Itinerary

Day One

Welcome to Brussels! Our tour begins in a beautiful abbey-turned-hotel in the heart of the city. Walk out the door in any direction, and you’ll find quaint cafés that serve waffles and coffee, cozy brasseries serving mussels and fries, along with bars with enormous Belgian beer lists. Plus, there are more chocolate shops than you can count. To help you get oriented, you’ll begin the day with a welcome tasting of Belgian specialties with our longtime educator, Tenaya Darlington (a.k.a. Madame Fromage). Ease into the day with speculoos (gingerbread), chocolates, and a glass of cherry kriek. Then, hit the cobblestones for a short walk to the city’s best cheese shop run by an award-winning mother-and-son team who specialize in raw-milk cheese. Véronique and Léo will share their story, then prepare an exquisite lunch of fondue and charcuterie in their tasting room, where rare beers and wines are always on tap. Afterwards, you’ll meet our local guide for a walking tour of the city. Of course, you’ll sample the city’s best street food along the way before stopping at a traditional beer café. Relax and enjoy a goblet of local Orval, Chimay, La Chouffe – an experience unto itself. Tonight, you’ve got the evening to yourself: pop into the hip brew hall near our hotel or have a snack in the hotel bar.

Day Two

Get ready for culinary dive-deeps into award-winning Belgian chocolate and beer today, the country’s most beloved delicacies. First, you’ll meet Mike & Becky, a couple known for their unique, handmade “bean-to-bar” chocolates. You’ll learn all about sourcing beans, and of course you’ll taste and make chocolate. After a light lunch, we’ll whisk you off to the city’s most legendary brewery, Cantillon, where traditional lambic, gueuze, and kriek have been made since 1900. If you’re a beer nerd, you know that very few people still produce traditional Belgian fruited beers. Only real fruit is used, no syrups. You’ll have a private tour of this Harry-Potter-like space and learn all about how Cantillon practices open-air fermentation in their “koelschip” right under the night sky. Enjoy a tasting, then wrap up the day with Madame Fromage as she takes you on a shopping trip to her favorite chocolatiers and a famous gingerbread-cookie baker!

Day Three

After an early breakfast in the abbey courtyard, we’ll head off to the train station with tickets to Bruges, the charming capital of West Flanders for markets & beer! This medieval city is famous for its picturesque town square, historic fish market (the Vismarkt), and canal-lined walking paths. There’s even a three-Michelin-Star chocolate shop, The Chocolate Line, in case you need your fix.

You’ll start with a brewery tour of De Halve Maan and climb to the roof for a spectacular 360-degree view of the city, then enjoy an extensive private tasting of the brewery’s iconic beers, including Straffe Hendrik (“Strong Henry”) – one of our favorites. After a beautiful brewery lunch, you’ll have free time to check out the historic district, take a photo walk along the canals, or visit the nearby artisan craft & folklore market – great for souvenir shopping. Don’t forget to stop by one of our favorite cheese shops, Kaashuys De Hof.

In the late afternoon, you’ll return to Brussels for a farewell dinner near our hotel, capped off by a special Belgian cheese-and-beer pairing, hosted by Madame Fromage.

Day Four

Say farewell to Belgium. We’re off to southern Holland to visit Abbey Van Koningshoeven in Tilburg, a Dutch monastery that produces world-famous La Trappe beer. Founded in 1881 by a group of monks who fled France during the French Revolution, the monastery produces beautiful Trappist ales. Only a handful of Trappist breweries still exist in Europe, and La Trappe is one of them. Prepare to be blown away by our private brewery tour and tasting, which will also include organic cheeses made and aged by the monks in the abbey cellars.

This afternoon, our cheese chariot will carry you to the Wadden Islands, a stunning coastal area in Northern Holland that has been deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Expect to see rainbows of color as we pass through tulip fields, and of course you’ll be able to spot windmills spinning in the distance. We’ll arrive at Wierschuur, our home for the week: a beautifully restored seaside farmhouse with a traditional thatched roof, once a warehouse for drying seaweed. After free time to explore the area on foot or by bike, we’ll hear from our fellow traveler, art expert, and friend, Mike Geno, who has been profiled by The New York Times and featured in many art magazines. He’ll tell you his story over cocktails and show you some of the cheese portraits he’s painted from the areas that we’re visiting.

Day Five

After a relaxing breakfast, we’ll set off for a seaside cheese experience with shop owner and cheese exporter Betty Koster, Holland’s “Julia Child of Cheese.” You’ll learn all about how Betty travels the countryside selecting Holland’s best wheels to age in her caves. A dynamic speaker and much-loved figure in the European cheese world, Betty’s port-side cheese shop, L’Amuse Fromagerie, is a dairy destination. Check out her wall of Goudas, then step into her private tea room for a tasting of rare cheeses and tea! Betty travels the world teaching cheese-and-tea pairing classes, and she works with some of the finest tea producers in the world. You’ll learn all about pairing tea in this guided tasting, featuring 12 beautifully ripened artisan cheeses – a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Afterwards, we’ll depart for a visual feast at Keukenhof Gardens – one of the great gardens of the world, known for its unbelievable displays of tulips, orchids, and landscaping. The park is only open seasonally, and it’s a sensational spot for photos. You’ll meet a guide for an hour-long tour to learn the history of tulip-growing in Holland, then you’ll have free time to meander along the foot paths and enjoy lunch or snacks from various vendors. Tonight, you’ll try some very special local spirits during Madame Fromage’s cocktail hour, then settle in for a sumptuous dinner prepared by our chefs.

Day Six

Prepare for a home day in our light-filled farmhouse, surrounded by spring flowers and natural beauty, from walking paths to pastures full of cows and windmills. After a buffet breakfast, you’ll don your aprons and grab your notebooks in order to spend the day cooking with our chefs and learning from our cheese experts, Madame Fromage and Jilly Sitch.

