Virtual Journey: The Waterways of Holland and Belgium
Wish you could be in Holland and Belgium in the spring? We’ll take you there through our curated virtual journey featuring interesting, engaging, and fun highlights from our popular river cruise - Waterways of Holland and Belgium.
For the Art Lover
Rijksmuseum
Experience the Rijksmuseum virtually by browsing over 700,000 high-resolution images in their collection, watch videos of curators talk about their favorite works of art, and even take a virtual guided tour of the Gallery of Honour, home of Rembrandt’s "The Night Watch", "The Jewish Bride," Vermeer’s "The Milkmaid," and more.
Mauritshuis Museum
Are you a lover of Vermeer? Mauritshuis Museum's "Meet Vermeer" project in partnership with Google Arts and Culture is the first virtual museum to show all of Johannes Vermeer’s paintings so you can experience them from the comfort of home. You can also enjoy mini-lectures from curators on the collection!
For Outdoor Enthusiasts
Experience our popular river cruise Waterways of Holland and Belgium through the lens of our Smithsonian Journeys staff representative who accompanied one of our departures in 2019. She returned with engaging stories about the cruise, fascinating and helpful conversations with Smithsonian Journeys travelers, and ideas for the future. She also returned with some wonderful photos that truly reflect the experience… from canals, architecture, and gardens to fun times, chocolate, and pannekoek (traditional Dutch pancakes). View Photo Gallery →
Keukenhof Gardens
Enjoy the beautiful Keukenhof Gardens on this video tour with a personal guide showing the amazing varieties of tulips and other flowers you will find in this world famous garden.
Bruges
Experience Bruge in 60 seconds! This short video will whet your appetite so be sure to climb atop the Belfry and visit the Groeningemuseum and other iconic sites on the 360° virtual tour of the city located on the Visit Bruges website.
Floriade Expo
Learn about the world horicultural exhibition that comes to the Netherlands only once a decade. The 2022 theme, "Growing Green Cities," celebrates creative approaches to sustainability and livability in our world's growing cities.
Dive Deep into the Culture
All About Windmills
Explore an 18th-century windmill with a modern day Dutch miller and learn why this technological advancement helped support Dutch life and agriculture.
History of Belgian Brewing
Learn about the historic Brewery de Halve Maan, featured on our river cruise, where an expert guide will explain the process of brewing the famous Belgian beer.
Why The Netherlands Isn't Flooding Anymore
Learn about the world's largest flood protection project, the Delta Works, consisting of a series of massive dams conceived and built after the destructive North Sea flood of February 1953.
Belgian Chocolate
Dark and white chocolate, honey, butter, and cream are the most important ingredients that go into making the fillings or ganache for these chocolates. But that's not the whole story. Learn all about Belgian chocolate in this video.
Delft Blue
Discover the craftmanship of Royal Delft, established in the 17th century, and learn about the history, development, and production of Delft Blue porcelain vases.
Meet our Smithsonian Journeys Expert
Valerie Hedquist
Experience the Waterways of Holland and Belgium through the eyes of a Smithsonian Journeys Expert. Art historian Valerie Hedquist has been teaching and writing for nearly 30 years. Read her insights from a previous departure in a blog post. She will also be leading a select departure of this tour in 2022.
Reading List
Get away from it all with these engaging reads about Holland and Belgium. See the full reading list here.
Why the Dutch Are Different
Bottoms Up in Belgium
A Worldly Art
The Embarrassment of Riches
Inspired? Join us on our Waterways of Holland and Belgium River Cruise!
