The Floriade Flower Show and Keukenhof Gardens

After meeting at London St Pancras, we join the Eurostar bound for Rotterdam. On arrival, we board our coach for the transfer to Delft. One of the prettiest towns in the Netherlands, the compact city centre is small enough to explore on foot and boasts tree-lined canals, cobbled avenues and a grand central square known locally as 'Markt'. The famous artist, Johannes Vermeer, spent his life in Delft, and while strolling the quieter streets, it's easy to get an impression of the 17th-century, Baroque town that inspired his lifetime of work. Delft is one of Holland's historical gems and was home to the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange; William of Orange was killed and buried here in 1584 at the end of his battle against the Spanish during the Eighty Years' War.

Something else Delft is famous for is for its iconic white and blue porcelain and pottery, which originates from an area known as Delftware. Delft ceramics have been an important export for more than 400 years, and Royal Delft, established in 1653, is the last remaining Delftware factory from the 17th century. We make a visit to this historic building, touring the factory floor to learn more about how the distinctive 'Delft Blue' design is created. We see the intricate designs being finished and hand-painted in colours that were actually inspired by Chinese imported pottery. During the Chinese civil war, however, importation stopped and the Dutch Delftware industry seized the opportunity to make their own designs which were popular with the aristocracy across the world. The rest of your day is free to explore Delft further. Why not stop off at a local café or restaurant to sample some popular Dutch dishes, such as poffertjes, bite-size pancakes, or a traditional cheese toastie made with locally-produced Gouda, Edam or Alkmaar?

We take a coach trip to the incredible Keukenhof Gardens today. Open for just two months a year, these gardens are the perfect embodiment of spring, with hundreds of different flower species delivering row upon row of vivid colours and set amongst tranquil woodland and trickling streams. Also known as 'the Garden of Europe', Keukenhof is home to the world's largest permanent flower garden, giving us an unbeatable opportunity to admire a range of fantastic floral displays. About seven million tulip bulbs are planted here each year along with crocuses, daffodils, orchids and other seasonal flowers. Across its 80 acres of parkland, Keukenhof also features tranquil ponds, sculpture gardens, greenhouses, a windmill open to the public and several cafés to relax in. Enjoy free time to look around at your own pace and soak in the peaceful atmosphere of this popular outdoor attraction.

Today we enjoy the highlight of our holiday, transferring by coach to Almere for the 2022 Floriade flower show. Held in the Netherlands just once every ten years, Floriade is not only the world's ultimate flower show, spread over five themed zones across an enormous 66 hectares, it's also a celebration of plants, vegetables, fruit and produce from across the world. Almere is a modern garden city and the show site has been built on land reclaimed from the sea, a true Dutch tradition. This decade's theme is 'Growing Green Cities' and there are exhibitions from over 30 different countries, each split into four sub-themes that delve into the possible future development of our city centres; green, celebrating the open spaces which make cities a more pleasant place to be; food, exploring more environmentally friendly food production options; health and the effect of green structures on a healthy living environment; and energy. This sub-theme looks at possible sustainable energy solutions as well as the effect of green spaces on the well-being of a city's population. Alongside these vibrant and thought-provoking displays, there'll also be street food trucks selling different world cuisines and live entertainment.

Checking out of our hotel after breakfast, our coach takes us back to Rotterdam station where we catch the Eurostar service to London St Pancras