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Historic architecture and houseboats line a tranquil canal in the Netherlands during a vibrant sunset over Holland’s Low Lands.
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Netherlands

The Old Masters: Art Treasures of Holland by River

Program No. 19504RJ
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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
All itineraries and excursions are subject to change. Weather and water conditions may affect the progress of the ship, and we may miss ports if it is not safe to dock. The operators reserve the right to change the content and duration of excursions without prior notice and so the cruise itinerary should always be regarded as provisional. Whenever possible, Road Scholar’s published daily schedule will indicate port arrival and departure times. Prior to departure, if there is a major change, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
11 days
10 nights
What's Included
22 meals ( 9B, 4L, 9D )
14 expert-led lectures
13 expert-led field trips
1 hands-on experience
An experienced Group Leader
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Amsterdam
The Old Masters: Art Treasures of Holland by River
Jun 15 - Jun 25, 2027
Program Number 19504
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Activity Note
1pm in the hotel lobby; meet your Group Leader. 3pm Hotel check-in
Morning:
If you arrive in Amsterdam early, you may go to the hotel and check your luggage with the front desk and then explore on your own.
Lunch:
On your own in Amsterdam
Afternoon:
At 1:00pm meet your Group Leaders in the hotel lobby and check your luggage. At 1:30pm, we will depart for a Stroopwafel Workshop, where you’ll learn how this iconic Dutch “Syrup Waffle” treat, said to have originated in Gouda several centuries ago, is made. At 3:00 p.m., we will check into the hotel. Orientation: Before dinner, the Group Leaders 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. This program is staffed with two experienced and knowledgeable Group Leaders who will provide local history and culture, and we will learn from a series of local experts who will give lectures and lead field trips. Program-related travel and transfers will be via private motorcoach unless noted otherwise. We’ll enjoy meals in the dining room aboard the barge and at local restaurants. Periods in the daily 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 Leaders will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances or conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. The remainder of the afternoon is free for you to settle into your room and relax or begin to explore historic Amsterdam independently.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
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 or standing for approximately 3 hours. Riding a canal boat for one hour.
Breakfast:
In hotel.
Morning:
This morning, a 10-minute walk leads to the Rijksmuseum – the Netherlands national museum of Dutch art and history – where our local art historian will introduce you to this world-famous institution, established in the late 18th century; its current 1885 home on the Museumplein completed a decadelong renovation in 2013. Once inside, a lecture by our expert enlightens us on the most impressive works of the Old Masters within the museum, including paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals and others… right before our eyes! Afterwards, you’ll have time on your own to explore the Rijksmuseum and its world-class collections further and enjoy lunch in Amsterdam.
Lunch:
On your own in Amsterdam.
Afternoon:
You’ll have Free Time this afternoon from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. to continue your independent exploration of Amsterdam. You may return to the hotel at your leisure. Your Group Leaders will provide assistance on the best way to spend the afternoon in the celebrated Dutch capital. If you make reservations ahead of time, you may want to explore the Van Gogh Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of drawings and paintings by the famed 19th-century Dutch Post-Impressionist. Alternatively, you can enjoy a stroll along the popular, upscale market street, Pieter Cornelisz Hooftstraat, near the hotel and a short distance from the Museumplein. Before dinner, you’ll meet your Group Leaders and board a canal boat for a unique architectural discovery of the beautiful, canal-laced city of Amsterdam with a local expert.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
The remainder of your evening is at your leisure. Tomorrow morning, we will check out of the hotel and travel by motorcoach.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 125 miles, approximately 2.5 hours riding time. Embarking on the barge.
Breakfast:
In the hotel dining room.
Morning:
After hotel check-out, we’ll bring our luggage to the lobby, and the staff will load the motorcoach. We will then embark on a field trip to the remarkable Kröller-Müller Museum, nestled in the heart of what is now Hoge Veluwe Park – but was once the sprawling estate of the controversial Rotterdam entrepreneur Anton Kröller and his wife, Helene Kröller-Müller. Set within the park’s gorgeous woodlands, heath, and plains near Otterlo, this magnificent art museum is home to the world’s second-largest collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh, as well as works by other artists of the 19th and 20th centuries – which you’ll discover on a docent-led trek through its collections. The museum is also a testament to one of Europe’s most significant art patrons, Helene Kröller-Müller (1869-1939), who collected more than 11,000 art objects that formed the core of the institution bearing her name. Over the decades, the Kröller-Müller has continued to grow, and today boasts one of the largest sculpture gardens in Europe.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy in the museum cafe.
Afternoon:
We will return to Amsterdam to board the barge that will be our home on the Netherlands’ waterways for the next seven nights. You’ll have some time to settle into your cabin before meeting the captain and crew during a barge safety orientation.
Dinner:
Aboard the barge.
Evening:
This evening, we will learn about the rich history of the Netherlands with a lecture by a local educator.
