Amsterdam - Early risers discover the ship making effortless progress along the delightful waterways and you experience the somewhat surreal effect of cruising above the surrounding reclaimed polders – it’s almost like flying!  After breakfast, you could watch as the riverbank glides by on the Sun deck, relax with a coffee in the panoramic lounge or pamper yourself with a treatment in the onboard spa.During lunch we’ll arrive back in Amsterdam. There’s no better way to explore this delightful city than taking a classic glass-topped boat tour through the network of canals that infuse every aspect of life here.The tour brings a real insight into the history and everyday life of Amsterdam, a maritime, financial and cultural powerhouse uniquely located facing both the sea and the heartlands of Europe. As we glide over the calm canal waters, you’ll see a fascinating variety of typically Dutch narrow gabled buildings, bustling streets and historic bridges immortalised by the great artists, and learn about its famous canalside residents, from the tragic Anne Frank, who wrote her diaries hidden in a merchant’s house, to Rembrandt, the Dutch Old Master.Afterwards, you’re free to explore as you wish. Maybe relax in a pavement café and watch the crowds of Amsterdammers crisscrossing through the city on bikes. Looking for something a little stronger? Perhaps a tall, frothy beer from a local brewery. The city has a vibrant craft and speciality beer scene with many bars, tasting houses and breweries to choose from.The Dutch are known for their chich, yet practical design, so why not browse the city's many shops in search of fun furniture, fashion and gadgets? The city is also home to many museums and galleries – the perfect place to while away the rest of the afternoon. Or you could also stay on board to catch up on some reading - the choice is yours.After dinner tonight retire to the lounge to enjoy some well-known melodies during a guitar performance.Personalise Your Holiday -Wander the Rijksmuseum in AmsterdamPrice: £24pp (2026)Often cited as one of the best art galleries in Europe – and the world – the Rijksmuseum is a must-see, even if you’re not an art aficionado. The museum’s impressive collection of 8,000 artistic and historical objects takes visitors on a fascinating journey through 800 years of Dutch history, from the 13th century to the present day.Please note: transport to the Rijksmuseum is not included. Public transport and taxis are widely available.Please contact us at least three weeks before your departure to add this experience to your booking. Minimum and maximum numbers apply. If not enough guests opt for this extra, the experience may not run.

Amsterdam combines the unrivaled beauty of the 17th-century Golden Age city center with plenty of museums and art of the highest order, not to mention a remarkably laid-back atmosphere. It all comes together to make this one of the world's most appealing and offbeat metropolises in the world. Built on a latticework of concentric canals like an aquatic rainbow, Amsterdam is known as the City of Canals—but it's no Venice, content to live on moonlight serenades and former glory. Quite the contrary: on nearly every street here you'll find old and new side by side—quiet corners where time seems to be holding its breath next to streets like neon-lit Kalverstraat, and Red Light ladies strutting by the city's oldest church. Indeed, Amsterdam has as many lovely facets as a 40-carat diamond polished by one of the city's gem cutters. It's certainly a metropolis, but a rather small and very accessible one. Locals tend to refer to it as a big village, albeit one that happens to pack the cultural wallop of a major world destination. There are scores of concerts every day, numerous museums, summertime festivals, and, of course, a legendary year-round party scene. It's pretty much impossible to resist Amsterdam's charms. With 7,000 registered monuments, most of which began as the residences and warehouses of humble merchants, set on 160 man-made canals, and traversed by 1,500 or so bridges, Amsterdam has the largest historical inner city in Europe. Its famous circle of waterways, the grachtengordel, was a 17th-century urban expansion plan for the rich and is a lasting testament to the city’s Golden Age. This town is endearing because of its kinder, gentler nature—but a reputation for championing sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll does not alone account for Amsterdam's being one of the most popular destinations in Europe: consider that within a single square mile the city harbors some of the greatest achievements in Western art, from Rembrandt to Van Gogh. Not to mention that this is one of Europe's great walking cities, with so many of its treasures in the untouted details: tiny alleyways barely visible on the map, hidden garden courtyards, shop windows, floating houseboats, hidden hofjes(courtyards with almshouses), sudden vistas of church spires, and gabled roofs that look like so many unframed paintings. And don’t forget that the joy lies in details: elaborate gables and witty gable stones denoting the trade of a previous owner. Keep in mind that those XXX symbols you see all over town are not a mark of the city's triple-X reputation. They're part of Amsterdam's official coat of arms—three St. Andrew's crosses, believed to represent the three dangers that have traditionally plagued the city: flood, fire, and pestilence. The coat's motto ("Valiant, determined, compassionate") was introduced in 1947 by Queen Wilhelmina in remembrance of the 1941 February Strike in Amsterdam—the first time in Europe that non-Jewish people protested against the persecution of Jews by the Nazi regime.