Living in Italy: A Three-Week Stay in Florence
23 days
|
Starting at: $6,090
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Living in France: A Three-Week Stay in Provence
23 days
|
Starting at: $5,790
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Highlights of Italy
16 days
|
Starting at: $6,474
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Legendary Turkey and the Turquoise Coast
15 days
|
Starting at: $5,992
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
The Silk Road: A Journey to Central Asia
17 days
|
Starting at: $8,795
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Pearls of Croatia and Slovenia
15 days
|
Starting at: $6,784
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Walking the Camino de Santiago: An Active Journey to Spain
11 days
|
Starting at: $4,699
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Treasures of Southern Spain and Portugal
15 days
|
Starting at: $6,374
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Irish Walks: An Active Journey from Dublin to Dingle
11 days
|
Starting at: $5,299
Multiple departures in 2025
Classical Greece
14 days
|
Starting at: $7,492
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
The Emerald Isle: Ireland from East to West
13 days
|
Starting at: $7,192
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures in 2025
France Through the Ages
15 days
|
Starting at: $7,197
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
England's Lake District: A One-Week Stay in Historic Cumbria
9 days
|
Starting at: $6,090
Multiple departures in 2025
Splendors of Morocco
14 days
|
Starting at: $7,079
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
A Stay in Holland: An Art History Journey from Vermeer to Van Gogh
9 days
|
Starting at: $5,240
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Italy's Apulia: A One-Week Stay in Polignano a Mare
9 days
|
Starting at: $4,690
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Italy's Amalfi Coast: A One-Week Stay in Vietri sul Mare
9 days
|
Starting at: $5,290
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Spain's Andalusia: A One-Week Stay in Antequera
9 days
|
Starting at: $4,390
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Adventure in Iceland
11 days
|
Starting at: $6,595
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Southern Italy and Sicily
15 days
|
Starting at: $6,974
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Treasures of the Alps: Swiss Trains and Italy's Lake District
14 days
|
Starting at: $7,692
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Tuscany and Cinque Terre: An Active Journey
10 days
|
Starting at: $4,899
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Portrait of Portugal: Lisbon, Porto and a Douro River Cruise
12 days
|
Starting at: $5,790
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
France and Spain's Basque Region: A One-Week Stay at the Parador de Hondarribia
9 days
|
Starting at: $4,890
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Normandy: A One-Week Stay in France
9 days
|
Starting at: $5,090
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Across Northern Spain and Portugal: Lisbon to Barcelona
17 days
|
Starting at: $6,974
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Eternal Japan
13 days
|
Starting at: $8,384
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Historic Cities of Central Europe
16 days
|
Starting at: $7,097
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Treasures of South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana
16-17 days
|
Starting at: $10,690
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Legendary Peru: Andean Culture and Inca Treasures
11 days
|
Starting at: $5,687
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Northern Italy: The Lake District, Tuscany, and the Dolomites
15 days
|
Starting at: $6,474
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
A River Cruise through Burgundy and Provence
9 days
|
Starting at: $5,490
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Prehistoric Mysteries of England and Ireland
9 days
|
Starting at: $6,690
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Machu Picchu and the Galápagos
16 days
|
Starting at: $9,795
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Western Ireland: A One-Week Stay in County Clare
9 days
|
Starting at: $4,990
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Tanzania and Zanzibar
14 days
|
Starting at: $9,997
* Price includes airfare
Sep 22 - Oct 5, 2024
African Safari: A Wildlife Adventure
14 days
|
Starting at: $9,484
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
A Seine River Cruise: Paris to Normandy
9 days
|
Starting at: $4,690
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Italy's Lake District: A One-Week Stay in Stresa
