The Great Masters Itinerary

The Great Masters
Duration: 11 days
Highlights: Brussels, Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp, The Hague, Delft, Amsterdam, Aalsmeer, Haarlem, Arnheim.
This bespoke itinerary is ideal for art lovers, visiting top museums and galleries in Belgium and the Netherlands to see work by the Old Masters.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive Brussels
You are met at the airport and driven to your hotel, located right in the heart of this elegant city. The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax or alternatively, join an optional
walking tour with a professional local guide, discovering Brussels’ stunning Grand Place, dominated by the 15th century Gothic Town Hall, as well as the famous Mannekin
Pis. This evening meet your tour director and fellow travellers for drinks followed by a welcome dinner in the hotel.
Overnight: Hotel Amigo
Meal Plan: D
Day 2 - Brussels
The day begins with a guest lecture by one of the European Union's top lawyers, who will provide a fascinating insight into the role of the Union in modern day Europe.
Later visit two of the city’s most prominent art museums. Firstly, the great Musée d’Art Moderne which houses an excellent collection of Belgian and French art spanning the
last 100 years, including works by the internationally renowned Magritte and Ensor. Continue to the Musée d’Art Ancien or Fine Arts Museum, which specialises in the
Flemish primitives of the 15th century who invented the art of painting with oil.
After a lunch of the traditional Belgian speciality moules, enjoy a tour of the Ixelles quarter of the city where Art Nouveau was invented by the architect Victor Horta in the year
1892. Tour the remarkable Hotel Solvay privately in the company of an art historian, who will provide valuable insight into the exciting use of materials and forms which have
made this house a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The rest of the afternoon is free for you to enjoy your own explorations of this high-profile city, home to the European Parliament. Perhaps indulge in a spot of shopping at
the Galeries St-Hubert, or alternatively relax back at the hotel. Enjoy dinner à la carte at your hotel, or in a restaurant of your choice this evening.
Overnight: Hotel Amigo
Meal Plan: B
Day 3 - Brussels - Ghent - Bruges
Depart from Brussels this morning and head for the historic city of Ghent, originally built around two 7th century abbeys and the 9th century castle of Gravensteen. Here visit
the magnificent medieval buildings and the 52 carillon bells that hang atop the 14th century belfry. Admire the stunning polyptych painting of the "Adoration of the Mystic
Lamb" by van Eyck in the cathedral. There is enough time for lunch at leisure and exploration of the enchanting medieval streets with their cafes and shops.
Later this afternoon continue your journey to the delightful town of Bruges, where on arrival you check into rooms overlooking Burg Square. This evening we dine in the 3
Michelin starred restaurant De Karmeliet, housed in a stately 18th century mansion and furnished with works of art.
Overnight: Hotel de Tuilerieen
Meal Plan: B,D
Day 4 - Bruges
Today acquaint yourself with the wonderful medieval city of Bruges, often referred to as the ‘Venice of the North’ and where Flemish painting had its roots before it spread to
Italy.
Your day begins with a walking tour of the cobbled streets and splendid squares, seeing the Basilica of the Holy Blood and the 14th century City Hall before a delightful
cruise along the narrow canals for which Bruges is so famous. There is time free for lunch at leisure before an exclusive visit to the Groeninge Museum, where the museum's
curator introduces you to an array of Belgian art that spans the romantic, realist, surrealist and contemporary eras.
Visit also the Church of Our Lady built between the 13th and 15th centuries with a 122 metre high tower and boasting a plethora of art treasures including paintings, wood
sculptures and the white marble "Madonna and Child" by Michelangelo. Dinner this evening is at leisure.
Overnight: Hotel de Tuilerieen
Meal Plan: B
Day 5 - Bruges - Antwerp - The Hague
Transfer this morning by deluxe motorcoach to Antwerp, equally renowned as a centrefor fashion, diamonds, shipping and art. Your sightseeing tour this morning includes
the Grote Markt with its giant fountain and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Sorrows, containing three Rubens paintings including the Assumption of Mary. You also visit the
house of the great painter himself, exhibiting drawings and prints by Rubens and his pupils, as well as a self-portrait.
After lunch at De Manie, one of Antwerp's best restaurants, travel by train in first-class seats across the border into the Netherlands to the seaside town of The Hague, seat
of the government, diplomatic capital and home to the International Court of Justice. On arrival transfer to your hotel, situated right on the beachfront, where you check into
executive sea view rooms and dine this evening à la carte.
