HOLLAND SPRING FLING

MAY 2026

May 3-9, 2026

$5175 Double / $6003 Single per person

You may think you know the Netherlands, but there’s more to this country than windmills and clogs. Our Spring Fling has been lovingly crafted to show you the things you expect, but also a local side of Dutch culture. Sarah has been spending a lot of time in the Netherlands in recent years, and would like to share everything she’s learned from her Dutch family. In this fun Staycation, we will dazzle you with tulips, treat you to gorgeous villages, and perplex you with greasy food dispensed from a wall. 

If you’ve always dreamed of seeing Holland at its finest, join us for our first Dutch treat. 

Day One

Overnight: Utrecht

Welkom in Nederland!

This afternoon we will meet at our boutique hotel in the charming city of Utrecht. After introductions, we will stroll the city center and learn a bit about Dutch culture. As we would do if we were visiting our Dutch family, we will share an Indonesian rijstafel dinner, where you’ll get to try the flavors of their famous former colony.

Day Two

Overnight: Utrecht

Amsterdam

This morning, we will try out the Dutch train system and head into Amsterdam. Our focus for the morning is the art of the Golden Age, when Dutch traders were patrons of famous artists. We will visit Rembrandt’s home and studio, where we will get our hands dirty with a workshop. A local guide will join us for a stroll across the city, combining history and street food for a moveable feast. Will you eat from the wall or try the herring with me? Or the nuclear war frites? Our walk will end at the Rijksmuseum, where we will tour its historic art collection. You’ll have free time for shopping, or visiting more museums at the Museumsplein. In the evening, we’ll meet for a sunset canal cruise where we will try the local gin, genever.

Day Three

Overnight: Utrecht

Apeldoorn and Arnhem

Today we will hop on our coach to visit the beautiful cities of Apeldoorn and Arnhem. Apeldoorn is known for its spacious green parks and its 17th century Palace “Het Loo”. The Dutch still have a beloved royal family, who we will learn about, and we will tour the royal palace and gardens. A short drive away, we will visit the outdoor folk park at Arnhem. Historic buildings from all over Holland have been collected and placed at Arnhem, and guides in traditional costume will explain how life was in the past. You’ll have time to find lunch in Arnhem, where you’ll get to try Dutch specialties like poffertjes, yummy little puffy pancakes. We will be back in Utrecht for a free evening.

Day Four

Overnight: Utrecht

Tiptoe Through the Tulips

Today we will daytrip through the tulips, to see the spring highlight of our tour, the Keukenhof gardens. Located in South Holland, the park features 7 million bulbs, and a huge variety of colorful blooms. After enjoying the flowers, we will head to a tulip farm to learn more about the cultivation of tulips, which were more valuable than gold to the Dutch centuries ago. We will finish our day in Delft, known for their famous Delft Blauw pottery, painted in cobalt blue.

Day Five

Overnight: Utrecht

Cheesy Holland

Our day will kick off with the unusual Alkmaar Cheese Market, held weekly from Spring through Summer. It is one of the most iconic markets of the Netherlands, where cheesemongers dress in traditional costume and roll huge cheese wheels to sell in the market square. After, we will go to the windmill park of Zaanse Schans, which features historic timber houses and demonstrations of historical crafts. If you’ve been dreaming of real Dutch wooden clogs, you’ll have a chance to see how they are made and get fitted for your own pair. Later, we’ll visit to the fishing town of Volendam where the locals dress in traditional costume, and Edam where you can be your cheesiest and sample the local cheese.

Day Six

Overnight: Utrecht

Explore Utrecht

You’ve been staying in this city all week, but have you had much time to explore it?  Chosen for its central location and picturesque canal streets, we will get to know it better on a walking tour this morning. If the weather cooperates, join Sarah for a coffee and a hands-on watercolor painting lesson along a canal. This afternoon you’ll have some free time to explore more on your own, souvenir shop, or rest up. This evening, we will have a cocktail hour followed by our final dinner, where you can try any of the remaining Dutch dishes you may have missed, like stamppot, a sausage and mashed potato dish that is truly gezellig, warm, cozy, and inviting, just like our week in Holland.

Day Seven

Tour Ends

Our sweet farewell is after breakfast. Your guide can assist you in your departure to the airport or wherever your travels take you. 

MEET YOUR GUIDE: Sarah Murdoch

Our founder Sarah is a professional tour guide, travel writer, and artist with over 20 years of experience leading travelers around the globe. After earning a degree in architecture, she traded the drafting board for a life of adventure, guiding tours and sharing her travel expertise through writing, speaking engagements and media appearances.

A former Rick Steves guidebook researcher and co-author of Rick Steves Sicily, Sarah is also known for her popular packing-focused insights and content helping travelers around the world streamline their journeys. Based in Seattle but often found exploring the world, Sarah brings passion, insight, and a love for culture to every tour she leads.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Price: $5175 (Air not included) per person for a double room. Single occupancy room is $6003. We welcome singles and if you do not have a travel partner, please sign up for a single spot. In the event that a roommate is found, your booking can be changed to a double before final payment is due.

What’s included: all breakfasts, 2 dinners, 2 lunches, and 6 nights lodging in a clean, comfortable, and centrally located hotel. All admissions and fees for group activities. Transport within the tour and private guides, tips included.

Deposit Policy: A non-refundable deposit of $600 per person is due upon booking.

Holland Spring Fling begins and ends in Utrecht (AMS). 

