The Hague
9am
Meet and greet with your English-speaking guide in the hotel lobby, from where you will be taken for a one-hour drive by luxurious private vehicle to the “Royal City” The Hague.
The Hague is a historical city from the 13th Century, but also the city where King Willem Alexander lives and where you will find many world-famous museums. Most consider The Hague more upscale and local than Amsterdam. A surprising city!
Panorama Mesdag
10.15am
Upon arrival, you will be taken for a guided tour of the ‘off the beaten path’ Panorama Mesdag Museum.
The Panorama is a cylindrical painting, more than 46 ft high and 394 ft in circumference. The vista of the sea, the dunes and the beach village Scheveningen where painted by Hendrik Willem Mesdag in 1881. His wife Sientje Mesdag and several other painters of The Hague School also worked on this amazing painting. It is the oldest 19th century panorama in the world in its original site.
Panorama Mesdag
Amazing and for sure a must-see in The Hague and for many the highlight of their stay in the Netherlands! www.mesdag.nl
11am We continue the tour with a scenic walk of the historical city center. We will pass by the Royal Palace Noordeinde, which is the working Palace of King Willem Alexander, we will walk through the Passage from 1884 and the medieval parliament buildings ‘Inner court’ with the Knights Hall from the 13th century.
Noon
There is leisure time for lunch. On the main square there are many local restaurants for a delicious lunch.
Mauritshuis Museum
1pm
Fully refreshed, there will be a guided tour of the famous Mauritshuis Museum, one of the most prominent and oldest museums in the Netherlands or even in the world! Their collection is in the top 3 world-wide.
The Mauritshuis Museum is home to the very best Dutch Golden Age paintings. The compact, yet world-renowned collection is housed in a 17th century building. Masterpieces such as Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp by Rembrandt, The Goldfinch by Fabritius and The Bull by Potter are on permanent display in the intimate rooms.
Mauritshuis
More than two hundred top works from Dutch and Flemish masters are on display in the historic yet intimate interior, with its silken wall covering, sparkling chandeliers and monumental painted ceilings. Genre paintings by Jan Steen, landscapes by Jacob van Ruisdael, still lives by Adrian Coorte and portraits by Rubens offer a rich and varied representation of the best 17th century Dutch and Flemish painting. www.mauritshuis.nl
Escher Museum
2.45pm
After this exciting tour, there will be a walk in the direction of the Escher Museum, which is located on the Lange Voorhout, one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. Did you know that the Lange Voorhout stood sample for the Champs Elysees in Paris and Unter der Linden in Berlin?
3pm
The Escher Museum was the former Royal Palace of Queen Emma, who used it as a winter Palace. It is now a permanent museum dedicated to the work of world-famous Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher (1898-1972). Prints, sketches and archive material are displayed over four floors of the building. You will be amazed by ‘Escher’s chamber’, which plays games with human proportions. www.escherinhetpaleis.nl
Lithograph by M.C. Escher
4.15pm
From here, you will be taken back to your hotel in Amsterdam, where you have the remainder of the day for your own leisure. You will arrive back around 5.15pm.