Day 1 – Amsterdam, Netherlands

Narrow canals, arched bridges, and bicycle-lined streets set the rhythm as you arrive in Amsterdam. Check into your historic hotel that anchors you in the city for the next three nights. With arrival times varying, the afternoon unfolds at your pace – wander nearby neighborhoods, pause at a café, or follow the canals wherever they lead. As evening settles in, get your first taste of Dutch hospitality at a welcome dinner.

Day 2 – Amsterdam

This morning, see Amsterdam from its most natural vantage point – the water. A private canal cruise carries you beneath arched bridges and past classic canal houses that frame daily life. Back on land, a walking tour with a local guide adds context, history, and lived perspective. Later, a conversation with a local offers insight into the city’s progressive, often thought-provoking cultural landscape. By around 1:00 p.m., the rest of the day opens up for independent exploration.

Day 3 – Amsterdam – Keukenhof Tulip Gardens

This morning, get ready for a colorful exploration as you head into the Dutch countryside to the world-famous Keukenhof Gardens. Wander through acres of carefully designed landscapes filled with tranquil ponds, winding paths, and millions of tulips and seasonal flowers. Along the way, take in displays of hyacinths, daffodils, lilies, roses, carnations, and irises – this is spring in the Netherlands. This evening brings an Impact Moment at A Beautiful Mess, a restaurant supporting refugees building new lives here. Share a meal of Middle Eastern and North African flavors made with locally sourced ingredients.

Day 4 – Amsterdam – Kinderdijk – Bruges, Belgium

This morning leads you right into the Dutch countryside and the windmill landscapes of Kinderdijk (UNESCO). Here, it’s your choice! Drift along the canals in a boat, walk the paths, and venture inside a working windmill -OR- climb aboard a bike to cycle through the open Kinderdijk landscape with a local guide. However you experience it, wind, water, and space tell the story of Dutch ingenuity. This evening, Bruges comes into view with its cobblestone streets and quiet canals. Take an easy walk through the medieval city you’ll call home for the next two nights.

Day 5 – Bruges

Bruges reveals itself on foot this morning as you walk with a local guide down historic streets and along narrow canals. Later, a canal cruise shifts your perspective before hands-on traditions take center stage – learning about lace-making and tasting Belgian chocolate. The afternoon unfolds at leisure. As the day winds down, visit a local brewery for a taste of Belgium’s celebrated beer. Continue tasting your way across local cuisine and enjoy dinner on your own.

Day 6 – Bruges – Arras, France – Reims

Belgium makes way for France today. Travel through Flanders, then stop in Arras to walk the Grand Place and Place des Héros, framed by striking Flemish-Baroque façades. Cafés and markets set the tone of daily life before the journey continues to Reims, in the heart of the Champagne region. This evening, enjoy dinner featuring regional French flavors.

Day 7 – Reims – Champagne Winery – Reims

Reims unfolds this morning on a guided walk through streets shaped by centuries of royal history. Admire the Notre-Dame Cathedral de Reims, renowned for its stained glass. By afternoon, vineyard rows line the Route du Champagne. Visit a traditional maison du champagne and learn the craft behind the region’s namesake sparkling wine – followed, of course, by a tasting. Santé! The rest of the day is yours to explore Reims at your own pace.

Day 8 – Reims – Versailles – Paris

En route to Paris, Versailles sets the stage. With a local guide, grand halls and formal gardens reveal how this palace shaped royal life across Europe. You take in celebrated spaces like the Hall of Mirrors and the Queen’s Bedchamber before time opens up to wander the grounds. By evening, Paris makes its entrance. Your neighborhood hotel places you in the heart of the city, with streets alive with cafés, corner bistros, and its vibrant energy. This evening is at leisure and Paris is yours for the taking! Explore the local area right outside your door, or opt for an unforgettable evening at the Paradis Latin, where dinner, champagne, soaring vocals, and can-can dancers bring classic Parisian cabaret to life.

Day 9 – Paris

Paris reveals itself step by step this morning as you explore the historic heart of the city on foot with a local expert. Grand boulevards give way to quieter passages, where centuries of history unfold through architecture, hidden courtyards, and covered galleries once used by merchants and locals alike. From the street, the city shifts again as you glide past Paris’ most celebrated monuments on a Seine River cruise. Around noon, the rhythm slows and the city becomes yours to do what you wish. Perhaps you’ll step inside the Louvre or wander the layered streets of Le Marais and Place des Vosges. Tonight, celebrate your journey with dinner inside the Eiffel Tower. This exclusive experience is the most fitting way to bid adieu to an incredible journey – inside French cuisine and outside, the sparkling elegance of Paris below.

Day 10 – Paris – Tour Ends

Au revoir! You connected with the cultures and people of the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, all in one epic small group journey. Now, head home and tell your friends all about it!