9 days
|
Starting at: $5,490
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Ancient Egypt and the Nile
14 days
|
Starting at: $6,997
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Safari in Kenya and Tanzania
16 days
|
Starting at: $10,495
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Cruising Southern Spain and Portugal
8-9 days
|
Starting at: $6,550
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Cruising the Greek Islands of the Southern Aegean
8 days
|
Starting at: $6,680
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Living in Spain: A Three-Week Stay in Andalusia
23 days
|
Starting at: $6,490
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Bryce, Zion, and the Grand Canyon
11 days
|
Starting at: $5,995
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Around the World by Private Jet: A Classic Journey
22-25 days
|
Starting at: $139,950
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2026
Splendors of Australia and New Zealand
22 days
|
Starting at: $12,184
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Prehistoric Caves of France and Spain
10 days
|
Starting at: $7,290
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Paris: The African American Experience
9 days
|
Starting at: $5,290
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Discovering Vietnam
15 days
|
Starting at: $6,097
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Voyage along the St. Lawrence: From Québec to the Canadian Maritimes
12-15 days
|
Starting at: $12,040
Oct 18 - 29, 2024
Oct 1 - 15, 2025
Walking and Hiking Inca Trails: An Active Journey to Peru
9 days
|
Starting at: $3,899
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos
19 days
|
Starting at: $8,697
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Patagonia Hiking Adventure
13 days
|
Starting at: $6,999
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2026
Patagonian Explorer
15-16 days
|
Starting at: $12,382
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Journey Through New Zealand
16 days
|
Starting at: $9,174
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Holiday Markets: A Rhine River Cruise
11 days
|
Starting at: $3,990
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Costa Rica Treetops and Trails: An Active Journey
8 days
|
Starting at: $3,349
Multiple departures between 2024 & 2025
Panama and Costa Rica by Sea: The Natural Wonders of Central America
8 days
|
Starting at: $6,420
Multiple departures between 2025 & 2026
Timeless India: Rajasthan, Varanasi, and the Taj Mahal
17 days
|
Starting at: $7,287
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures in 2025
Exploring the Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka by Private Jet
14 days
|
Starting at: $99,950
Jan 21 - Feb 3, 2025
Cruising the Caribbean's Windward Islands
9 days
|
Starting at: $6,400
Jan 30 - Feb 7, 2025
Feb 28 - Mar 8, 2026
Northern Lights Over Finland: Helsinki and Lapland
9 days
|
Starting at: $6,390
Multiple departures between 2025 & 2026
Antarctica: The White Continent
12 days
|
Starting at: $13,070
Feb 18 - Mar 1, 2025
Jan 8 - 19, 2026
Japan by Trail: An Active Journey featuring the Shikoku Pilgrimage Trail
11 days
|
Starting at: $6,999
Multiple departures in 2025
Walking in Portugal: An Active Journey along the Coast, the Camino, and the Douro Valley
10 days
|
Starting at: $4,999
Multiple departures in 2025
Southern France and the Italian Riviera by Sea
8 days
|
Starting at: $6,360
Apr 26 - May 3, 2025
Oct 2 - 9, 2025
The Greek Isles: An Active Journey to Naxos, Santorini, and Crete
10 days
|
Starting at: $5,299
Multiple departures in 2025
Scotland's Treasures
12 days
|
Starting at: $7,696
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures in 2025
D-Day: Retracing History from England to France
8 days
|
Starting at: $7,695
May 31 - Jun 7, 2025
May 31 - Jun 7, 2025
Seascapes of the Canadian Maritimes
12 days
|
Starting at: $7,347
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures in 2025
Alaska's Natural Wonders: Denali to Kenai Fjords
11 days
|
Starting at: $8,797
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures in 2025
Glaciers and Waterfalls: An Active Journey to Iceland
9 days
|
Starting at: $5,199
Multiple departures in 2025
The Northern Rockies
11 days
|
Starting at: $7,691
* Price includes airfare
Multiple departures in 2025
Tour du Mont Blanc: An Active Alpine Journey
10 days
|
Starting at: $5,999
Jun 18 - 27, 2025
Aug 27 - Sep 5, 2025
Scotland by Trail: An Active Journey to the Highlands and Islands
10 days
|
Starting at: $5,499
Multiple departures in 2025
Cruising Southern Italy and Sicily: Ancient Wonders and Culinary Delights
9 days
|
Starting at: $8,120
Sep 8 - 15, 2024
Aug 27 - Sep 4, 2025
