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AMSTERDAM & HOLLAND

Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Delft, Kinderdijk, Haarlem, Zaandam

With its mesmerizing network of canals, this floating city is magical and unique.

The Netherlands is a country where light astonishes the visitor. It is no wonder that the Dutch gave human civilization several very important painters. Our 8-day Amsterdam and Holland Photo Tour and Cultural Adventure takes us to a number of lovely and interesting areas of the Netherlands, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Delft, and the Dutch countryside, including Kinderdijk and Zaanse Schans. Amsterdam is one of the greatest small cities in the world. From its canals to world-famous museums and historical sights, Amsterdam can be counted as one of the most romantic and beautiful cities in Europe. Amsterdam is also a city of tolerance and diversity. It has all the advantages of big-city culture, nightlife, international restaurants, good transport — but it is quiet, and thanks to its extensive canals, has little road traffic. What makes Amsterdam so attractive is the 17th-century historical atmosphere combined with the mentality of a modern metropolis, creating a friendly and relaxed environment.

Rotterdam is a dynamic international city on the waterfront, always offering something to see or do. The city is famous all across the globe as one of the world’s biggest ports. The city center includes many shops, local businesses, museums, and parks. we also visit Delft which is a city of great character and quaint beauty. It is known for its historic town center with canals, the painter Vermeer and Delft Blue pottery. No trip to the Netherlands would be complete without a visit to the flower area where photographs of the unforgettable tulip fields are a must!

In addition to this, imagine capturing the sunrise in the “land of windmills”. During the 17th century, more than 600 windmills were constructed in the area around the Zaanse Schans, creating the first industrial zone. We will also photograph from the waterway of de Zaan by boat. We’ll step aboard a koeienboot (cow ship), which, as the name implies, was used to transport cattle across the water in the past. Join us in April and you will enjoy Holland’s world-famous tulips in full bloom.

This adventure is designed not only to guide you to the most photogenic locations, carefully planned for the best light, and to aid you in mentally visualizing a scene before capturing the decisive moment. Our aim is to raise your awareness and spark your creativity, so that you not only go home with images to be proud of, but use your new found skills to improve and expand your photographic technique in general. Apart from the technical aspect of learning your camera settings and capabilities, you will learn how to turn an ordinary image into an extraordinary image by using your own creativity.

In addition, you will become knowledgeable on how to survey the landscape, utilize and approach your environment, photograph people indigenous to the region and the cultural considerations and challenges of photographing in a foreign country. Our time together will include individual and group discussions, inspiring ideas, and great fun. We cannot think of a better location to express your creativity than Amsterdam.

In addition to this, imagine capturing the sunrise in the “land of windmills”. During the 17th century, more than 600 windmills were constructed in the area around the Zaanse Schans, creating the first industrial zone. We will also photograph from the waterway of de Zaan by boat. We’ll step aboard a koeienboot (cow ship), which, as the name implies, was used to transport cattle across the water in the past. Join us in April and you will enjoy Holland’s world-famous tulips in full bloom.

This adventure is designed not only to guide you to the most photogenic locations, carefully planned for the best light, and to aid you in mentally visualizing a scene before capturing the decisive moment. Our aim is to raise your awareness and spark your creativity, so that you not only go home with images to be proud of, but use your new found skills to improve and expand your photographic technique in general. Apart from the technical aspect of learning your camera settings and capabilities, you will learn how to turn an ordinary image into an extraordinary image by using your own creativity.

In addition, you will become knowledgeable on how to survey the landscape, utilize and approach your environment, photograph people indigenous to the region and the cultural considerations and challenges of photographing in a foreign country. Our time together will include individual and group discussions, inspiring ideas, and great fun. We cannot think of a better location to express your creativity than Amsterdam.

Group Size

4-7 Guests

Experience | Difficulty

  • Beginner, amateur, enthusiast and semi-pro photographers
  • DSLR, mirrorless, compact or iPhone cameras
  • Moderate schedule
  • Travel by walking, car or minibus
  • No elevation changes and lots of walking
  • (non-photographers also welcome)

Weather | Sun

April – Temps 63/50 F  17/9 C  Sunrise 5:52 | Sunset 9:22 (21:22)
September – Temps 64/51 F  17/10 C  Sunrise 6:59 | Sunset 8:19 (20:19)

Includes

  • 8 Days 
  • Travel, landscape, architecture, street, nature, and people photography
  • Professional photographer | guide
  • Photo walks & discussions
  • Small group size (4-7 guests)
  • 4 or 5-star hotels
  • Breakfasts
  • 2 Dinners
  • Local transportation

Travel Information

Arrival & Departure Airport: Amsterdam, Netherlands (AMS) – Transfer time to hotel 45min
Our adventure begins at 11 AM on the first day and ends at noon on the last day.
Travel Visa: A visa may be required depending on your nationality. Go to Visa Map to find out.

