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, and 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. After, you’ll meet our local guide for a walking tour in search of the city’s best waffles, frites, and Trappist beer. 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

After an early breakfast in the abbey courtyard, we’ll head off to Bruges, the charming capital of West Flanders for markets & beer! This medieval city is famous for its picturesque town square, historic markets, and canal-lined walking paths. There’s even a Michelin 3-Star chocolate shop, The Chocolate Line, in case you need your fix. You’ll start with a private scenic boat ride through the canals followed by a brewery tour of De Halve Maan. 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 a guided scenic walk to Bourgogne des Flandres brewery for a beer tasting you’ll think is wine! You’ll have free time to check out the historic district, visit nearby artisans for delicate bobbin lace, hand-painted ceramics, jewelry or a small painting. Save time to stop by one of our favorite cheese shops, Kaashuys De Hof! In the late afternoon, you’ll return to Brussels for a relaxing evening of your choice.

Day Three

Today, get ready for culinary deep dive into award-winning Belgian chocolate and beer – the country’s most beloved delicacies. First, you’ll meet up at Mike & Becky’s Chocolates, and spend the morning with owner Bjorn and his wife, 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 at Yoma’s, a restaurant celebrating Belgium’s long history of comics and cartoons, 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, paired with cheese made from the same beer, then wrap up the afternoon with Madame Fromage on a shopping trip to her favorite chocolatiers and a famous gingerbread-cookie baker! Experience a relaxing farewell dinner at one of our most-loved French-style brasseries.

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, tasting and lunch, 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 again from our fellow travelers, Bryan and Tenaya with a couple of their favorite cocktails.

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 tearoom 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!

After a morning with Betty, we’ll return to Wierschuur for a lovely chef-prepared lunch. As the local Dutch people do, get ready to stretch your legs on e-bike excursion with our local guide Ronald. He 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.

Over cocktails tonight, we’ll chat about the famous Dutch still life paintings at 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 Six

After breakfast, you’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.

On the return drive, you’ll hear and see first-hand The Beemster Polder, an area where world-renowned Beemster cheese is made – below sea level, no less. We’ll pass through this beautiful, but unusual landscape on our way back to the farmhouse and later in the week we’ll explore the area to see what makes it so special.

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 Seven

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 to spend the day cooking with our chefs and learning from our cheese expert, Madame Fromage.

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 with Bryan and Madame Fromage.

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

Day Eight

Have you ever dreamed of playing with sheep and baby lambs on a remote island in the North Sea? After an early breakfast, you’ll have the opportunity to make that dream come true! We’ll hop on a fast commuter ferry to visit the island of Terschelling, as we spend the day with a family producing award-winning organic sheep’s milk Gouda-style cheese.

From milking to making, and aging in their cellars, you’ll experience it all! We’ll enjoy a catered lunch, while dining with locals and enjoying farm to table freshness, paired with our favorite Dutch beers, and topped off with the family’s wonderful sheep’s milk ice cream! Spend a little time with Mike and your sketch pad to capture the unique memory.

You’ll return home on the sightseeing ferry, enjoying a scenic view a coffee or glass of wine while you cruise! Finish the afternoon with a choice of free time to walk or go for a leisurely bike ride. This evening, kick back with a round of local beers at happy hour, and prepare for a gorgeous meal featuring local specialties.

Day Nine

After a restful night and a leisurely breakfast, you will enjoy a fun morning of cooking and working with local herbs and plants. You’ll meet Naomi Nieuwenhuis, local chef, guide, and culinary herbalist. Naomi will share with you her culinary knowledge of both regional cooking and using edible flowers, plants, and herbs as she joins Chef Sylvain for a hands-on culinary experience. You can recreate these lovely edibles at home featuring local foods and flora – all very Dutch! After a beautiful pasta lunch, you’ll spend some time back on The Beemster Polder. This UNESCO site is a geographic curiosity and home to the world-renowned Beemster cheese; an area all below sea level, no less! We’ll pass through this lush, landscape to visit Beemster Co-op and enjoy a private tour and tasting of their award-winning cheese.

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 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 arrive at our hotel near the Amsterdam airport to conclude our tour. You’ll have the evening to explore the surrounding area, grab a taxi to head into the heart of the city or travel on to another leg of your journey.

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.