Flowers of Floriade and Keukenhof Spirit of the Rhine Flowers of the Floriade and the

10 nightsFULL BOARDfrom£2149

Includes insurance and cancellation cover§ Price reduction available if not required. aboard Spirit of the Rhine – see pages 144-149 for details No fly option

Enjoy a springtime cruise along the Dutch waterways, with included visits to Keukenhof Gardens, the Floralia Show in Brussels and the Floriade Expo along the way.

Keukenhof Gardens

Day 1: UK to Amsterdam. Travel by coach from Folkestone to Amsterdam via Eurotunnel or ferry and embark Spirit of the Rhine.

Day 2: Amsterdam to Beverwijk.

Spend the day exploring Amsterdam at your leisure. Alternatively, you can choose to join one of the optional excursions available this morning – a tour of Amsterdam and canal cruise, or a culinary walking tour. Your ship will cruise to Beverwijk this evening. Day 3: Beverwijk. Today you can enjoy a full-day included excursion of Keukenhof Gardens. Spanning 32 hectares, Keukenhof Gardens is one of the largest flower gardens in the world, and attracts over a million visitors every year who come to see the floral displays featuring tulips and hyacinths. You’ll cruise to Utrecht this evening, arriving in the early hours.

Day 4: Utrecht This morning there will be a guided visit to one of Utrecht’s weekly flower markets. This afternoon join an optional excursion to Utrecht Botanical Gardens. You’ll depart later this afternoon and cruise overnight to Brussels.

Day 5: Brussels. Arrive in Brussels in the afternoon, where you can join an included excursion to the Floralia Spring Flower Exhibition. This annual event takes place in the 14 hectares of grounds and greenhouses surrounding the castle of Groot-Bijgaarden, and displays nearly 400 types of tulips. The rest of the day is at leisure. Your ship departs later this evening and cruises overnight to Dordrecht. Day 6: Dordrecht You’ll arrive in the town of Dordrecht this morning, where you can spend the day at leisure. Perhaps visit the Dordrecht Museum, Museum 1940-1945, Grote Kerk or Het Hof, or join an optional walking tour of the town this morning.

Day 7: Dordrecht to Kinderdijk to

Schoonhoven. Depart Dordrecht this morning and cruise to nearby Kinderdijk, which is home to 19 UNESCO-listed mills, built between 1722 and 1761. An included excursion will reveal how the mills work and you will also visit the former steam pump station, Wisboorn, and the historic waterboard house. Your ship departs for Schoonhoven, arriving after lunch where you will have time to enjoy an optional guided walking tour before your ship departs at dinner and sails overnight to Hoorn. Day 8: Hoorn to Lelystad You’ll arrive in Hoorn during breakfast, and will have the morning to explore independently, or join an optional walking tour to see some of the highlights and rich maritime heritage of the town. Your ship departs Hoorn in the early afternoon for Lelystad, arriving later this afternoon. This afternoon enjoy an included tulip farm tour, followed by a scenic drive. Your ship remains moored overnight in Lelystad. Day 9: Lelystad This morning, step on the shuttle bus for your included full-day visit to the Floriade Expo held in Almere. This world horticultural exhibition will last six months, and the theme for the 2022 Expo will be ‘Growing Green Cities’, focusing on how nature can be better incorporated into cities. There will be hundreds of plant species, 40 country presentations, a greenhouse complex and a cable car across the site. A ride on the cable car is included with your ticket. Afterwards, travel back to your ship which departs for Amsterdam later in the evening. Day 10: Lelystad to Amsterdam Arrive in Amsterdam in the early hours of the morning. You can join one of the two included excursions this morning: a visit to Hortus Botanicus – Amsterdam’s botanical gardens, which are one of the oldest in the world, or an excursion to Amsterdam’s largest park – Vondelpark. Spend the afternoon at leisure. Your ship remains moored here overnight.

Day 11: Amsterdam to UK. Disembark Spirit of the Rhine after breakfast and begin your return journey or continue your holiday with an optional two-night hotel stay in Amsterdam.

EXTEND YOUR HOLIDAY

AMSTERDAM 2 nights with breakfasts

included. After your cruise stay two nights at the locally rated 4-star Westcord Fashion Hotel (4Q). The hotel is a short walk from the tram stop, which connects to Amsterdam Central in around 15 minutes. Available only when you fly or travel by Eurostar. Please see page 143 for details.

