Independent Amsterdam: The Best of Dutch Art and Architecture

Activity note: Hotel check-in from 2:00 p.m.

Afternoon: Orientation: 4:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Unless otherwise noted, dinners on this program are typically a 3-course set menu and lunches on this program are typically a 2-course set menu. Breakfasts will offer a typical European-style breakfast buffet with breads, cheeses, cold cuts, yogurt, fruit, cereals, juice, milk, coffee, tea, and water. Please note that water is included in the program cost at all meals. This is a Road Scholar Independent program. It is designed for participants who want high-level Road Scholar instruction, a few group activities, and who are capable and comfortable setting out on their own for a significant part of the day/night. There will be several hours each day of educational content. Most meals will be on your own (excluded from the program cost) to enjoy what you like, and there will be substantial free time for personal independent exploration. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. On most days, the Group Leader will host a social hour at the hotel in the late afternoon, during which we will enjoy a complimentary beverage, exchange stories from the day, and have an opportunity to ask any questions. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: In the hotel dining room, we’ll have plated meals with a glass of wine and water included; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

Activity note: Walking about 3 miles during group activities; approximately 2 hours; pavement, some unavoidable stairs and cobblestones; some periods of standing. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice. Getting on/off public transportation; about 1/2 hour total.

Breakfast: In the hotel dining room, the breakfast buffet offers choices such as cold cuts, cheeses, cereals, yogurt, fruit, and breads, plus milk, juice, coffee, tea, water.

Morning: Gathering in our meeting place at the hotel, we’ll attend a lecture on the architecture of Amsterdam given by a local expert on Dutch art and history with a focus. Each century has left its unique hallmark on the city landscape, from the one-time fishing village to the charming gabled facades, the luxurious canal houses of the Golden Age to the buildings of the Amsterdam School, and today's cutting-edge modern design. Afterward, we’ll take public transportation to Amsterdam's old city center for an expert-led walking field trip. Beginning our walk at the Floating Flower Market, we’ll see some of the city's famous signature buildings including the colorful 17th century merchants' mansions along the canal, Dam Square with the National Monument and Royal Palace, and the unique Begijnhof, which has one of the oldest remaining wooden houses.

Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Afternoon: Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in Amsterdam. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. On most days, the Group Leader will host a social hour at the hotel in the late afternoon, during which we will enjoy a complimentary beverage, exchange stories from the day, and have an opportunity to ask any questions.

Dinner: On your own to enjoy the regional cuisine.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Extent and duration of walking, use of transportation, and other activities during free time according to personal choice.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: Joining our Dutch history expert again in the hotel, we’ll settle in for a lecture on the history of the Netherlands, during which we will learn how it was founded as an egalitarian society based on tolerance.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like.

Afternoon: Free time. You may wish to expand on the morning lecture with a visit to the Amsterdam Museum to take in the history of this great city, explore the permanent art exhibition, and gain insight into the city's people and culture.

Dinner: On your own to sample more of the regional cuisine.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Extent and duration of walking, use of transportation, and other activities during free time according to personal choice.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: To begin, we’ll attend a lecture on the art of the Golden Age given by an art historian at the hotel. Painters in the Dutch Republic during the 17th century created approximately 5 to 7 million paintings in the distinct genres they specialized in, such as history, portraits, scenes of peasant life, landscapes, townscapes, landscapes with animals, maritime, flowers, and still life paintings.

Lunch: On your own.

Afternoon: Free time. After this morning's lecture, you may wish to visit the renovated Rijksmuseum and its world-famous collection that displays roughly 8,000 objects in 80 rooms and tells the story of 800 years of Dutch art and history. Included are must-see masterpieces, such as Rembrandt's "Night Watch" or Vermeer's "Milkmaid."

Dinner: On your own.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Extent and duration of walking, use of transportation, and other activities during free time according to personal choice.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We’ll begin the day by attending a lecture on the Jewish heritage of Amsterdam, given by an expert on Dutch history. For centuries, Amsterdam was a safe haven for Jews escaping persecution in Portugal, Spain, and Eastern Europe. This unique blend of Sephardi and Ashkenazi traditions has left an irremovable impression on Amsterdam, despite the terrors of the Holocaust.

Lunch: On your own.

Afternoon: Free time. To expand on the theme of the morning, you may wish to visit the Jewish Historical Museum and the Portuguese Synagogue. In the 16th century, many Jews fled the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal. The Jewish Historical Museum, which lies in the quarter where they settled, tells of their faith and history. The Amsterdam Sephardic community was one of the largest and richest Jewish communities in Europe during the Dutch Golden Age. Their wealth is reflected in the nearby Portuguese Synagogue, a late 17th-century Sephardic Synagogue completed in 1675.

Dinner: On your own.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Extent and duration of walking, use of transportation, and other activities during free time according to personal choice.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: In the hotel, given by an art historian, we’ll take in a lecture on the life and art of Vincent Van Gogh, the 19th-century Dutch post-impressionist painter. He did not paint until his late twenties and completed many of his best-known works during the last two years of his life. His works had an incredible influence on 20th-century art; however, he was little appreciated during his own lifetime. He only sold one work of art!

Lunch: On your own.

Afternoon: Free time. Perhaps you'll want to use this time to see Van Gogh's paintings up close at the Van Gogh Museum. No other place in the world has so many paintings by Vincent Van Gogh under one roof. The collection consists of more than 200 canvases, 500 drawings, and 750 written documents. Together, these provide fantastic insight into his life and work.

Dinner: On your own.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off public transportation; less than 1 hour total. Walking about 3 miles during group activities; approximately 2 hours; pavement; some unavoidable stairs and cobblestones; periods of standing. Extent and duration of walking, use of transportation, and other activities during free time according to personal choice.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: Meeting once more for a lecture in the hotel with our Group Leader, a lifelong Dutch citizen, we’ll learn about daily life in the Netherlands. Known for its tolerance, many issues that are still controversial in most countries are regulated here by law including drugs, abortion, euthanasia, and gay marriage, which have all been legalized. Then, we’ll leave the center of town behind on a walking field trip led by our Group Leader. As we make our way through the Zuidas (Southern Axis)—Amsterdam's business district known for its modern architecture—we’ll glean some insight as to how the locals of Amsterdam live their daily lives.

Lunch: On your own.

Afternoon: Free time.

Dinner: At a local restaurant near the hotel, we’ll have a plated farewell dinner with a glass of wine and water included; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departures in the morning.

Activity note: Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m. See your program’s Transportation Information regarding transfers.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet. This concludes our program.

Morning: If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!