Flanders Fields, Windmills, Waterways and Tulips 

April 12 -19, 2026 

Witness the picturesque tulip season in Holland and Belgium as you sail from Brussels to Amsterdam. 

  • Enjoy the iconic Dutch landscapes featuring windmills, waterways, and endless fields of vibrant colors.
  • Begin your journey in Brussels and venture to Ghent, known as “The Diamond of Flanders.”
  • Explore St. Bavo’s Cathedral showcasing remarkable Flemish artwork.
  • Immerse yourself in historical remembrances at the In Flanders Fields Museum and partake in the Last Post Ceremony.
  • Travel to Holland and visit the former Dutch East India Company trading port.
  • Admire the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam, a historic port city.
  • Delight in the sight of tulips and other blooming bulbs in Zaandam and Haarlem's flower farm regions.
  • Conclude your river cruise through Belgium and Holland with a visit to Amsterdam.
  • Experience a guided canal cruise, passing by bridges and homes from a bygone Golden age.  

Package Includes: 

  • 7-night Avalon Waterways Cruise
  • Pre-Paid Gratuities
  • Panoramic Suite
  • Daily Meals & Beverages
  • Airport transfers*
  • Tour Leader
  • Starting at $6245 pp  

Belgium & Holland: Flanders Fields, Windmills, Waterways and Tulips 

Day 1 - Sunday, April 12: Welcome to Belgium. 

Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding. 
Flights into Brussels must arrive by 2:00 pm. Guests must be on board the ship by 5 pm.
Enjoy dinner on board as you sail for Ghent this evening. 

Day 2 - Monday, April 13: Medieval Masterpieces and Flemish Finery 

ACTIVE Explore a different side of Ghent by bike with your Adventure Host, OR: CLASSIC Explore Ghent—“The Diamond of Flanders”— with a Guided Sightseeing Tour of this showcase of medieval Flemish wealth. You’ll visit St. Bavo’s Cathedral—with its remarkable Flemish artwork.
Alternatively, you may choose to join a full-day Guided Optional Excursion of Bruges to explore its canals, cobbled streets, and medieval buildings. You’ll see its crisscrossed canals, the 13th-century belfry of Market Square, and charming patrician houses.
This evening, enjoy live entertainment onboard.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN GHENT
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 3 - Tuesday, April 14, 2026: GHENT. EXCURSION TO FLANDERS FIELD MUSEUM 

DISCOVERY Visit the In Flanders Field Museum in Ypres—named for the soldier’s famed poem. Learn about the story of the invasion of Belgium, the first months of the mobilization, the four-year trench war in the Westhoek, the end of the war, and the lasting remembrance to follow. After your visit, enjoy lunch at the museum’s café.
DISCOVERY Following the museum, visit battlefields, cemeteries, memorials, and private collections. DISCOVERY Experience the Last Post Ceremony, taking place nightly under the arches of the Menin Gate. Enjoy some free time for dinner before the Ceremony starts.
OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MIDDELBURG
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) 

Day 4 - Wednesday, April 15, 2026: MIDDELBURG, HOLLAND 

CLASSIC Join a Guided Walking Tour through the winding cobblestones and canals of Middelburg.
See the 15th-century Gothic Town Hall and learn about its important role in the spice trade and Dutch East India trading.
Enjoy lunch on board while cruising to Veere.
ACTIVE Alternatively, bike from Middelburg to Veere with your Adventure Host. OR CLASSIC Explore the town of Veere (History and Scottish Houses) with an expert local guide.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ROTTERDAM
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) 

Day 5 - Thursday, April 16, 2026: ROTTERDAM. Harnessing the Wind for 300 Years
Enjoy a cruise through Rotterdam harbor.
ACTIVE Experience Rotterdam by bike with your Adventure Host, OR CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Rotterdam featuring innovative architecture, including the marvelous Erasmus Bridge.
Later, enjoy live entertainment onboard.
OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ZAANDAM
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) 

Day 6 - Friday, April 17, 2026: ZAANDAM. Windmills, Waterways, and Waving Fields of Flowers  

Arrive in Zaandam this morning with free time to explore this quintessential Dutch town. During tulip season, you may take a Guided Optional Excursion to Keukenhof Gardens. Outside of tulip season, join a Guided Optional Excursion to Zaanse Schans to see historic windmills and charming Dutch houses.
Cruise to Haarlem this afternoon while enjoying lunch onboard.
ACTIVE Enjoy an easy bike ride to the beach with your Adventure Host, OR: CLASSIC Visit Haarlem, a major flower-bulb growing district outside of Amsterdam. Explore the former North Sea trading port with its medieval features, gabled houses, and leafy courtyards.
Enjoy dinner on board your ship this evening as you sail to Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) 

Day 7 - Saturday, April 18, 2026: AMSTERDAM. Canals of Colorful Amsterdam 

ACTIVE Join a Biking Tour through the Dutch countryside past polders, dykes, and quaint centuries-old villages, OR: DISCOVERY Discover the true beauty of Amsterdam with an off-the-beaten-path Guided Walking Tour through its cobblestone streets for a captivating look at this legendary city, OR: CLASSIC Explore the iconic waterways of Amsterdam on a Guided Canal Cruise past stately homes of Amsterdam’s “Golden Age”.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) 

Day 8 - Sunday, April 19, 2026: AMSTERDAM (DISEMBARKATION) 

Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning.
(Breakfast)