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Activity note: Driving transfer to Ghent is about 50 miles (80 km); approximately 1 hour. Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.
Afternoon: Hotel check in is available at 3:00 PM. We may store our luggage with the front desk while we explore the area on our own while we wait for our rooms to be available. After checking in to the hotel and getting your room, take some time to freshen up and relax before our Orientation session. Orientation: 5:00 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. We will review COVID-19 protocols and will adhere to applicable requirements and guidelines throughout the program Breakfasts will typically be European-style buffets with cold cuts, cheeses, cereals, yogurt, fruit, breads, milk, juice, coffee, tea, water. Water is included in the program cost at all meals. 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: We will enjoy a Welcome dinner in the hotel's dining room.
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: Getting on/off public transportation; about 1/2 hour total. Walking about 3 miles; approximately 3 hours; paved terrain; periods of standing in the museum; unavoidable stairs and cobblestones in the city. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during independent time according to personal choice.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: In the hotel meeting room, an artist and art teacher will join us to give a lecture focused on the development of craftsmanship into art in the lowlands, and how art mirrors society.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: Arriving via public transit, we will join a museum staff member for an expert-led field trip at the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent. While here, we will learn about Flemish and Dutch art from the Middle Ages, and its development through to the middle of the 20th century.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Walking up to 4 miles total throughout the day; cobblestones and uneven pavement, some stairs without railings; occasionally crowded places.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: After breakfast, we will gather in our meeting room for a lecture from an art historian about the painters Hieronymus Bosch (1450 – 1516) and Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525 – 1569), and track their evolution from the 15th to 17th century. Setting out from the hotel, we will take an expert-led walk through the city center of Ghent, a medieval city where the Industrial Revolution began in the 19th century. A local expert will provide us with the history of the city as we walk along the canals, through the historical center with its many squares (Vrijdagsmarkt, Groentenmarkt, and Koorenmarkt), and to see such sites as the medieval fortress of Gravensteen and the meat market.
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: We will then visit St. Bavo's Cathedral, which houses the famous Van Eyck altarpiece. Our local expert will show us a replica painting of "The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb" because the original is being restored. The rest of the afternoon is free to see and do what interests you most.
Dinner: On your own.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach; driving about 80 miles total (140 km); approximately 2 hours, with stops. Walking about 3 miles total throughout the day, including time in the museum; uneven pavement, unavoidable stairs, cobblestones in the city center; periods of standing.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: After transferring via private motorcoach to Brussels, we’ll set out on an expert led walk into the city center to soak in the sights.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We’ll then enjoy a field trip on site at the Museum of Fine Arts to visit the Oldmasters Museum collection. Led through the museum by a member of the staff, we will see the best examples of the 15th and 16th century paintings and sculptures in Flanders. At the museum with an art historian, we will settle in for a lecture focused on the famous Antwerp painters, Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach; driving about 80 miles total (140 km); approximately 2.5 hours, with stops. Walking up to 4 miles total throughout the day; cobblestones and uneven pavement, sometimes in very crowded places; stairs without railings and periods of standing in the museum.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: After transferring to Antwerp, we will enjoy a guided tour of the Royal Museum of Fine Art. After 11 years of renovations, the KMSKA reopened it doors and has expanded its rich collection of artwork spanning Rubens to Tuymans.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: Next, we will take a walk through the old city center led by a local expert, and then visit The Cathedral of Our Lady. This large Gothic cathedral is on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list, and houses a collection of Baroque art including two large alters by Peter Paul Rubens. We’ll then return to Ghent.
Dinner: On your own to enjoy what you like.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach; driving about 70 miles total (110 km); approximately 2 hours, with stops. Walking up to 4 miles total throughout the day; cobblestones and uneven pavement, sometimes in very crowded places; stairs without railings; periods of standing in the museum. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during independent time according to personal choice.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Arriving in Bruges via motorcoach this morning, we will have an expert-led walk in the beautiful, fairytale city of Bruges. This field trip will take us along the Minnewater Park, the Begijnhof (courtyard of the Beguins – secular nuns), the city's medieval street, and finishing at the Belfry of Bruges.
Lunch: On your own to sample the regional cuisine.