Accommodations

Amsterdam – Banks Mansion, Hotel Vondel, Grand Hotel Downtown or similar
Zaanse Schans – Inntel Hotels Amsterdam Zaandam or similar

Amsterdam & Holland Prices & Dates


AdventurePriceREGISTER
From: $9,295
Photographer Leader

Photographer Leader

Roman Martin

April 10-17, 2025

*All prices are per person and based on double occupancy. Please select single occupancy for a private room. For your convenience, we offer optional early arrival and late departure accommodations so you can extend your stay before or after the trip. We typically stay in upscale boutique hotels in the 4 and 5-star category. Not all destinations offer these types of properties. We look for unique hotels that offer cultural, historic, and/or authentic features. Depending on the size of the group, smaller boutique hotels may have limited room inventory. In some countries or in remote locations, we may be limited to lodges or branded chain hotels. In Cuba, we stay in upscale family-owned Casas (bread & breakfasts). On all of our tours, breakfast is almost always included, but not guaranteed. Meal categories listed include (B) for breakfast, (L) for lunch, and (D) for dinner.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

AMSTERDAM 8 DAYS PHOTO TOUR

 

Day 1 | Amsterdam

We begin in the morning at our hotel where we will discuss PWA’s “10 Guiding Principles of Photography” as well as our “THE ART OF SEEING” photographic technique. After lunch, we set out for a city walk along the canals, the many historic buildings, and photograph some of the atmospheres of this special city.

In the evening we have the perfect introduction to Amsterdam with our Welcome Dinner onboard one of Amsterdam’s famous canal cruises. (D)

Day 2 | Amsterdam - Rijksmuseum - De Pijp - Albert Cuyp

After breakfast, we will visit the newly renovated Rijksmuseum. The renovation started in 2004 and the ‘new’ museum opened its doors again in 2012. Although way over the original budget, it has received enthusiastic praise from all over the world. Just the building itself is worth a visit, and its art collection is just as exceptional. Many paintings of the Dutch masters like Rembrandt, Vermeer, and van Gogh can be seen. During our visit, we will definitely check out their use of light specifically.

After lunch we explore more of Amsterdam, it’s canals and many historic buildings. One of the liveliest areas is “De Pijp”, filled with shops, cafes, restaurants, and cozy bars, and close by is the largest and most popular market in the Netherlands. There’s no place like the Albert Cuyp street market to discover Amsterdam’s typical sense of humor and laid back atmosphere.

At the end of the afternoon we will settle down in one of the many bars for a relaxing drink and from there we will find ourselves a place for a wonderful dinner. (B)

Day 3 | Amsterdam - Keukenhof - Tulip Fields - Rossebuurt

In the morning we set out to experience the FloraHolland Aalsmeer Flower Auction, the largest flower auction in the world. Here we’ll witness the hustle and bustle of the auction floor, watch traders bidding against the clock and be amazed at the number of beautiful flowers traded daily. Flowers from all over the world (Europe, Ecuador, Colombia, Ethiopia, Kenya, etc.) are traded on a daily basis, around 20 million flowers daily.

(Spring Schedule: We will leave the city of Amsterdam and travel a short distance to the flower area of the Netherlands to view and photograph the world famous Dutch tulips. Here you will see the endless flower fields along the streets and fields. And no trip to the Netherlands would be complete without a visit to the world famous “Keukenhof”.)

Afterward, we are free to explore the famous Red Light District. From brothels to sex shops to museums, the Red Light District leaves nothing to the imagination. Cameras are permitted (except never in the direction of the female entertainers! Strictly banned!). This is proof enough that the RLD deserves a visit, if not a look see. The Red Light District simply oozes charm and one cannot help but admire the old buildings that lean at odd angles, and the tree-enshrouded canals. (B)

Day 4 | Rotterdam - Delft

The Netherlands is more than just Amsterdam, so today, we set out early to explore this small country. Our minibus drives us south to Rotterdam. Rotterdam is a dynamic international city on the waterfront, always offering something to see or do. The city is famous all across the globe as one of the world’s biggest ports. The city center includes many shops, local businesses, museums, and parks. Weena, for example, is a street lined with international businesses and multinationals. Its modern high-rise buildings and striking architecture define the face of the city center. We will walk through different parts of the city center. Places like Weena, Oude Haven, Erasmusbrug, Willemsbrug, and Noorder Eiland are all just places that celebrate ‘old’ and ‘new’ Rotterdam.

