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.
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10 days
9 nights
20 meals
8B 5L 7D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
4
Amsterdam, Netherlands History
Amsterdam
5
Gouda, Free time
Gouda
6
Kinderdijk, Rotterdam
Rotterdam
7
Disembarkation, Aalsmeer
Amsterdam
8
Tulip Fields of the North
Amsterdam
9
Vincent Van Gogh, Free Time
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 between 2-4 miles per day; cobblestones and many unavoidable stairs; some use of public transportation.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Experience the world-famous Keukenhof Garden, where more than 7 million bulbs bloom each spring.
- Discover the collections of Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum.
- Meet a tulip bulb farmer and explore a bustling flower auction.
General Notes
This is a Road Scholar Large Group program. The number of participants in this program may be as high as 78; the whole group will be together for most lectures and meals. For some activities and field trips participants will be separated into groups of no more than 26 participants. Each group will have a dedicated Group Leader. The schedule for your group may vary from the published itinerary, but each group will have an opportunity to experience all program elements. If you are traveling with companions who are not your roommate and you would like to be grouped together, please list their names on your "Personal Information & Preferences" in your Road Scholar "My Account" page.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Benelux Map
Covering the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg at a scale of 1:400,000.
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.