If you have additional questions please email us at info@adventureswithsarah.net

Inquire about this tour
Inquire about this tour
MORE TOURS

Looking for something different? Explore our full range of upcoming experiences, or get in touch to bespoke custom tours and travel options with our expert team:

I have been visiting friends and showing them my photos from the Piemonte tour. I was telling them how great it was to become immersed in this area and see things you would not normally have the opportunity to do or know about. Having a caring and inquisitive guide who delights in sharing where she lives brings so much to the experience. Go visit Piemonte with Lisa- you will have such an amazing time and fond memories to share and relish!

Patricia Eaganafter a tour in Piedmont, Italy with Lisa

I have had the joy of traveling with Adventures with Sarah many times, from Thailand, to Turkey, and many places in between. I choose to book with AWS because I can rely on a tour that is paced well, varied in activities, with great food and even greater guides. As a frequent traveler to Europe, I really enjoy AWS tours due to a small group size and the opportunity to go in depth into a region and really experience the culture of the area I’m visiting. And every time, with every group, I meet fellow travelers who are now friends. Adventures with Sarah is a tour company that I would recommend without hesitation. In fact, I have 3 tours booked for this year!

Betsy McGregorafter multiple tours with Adventures with Sarah

Fantastic look at more "out of the way" spots and wonderful experiences of food and wine. No crowds, just the Sicilian countryside and lovely towns. Traveling in April was fantastic with all the wildflowers. And walking on Mama Etna's shoulders was a highlight!

Barbara B.Sicily Pleasures tour

It really was a wonderful trip. This was our first group trip, and the size was just right. We all got along well which was a bonus. Everything was smooth, and Sarah had picked out some really wonderful things for us to do. I felt like we were getting "sneak peeks" of special things regular tourists don't get to do. We were willing participants for her to try out new things on this trip. The hotels were lovely, and the wine lunches perfect! There was a good balance of planned activities and free time which I appreciated. I will definitely be looking for more trips to go on with Adventures with Sarah!

Leslie P.Sicily Pleasures tour

Good accommodations in the heart of all important areas. Food experience was excellent with incentive to try new foods. Sarah is very personable and has each tour member's concerns and needs in mind. Love the small groups.

Larry C.Sicily Highlights tour

We had a great time! Perfect mix of free time and planned group excursions/tours. The food was amazing! Our accommodation was comfortable and our views were unforgettable! I would book another trip with this company.

Jen R.Dalmatian Staycation tour

My husband and I had a great time touring Dalmatia with Sarah and the local guides that joined us. A favorite activity was sailing on a traditional sail boat from the island of Vis. Lovely group of travelers and many memories made!

Dawn R.Dalmatian Staycation tour

Food and wine blitz in beautiful areas of Slovenia and Croatia. You will appreciate it most if you are a true wine lover. Meetings with young enthusiastic, creative winemakers were the highlight.

Betsy W.Harvest tour

We had a wonderful trip with no issues at all. Gorgeous area, plenty of delicious food, perfect weather and knowledgeable guide!

John G.Harvest tour

What a perfect way to get back into European travel. It was obvious from the start that Trish had put her heart and soul into the planning of the Hidden Paris tour. It was a great mix of adventures and I throughly enjoyed my travel group, who became like family, and it was obvious to see why most had traveled with adventures with Sarah before, Our local guide, Julian, was excellent and it was fun finally getting to also meet Sarah and sons. Merci beaucoup, Trish for this great time and I hope to travel with you again in the future.

Leslie A.Paris Staycation tour

A thoroughly enjoyable trip. George, our leader, was super-knowledgeable, helpful, energetic, and fun. His knowledge of people and places gave us experiences we couldn't have duplicated on our own. The itinerary was great - I thought the pace was good and we had a variety of experiences. The only thing I didn't like was that the weather in late April was rather chilly and often wet, more so than I expected. However, traveling later in the spring would have meant missing Orthodox Easter, which was the highlight of the trip for me. We spent it in a rural village, and participating in the villagers' traditions was a rare privilege that I'll never forget. So take an umbrella and some warm clothes and prepare for a special experience. Maybe you'll get the sunshine that we mostly didn't get!

Melissa M.Romania tour

Our guide Susanna was both professional and thoughtful. She cared for our health and happiness! I had some health issues and was treated with kindness and help! Our accommodations were both comfortable and clean. The bus driver was fearless and professional. I will travel with Susanna again!

Melva O.Sicily Pleasures tour

This was a wonderful trip! Susanna was such a wonderful tour guide, thoughtful, funny, informative. I can’t imagine a better guide for this trip! Our accommodations were wonderful as were all the varied activities and dining experiences. I enjoyed the other travelers in our group and felt as if we were family. I have made new friends that I will keep in touch with. Thank you!

Anne B.Sicily Pleasures tour

We had a wonderful tour with our guide Susanna and fellow travelers. The tour was well planned out touching on most all the main destinations in Sicily. Susanna was super well organized, kind and considerate and a lot of fun to travel with. She was a great communicator before, during and after the tour and was helpful with day to day needs like finding laundry service, restaurants and transport to the airport. The local guides, meals, accommodations, etc were all top notch. We had a great small group of 7 travelers that all got on very well. The spacious van we used for traveling was very comfortable and the driver Giuseppe was highly skilled at driving the chaotic streets in Sicily’s cities and towns. We highly recommend booking a tour with Adventures with Sarah and especially with Susanna Perrucchini!!

Randal D.Sicily Highlights tour

In short, we will travel with AWS again and would highly recommend them! Oh!! We also felt that we received far more in value and experience than the price for the tour.

Veneto Slovenia tour