Rijksmuseum
8.30am
(depending on location) Meet and greet with your English-speaking guide in the hotel lobby, from where you will be taken for a scenic walk to, and guided tour of the famous Rijksmuseum.
The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of Dutch art and history and houses in a late 19th century building built on the edge of the famous Amsterdam Canal District. The Rijksmuseum is a masterpiece in itself, both inside and out. Over 800 years of Dutch art and history are on display in 80 recently renovated rooms. Your guide will introduce you to a time period known as the Dutch Golden Age, a time of great wealth and prosperity but also of unbridled cultural and artistic growth.
In the so-called Eregallerij (Gallery of Honor) you will find a large selection of paintings dedicated to this time period. Here you will find renowned Dutch artists such as Vermeer (The Milkmaid), Rembrandt, Hals, Steen, but also Ruisdael, Heda and others. The Gallery of Honor extends to a room that was specifically created to display Rembrandt’s most famous painting, The Night Watch.
Rijksmuseum
Apart from this must-see section, there are different areas to acquaint oneself with other art forms, which are just like the paintings, such as furniture, tapestries, Delftware, silver, glass, uniquely late 17th century Dolls houses and much more. They will fill you with delight!
Depending on your interests and / or if there are any must see exhibits, we will take you to the “Philips (temporary exhibitions) Wing”. www.rijksmuseum.nl
Van Gogh Museum
11.15am
We continue the tour with a short scenic walk to, and guided tour of the Van Gogh Museum where you will step into Van Gogh’s world. You enter the Van Gogh Museum through the glass entrance building, located on Museum Square that beautifully complements the exhibition wing created in 1999 by Kisho Kurokawa Architect and Associates.
Discover what Vincent wanted to express in the redesigned exhibit of Van Gogh Museum’s collection.
Van Gogh Museum
In the layout, you step directly into Van Gogh’s world. You obviously see his masterpieces like the Potato Eaters and the Bedroom, but also his drawings and letters. You discover the ideas and ambitions behind his art. Van Gogh experienced life and the world intensely and wanted his art to portray the great themes of life, such as anxiety, suffering, love and hope. You follow the on-going search of an artist who was constantly trying to improve himself. In this way, you get a new view of an artist you thought you knew. www.vangoghmuseum.nl
1pm
After this exciting tour, there is leisure time for lunch. On and around Museum Square there are many local restaurants for a nice lunch.
2pm
Fully refreshed, we continue with a guided tour of the Moco Museum (Modern Contemporary), who aims to reach out to a wide, international audience by featuring works created by the ‘rock stars’ of the art world, such as Banksy, Warhol and Basquiat. It is a private initiative, and the pieces on exhibition are made available thanks to individual loans.
Moco Museum
The museum was founded by Lionel and Kim Logchies who have a permanent modern art gallery in Amsterdam’s Spiegelkwartier. Having worked with some of modern art’s greatest creatives over the years (Koons, Hirst and Haring) it is due to the couple’s personal network that the museum has inside access to its exhibition pieces. Now, they are able to place exclusive pieces that have been previously concealed in personal collections or private galleries on temporary exhibition for the enjoyment of the greater public. www.mocomuseum.com
Banksy at the Moco Museum
3.30pm
From here, you will be taken back to your hotel, where you will have the remainder of the day for your own leisure. You will be back before 4pm.