Extend your Ultimate Escape with our optional 3-day/2-night package in Amsterdam, April 10–12, 2009.

Please note: The Tulips and Chocolate Rhine Riverboat Cruise ends in Basel, Switzerland on April 19, 2009. Guests will be transfered one hour by motorcoach to Zurich, Switzerland to catch homebound flights. Olivia is not offering a post-cruise package in connection with this trip; however you may wish to make your own extension plans in Switzerland, or elsewhere in Europe.

Pre-Riverboat Cruise Vacation Stretcher

Discover Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Amsterdam is often referred to as one of the most colorful cities in the world. And rightly so! Where else do you find so many places of interest, world famous museums, cozy pubs, cobblestone streets along tree-lined canals, fun shops and flower markets? Extend your vacation with Olivia and experience all that beautiful Amsterdam has to offer!

Renaissance Hotel

The 5-star Renaissance is a beautiful hotel which enjoys a suburb location within easy walking distance to many of Amsterdam’s top attractions such as the Anne Frank House, Dam Square, the Royal Palace, pedestrian shopping streets, quaint canals, the gay district, Homo Monument and the Red Light District.  Or jump on a tram and it’s just a short ride to the famed Flower Market and Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum. 

Newly renovated, this sparkling hotel offers many amenities including an authentic Dutch pub, on-site restaurant, 24-hour room service, fitness center with sauna, all rooms with air conditioning, in-room safe, iron/board, hair dryers and bathrobes, mini-bar, cable and satellite TV, high speed internet access and complimentary English newspaper.

Amsterdam Highlights

Anne Frank House

The Anne Frank House is a deeply moving museum where visitors are given the opportunity to personally envision what happened on this very spot during World War II. The rooms of the Secret Annex, where Anne and her family hid for 25 months, have been maintained in their authentic state thanks to conscientious preservation activities and displays include salvaged documents and objects belonging to the eight people in hiding. The front part of the house, Anne’s father’s former office, has been returned to the way it was before the war. The family’s story is told using quotes from Anne’s diary and with original objects, documents, and photographs helping to bring to life the personal account of young Anne Frank.

Homo Monument

Consisting of three equal triangles made of pink granite set in the heart of Amsterdam, this monument represents the “past, present and future of the gay struggle for acceptance,” and is a gathering place where gay men and women from around the world are drawn to lay flowers, take photographs, embrace one another and celebrate enduring strength and love. 

Fabulous Keukenhof Gardens ~ It’s Tulip Time!

There is no denying that April is the best time of the year to visit as Spring comes alive with a burst of color as the bulb flowers are in full bloom. We’ll travel outside the city, past fields of millions of crocuses, hyacinths and daffodil blooms in the bulb fields, on our way to Keukenhof Gardens, featuring spectacular displays of over 700 different types of tulips and other spring flowers planted around lakes and streams; a dazzling and unforgettable sight!

Lesbian Scene

Amsterdam is one of the gay capitals of Europe where lesbians and gays enjoy such freedoms as same-sex marriage legalized in 2001. In general, gay and lesbian venues are open and welcoming to anyone and include more than 100 bars and nightclubs, bookshops, sport clubs, choirs and support organizations.

3-Day/2-Night Package, April 10 – 12, 2009

This package is perfect for exploring this vibrant city, filled with European charm! Come early to Amsterdam so you can rest, relax and sightsee before joining your riverboat cruise along the canals of The Netherlands.

Day 0 – April 9 / Depart USA

Those departing from the US will need to leave one day prior to the program.  Those flying from Europe can leave the same day. 

Day 1 – April 10

Arrival to Amsterdam.  Most flights from North America arrive to Europe the day after departure from the USA.

Amsterdam’s Schiphol was named “Europe’s best airport” in 2007 and does everything it can to make your arrival as smooth and pleasant as possible.

On Your Own Transfers.  Take a taxi on own from the airport to the hotel for check-in.  Spend today exploring this charming city and walking along its tree-lined canals and waterways on your own.

With their delightful views, pretty bridges (1,281 in all), gabled houses and relaxed waterside case, Amsterdam’s nearly 50 miles of canals are great fun to explore; full of interest and perfect for a leisurely stroll.  They are a constant reminder that the Netherlands is the world’s flattest country, half of which has been reclaimed from the sea with the aid of dykes.

This evening, get acquainted with your fellow Olivia travelers at our Welcome Reception at the hotel. 

Day 2 – April 11

Included Walking Tour with Visit to the Anne Frank Tour.  After breakfast, embark on your walking tour through one of the oldest parts of Amsterdam called De Jordann.  We’ll learn about the unique architecture of this city and see many typical homes from the 17th century, now a hotspot for young professionals.  We’ll walk along the canals of Amsterdam and visit the city’s Gay District and the Homo Monument. 

Next we will tour the inside of the Anne Frank House with our English-speaking guide, before returning to the hotel, or continuing to enjoy this lovely walking city on own.

Amsterdam at Leisure.  This afternoon is free to continue your exploration of this interesting city. You may wish to walk a short distance from the hotel to Dam Square. “The Dam,” as locals call it, is the heart of life in Amsterdam.  Surrounded by palaces from the 17th century, pedestrian shopping streets and the current Town Hall, the square has become the focus of Amsterdam’s daily life.

Day 3 – April 12

Included Tour to Keukenhof Gardens. Spring in Holland brings out more than just tulips.  Today, as we travel an hour into the countryside around Amsterdam, we’ll enjoy bulb fields filled with millions of crocuses, hyacinths and daffodils all in full spring bloom!  Our route will take us through typical Dutch towns and acres of bulb fields before arriving at the Keukenhof Gardens, one of the largest flower displays in the world.  We’ll have time to wander among the expansive gardens, pathways and ponds, where more than 700 different types of tulips and other flowers are showing off their spring foliage in a dazzling array of colors. 

Then it’s back to Amsterdam to check out of our hotel and have lunch on your own before your included transfer to the Avalon Tapestry to embark on your riverboat cruise.

Your Vacation Stretcher package includes:

• Two-night stay at the Renaissance Hotel, including daily breakfast, taxes and porterage (Apr 10 - 12)
• Welcome Cocktail Reception in hotel’s authentic Dutch Pub (April 10)
• Walking Tour through historic Amsterdam, including the Gay District and the Anne Frank House (April 11)
• Tour to Keukenhof Gardens (Apr 12)
• Transfer to River Boat for embarkation on April 12, with luggage assistance (as part of your cruise fare)
• Gay-friendly English-speaking guides
• Olivia Staff throughout
• Hotel dates are April 10 and 11 with check out on April 12

Not included:

• Transfer from airport to hotel
• Tips to guides or drivers
• Meals, other than those noted

Total Cost Per Person

Double occupancy: $879 pp
Single occupancy: $1,449 pp