The Netherlands in Springtime

Board the Eurostar from London St Pancras which takes you through France and Belgium. Your group arrives in Rotterdam and continues to Delft, where you enjoy a guided tour to the Royal Delft porcelain factory, famous for manufacturing the artistically designed Delft Blue pottery. The blue and white earthenware has been manufactured in this city since the 17th century and in the style of traditional Chinese Porcelain. This evening, you transfer to your hotel in central Utrecht for four nights. You get to know your group over dinner in the hotel tonight.

• Dinner

You have a free day today to explore the city of Utrecht at your own pace. An important religious centre since the Middle Ages, Utrecht's iconic symbol is the impressive Dom Tower, the tallest church tower in the country. Built in the 14th century, it was originally connected to St Martin's Cathedral but, when the nave collapsed in the 17th century, it became separated and has remained a free-standing tower ever since.

With tree-lined canals and attractive medieval buildings in the centre, Utrecht is often called a 'cosier alternative to Amsterdam', and its main attractions are within walking distance from our modern hotel.

• Breakfast

Travel by coach to the incredible Keukenhof Gardens today. Open only in spring from the end of March to the beginning of May, the gardens present an elegant display of daffodils, tulips, and other flowering plants laid out in colour-coordinated rows. Flowers of every hue and shade come together to make this garden one of a kind. On returning to the hotel, the rest of your day is free.

• Breakfast

This morning travel by rail to the Dutch capital, embarking on a guided tour. See the Dam Square, one of the most famous landmarks of the city, the Begijnhof, home to a cluster of medieval houses, the upmarket shopping street of Kalverstraat, and the skinny bridge on the River Amstel. After the tour you are free to explore the city. Perhaps, visit the museum of Van Gogh or Anne Frank's house.

• Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, you bid a fond farewell to charming Utrecht and the colourful fields of the Netherlands as you travel by rail to Rotterdam, where you join the Eurostar service back to London St Pancras.

• Breakfast