What to do in between
I am contemplating what to do for 5 days in between two different trips and suggestions will be appreciated. We will be in Amsterdam after Tauck trip #1 ends, a one week riverboat cruise. I have 5 days before tour #2, a non-Tauck trip starts in Helsinki (headed to the Baltic States). I have been to Amsterdam twice before, and I have been to Helsinki once before in winter. Yes we will fly from Amsterdam to Helsinki at one point to connect with tour #2, an over two week trip. What would anyone recommend seeing, staying, doing without going so far out of the way from airports near these two areas. Is there anything that Tauck doesn't do in Amsterdam or Helsinki that would be spectacular?
Thank you very much.
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Anne Frank House in Amsterdam
Hi OurTravels34. I think you posted this under the wrong topic. This is the Patagonia category. May get more response in the Europe category.
After saying that, we enjoyed a visit to Haarlem, about an hour from Amsterdam.
Amsterdam - Here are some alternatives to what most tourists do…
Explore the Nine Little Streets, visit the Lord in the Attic church, tour a houseboat, visit the Resistance Museum.
Finland - Visit the Sámi people in the north. They are fiercely proud of their culture and way of life and are very welcoming. We did this long ago and found it very rewarding and enriching.
Our travels, each cruise that begins/ends in Amsterdam is different but usually includes a canal boat ride and a visit to the Rijksmuseum. Without knowing which tour it's a bit hard to answer. And of course it depends on your interests and ability to navigate public transport. Here's some sights we've done.
National Maritime Museum which is very well done and has a nice lunch room.
The Resistance Museum - somewhat sad but also inspiring story
Amsterdam History museum - mostly about the city's history
Van Gogh museum - excellent but crowded
Rijksmuseum on your own - the Tauck tour is good but you only see a fraction of the total
Zaanse Schans for the windmills - some tours include this but we went on our own using the bus that goes direct from Central Station - it's kind of like Colonial Williamsburg but with windmills
There's loads of other day trip options from Amsterdam like taking the train to Haarlem or Delft or booking something with Viator. Our most recent cruise offered a bike ride in Volendam which was a charming seaside village. The bike ride isn't necessary for that.
I'd recommend getting Rick Steves Pocket guide to Amsterdam. Lots of useful information but also small and easy to carry. Of course you'll look like a tourist carrying it so there's that.
Agree with Claudia about the Rick Steves book. If you've been to Amsterdam twice, you've probably already been to the major museums, but you are probably checking to see if they have any special exhibits while you are there. Don't forget the advance tickets. We also did enjoy the Our Lord in the Attic Church, and MOCO (next to the Van Gogh museum) has a Banksy exhibit. If you want to enjoy the outdoors, we walked through the Vondelpark which was beautiful. There's a rose garden there. You could also check for special events or concerts in the city.
We also went to Haarlem and actually took an Uber there and back. We went to the Corrie ten Boom House (tickets at least 4 months in advance, and if they sell out, write to them.) That was a fascinating tour. Haarlem is charming and there are lots of great things to eat. We also thought about going to Utrecht, a university town, by train, but did not have time. Our friends really enjoyed Utrecht.
Claudia Sails, Kfnknfzk, AZCreeker, Wan. Thank you all. I will look into getting the Rick Steves guide, and your suggestions are very useful. I know how helpful those guides are. I am looking for a chocolate tour. I once purchased Karl Fazer chocolates and I'm telling you, I thought it was the best dark chocolate I have ever tasted. It is hard to find and not even on Amazon.
For a chocolate tour, you might want to take a train to Belgium.
I just researched your chocolate. It is widely available in Finland since it is made there. If you have a Gelson’s in your area, check there.
Have you tried Leonida's Chocolates? Oh my!