansion displaying some of the most famous paintings of the Dutch Golden Age, open after hours for Tauck guests only. Meet a museum official; view masterpieces by Rembrandt, Holbein the Younger and Vermeer (including his iconic Girl with a Pearl Earring); and enjoy dinner with live music performed by students from the Royal Conservatory of the Hague.
Spend a full day in Delft on a choice of excursions. Enjoy a guided city tour along canal-lined streets rich with remnants of its medieval and Golden Age heritage, followed by free time. Alternatively, visit The Royal Delft pottery factory where generations of craftsmen have been making Delft Blue pottery by hand since 1653; experience a painting workshop with master tile painters that includes high tea. Return to the riverboat this afternoon and enjoy a performance by a musical trio following dinner onboard ship.
Your day in amazing Amsterdam begins with a choice of a guided tour of the city's matchless Rijksmuseum, filled with great works by the Dutch Masters like Rembrandt's The Night Watch and Vermeer's The Milkmaid, and an included lunch at the museum's RIJKS® restaurant, awarded a Michelin star in 2016; or travel outside the city for a bicycle excursion through lovely coastal landscapes, stopping at a cheese farm, where you'll gain insights on cheesemaking and enjoy lunch before heading back to Amsterdam. The rest of the day is yours to spend as you please. Celebrate your memorable cruise with tonight's farewell reception and toast in the riverboat's panoramic lounge, followed by dinner in the Compass Rose.
Tour ends: Amsterdam. Fly home anytime; a transfer from your riverboat to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport or Centraal Train Station is included; all guests must disembark the riverboat by 9:00 AM. Allow a minimum of 3 hours for flight check-in at the airport.
Explore The Netherlands' inland waterways aboard a custom-designed Tauck riverboat for a unique view of the Dutch cultural landscape on this 8-day, 7-night river cruise that begins and ends in historic Amsterdam.In Friesland, tour Lake District villages or a historic pumping station; from Hoorn, cruise the IJsselmeer on a century-old sailboat, or discover the area's maritime heritage with private early entrance to the Zuiderzee Museum in Enkhuizen. In Arnhem, select a tour of the Kröller-Müller Museum in De Hoge Veluwe Nat'l Park; a bicycle ride through the park; or WWII sites and the Airborne Museum. Explore the city of Rotterdam on a culinary walking or bicycling tour; in Den Haag (The Hague), enjoy a Tauck Exclusive tour and dinner at the Mauritshuis museum, featuring live music and Dutch Golden Age paintings. Choose a visit to Rotterdam or enjoy a tour of the famous Royal Delft factory. And in Amsterdam, you'll have a choice of a visit to the famed Rijksmuseum or a bicycle tour through the windmill and canal-laced landscapes of Volendam.
Traveling with Peace of Mind
Our commitment never wavers – to earn your trust by always doing the right thing. As we explore the world together again, this will be more important than ever as we adapt to living and traveling in the presence of COVID-19.
Tauck is 97-years young this year, and our ability to weather many storms over the decades is a result of our values and beliefs – as a family and as a family-owned and led company. In addition to the guiding light of these values, our extensive experience, local knowledge and global support network help to ensure your safety on every Tauck journey. Building upon our bedrock of award-winning guest care, we have worked tirelessly to prepare for your return following the COVID-19 hiatus in travel. With guidance from leading experts, including the CDC and WHO, together with our internal Global Response Team and, most importantly, with feedback from thousands of our guests, we have redefined how we will conduct our experiences as we resume travel.
Tauck is Prepared for the Unexpected
For decades, Tauck has operated in over 70 countries in all 7 continents. Over this time, our staff and network of supplier partners have always been there to support our guests and team on the road. Our guests travel with a comprehensive, built-in support system that starts with the care and local knowledge of our Tauck Directors and extends to our network of partners around the world, including hoteliers and transportation companies.
At the core of our ability to quickly and effectively respond to the unexpected is our Global Response Team - a group of over 50 employees across all departments who stand ready to spring into action around the world. This team has plenty of experience, from weather events, high and low water on rivers, earthquakes, volcanic ash, civil unrest and work stoppages. They have also dealt with past virus outbreaks including the SARS and Zika viruses.
The Tauck Travel Well Pledge
Before we operate tours and cruises, all Tauck employees, our supplier partners and our guests will take Tauck’s Travel Well Pledge.
As a company, we will follow our enhanced protocols with diligence and rigor; review them frequently as the landscape changes and always make common-sense decisions grounded in purpose and pride. We embrace these new and necessary measures to combat COVID-19 and will do our very best to provide the Tauck care we have been honored to deliver for 97 years.
