Amsterdam & Paris – 8 Days with Giethoorn, The Hague & Disneyland

This small-group tour is chosen for a reason: most Amsterdam day trips sell the same Volendam and Marken loop, but Giethoorn has no roads in its old centre. It is built across islands linked by 176 little wooden bridges, and residents move around by boat. You spend about an hour on its canals in a silent electric whisper boat, past thatched farmhouses on their own islands; most tours let you steer it yourself, no licence needed. Thatch was once the poor man's roof here, which is why the richest-looking village in Holland is roofed in the cheapest material.

After lunch and free time in the village, the tour continues to Zaanse Schans. It is not a museum village but a working one: the mills still grind pigment, spices and oil as they did in the 1700s. Go inside at least one, and stop at the cheese farm and clog workshop, both free to enter.

At a glance: Time needed: ~7–8 hrs tour · Travel: ~4 hrs by coach in total · Pace: Full

Schedule

• Morning (around 8:00 AM): Departure from Amsterdam. Drive north-east to Giethoorn, about 1.5–2 hrs.

• Late morning: Whisper boat on the Giethoorn canals, about 1 hr.

• Noon: Lunch and free time in the village (own cost), about 1.5 hrs. Pancakes are a genuine local speciality.

• Afternoon: Drive to Zaanse Schans, about 1.5 hrs. Windmills, cheese tasting and clog workshop, about 1.5 hrs.

• Evening: Back in Amsterdam, about 30 min from Zaanse Schans. Dinner at leisure near the hotel (own cost).

Travel for the day

• Amsterdam → Giethoorn ~1.5–2 hrs; Giethoorn → Zaanse Schans ~1.5 hrs; Zaanse Schans → Amsterdam ~30 min, all by tour vehicle.

Tips & what to carry

• The bridges in Giethoorn belong to individual houses. Stay on the public footpath along the main canal.

• Inside a working windmill the floor and cap move and the machinery is loud; hold children's hands and watch the steep ladders.

• Carry a light rain jacket; the open boats have no cover.

• After a long driving day, choose dinner within walking distance of the hotel.

Overnight: Amsterdam

Three very different Dutch cities in one day, on TourOn's own small-group tour led by a local expert. About an hour south of Amsterdam is Delft, Vermeer's town. The tower of the Oude Kerk leans about two metres out of true and has done so for centuries. Walk the Markt between the Nieuwe Kerk and the town hall, and if the tour includes Royal Delft, watch the painters: every piece is still hand-painted, and the cobalt looks black until it is fired.

In The Hague, the Mauritshuis is a former mansion you can see in about seventy-five minutes; go to Girl with a Pearl Earring first and return to her at the end. The Peace Palace is a photo stop from the gates, and at Madurodam the whole country is rebuilt in miniature. Rotterdam ends the day with the Cube Houses, the Markthal under its painted ceiling and the Erasmus Bridge.

At a glance: Time needed: ~8 hrs tour · Travel: ~3 hrs by road in total · Pace: Full

Schedule

• Morning (around 8:30 AM): Hotel pick-up. Drive south to Delft, about 1 hr. Old town, Markt and the Oude Kerk, about 1.5 hrs.

• Late morning: The Hague: Mauritshuis, about 75 min, and the Peace Palace photo stop, about 15 min.

• Noon: Madurodam miniature park with your entrance ticket, about 1–1.5 hrs.

• Afternoon: Rotterdam: Cube Houses at Blaak, Markthal for a late lunch (own cost) under its 11,000 m² painted ceiling, Erasmus Bridge, about 2.5 hrs.

• Evening: Drive back to Amsterdam, about 1 hr. Free evening.

• Optional: Spido harbour boat in Rotterdam if the tour includes it; Europe's largest port only makes sense from the water.

Travel for the day

• Amsterdam → Delft ~1 hr; Delft → The Hague ~20 min; The Hague → Rotterdam ~30 min; Rotterdam → Amsterdam ~1 hr, all by tour vehicle.

Tips & what to carry

• Mauritshuis entry is not listed in the day's inclusions; check with your guide before the day if you want to go in.

• Madurodam is outdoors. Carry a rain jacket and sunscreen.

• Delftware sold in souvenir shops is often printed; real Royal Delft is hand-painted and signed on the base.

• The Markthal is a good place for a quick lunch with many vegetarian options.

Included today

• Hotel pick-up service

• 1 bottled water per person

• Entrance Ticket Madurodam

Overnight: Amsterdam

Two great museums on one lawn. Walk into the Rijksmuseum at 9:00 AM and go straight to the Gallery of Honour before the crowds: Rembrandt's Night Watch is at the far end, Vermeer's Milkmaid and Little Street are on the way. Do that first half-hour properly and everything else is a bonus. Allow about two and a half hours, and do not miss the library and the 17th-century doll's houses. Lunch on Museumplein, then cross the lawn to the Van Gogh Museum on a timed ticket, where some 200 paintings and 500 drawings walk you through his life, floor by floor, in about two hours.