Activity Note
Barging approximately 4.5 hours. Walking and standing for approximately 1.5 hours in museum.
Breakfast:
Aboard the barge.
Morning:
The Dutch are passionate about the water, and all kinds of craft, from sailboats to yachts to houseboats, will pass our barge as it winds its way to the lovely “Golden Age” market city of Haarlem. Large, heavy cargoes like stone and steel are still transported by barge here, and we will see locks, bridges, and heavy traffic on historic canals and rivers – including the Spaarne, which flows through the heart of the city. Upon our arrival in Haarlem, keep your eyes open for a large building with a glass dome. Surprise…it’s a prison! Or at least it was. Built by architect Willem Metzelaar early in the 20th century after the 18th-century Panopticon concept – with cells arranged in a circle around a central watchtower – the Koepelgevangenis allowed a single prison guard to observe any of the inmates without their knowing. After closing in 2016, the “Koepel” is now a thriving cultural hub and arts center.
Lunch:
Enjoy an early lunch aboard the barge
Afternoon:
Dating to before the medieval era, Haarlem was granted city status in 1245. We will walk through the city’s market square to visit one of its cultural jewels, the Frans Hals Museum, located in an impressive building that was once an Oude Mannenhuis (“old men’s house”). The most famous painter of the 17th century “Golden Age,” when Haarlem was a prosperous and powerful center of culture and the arts, Frans Hals (1581-1666) – a native of Haarlem – specialized in portraits of individuals and groups alike, depicting people from all walks of life. Our expert introduces us to this great Dutch Master with an informative lecture on Hals' life and career, then leads us on a discovery of his work in the museum's collections. After the presentation, we’ll have free time to continue exploring this world class museum. On our way back to the barge, we’ll stop at the statue of Laurens Janszoon Coster, who is said to have discovered printing with movable type before Johannes Gutenberg.
Dinner:
Aboard the barge.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 45 miles, approximately 1.5 hours riding time. Walking about 1.5 miles throughout the day. Walking and other free time activities according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
Aboard the barge.
Morning:
This morning, we take a field trip to Haarlem’s Teylers Museum, the Netherlands’ first and oldest museum, open to the public continuously since 1784 – where you’ll learn how its unique collection of art, science and natural history remains relevant and inspiring today. Housed in the former home of museum founder Pieter Teyler van der Hulst, its exhibits range from fossils and minerals to scientific instruments, coins, paintings and more. Afterwards, we'll head to the Cruquius Museum, where a museum docent will present the history of this former steam-powered pumping station, operational from 1850 to 1933, and the technology it employed to drain the Haarlemmermeer, a coastal area that threatened the cities of Haarlem, Amsterdam and Leiden with dangerous flooding in the 1840s and 1850s.
Lunch:
Lunch at Cruquius,Theehuis
Afternoon:
Back aboard the motorcoach this afternoon, we will travel to Leiden in the province of South Holland – a city renowned for its rich trove of centuries-old architecture, as home to the Netherlands’ oldest university (established in 1575), and as the birthplace of one of the most iconic of the “Old Masters” of the Dutch Golden Age, Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669). Following an orientation walk of the city led by your Group Leaders, you’ll have free time to discover more of this charming 17th-century city on your own – its vibrant canal-side life, its celebrated cycling culture, and its abundant museums. Or take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to perhaps visit the Hortus Botanicus Leiden – one of the oldest botanical gardens on Earth – or Pieterskerk (St. Peter's Church), often referred to as “the church of the Pilgrim Fathers.” Your Group Leaders will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions to the sites you would like to explore.
Dinner:
Aboard the barge.
Evening:
Tonight, enjoy an inspiring lecture by one of our experts on the life and career of 17th-century painter Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), celebrated for his masterful use of light in scenes of middle-class life in his hometown of Delft. Although Vermeer’s reputation fell into obscurity for several centuries following his relatively short life, he is now recognized as one of the greatest artists of the Dutch Golden Age.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 40 miles, approximately 1.5 hours riding time. Walking approximately 2 hours.
Breakfast:
Aboard the barge.
Morning:
Enjoy a beautiful sail while having breakfast aboard our barge; upon our arrival in Drievliet, we’ll board a motorcoach to the historic city of Delft – renowned for its iconic blue-and-white pottery known as Delft Blue or Delftware, its pivotal role in the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, and as the hometown of the famed painter Johannes Vermeer. Join our expert for a field trip to De Porceleyne Fles (The Porcelain Jar), the Netherlands’ oldest surviving porcelain factory, producing Delftware since 1653, and home to the trademark Royal Delft. Following an expert lecture, we will explore this legendary factory to discover how its highly prized traditional pottery is created, then we’ll drive to The Hague.
Lunch:
Enjoy lunch in The Hague on your own.