London to Lisbon: Cruising Europe's Western Shores
10 days
|
Starting at: $7,040
Aug 30 - Sep 8, 2025
Cruising the Mediterranean: Sicily, Sardinia, and Mallorca
8 days
|
Starting at: $6,000
Oct 3 - 10, 2025
Lisbon to the Canary Islands by Sea: Spain, Morocco, and the Atlantic Isles
14 days
|
Starting at: $9,570
Oct 26 - Nov 8, 2025
Madagascar and Seychelles: Natural Treasures of the Indian Ocean
11 days
|
Starting at: $12,100
Jan 23 - Feb 2, 2026
Iceland's Geological Wonders: A Tailor-Made Journey
9 days
|
Starting at: $5,520
Suggested Itinerary
Italy for Families: A Tailor-Made Journey to Rome, Florence, and Venice
10 days
|
Starting at: $8,795
Suggested Itinerary
Gorilla Trekking and the Masai Mara: A Tailor-Made Journey to Rwanda and Kenya
9 days
|
Starting at: $11,780
Suggested Itinerary
Treasures of Ancient Greece: A Tailor-Made Journey
11 days
|
Starting at: $8,255
Suggested Itinerary
Vancouver to the Canadian Rockies by Rail: A Tailor-Made Journey
12 days
|
Starting at: $5,235
Suggested Itinerary
Botswana: A Tailor-Made Journey to Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta
10 days
|
Starting at: $8,990
Suggested Itinerary
Peaks and Glaciers of Patagonia: A Tailor-Made Journey
11 days
|
Starting at: $6,435
Suggested Itinerary
Sailing the Galápagos: A Tailor-Made Journey by Yacht
10 days
|
Starting at: $7,599
Suggested Itinerary
Flavors of Italy and France: A Tailor-Made Culinary Experience
9 days
|
Starting at: $9,995
Suggested Itinerary
Culture, Art, and Cuisine of Italy: A Tailor-Made Journey
10 days
|
Starting at: $7,995
Suggested Itinerary
Capital Cities of Scandinavia: A Tailor-Made Journey
9 days
|
Starting at: $6,250
Suggested Itinerary
Classic Turkey: A Tailor-Made Journey to Istanbul, Cappadocia and the Turquoise Coast
11 days
|
Starting at: $7,370
Suggested Itinerary
South Korea Through the Ages: A Tailor-Made Journey
9 days
|
Starting at: $3,800
Suggested Itinerary
Art and Architecture of France: A Tailor-Made Journey
11 days
|
Starting at: $6,935
Suggested Itinerary
Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia: A Tailor-Made Journey to Southeast Asia
14 days
|
Starting at: $6,760
Suggested Itinerary
Naples, Pompeii, and the Amalfi Coast: A Tailor-Made Journey to Southern Italy
8 days
|
Starting at: $6,420
Suggested Itinerary
Easter Island and Atacama: A Tailor-Made Journey to Chile
11 days
|
Starting at: $6,995
Suggested Itinerary
Morocco's Imperial Cities and the Sahara : A Tailor-Made Journey
11 days
|
Starting at: $6,595
Suggested Itinerary
New Zealand North and South: A Tailor-Made Journey
17 days
|
Starting at: $9,995
Suggested Itinerary
Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley: A Tailor-Made Journey
8 days
|
Starting at: $6,995
Suggested Itinerary
Portugal's Historic Cities: A Tailor-Made Journey to Lisbon and Porto
7 days
|
Starting at: $4,960
Suggested Itinerary
Fabled Landscapes of Scotland and Ireland: A Tailor-Made Journey
10 days
|
Starting at: $5,995
Suggested Itinerary
South Africa and Victoria Falls: A Tailor-Made Journey
10 days
|
Starting at: $8,995
Suggested Itinerary
Madrid to Basque Country: A Tailor-Made Journey to Spain
10 days
|
Starting at: $9,350
Suggested Itinerary
Cliffs and Canyons of the American Southwest: A Tailor-Made Journey
9 days
|
Starting at: $3,900
Suggested Itinerary
Discovering Hawai'i: A Tailor-Made Journey to Four Islands
12 days
|
Starting at: $5,400
Suggested Itinerary
Thailand's Enchanting Temples and Culinary Delights: A Tailor-Made Journey
12 days
|
Starting at: $4,850
Suggested Itinerary
Cairo and the Temples of the Nile: A Tailor-Made Journey to Egypt
10 days
|
Starting at: $7,945
Suggested Itinerary
Gems of Croatia and the Dalmatian Coast: A Tailor-Made Journey
10 days
|
Starting at: $7,735
Suggested Itinerary
Exploring Dutch Culture: A Tailor-Made Journey to the Netherlands
10 days
|
Starting at: $5,610
Suggested Itinerary
Literary England: A Tailor-Made Journey from London to the Lake District
9 days
|
Starting at: $9,270
Suggested Itinerary
Alaska: A Tailor-Made Journey along the Alaska Railroad
8 days
|
Starting at: $4,375
Suggested Itinerary
Scotland: A Tailor-Made Journey to Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands
9 days
|
Starting at: $8,999
Suggested Itinerary
Ireland: A Tailor-Made Journey into Traditional Irish Culture and Country Life
8 days
|
Starting at: $8,495
Suggested Itinerary
Portugal and Spain: A Tailor-Made Journey to Lisbon and Andalusia
12 days
|
Starting at: $11,815
Suggested Itinerary
Glaciers and Geysers of Iceland's Southern Coast: A Tailor-Made Journey
8 days
|
Starting at: $9,200
Suggested Itinerary
Winter in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons: A Tailor-Made Journey
9 days
|
Starting at: $6,800
Suggested Itinerary