Dutch & Belgian Holiday Celebration

On our way into the city center, we'll take you on a panoramic tour of the major sightseeing spots in Brussels, such as the Royal Residence, Chinese Pavilion, and Japanese Pagoda. From there, we'll set out on foot to see the city up close—and taste some iconic Belgian chocolates along the way!

Take in the top sights of Brussels on an engaging walking tour with a local guide, during which you’ll see La Grand-Place and enter the old stock exchange. Here you’ll find the Belgian Beer Museum, where you’ll learn all about one of the country’s most iconic products. This museum isn’t just educational though, it’s also interactive. You’ll sample as you go, getting to know a variety of different Belgian beer varieties to see which suits your tastes best.

Make your way around Hasselt with a local guide who knows all the best spots in town. As you go, admire the city's plentiful green spaces, keep your eyes peeled for masterful works of street art, and discover shopping areas filled with major brands and eclectic boutiques alike.

Visit the oldest Christmas Market in Belgium, an honored tradition in the French-speaking town of Liège. Approximately 200 wooden chalets invite visitors to shop their wares, sit down for a drink, or savor delicious treats.

Here’s your chance to experience something utterly unique: the underground Christmas market of Valkenburg. Cozy stalls and twinkling lights line the stone walls of this enchanting cave, where you can shop for classic holiday gifts and treats while escaping the weather. And if you venture outside, you’ll find even more Christmas spirit spreading out from the cave across the entire festively-decked town.

Meander through the historic city center of Maastricht with your local guide and take in all of the city’s prettiest sites. During your walk, you’ll discover the picturesque streets of the Stokstraat Quarter and various charming promenades across the old and new city centers. You’ll take a peek into City Hall to see the wall tapestries, stucco, ceiling paintings, and mantelpieces inside. As you go, you’ll hear the fascinating stories and amusing anecdotes of Maastricht history, its progression from Roman settlement to early industrial powerhouse, and the Mestreechter Geis (or “the Spirit of Maastricht”, which is what they call their local way of life). Brimming with charm any time of year, Maastricht is perhaps at its most special in the weeks leading up to Christmas, when a light dusting of snow settles in between the cobblestones and the “Magical Maastricht” Christmas Market—amongst the largest in the Netherlands—is in full swing.

Once named the World Book Capital by UNESCO, Antwerp has a dedicated relationship with literature. The Nottebohm Room of the Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library illustrates this well. Walk in to see two open stories of wooden bookshelves, filled to the brim with leather bound volumes. A wrought metal balustrade bisects the two, giving librarians access to the incredible collection of rare items inside. Some particularly exciting members of this collection are accessible to you on the ground floor, including an iconic pair of globes by Dutch cartographer Willem Blaeu.

In the center of Antwerp, you’ll find a whole museum dedicated just to Belgian chocolate. Walk inside to discover the love story that is Belgium’s relationship with the sweet treat, follow the path of the cocoa bean from the farms of Ecuador to the world’s largest cocoa storage port in Antwerp, and of course, you’ll sample a variety chocolates during your time here.

Though Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, The Hague is the seat of the country’s government and a fantastic place to visit in its own right. A favorite local highlight of ours, and your destination on this tour, is the Mauritshuis. This museum houses a significant collection of Dutch Golden Age masterpieces—an array of stunning still lifes and portraits, including Vermeer’s famous Girl with a Pearl Earring. Besides its remarkable collection, what makes this museum so special is its setting. The Mauritshuis itself was once a city palace, allowing the works of art inside to be presented in the manner they were originally intended, hanging on the walls of stately houses.

Delft is noteworthy for several reasons: it's the birthplace of world-renowned painter Johannes Vermeer, home to the famous blue Delft pottery, and burial place of Dutch royalty. Explore picturesque Old Delft, with its tiny foot-bridges arching over peaceful, water-lily-filled canals, and visit Royal Delft to see the blue-and-white porcelain being made.

Today, you’ll have the opportunity to try a classic New Year's treat: oliebollen. Sold at street food stands and bakeries throughout the country during the Christmas and New Year’s season, these delectable treats are a local variety of donuts. Sweet dough, sometimes stuffed with raisins or currants, is deep fried and topped with powdered sugar. It’s the perfect treat to warm you up on a cool, winter day. During your tour, your guide will make a stop at a local bakery to purchase oliebollen for the group.

Start your day with a visit to Westergasfabriek, a 19^th-century gas factory that has long since been abandoned, reclaimed, and transformed into a thriving cultural space. Many festivals and galleries are hosted here, including the stunning Fabrique des Lumières. The “Factory of Lights,” as it translates, is an immersive digital art experience. A complex system of projectors covers every surface of the factory’s interior with larger-than-life displays of art.

In Amsterdam Noord, you’ll find the NDSM Wharf, a lively area known for its popular bars, restaurants, and artsy atmosphere. Street art proliferates here, where it is not only tolerated but a valued contributor to the culture. That makes the NDSM Wharf the perfect place for STRAAT, a unique Amsterdam museum dedicated to street art, built into a former NDSM wharf warehouse. Works by over 170 different street artists are displayed here, all created on site for a larger-than-life scale and ultra-immersive experience.