OUR NEW HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Consistent with our commitment to the well-being of our guests, we are implementing enhanced health and safety protocols. These protocols may vary by geographic regions and will certainly evolve over time, as science and society respond to new realities:
Tauck Staff
Prior to interacting with guests, each member of Tauck’s field staff is trained in enhanced protocols and participates in a personal health screening.
Once on tour, our Tauck Directors and supporting staff are responsible for maintaining these protocols with a special focus on cleanliness and physical distancing. They will relay critical information regarding requirements, advise when protocols are mandatory – such as wearing a face covering in group settings – and help facilitate guest care through communication with appropriate parties should a guest become ill on tour. All Tauck staff will adhere to the same requirements.
Guest Responsibility
When joining a Tauck journey, every guest is responsible for their own health and, in turn, the protection of their fellow travelers, the Tauck staff, our suppliers and the places we visit. Guests will pledge to follow the direction of the Tauck staff and adhere to health and safety protocols.
Guests are expected to wear face coverings in all group settings, to wash their hands frequently and to adhere to supplier and government regulations. While supplies of face coverings, gloves, and hand sanitizer will be available, guests are asked to bring such personal items for their own comfort.
Small is BIG
For many years, Tauck has emphasized and invested in more choices of activities, resulting in smaller groups for activities like sightseeing and events. This is consistent with our mantra that “Small is Big” – small groups and smaller ships with fewer guests.
We initially focused on these elements to improve the guest experience. Yet today they take on an additional dimension; small group experiences and more personal space are critical in providing the peace of mind our guests expect. Accordingly, we are offering even more small group experiences and limiting guest numbers across all of our journeys.
We have been working diligently with our partners to be prepared to welcome you back when the time is right.
Tauck has worked meticulously with our global supplier partners to plan for every itinerary following the hiatus in travel. All partners, whether they be a hotel, museum, small ship/riverboat, restaurant or other partner, have been thoughtful about how to provide a Tauck experience in this environment.
And while it's impossible to list all of the enhanced health and safety protocols for the hundreds of Tauck partners across the globe, we would like to share a representative sample of what you can expect:
Hotels
Our hotel partners all have world-class health and safety protocols. However, these guidelines may vary depending on local situations and regulations. Here are some typical examples:
Ships and Riverboats
We have worked closely with our cruise partners to ensure the best possible health and safety protocols and to ensure the care and service you expect from Tauck:
Sightseeing and Local Activities
Many of our experiences are exclusive and/or private and that’s important in taking care of you. Whether it be a guided tour, a visit to an iconic museum or private home, a musical performance, or any other special Tauck activities, we are applying the same rigor to health and safety protocols:
Dining
Tauck has always been known for a la carte dining; having more freedom to decide when and with whom to dine now has more value than ever. Additionally, our partners whether they be hotels, ships, special venues or restaurants, are raising their already rigorous hygienic standards. Here are some examples:
On-Tour Transportation
Keeping on-tour transportation safe is a major focus of our team who has worked with hundreds of partners to ensure continuity in health and safety protocols:
Our Supplier Partners are ready for you
Tauck is proud to have worked closely with our partners around the world, many of them for decades, to deliver the quality, comfort and safety you expect. Whether it be hotels and resorts, riverboats and small ships, restaurants, event venues or transportation companies, their meticulous health and safety protocols reflect their leadership and well-earned respect in the travel industry. The following are some select health and safety protocols. We will update these on a regular basis.
In addition to our supplier partners, we have also been actively engaged with global travel organizations to standardize health and safety protocols throughout the travel industry. TourCare is one example:
TourCare are health and sanitation guidelines developed by the tour industry's major global associations: the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), The Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) and the European Tourism Association (ETOA). Tauck, and our supplier partners, meet and exceed these guidelines that require members to adhere to the highest standards in the industry.
Tauck tours are always very professional and first class. The river boat that Tauck leased was gorgeous, with large bathrooms and well appointed cabins. The food was ample and very good, with a reasonable selection for all palates. The ports of call were lovely; while we did not stop at some of the larger cities such as Cologne, it allowed us to often be the only river boat at each port for many of the ports of call. The tours on land were diverse and interesting, and the Tauck tour directors made sure that the tours were informative and top notch.
kudos to Tauck - You get what you pay for........
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Very good itinerary and great on board staff, including the Cruise Director, who was immensely helpful when my partner became ill with bronchitis. Local guides in Colmar, Stuttgart, and Amsterdam were very, very good too. Food and drink were plentiful and well-prepared.