Board the canal cruise from the jetty behind the Rijksmuseum. The UNESCO-listed canal ring was dug in the 1600s as one planned expansion, which is why it forms perfect arcs. End across the IJ at the A'DAM Lookout for the 360-degree deck and Over the Edge, Europe's highest swing, 100 metres above the water.

At a glance: Time needed: ~8 hrs sightseeing · Travel: Trams, free ferry and walking · Pace: Full

Schedule

• Morning (9:00–11:30 AM): Rijksmuseum at opening, allow 2.5 hrs.

• Noon: Lunch on Museumplein (own cost), about 1 hr. The two museums are a three-minute walk apart.

• Afternoon: Van Gogh Museum on a timed entry, allow 2 hrs.

• Late afternoon: Canal Cruise, 60 min, from the jetty behind the Rijksmuseum.

• Evening: Free Buiksloterweg ferry from behind Centraal Station, 3 min, to the A'DAM Lookout. Observation deck and one swing, about 1–1.5 hrs.

• Night: Dinner in Amsterdam Noord or back in the centre (own cost).

Travel for the day

• Hotel → Museumplein by tram; Centraal Station → A'DAM Lookout by free ferry, about 3 min, running round the clock.

Tips & what to carry

• Van Gogh Museum timed slots are compulsory and must be booked online in advance; there is no ticket desk queue.

• Choose an open or semi-open small boat for the cruise if you have the choice; glass roofs cause glare in photos.

• The Over the Edge swing has height and age rules for children; check before you go up.

• Large bags go in the museum cloakrooms. Carry a small daypack.

Included today

• Entrance Ticket for Van Gogh Museum

• Entrance Ticket for Rijksmuseum

• Canal Cruise Ticket - 60 Minutes

• Entrance Ticket for ADAM's LookOut & 1 Swing Experience

Overnight: Amsterdam

Check out and transfer to Amsterdam Centraal for the Eurostar to Paris, about three and a half hours. Be on the platform thirty minutes before; this route is entirely inside Schengen, so there is no passport control, unlike the London trains. Buy breakfast at the station, as the on-board café is limited in Standard class. At Paris Gare du Nord, keep your bags closed and walk straight out to your transfer; pickpockets work the concourse.

Drop your bags at the hotel, have lunch nearby and head out. A one-hour Seine cruise is the best orientation to a city built facing its river; sit at the back, outside, for the view of Notre-Dame. Then climb to the rooftop of the Arc de Triomphe, where twelve avenues radiate from you in a perfect star. After sunset, go up the Eiffel Tower to the second floor, or watch it sparkle for five minutes on the hour from Trocadéro.

At a glance: Time needed: ~5 hrs sightseeing · Travel: ~3.5 hrs by Eurostar, plus transfers · Pace: Full

Schedule

• Morning: Breakfast and check out. Transfer to Amsterdam Centraal, about 30 min. Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord, about 3.5 hrs.

• Noon: Station transfer to your hotel, about 60 min including traffic. Bag drop (rooms are rarely ready before 3:00 PM) and lunch near the hotel (own cost).

• Afternoon: Seine River cruise, 1 hr. A smaller boat from Vedettes du Pont Neuf, at the tip of the Île de la Cité, is a good choice.

• Late afternoon: Arc de Triomphe rooftop terrace, about 1 hr.

• Evening / Night: Eiffel Tower to the 2nd floor after dark, about 2 hrs, or watch the sparkle from Trocadéro or Champ de Mars.

Travel for the day

• Amsterdam hotel → Centraal ~30 min by transfer; Amsterdam → Paris ~3.5 hrs by Eurostar.

• Gare du Nord → hotel by transfer; sightseeing by metro.

Tips & what to carry

• Your Eiffel Tower ticket is for the 2nd floor. Summit lifts sell out first; book an upgrade online well in advance if you want Paris from 276 m.

• If you can only do one, most people are happier with the sparkle from the ground; you cannot see it from on top of the tower.

• Book the Arc de Triomphe rooftop, not just the monument; it is the one high point with the Eiffel Tower in the skyline.

• Have lunch close to the hotel; the afternoon is tightly scheduled.

Overnight: Paris

A full day of Disney magic. Your transfer takes you to Disneyland Paris, about forty-five minutes east of the city. Spend the day enjoying rides, parades, character meet-ups and live shows, with world-famous attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain and Sleeping Beauty Castle. Your ticket is for one park for the day, so choose Disneyland Park for the classic experience or Walt Disney Studios Park for film-themed rides.