Afternoon:
Your Group Leaders will guide you on a short walk to The Hague, the seat of the Dutch government and the International Court of Justice. You’ll have free time to find and enjoy lunch on your own, followed by a field trip to the Mauritshuis, a small world-class museum renowned for its remarkable collection of 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings. A docent leads the way as we marvel at works by such master's as Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Steen, Paulus Potter, Frans Hals, Hans Holbein the Younger, and others. We will return to the ship by motorcoach.
Dinner:
Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant in The Hague.
Evening:
This evening is spent at your leisure to pursue what you would most like to explore on your own in The Hague. The beautiful coastal city is home to the Gothic-style Binnenhof, where the Dutch Parliament conducts its business; the famed Mauritshuis museum; the 16th-century Royal Noordeinde Palace, and more.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 20 miles, under 1 hour riding time. Walking about 1.5 miles throughout the day.
Breakfast:
Aboard the barge.
Morning:
We will barge this morning to Rotterdam, which grew from a 13th-century fishing village into a major trading port during the Dutch Golden Age. Nearly destroyed by Nazi bombing during World War II, Rotterdam has been rebuilt into one of Europe’s most architecturally modern cities, and today is the continent’s largest seaport. We’ll disembark for a field trip to the Pilgrim Fathers’ Church in the 17th-century historic district of Delfshaven. Here, in 1620, the English sect known as the Pilgrims gathered for their last prayers before sailing for England, where they boarded the Mayflower for a voyage to the New World. During a presentation by a church docent, we’ll learn some fascinating facts about the events that led to the Pilgrims’ settlement in what became Massachusetts, as well as Americans’ traditional celebration of Thanksgiving.
Lunch:
Aboard the barge.
Afternoon:
Boarding the motorcoach after lunch today, we’ll embark on a field trip to the port of Dordrecht, the Netherlands’ oldest city. With its historic harbors, thousands of monuments and many fine museums, Dordrecht has often been referred to as the “Venice of Holland.” At the Dordrecht Museum, a knowledgeable docent will discuss the collection’s many masterpieces by great Dutch and other European artists. Following our field trip, we will transfer via motorcoach to the barge, which will be docked in Gouda for the night.
Dinner:
Aboard the barge.
Evening:
This evening is at leisure to pursue what interests you most.
Activity Note
Barging approximately 4.5 hours. Walking approximately 1.5 hours and standing.
Breakfast:
Aboard the barge.
Morning:
Our field trip this morning takes us to Sint Janskerk (St. John’s Church) in Gouda, a treasure of the late Gothic period, where a local expert will provide us with background on the church’s famous Goudse Glazen – Gouda-stained glass – featuring 71 panels depicting Biblical and historical scenes, some dating back to the 16th century. Our exploration continues at the Catharina Gasthuis, which served as a hospice for the ill (as well as a chapel and library) until 1910. Now home to Museum Gouda, it houses altar pieces from the Golden Age painted by such artists as Dirck Barendsz, Antonie Blocklandt, Pieter Pourdus, and Jan Steen. Having satisfied our quest for knowledge at the museum, we'll top off the morning by visiting a cheese shop to sample the renowned local cheese that takes its name from the city.
Lunch:
Aboard the barge.
Afternoon:
Spend a relaxing afternoon aboard our barge as we cruise toward Amsterdam – gliding along picturesque Dutch waterways and enjoying ever-changing views of rivers, villages, and open skies from the deck, as the landscapes gradually shift from pastoral to urban… and we once again approach the Dutch capital.
Dinner:
Aboard the barge.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Walking about .5 mile; standing for up to 1 hour on uneven terrain, stairs. Walking and other free time activities according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
Aboard the barge.
Morning:
Join us this morning for a hands-on painting workshop featuring live demonstrations of traditional paint-making. You’ll learn about Rembrandt’s life; explore the 14 pigments he used throughout his career; gain insights into his painting techniques; and watch as historic pigments are transformed into paint using traditional methods. After our visit, your Group Leaders will walk you to the center of Amsterdam and offer assistance for free time spent exploring on your own. We recommend making any museum reservations to start between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to allow enough time for your visit.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy what you like in Amsterdam.
Afternoon:
We invite you to spend a free afternoon of independent exploration in Amsterdam – taking an opportunity to see and do what interests you most in the Netherlands’ amazing capital city. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities; your Group Leaders will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions. If you prefer to relax, feel free to seek out one of the local cafés to sip a Heineken or a cup of coffee while watching the locals.
Dinner:
Aboard the barge. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with your new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner this evening.
Evening:
Following our farewell dinner, the rest of the evening is at your leisure, as we prepare for disembarkation and departure in the morning.
Activity Note
Barge disembarkation by 9:00 a.m.(You may check out earlier.) See your program’s “Getting There” information regarding transfers. Transfer from the barge by private taxis to the airport is about 20 miles, approximately 1/2 hour riding time.
Breakfast:
Aboard the barge.
Morning:
Morning transfer to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport for departures. If you are returning home, we wish you safe travels. If you are staying on independently, we hope you’ll 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!