Today, we’ll break into two groups: half will start in the kitchen, while the other half sits down to a cheese-pairing (and tasting!) masterclass to learn the nuances of pairing cheese with wine, beer, and accompaniments. In the afternoon, the two groups will switch. Later, you’ll have free time to stretch your legs, then join us for a special beer-themed happy hour (the first of two), with Madame Fromage.

For dinner, you’ll feast on all the dishes that our two groups prepared today!

Day Seven

Today is all about biking and painting. Get ready to stretch your legs and your creative muscles! Again, we’ll break into two groups for morning and afternoon workshops.

Workshop 1 is an e-bike excursion with our local guide Ronald, who will whisk you off to a local dairy to see a raw-milk vending machine (yes, such things exist) and eat homemade ice cream made on site. Enjoy beautiful scenery, glimpses of the North Sea, along with some downtime with the farm’s beautiful cows.

Workshop 2 is a painting class with Mike Geno, who will turn part of the farmhouse into a studio. He’ll demonstrate how he paints cheese and invite you to sit down with him for some personal instruction. Pick a favorite cheese (we’ll provide plenty!), and grab a paint brush and a palate of oil paint. By the end of today, you’ll have an incredible souvenir to hang on your kitchen wall at home.

Over cocktails tonight, Mike will give an overview of Dutch still-life paintings in preparation for our upcoming visit to Amsterdam, where you’ll have the opportunity to visit the Rijksmuseum, home to some of Europe’s most notable food paintings. Meanwhile, Madame Fromage will set out a still-life cheese board. Feel free to snap some photos before you take a bite!

Day Eight

Have you ever dreamed of publishing a cookbook or writing a book of some kind? After breakfast, you’ll have the opportunity to sit down with our cheese educator Madame Fromage, who is also a writing professor and the author of seven books. She’ll walk you through the ins and outs of writing a book, from coming up with a concept to creating a table of contents.

Then, it’s time to get out on the water! You’ll set off for Den Oever, a nearby fishing village on the Wadden Sea. Pack your windbreaker – we’ll be hopping on a sailing vessel and carrying picnic baskets for lunch, brimming with cheese, fresh seasonal options, and a few of Chef Sylvain’s favorite Dutch beers.

You’ll return home for a restful afternoon and a choice of free time or a bike ride. Later, there will be a special chef demonstration before our usual cocktail hour with Madame Fromage. This evening, kick back with a second round of local beers at happy hour, and prepare for a gorgeous meal featuring local specialties.

Day Nine

Ready for a day trip to Amsterdam? We’ll set out after breakfast and a short preview of the day – you’ll get an overview of the Amsterdam cheese scene and hear the story of The Beemster Polder, an area where world-renowned Beemster cheese is made – below  sea level, no less. We’ll pass through this unusual landscape on our way into the city.

Once in Amsterdam, we’ll hang out in the vibrant Jordaan District, known for its independent boutiques and artsy cafés, along with its gorgeous architecture. You’ll have time to stroll the tree-lined streets and enjoy lunch at a unique cheese-themed restaurant. Let’s just say that if you like grilled cheese sandwiches, you’ll be in paradise.

In the afternoon, visit one of the city’s incredible museums nearby or go exploring on your own. Our resident painter Mike Geno will lead an informal tour to the Rijksmuseum, home to many Dutch masterpieces including Vermeer and Van Goghs.

Tonight, enjoy our last cocktails together and a very special meal prepared by our chefs.

Day Ten

Did you know that Holland’s canals were famous for transporting and trading cheese? This morning, you’ll experience Alkmaar’s historical cheese market. We’ll meet our guide from Beemster Cheese Co. who will walk us through the weighing of wheels and explain other rituals carried out for centuries by the local brotherhood of cheese traders.                 

You’ll have time for shopping and lunch on your own, then join the group for an inside peek of a historic windmill as you imagine life for a large family living in the cramped space of a 2nd floor windmill! During the 1700s, there were over 10,000 windmills in The Netherlands, some used for grinding grain and most to pump water out to reclaim land from water and marshland below sea level!

With windmill souvenirs in hand, we’ll head to Beemster HQ for one last tasting of various Goudas and purchase cheese at Beemster’s shop to take home. After arriving at our hotel near the Amsterdam airport, you’ll have the evening to explore the surrounding area or grab a taxi and head into the heart of the city.

Day Eleven

Pack your chocolates and your cheese, then prepare to catch a flight home or keep exploring! We’ll have one last breakfast at the hotel, then bid good-bye – don’t worry, you’ll be sure to have some new cheese pen pals!

TOUR PRICE INCLUDES

Lodging for ten nights, breakfast provided ten mornings, eight noon meals, and eight evening meals (alcoholic beverages served with meals and events) and additional food events and tastings. All transportation during the tour, all classes, tour tickets, and day trips provided by local hosts, cheese educators, and chefs. Alcoholic beverages and food, other than those served at meals and tasting events, may be purchased separately from the host or at locations during the tour.

TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

Transportation to Brussels, return flights from Amsterdam airport to home country or return to Brussels airport from Amsterdam after the tour. Hotel accommodations before or after the tour, a couple optional lunch and dinner meals, personal shopping during the tour, or any activities during free time, shopping, and personal sightseeing.

DISCLOSURE

To the best of our ability, this tour itinerary is final. However, if, due to unexpected extreme weather, a schedule emergency with hosts, or limitations due to imposed travel restrictions, etc., Cheese Journeys reserves the right to substitute an event if needed. During the tour, you have the option of declining a particular excursion or tour, but we are unable to make refunds for any missed meals, classes, or events. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details.