SAVE up to £250 per person on selected cabin grades and departures FREE CABIN UPGRADE worth up to £350^

The windmills of Kinderdijk

LOOK WHO’LL BE JOINING YOU ON BOARD…

Anne Swithinbank Horticulturist and television presenter Anne has a passion for growing exotic plants under glass, and is a patron of the British Cactus and Succulent Society. April 20, 2022 (AH613). Pippa Greenwood Author and television presenter Pippa ran the Plant Pathology Department at RHS Wisley and has written many horticultural books including Gardeners’ Year. May 14, 2022 (AH614).

RIVER CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS

Keukenhof Gardens

Keukenhof Gardens is one of the Dutch bulb growing industry’s key events – with more than seven million bulbs planted ready to flower during the annual event between March and May. Tulips are the stars of the event, but you will also see dafodils, crocuses and hyacinths in bloom, while the showrooms feature more exotic species such as orchids.

Floralia Show

The annual Floralia Spring Flower Exhibition takes place in the grounds surrounding the 17th-century castle of Groo-Bijgaarden. The flowerbeds are planned and designed by a descendant of one of the Netherlands’ most famous bulb-producing families, and carefully tended by a team of gardeners. Over one million bulbs will flower during the exhibition, with nearly 400 varieties of tulips alone.

Floriade Expo

The seventh Floriade Expo will take place in Almere between April 14 and October 9, 2022, and during these six months is expected to welcome two million visitors. This horticultural exhibition covers 148 acres, and will feature a vast collection of trees, shrubs and flowers from around the world. The Expo’s theme will explore how horticulture can provide solutions for greener city living.

The tulip fields of noord oostpolder

Hoorn

Beverwijk Leylstad Amsterdam

Utrecht

NETHERLANDS

Kinderdijk Schoonhoven

Dordrecht

BELGIUM Brussels

SO MUCH INCLUDED…

Included travel insurance

VIP door-to-door travel service – see page 155

29 meals: 10 breakfasts, 9 lunches and 10 dinners

Wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner

Cruise Host

Interactive maps and audio headsets for independent exploration.

Plus...On-board talks from your host • Drinks reception and Captain’s dinner • Complimentary Wi-Fi on board • All gratuities on board • Return coach travel via Eurotunnel or ferry.

INCLUDED EXCURSIONS

• Keukenhof Gardens • Utrecht Flower Market • Floralia Show • Kinderdijk windmills • Tulip Farm Tour and Scenic Drive • Floriade Expo • Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam OR Vondelpark.

Anne Swithinbank

Prices are £s per person from: Apr 20, 2022 May 14# Unassigned twin cabin** - 2049 Lower Deck Twin (Forward - E) 2299 2149 2399 2149 Lower Deck Twin (D) 2449 2199 2549 2299 Middle Deck Twin, French Balcony (Forward - C) 2899 2649 2999 2749 Middle Deck Twin, French Balcony (B) 3099 2849 3199 2949 Upper Deck Twin, French Balcony (A) 3299 3399 2949^ Lower Deck Sole occupancy (D) 3249 2999 3349 3099 Middle Deck, French Balcony Sole occupancy (B) 4049 3799 4149 3899 Upper Deck, French Balcony Sole occupancy (A) 4399 4499 3899^ Cruise code AH613 AH614 Flowers of Floriade and Keukenhof. 10 nights. #This departure operates a reverse Itinerary. ^Free cabin upgrade from Middle Deck B grade to Upper Deck A grade on May 14, 2022, subject to limited availability.** For full details see pages 152-155. §If you choose to opt out of the included insurance and cancellation cover, a reduction applies of £40 – see page 150 for details. TRAVEL OPTIONS: Prices based on return coach travel from Folkestone to Amsterdam via Eurotunnel or ferry. Eurostar standard is available for a supplement departing from London St Pancras direct to Amsterdam. Flights from Heathrow are also available for a supplement.

Be quick – to be guaranteed the best price, book early as flights can sell out and prices sometimes increase.

Please note: Some of the highlights may only be seen on optional excursions at an additional cost, or by exploring independently. #This cruise also operates a reverse itinerary (cruise code: AH614) though excursions and ports of call and timings vary.