Afternoon: This afternoon, everyone will be provided with tickets to independently explore the Museum of Flemish Primitives (also known as the Groeninge Museum). This museum houses a beautiful exhibit of paintings by the Flemish Primitives, a group of masterful artists from the 15th and early 16th centuries who specialized in using oil paints, a new medium at the time. We’ll then return to Ghent via motorcoach.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach; driving about 140 miles (225 km) total; approximately 3 hours, with stops for field trips throughout the day. Walking about 3 miles throughout the day; cobblestones and uneven pavement, stairs without railings.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Once checked out of the hotel, we will start our transfer to Amsterdam.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: After lunch, we will enjoy an expert-led walking and bus field trip through Rotterdam to learn about the city's architecture. We will see such sites as the former Holland America Line headquarters (today's Hotel New York), the famous Cubic Houses, and the modern Market Hall. Enjoy some free time to explore on your own before we meet at a predetermined time and location to continue our transfer to Amsterdam. After check-in, take some time to freshen up and relax before we gather for dinner.
Dinner: At a local restaurant.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting on/off public transportation; less than 1/2 hour during group activities. Walking about 3 miles; approximately 3 hours; uneven pavement, unavoidable stairs and cobblestones in the city. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: After setting out from the hotel via tram, we’ll begin with a relaxing canal cruise to soak in Amsterdam's historical city center from the water. Then we will enjoy an expert-led city walk to admire and learn about the architecture of Amsterdam. We’ll see the National Monument, the Royal Palace, the New Church, and the many different styles of houses that the city is famous for.
Lunch: On your own.
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. You might like to visit the Amsterdam Historical Museum or the Anne Frank House.
Dinner: On your own.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach; driving about 70 miles (110 km); approximately 1.5 hours. Walking up to 3 miles total throughout the day; cobblestones and uneven pavement; stairs without railings; periods of standing in museum.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will start the day with an expert-led bus field trip to The Hague, the legal capital of the world, with its many legal institutions and the seat of the Dutch Parliament. On our journey, we will pass the Scheveningen and the Peace Palais, which houses the International Court of Justice, and walk through the inner courtyard of the Parliament buildings.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: Carrying on, we will go on an expert-led field trip through the Maurits House Museum to see famous Dutch paintings from Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. This museum is the home of such famous Dutch paintings as Vermeer's "View of Delft" and "Girl with a Pearl Earring."
Dinner: On your own.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting on/off public transportation; less than 1/2 hour during group activities. Walking about 3 miles; approximately 3 hours; uneven pavement, unavoidable stairs and cobblestones; periods of standing in museum. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: An art historian will join us at the hotel and give a lecture on art in the Golden Age. Afterwards, they will lead us on a field trip to the Rijksmuseum, a wonderful representation of Dutch history and art. We’ll see some of the art that was discussed in the morning lecture, such as Rembrandt and Vermeer. The rest of the morning is free time for independent exploration. You may continue exploring the museum on your own. The tickets are valid for the day, but re-entry is not allowed. Or, if you are interested in visiting the Van Gogh Museum, this would be a good opportunity to do so. Tickets must be booked in advance for a specific time slot.
Lunch: On your own.
Afternoon: Free time for independent exploration through the early afternoon. In the late afternoon, we’ll meet back at the hotel later and gather in our meeting room to listen to an art historian give a lecture about art in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach; driving about 30 miles (48 km); approximately 1 hour. Walking about 3 miles throughout the day; uneven pavement, unavoidable stairs and cobblestones; periods of standing in museum.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Arriving via motorcoach, a local expert will introduce us to the city of Haarlem during a field trip that includes a visit to the Cathedral of St. Bavo, home to one of the world's greatest organs.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: After lunch, we will walk to the Frans Hals Museum where we will discover the paintings of Frans Hals, and other Old Masters from the Golden Age, with a staff member. Later in the afternoon back at the hotel, we will settle in for a lecture on modern art from the 19th and 20th centuries given by an art historian.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach; driving about 112 miles total (180 km); approximately 2 hours total. Walking about 3 miles throughout the day; pavement, some unavoidable stairs; periods of standing in museum. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Transferring via motorcoach, we’ll take a field trip to the Kröller-Müller Museum to see the Van Gogh and Mondrian exhibit. While here, we will be led by a staff member through the museum, which owns the second largest collection of Van Gogh paintings in the world, as well as many French impressionist paintings.
Lunch: On your own at the Kröller-Müller Museum.
Afternoon: Free time. You might like to view the Garden of Statues of The Kröller-Müller Museum.
Dinner: Farewell dinner at a local restaurant. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends.
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: At the hotel. 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!