Overnight: Steigenberger Kurhaus Hotel
Meal Plan: B
Day 6 - The Hague
Your morning begins with a visit to the Mauritshuis Museum, also known as the Royal Gallery of Paintings, where a specialist guide introduces you to its celebrated collection
of famous Dutch masterpieces from the 17th century, including Rembrandt and Vermeer. You are then exclusively guided around a private collection of Old Master
paintings, located in an 18th century mansion, by one of The Hague’s premier art dealers.
Enjoy lunch in the city’s oldest restaurant before a visit to see the "Panorama Mesdag", painted in 1880 by the renowned marine artist Hendrik Willem Mesdag. Recently
restored, this immense 1,680 square metre canvas illustrates the fishing village of Scheveningen as it was in 1881 when Mesdag painted this masterpiece. The rest of the
day is at leisure to relax and enjoy your seaside surroundings.
Overnight: Steigenberger Kurhaus Hotel
Overnight: Steigenberger Kurhaus Hotel
Meal Plan: B,L
Day 7 - The Hague - Delft - Amsterdam
Drive this morning to the peaceful town of Delft, famous for its distinctive blue and white pottery. Visit the Royal Delft factory where a guided tour shows you the intricate
processes involved in the creation of the distinctive porcelain. Enjoy refreshments before continuing to Amsterdam, the city of canals and once home to distinguished names
such as Van Gogh and Rembrandt.
On arrival, enjoy lunch in the vibrant heart of the city then a guided visit to the Netherlands’ greatest museum, the Rijksmuseum. A truly remarkable collection, the
Rijksmuseum exhibits paintings, sculptures and objects dating from the 9th to the 19th centuries from both the eastern and western worlds, but specialises in the works of
the true Dutch masters: Rembrandt, Vermeer and Hals to name but a few.
Check into your hotel and later in the evening enjoy a private cruise through the enchantingly lit canals of Amsterdam.
Overnight: Sofitel Amsterdam the Grand
Meal Plan: B,L
Day 8 - Amsterdam
This morning is dedicated to two of Amsterdam’s most famous artists: Van Gogh and Rembrandt. Accompanied by an expert local guide, you begin with a visit to the Van
Gogh Museum. View this remarkable artist's most famous paintings such as "The Sunflowers" and “The Potato Eaters” – the museum is chronologically organised in five
periods, each representing a different phase in his work and life.
Later visit the house that belonged to Rembrandt between 1639 and 1658 and is now home to an amazing 250 of the 290 known prints by the great painter. The rest of the
day is at leisure to explore this most beautiful city by foot or by boat.
Overnight: Sofitel Amsterdam the Grand
Meal Plan: B
Day 9 - Amsterdam - Aalsmeer - Haarlem - Amsterdam
Begin today with a visit to the Aalsmeer Flower Auction, where some 19 million flowers and plants begin their journey each day to florists around the world. Continue to the
pretty town of Haarlem for lunch followed by a sightseeing tour including the gothic St. Bavo’s cathedral and the Grote Markt – the heart of the historical district surrounded
by beautiful buildings from the 15th through to the 19th century. Visit also the Frans Hals Museum, housed in a historic mansion which was originally built in 1607 as a home
for the elderly. The museum's collection includes eleven paintings by this Golden Age painter, as well as many works by other Old Masters. Enjoy some time at leisure to
indulge in Haarlem's excellent shopping opportunities before you return to Amsterdam for an evening at leisure.
Overnight: Sofitel Amsterdam the Grand
Meal Plan: B
Day 10 - Amsterdam - Arnheim - Amsterdam
Head south of Amsterdam today, stopping first at the 14th century castle Slot Zuylen, with its luxurious English-style gardens and marvellous collection of furniture reflecting
the many generations to have lived there. Enjoy a private tour of the castle, followed by coffee.
Continue to the medieval town of Arnheim for lunch at leisure. This afternoon tour the magnificent Kröller–Müller Museum, opened in 1938 and containing a remarkable
private collection of late 19th and early 20th century paintings brought together by the museum's founder Hélène Kröller–Müller.
This evening your private farewell dinner takes place in a lavishly decorated stately canal house, where you reflect on the many highlights of this outstanding tour over a
sumptuous four course meal served in memorable surroundings.
Overnight: Sofitel Amsterdam the Grand
Meal Plan: B,D
Day 11 - Depart Amsterdam
This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your homebound flight.
Meal Plan: B