By mid-afternoon, we are ready to head over the Delft, just a short distance away. Delft is the City of Delft Blue, the House of Orange and Johannes Vermeer. This charming city received its city franchise in 1246. The city has a really nice and welcoming atmosphere and the center is small enough to visit all the places on foot. We will visit the house of Vermeer and see, explained in nice displays, how ‘the master of light’ created his paintings (e.g. the Girl With the Pearl Earring). We go into some of the royal sites like the Nieuwe Kerk, all members of the royal family are buried here, and the Prinsenhof, the place where Willem of Orange was shot to death. After a blue-hour shoot of the main square, we head back to Amsterdam. (B)

Day 5 | Haarlem - Amsterdam - Noord

After breakfast, we’ll depart Amsterdam for Haarlem, a city just west of Amsterdam. Once a major North Sea trading port surrounded by a defensive wall, it retains its medieval character of cobblestone streets and gabled houses. It’s the center of a major flower-bulb-growing district, and famous for its outlying tulip fields, art museums, and hofjes (almshouses built around leafy courtyards). For New Yorkers, bustling Haarlem gave America’s Harlem its name back when New York was “New Amsterdam,” a Dutch colony. We’ll enjoy wandering around Grote Markt (Market Square), where 10 streets converge. This is the town’s delightful centerpiece and has been for 700 years.

After lunch we’ll return back to Amsterdam and explore more of the canals, take a little rest before taking a ferry across to the new trendy neighborhood called Noord. Noord is an industrial area consisting of converted factories that once built ships, made ships’ engines, tooling, and more. The area has been converted into a colorful and cool playground for young Amsterdammers.  (B) 

Day 6 | Amsterdam - Kinderdijk - Zaanse Schans

After breakfast, we will embark on our journey to the Dutch countryside, which begins with a visit to a different but very characteristic Dutch landscape, namely “Polders.” Kinderdijk is a village about 15 km east of Rotterdam, situated in a polder in the Alblasserwaard at the confluence of the Lek and Noord rivers. To drain the polder, a system of 19 windmills was built around 1740. This group of mills is the largest concentration of old windmills in the Netherlands. The windmills of Kinderdijk are one of the best-known Dutch tourist sites. 

From here we will drive to Zaanse Schans, where we will base ourselves for the next two nights. During the 17th century, more than 600 windmills were constructed in the area around the Zaanse Schans, creating the first industrial zone. The windmills were used, among others, to grind spices, produce paint, saw wood, and make oil. A number of these windmills still exist and can still be visited today. You will see how these wind-powered machines work, inside and out. (B)

Day 7 | Zaanse Schans - Coastal Areas - Countryside

We are up early to capture the sunrise in the land of windmills. After breakfast, we will be off to photograph from the waterway of de Zaan by boat. We’ll step aboard a koeienboot (cow ship), which, as the name implied, was used to transport cattle across the water in the past. Our guide will tell us wonderful stories along the way, about life in the Zaanstreek in the past. We’ll have wonderful photographic opportunities from this vantage point. In the afternoon in Zaanse Schans we will see authentic houses, windmills, a tinware factory, a cheese and dairy factory, and other crafts. Both inside and out, the old Zaan style is visible. Afterward, we will enjoy our Farewell Dinner. (B) (D)

Day 8 | Zaanse Schans

At breakfast we have our final discussion, review our best photos from the week, trade contact information, and bid you farewell. We urge you to extend your stay in Amsterdam or elsewhere in Europe and make good use of all the wonderful photographic techniques you will have learned on our amazing Netherlands photo adventure. (B)

(B) Breakfast, (L) Lunch, (D) Dinner, (E) Excursion

 

May all who come as guests... leave as friends®

 

OPTIONS AND BENEFITS

Pricing

All prices are per person and based on double occupancy. Please select single occupancy for a private room. For your convenience, we offer optional early arrival and late departure accommodations so you can extend your stay before or after the trip. We typically stay in boutique hotels in the 4-star category. Not all destinations offer these types of properties. We look for unique hotels which offer cultural, historic and/or authentic features. Depending on the size of the group, smaller boutique hotels may have limited room inventory. In some countries or in remote locations, we may be limited to lodges or branded chain hotels. Breakfast is included only if included in our room rates.