Be at the gates by 8:30 AM, before opening. It is the single highest-value thing you can do all day: the first ninety minutes are worth the following four hours in rides. Stay on for the evening show over the castle before returning to the hotel after closing.

At a glance: Time needed: ~10 hrs in the park · Travel: ~45 min each way by transfer · Pace: Full

Schedule

• Morning (8:30 AM): Be at the gates before opening. Headline rides first, about 2–3 hrs.

• Noon: Lunch in the park (own cost), about 1 hr.

• Afternoon: Parade, character meet-ups and shows, about 4 hrs.

• Evening: Night-time show over Sleeping Beauty Castle at closing time, about 20 min.

• Night: Transfer back to your Paris hotel.

Travel for the day

• Paris hotel → Disneyland Paris ~45 min by transfer, and the same back.

Tips & what to carry

• Download the Disneyland Paris app to see live wait times and show schedules.

• Height limits apply on many rides (around 1.20 m for Space Mountain).

• Carry snacks and a refillable water bottle; park food is expensive.

• Wear comfortable shoes and carry a light rain jacket; most queues are outdoors.

Included today

• Two-way transfers to Disneyland Paris

• Full-day Disneyland entry ticket

Overnight: Paris

A self-guided day with no costs other than your hotel, through a quieter Paris. Between 1800 and 1850 the city built around 150 passages couverts, glass-roofed shopping arcades with mosaic floors where the wealthy could shop out of the mud; they are the ancestors of every shopping mall. About two dozen survive. Arrive by 9:30 AM, when they are empty and the low light comes through the glass, and walk Galerie Vivienne (1823, the most beautiful), Passage des Panoramas (1800, the oldest), then Passage Jouffroy and Passage Verdeau. Next, the Palais-Royal's 260 black-and-white striped columns and its silent arcaded gardens, ninety seconds from the Louvre.

After lunch under the arcades of Place des Vosges (1612), explore Village Saint-Paul and the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, with its ceiling of owls. For golden hour, pick Montmartre's Rue de l'Abreuvoir and the Clos Montmartre vineyard, or the free rooftop of the Institut du Monde Arabe.

At a glance: Time needed: ~7–8 hrs on foot and by metro · Travel: Metro and walking · Pace: Moderate

Schedule

• Morning (9:30 AM): Covered passages: Galerie Vivienne, Passage des Panoramas, Passage Jouffroy and Passage Verdeau, all within 15 min of each other, about 1.5–2 hrs.

• Late morning: Palais-Royal: the Colonnes de Buren and the gardens, about 45 min.

• Noon: Le Marais: lunch at Place des Vosges (own cost), about 1 hr, then Village Saint-Paul, about 45 min.

• Afternoon: Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, about 1–1.5 hrs (paid locally).

• Evening (golden hour): Montmartre: Rue de l'Abreuvoir, La Maison Rose and the Clos Montmartre vineyard, about 1.5 hrs. Or the free Institut du Monde Arabe rooftop for Notre-Dame and the Seine.

• Night: Dinner in Montmartre or the Latin Quarter (own cost).

Travel for the day

• No transfers today; all by metro and on foot.

Tips & what to carry

• Skip the Sacré-Cœur steps at golden hour; they are the most crowded spot in Montmartre.

• The Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature is closed on Mondays.

• At the Institut du Monde Arabe, look at the south facade from inside; its metal apertures open and close with the sunlight like camera irises.

• Montmartre is steep. The funicular beside Sacré-Cœur takes a metro ticket.

Included today

• Note: The day is planned to explore on your own and no expenses are involved other than your hotel on this day

Overnight: Paris

A last breakfast in Paris before you check out. If gifts are still outstanding and your flight allows, Galeries Lafayette is worth it for its stained-glass dome and free rooftop, and Rue Montorgueil is the street for food: cheese, chocolate and macarons to take home.

Then your private transfer takes you to Paris CDG Airport for your flight back to India, with Dutch windmills and canals, Vermeer and Van Gogh, and the Paris of the passages all fresh in your mind.

At a glance: Time needed: ~1–2 hrs free time, flight permitting · Travel: ~50 min airport transfer · Pace: Easy

Schedule

• Morning: Breakfast. Optional shopping at Galeries Lafayette or Rue Montorgueil, about 1–1.5 hrs.

• Noon: Check out (usually by 11:00 AM–12:00 noon).

• Departure: Private transfer to Paris CDG Airport, about 50 min, reaching at least 3 hrs before your flight.

Travel for the day

• Paris hotel → CDG Airport ~50 min by private car.

Tips & what to carry

• Claim VAT refunds at the airport before checking in your bags.

• Soft cheese and jams count as liquids in hand luggage; pack them in your check-in bag.

• Morning traffic to CDG can be heavy. Leave extra time.

Included today

• Private airport transfer (Hotel → Airport)

• Assistance with departure formalities