The Amsterdam Tulip Trail
APRIL 19-25, 2026
TRAVEL TO THE NETHERLANDS
with Travel & Culture Salon
7 DAYS | 6 NIGHTS
Experience the Netherlands at the height of tulip season on this thoughtfully paced, small-group journey for travelers who love history, gardens, and art. From cycling through blooming fields to visiting historic gardens and examining Dutch still-life paintings together, the itinerary traces how the tulip shaped life in the Dutch Golden Age—and why it remains one of the Netherlands’ most enduring and recognizable symbols today. Throughout the journey, places and artworks are explored with historical context, offering a richer understanding of what you’re seeing and why it matters.
THE HIGHLIGHTS | THE FULL ITINERARY | WHAT’S INCLUDED | YOUR TRIP LEADER | FAQS
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
Discover Amsterdam’s 400-year-old canal city and the Dutch Golden Age, with a historian as your guide throughout the week
Take in Amsterdam’s canal architecture from the water on a private boat tour
Experience tulip season at its peak, combining the cultivated gardens at Keukenhof with the surrounding working tulip fields
Explore the Dutch Masters and floral still lifes at the world-renowned Rijksmuseum
Visit the Hortus Bulborum to see rare and historic tulip varieties preserved in a living collection
Dine at a Michelin-starred dining experience
Create your own piece at the Royal Delft Factory Museum
Enjoy traveling in a small group with time for connection, conversation, and reflection
and so much more!
TULIP TRAIL ITINERARY
April 19-25, 2026
DAY 1 - SUNDAY
Arrival & Welcome
Arrive in Amsterdam and settle into the hotel at your own pace. In the early evening, we’ll gather for a relaxed wine reception, an informal opportunity to meet one another and begin the week together. Dinner is on your own, with plenty of nearby options to explore.
DAY 2 - MONDAY
Amsterdam: Canal Life & the Dutch Golden Age
Our first full day begins with a guided walking tour led by Heather through Amsterdam’s historic canal belt. As we move through the city, we’ll explore how the 17th century was a period of extraordinary botanical discovery, shaped by global trade and the arrival of exotic plants previously unseen in Europe. This culture of collecting—driven by rarity, knowledge, and display—helped elevate flowers like the tulip into luxury objects and powerful status symbols.
We’ll pause for lunch at a local café, then continue to Museum Van Loon, a beautifully preserved 17th-century canal house. Its interiors and garden offer a tangible look at how wealth, collecting, and domestic space intersected during the Dutch Golden Age. The day concludes with a welcome dinner, marking the start of our week together.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
DAY 3 - TUESDAY
Aalsmeer: Inside the Flower Trade
Today begins bright and early with a visit to Royal FloraHolland Aalsmeer, when the flower trade is most active. Watching thousands of blooms move through the auction at speed offers a vivid look at how flowers circulate globally today—and how centuries of cultivation and commerce continue to shape the industry.
From there, we’ll visit the Historische Tuin Aalsmeer, where historic growing methods and early horticultural practices provide a quieter counterpoint to the scale of the auction. Together, these visits trace the transformation of flowers from rare luxury items into global commodities.
We’ll return to Amsterdam for lunch at De Kas, a Michelin-starred restaurant recognized for its cuisine and its commitment to sustainability, where ingredients are harvested from the surrounding greenhouse and nearby growers. The afternoon and evening are then free to enjoy the city at your own pace.
Meals included: breakfast and lunch
DAY 4 - WEDNESDAY
Keukenhof & the Bollenstreek
Today is dedicated to the tulip landscape that defines spring in the Netherlands. We’ll travel to Keukenhof, located in the Bollenstreek, the historic bulb-growing region between Haarlem and Leiden. Each year, more than seven million bulbs are planted at Keukenhof alone, creating a meticulously planned display that reflects centuries of horticultural knowledge and large-scale cultivation.
Time is set aside to explore the gardens and gain a broader sense of the surrounding region, where commercial bulb farming reshaped both the landscape and the global tulip industry. We’ll return to Amsterdam in the afternoon before gathering again in the evening for a private sunset canal cruise with drinks and hors d’oeuvres, offering a relaxed view of the city from the water after a full day outside Amsterdam.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, plus drinks and hors d’oeuvres.
DAY 5 - THURSDAY
Tulips & Art
Today, we examine how tulips appeared in Dutch art and the culture of collecting in the 17th century. We’ll spend the morning at the Rijksmuseum, examining Dutch Golden Age paintings and decorative objects that reflect a culture shaped by rarity, knowledge, and display. Particular attention is given to floral still lifes, where tulips were carefully rendered and preserved long after the bloom itself had faded.
After our museum visit, we’ll gather for lunch and a private lecture hosted by Heather, which will expand the story beyond the Netherlands to consider the tulip’s wider history—from Ottoman court culture and early botanical exchange to the English Florists’ tulip and the modern flower industry. The afternoon is left open for independent exploration or rest, with dinner on your own.
Meals included: breakfast and lunch
DAY 6 - FRIDAY
Heritage Bulbs & Delft
Our final day brings us to places dedicated to preserving historic tulips and the traditions they inspired. We’ll travel north to Hortus Bulborum, a remarkable living archive dedicated to historic and rare bulb varieties. Unlike commercial fields, this garden safeguards tulips and other bulbs that might otherwise disappear, offering insight into the long history of cultivation, naming, and continuity within the tulip world.
From there, we continue to Delft, a town closely associated with Dutch decorative arts. After time to explore the historic center, we’ll visit the Royal Delft Factory Museum for lunch, a tour, and a hands-on tile-painting workshop, where we'll create a personal object inspired by the floral motifs encountered throughout the week.
We’ll return to Amsterdam in the late afternoon and gather for a farewell dinner, a chance to reflect on the week, revisit favorite moments, and bring the journey to a close together.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
TOUR PACKAGE
WHAT’S INCLUDED
All accommodations (7 nights)
All breakfasts and lunches
Welcome and farewell dinners
Transportation to and from activities, by chauffeur*
All activities, as listed above
Travel & Culture Salon x Signature Tulip Tote Bag
Travel & Culture Salon x Tulip Maniac Retro Keychain
Autographed copy of Dutch Tulipmania by Heather Bolen, your host and guide
Lifetime access to Heather’s online course, The Cultivated Tulip: The Cultural History of a Magical Flower.
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
Travel to/from the Netherlands
Mandatory travel insurance (Travel & Culture Salon can organize for you)
Dinners, except for the welcome and farewell dinners (a curated list
Transportation to/from Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam (Travel & Culture Salon can organize for you)
Trip Extensions (Travel & Culture Salon can organize extended stays before and after the Tulip Trail Experience for you)
Incidental & personal expenses
Please note that schedule itinerary changes may occur as we refine the details for the Amsterdam Tulip Trail Trip 2026. Because at least five participants are required for the trip to proceed, depending on the number of registrants, Travel & Culture Salon reserves the right to cancel the trip up to March 1, 2026. After March 1, 2026, all payments are non-refundable if Travel & Culture Salon confirms the trip.
When it's spring again, I'll bring again
Tulips from Amsterdam
With a heart that's true, I'll give to you
Tulips from Amsterdam
“TULIPS FROM AMSTERDAM”
Song by Max Bygraves, 1958