Private Guided Adventures

We offer amazing private guided photo adventures, cultural tours and vacations for individuals, couples, families and groups. We can customize any of our published adventures, as well as others, to meet your individual needs, schedule, budget and interests. This may include the finest 5-star accommodations, business-class travel, and private guides and fixers who are able to make the impossible possible. If you are not interested in a photo-centric vacation, but you love our approach to private travel, we will be happy to design and deliver an amazing adventure focused on travel, culture and cuisine. Click here to request a quote. Feel free to call us at 1-888-834-0288 or contact us for more information.

Travel Insurance

We offer travel insurance through the internationally recognized Travelex Travel Insurance Company, as well as evacuation and medical transportation insurance through MedJet, one of the best in the industry.

The cost for travel insurance can be as low as 4% of the total trip cost, depending upon age and other factors. Knowing you have trip cancellation coverage can make a big difference should you have to cancel for some unforeseen reason. Travelex Insurance Services is a BBB Accredited business with an A+ rating. Click here to learn more about why you should consider travel insurance.

Rewards Program

Start earning points today and SAVE $200 - $900 off future trips!
Simply register for one of our amazing photo adventures and begin earning points today!

How The Program Works
For every adventure reservation you make with Photo Workshop Adventures, you earn valuable points which you can redeem on your next trip. This is a great way to save up to 8% off future trips. Our Rewards Program is designed with three tiers: Orange, Gold and VIP Members. Points may be applied towards balance payments on your next trip, or you may choose to accumulate points for a free trip in the future.

ORANGE REWARDS
All guests begin with our Orange Rewards Program (Level 1), which earns 4 points for every dollar you spend. You begin earning points immediately after your first trip. A $5,900 spend earns 23,600 points with a value of $236 USD.

GOLD REWARDS
With our Gold Rewards Program (Level 2), you earn 6 points for every dollar you spend. Orange Members who reach 120,000 accumulated lifetime* points (approx. 4-6 trips), automatically move up to Gold Rewards. A $5,900 spend earns 35,400 points with a value of $354 USD.

Additional Gold Benefits:

  • Earn up to double points during promotional events
  • Advance notifications for upcoming adventures and special offers

VIP REWARDS
With our VIP Rewards Program (Level 3), you earn 8 points for every dollar you spend. Gold Members who reach 350,000 accumulated lifetime* points (approx. 8-12 trips) move up to VIP Rewards. A $5,900 spend earns 47,200 points with a value of $472 USD, (8+/-% discount).

Additional VIP Benefits:

  • Earn up to double points during promotional events
  • Advance notifications for upcoming adventures and special offers
  • Ability to Gift or Transfer points to others
  • Receive complimentary airport transfers at the destination location*

Redeeming Your Points
Redeeming your points couldn’t be easier. You can always log in to your account to check your points balance. When you are ready to book your next trip, register and pay your deposit. When you go to pay your balance you will be given the option to apply your points and receive a discount.

THINK ORANGE Magazine

Subscribe to our Think Orange Magazine and eNews. THINK ORANGE is a wonderful mix of stories and tips related to travel, photography, adventure, culture, art, technology, cuisine, lifestyle, people and more. Our objective is to immerse you in a world you may only fantasize about. Raise your awareness and inspire your creativity. Perhaps even help make you a better photographer. We deliver similar experiential experiences that our guests enjoy on our photo adventures. Like all of our adventures, our blog is “photo-centric”, while also allowing you to experience all the nuances and cultural aspects of travel and adventure. Welcome to our world. We hope you enjoy. Our eNews is a great way to receive information about upcoming photo adventures, exciting new destinations, photography tips, special offers and more. Subscribe today!

Gift Cards

Give someone you know a Gift Card, good toward any of our Photo  Adventures, Photo Tours, Private Guided Tours, Online Courses, Prints or Merchandize. Our beautifully personalized eGift Cards and Certificates are delivered to you electronically. They are fully transferable and have a 2 year expiration date. They are available in any amount from $100 to $5000. It makes a great gift for anyone who loves photography, travel or adventure. Order now, or email for more information.

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