Flower Auction
7.45am
Meet and greet with your English-speaking guide / driver in the hotel lobby, from where you will be taken for a 30-minute drive by luxurious private vehicle to, and guided tour of the World’s largest flower auction, Flora Holland.
The indoor Flora Holland compares in size to the city of Monaco. Experience the hustle and bustle of the auction floor, watch traders bidding against the clock and be amazed at the quantity of beautiful flowers traded.
Flora Holland Flower Auction
See how this auction process works and notice a variety of millions of flowers. You can watch the entire auction from a walkway above ground-level. Did you know that on an average auction day they auction 30 million cut flowers in more than 30,000 varieties? You will be, as everybody else, very much surprised. www.floraholland.com
Chocolate Workshop
10am
From here, there will be a 30-minute scenic drive to picturesque village Lisse, the heart of the bulb district. The drive will take you through the spectacular and colorful bulb fields and we will make stops (where possible and allowed) for pictures within the fields.
Chocolate Workshop
Upon arrival, you will be taken to ‘Royal’ Patisserie Chocolatery Vermeer for a private workshop chocolate praline making. Patisserie Vermeer is well-known in the bulb-growing region and far beyond.
When entering the patisserie, the delicious pastries, chocolates, wedding cakes, desserts and savory specialties immediately draw your attention. Owner Robin Peereboom himself is a Dutch Pastry Champion and he even came second at the World Pastry Championship.
During the workshop you will learn all about the origins of chocolate, the different types of chocolate and how chocolates are made at Patisserie Chocolatery Vermeer. At the end of the workshop you can take all the delicious chocolates that you have made, to be enjoyed at a later time.
Private Family Lunch
11.45am
A short drive will take you to a local private ‘modern’ home situated in an upscale residential area, where a fresh and tasty home-made lunch will be served. Only we have access to this beautiful home. Enjoy and talk with the owners and see how the Dutch live. If the weather permits, lunch will be served in the family garden. A very special experience!
Keukenhof
1.15pm
Fully refreshed, you will be taken for a guided tour of the Keukenhof, located at a stone’s throw from the lunch location.
The Keukenhof gardens cover 70 acres on which roughly 8 million bulbs are planted every year. Every garden has a specific design and character. Climb the steps of the Groningen-type corn mill to see the view. See the exhibition of some 30 sculptures and other objects d’art throughout the park.
The Keukenhof
A huge indoor spring garden is staged in 7,000 sq. m of pavilions during the annual exhibition where over 500 different varieties are to be seen in 10 indoor flower shows under the name ‘Parade’. www.keukenhof.nl
4.15pm
From here, you will be taken back to your hotel in Amsterdam, where you will have the remainder of the day for your own leisure. You will arrive back around 5pm.