Netherlands
Bountiful Holland: Tulips & Gardens by Riverboat
Program No. 22231RJ
The story of Dutch tulips is one of mystery, intrigue and a springtime symphony of more than 7 million bulbs in bloom. Voyage the rivers of Holland to experience this fascinating story.
Enroll with Confidence
We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. Learn more
Protecting the Environment
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone?
800-454-5768
Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
Apr 16 - Apr 25, 2025
Apr 29 - May 8, 2025
Apr 16 - Apr 25, 2025
Filling Fast!
Apr 29 - May 8, 2025Not seeing the date you're looking for?
To be notified if dates of this program become available, click the button below.
10 days
9 nights
17 meals
8B 4L 5D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
4
Amsterdam, Netherlands History
Amsterdam
5
Gouda, Free time
Gouda
6
Rotterdam, Kinderdijk
Rotterdam
7
Disembarkation, Aalsmeer
Amsterdam
8
Amsterdam City Walk
Amsterdam
At a Glance
Imported from Turkey in 1593, tulips were once so prized that the Dutch used flower bulbs as currency. On this voyage through Holland, learn about the history of tulips while delighting in their vibrant splendor. Walk amid a vivid palette of colors in one of the world’s largest flower gardens, learn about tulips with a bulb farmer and explore the grounds where these now bountiful blooms first arrived in the Netherlands.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to two hours/two miles at a time, sometimes twice per day; cobblestones and many unavoidable stairs.
What You'll Learn
- Experience the world-famous Keukenhof Garden, where more than 7 million bulbs bloom each spring.
- Discover the collections of Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum.
- Meet a tulip bulb farmer and explore a bustling flower auction.
General Notes
Please note that on this program, Road Scholar has the entire ship and welcomes a maximum of 90 Road Scholars which will be divided into smaller groups, each with their own Group Leader. The small groups may occasionally come together for lectures.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Max Put
After studying painting and graphic art and working as an artist, Max Put attended Leiden University and earned a master’s in art history. In 1995, while still at university, he started giving talks on Dutch art and culture. He has been a charismatic figure leading Road Scholar groups for more than 15 years.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Max Put
View biography
After studying painting and graphic art and working as an artist, Max Put attended Leiden University and earned a master’s in art history. In 1995, while still at university, he started giving talks on Dutch art and culture. He has been a charismatic figure leading Road Scholar groups for more than 15 years.
Tímea Howard
View biography
Timea Howard was born in Budapest and has lived there for all her life. Timea pursued a degree in business management and worked in advertising for 20 successful years. Following a life-changing ski accident, she decided to pursue her love of Budapest, history and languages by becoming an official group leader. Since receiving her certification as a group leader in 2015 in English and Italian, Timea has shared her city with visitors from all over the world.
Marko Kassenaar
View biography
Marko Kassenaar is a museum expert, lecturer, and Dutch author who is well-known for his series of Amsterdam museum guides. His most popular book is 'Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam: Highlights of the Collection.' He is an art and history buff who loves to share his knowledge on the art history of Amsterdam.
Suggested Reading List
(20 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Bountiful Holland: Tulips & Gardens by Riverboat
Program Number: 22231
The Embarrassment of Riches
An engaging cultural history and much more, this book is a study of the Dutch in the 17th century and their surprising challenge to Spanish rule.
The Netherlands in a Nutshell
With information on the Dutch East India Company, Huygens, Spinoza, Van Gogh, the Great Flood, the Dutch overseas colonies and much more, Van Oostrom's popular primer covers the essential highlights of Dutch history.
Girl in Hyacinth Blue
This finely-crafted novel tells the story of the girl in an imagined, undiscovered portrait by Vermeer. Created in the 17th century, the painting passes through a number of people's hands, providing a series of tales that reflect the history and character of Holland and Europe through the years.
Rembrandt, Master of the Portrait
With over 200 illustrations, this pocket-size encyclopedia traces the life and career of artist Rembrandt von Rijn. It offers insight into his influence on the art of the portrait -- an illuminating companion for any visit to Amsterdam and its museums.
Why the Dutch are Different
Mingling history with travelogue, Coates speaks to why the Netherlands is such fascinating country. He explains the significance of milk, beer and the color orange in the lives of the Dutch, their world-famous culture of tolerance and much more.
The Autumn of the Middle Ages
A pioneering work of social and cultural history, this well translated classic is a richly detailed portrait of life, thought and art in 14th- and 15th-century France and the Netherlands.
Amsterdam, A History of the World's Most Liberal City
Russell Shorto opens this delightful ode to an adopted city with his daily journey, by bike of course, through his neighborhood to drop off his toddler son. He spins a tale of a diverse city wrestled from the sea, its coffee shops, canals and its personalities and politics, with panache.
Travels in Vermeer, A Memoir
In the wake of a vengeful divorce, an American poet travels to Amsterdam, The Hague, Delft, London, Washington and New York to find solace and inspiration in the paintings of Johannes Vermeer.
Delftware, History of a National Product
An illustrated, hardbound history of De Porceleyne Fles, the famous Delftware manufacturer that has been in operation for 350 years.
Tulip Fever
In this surprise bestseller, set in 1630s Amsterdam, a man contracts the talented painter Jan Van Loos to paint a portrait of him and his beautiful wife, Sophia. A vivid drama unfolds as a mutual attraction develops between Van Loos and Sophia.
In the City of Bikes
Pedaling around the city on a "lumbering and sluggish" single-speed bicycle named Brownie, American expat and bike nut Pete Jordan turns his love of Amsterdam -- and of bicycles -- into an acutely observed cultural history of the city.
The Undutchables
A laugh-out-loud, irreverent guide to Dutch character and habits, including how to drink coffee and why you shouldn't even think about haggling over prices.
A Worldly Art
This appreciative analysis of Dutch art in its Golden Age (1585-1718) features 100 exemplary illustrations by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Pieter de Hooch, Frans Hals and other Old Masters.
Fodor's Amsterdam with the Best of the Netherlands
The up-to-date Fodor's guide features invaluable recommendations on where to stay and eat and what to do throughout the Netherlands. Compact and portable, it's ideal for either a weekend trip or an extended visit.
The Anatomy Lesson
A fictionalized account of the events surrounding Rembrandt’s first commissioned piece, the Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp. Well-researched and vivid with period details that transport the reader back to 1600s Amsterdam at the height of Dutch artistic vigor.
Benelux Map
Covering the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg at a scale of 1:400,000.
Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Soccer
A British journalist, Winner interviews football stars -- along with architects, political scientists and novelists -- in this insightful, humorous look at the transformation of Dutch society since the 1970s.
Girl With a Pearl Earring
Chevalier's richly drawn novel imagines the story behind Vermeer's mysterious portrait of a turbaned girl with a pearl earring.
An Island in Time, The Biography of a Village
Mak returns to Jorwerd, the small Netherlands village of his childhood, to spend time with the villagers and learn both the pleasures and contemporary challenges of small town life.
Tulipomania
The story of the world's most coveted flower and the extraordinary passion it aroused, this vivid history traces the tulip from its origins on the Turkish steppes to its status as an absurdly desired object in Europe and its key role in the financial follies of 17th-century Holland.