HIGHLIGHTS

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of twelve provinces in North-West Europe and three islands in the Caribbean.

Tulips and windmills are images that have become synonymous with The Netherlands as well as the iconic Dutch wooden clogs, rambling canals and the world’s best cheese markets. Photograph all of these famous sites plus those unique, “hard to get” photos, with Mirjam Evers, a Dutch native, professional photographer and one of the PQA founders. Mirjam will lead us to those “off the beaten path” locations that only a true Dutch native can access.

Our itinerary has been designed to capture the essence of Holland at the peak time of flower season. As we wind our way through North and South Holland, we have set up an itinerary that will bring us to locations of radiant color and dramatic light including private aerial flights to capture the stunning flower fields which nobody else is able to do.

The perfect Quest to bring along your spouse as well.

Please note this is an all NEW itinerary with new and exciting locations from our previous trips.

April 20 - Depart USA

Leave the USA on your flights to Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS).

April 21 - Amsterdam Schiphol-Haarlem Tour

Arrive Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Transportation from the airport will be provided. Rooms won't be ready until about 2pm.

Depart for a casual walking tour to photograph the magnificent “Grote Markt,” often considered the most beautiful square in the Netherlands. Welcome dinner to taste a typical Dutch meal. (D)

April 22 - Alkmaar Cheese Market - Zaansche Schans

Depart early morning for Alkmaar where cheese is still made in the time-honored way. The market is world famous for photographing the actual transportation weighing and trading, which takes place in a colorful setting. We will have press passes with special private access within the fence of the trading sessions, and will able to take portraits with the “cheese men," which is a very unique photo opportunity for our group.

After lunch, we will photograph “Zaansche Schans,” a reconstructed village of wooden houses and windmills, transporting us 300 years into the past. There are only 975 windmills left in all of The Netherlands, but in this place of unspoiled beauty you can photograph many of them. We will take a one hour boat tour to photograph the windmills in late afternoon light. (B)

 April 23 - Keukenhof Gardens - Bike Tour-Delft

Depart early to photograph the Keukenhof Gardens for the second time. We will take a private boat tour to photograph the nearby flower fields. After lunch, it is optional to rent bikes and bike through the stunning flower fields. This afternoon, we will visit and photograph the lovely town of Delft. (B,D)

April 24 - Keukenhof Gardens - Flower Fields

Depart early to photograph the Keukenhof Gardens. Enjoy the morning in one of the most impressive public gardens in the world. Open only nine weeks out of the year, the Keukenhof is a visual feast for the eyes. There are more than seven million bulbs planted on over 70-acres. For the adventurous photographers, we will rent orange bikes for a few hours and bike through the stunning flower fields. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

After a typical Dutch lunch, we will visit and photograph a local Dutch farm and learn everything about bulbs and how the whole process works. We will photograph other flower fields in the area as well.

April 25 - Kinderdijk

In the afternoon, we will visit and photograph “Kinderdijk.” The 19 windmills at Kinderdijk are a symbol of the way the Netherlands manages its water. For a long period of time, they kept the land dry as it was plagued by subsidence and flooding - the Alblasserwaard, once a rough, wet area of peat, was eventually colonized and reclaimed by men.

April 26 - Amsterdam boat tour & night shoot

Depart to Amsterdam (known as the Venice of the North) for a walking tour and private boat cruise through the famous canals. We'll see the beautiful homes that line the water, the fabled Skinny Bridge, and the famous Anne Frank House. We then enjoy a panoramic city tour to see the great landmarks of Amsterdam, including a photo stop at a windmill. We will do a night shoot of the canals and the lit bridges reflecting in the water before we head back. (B)

April 27 - Depart back to the USA

Early departure from Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS).

Itinerary is subject to change.

See some images from our last photography workshop here.

Mirjam Evers

Mirjam Evers is a New York City based travel photographer who specializes in travel images, portraiture, landscape photography and adventure images. Born and raised in the Netherlands, Evers has photographed in more than 90 countries, including many of the most exotic places in the world. Evers' photographs are indicative of her unique capacity to personally connect with diverse cultures and communities. Her eye for location lighting is highly stylized and works to illustrate and heighten the unique characteristics of each international locale. She is able to transcend cultural and language barriers with an intangible spirit that is conveyed in every image. Evers is one of the founders of Photo Quest.

Selected Publications: AFAR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Departures, Golf Magazine, AARP, Outdoor Photographer, Outside Magazine, PDN, American Photo, Popular Photography, Digital Photo, MSN Travel and Town & Country Magazine.

Mirjam's Website

Language

Dutch is the national language of the Netherlands. Most of the Dutch people speak English, as well as other languages like German and French.

CLIMATE

Although Dutch people complain a lot about the weather in their country, it is actually not that bad. There are no real extremes, like excessive heat or cold, hurricanes or alike. That said, summers are relatively cool with average daytime temperatures around 20 °C. The best months to travel around the Netherlands are April to August, when days are long and apart from occasional showers, rainfall is lowest.

MONEY

The Netherlands, like many other European countries, uses the Euro (€). Throughout the country, there are lots of ATMs using the CIRRUS and PLUS networks. Most shops, restaurants and hotels accept major credit cards with a small processing fee added.

Food

Sample the national dish, Boerenkool met worst ("Borecole with sausage"), which consists of green cabbage, potatoes, bacon and smoked sausage. Dutch cheese, beer and dairy products are considered of the highest standard and will provide much joy to the connoisseur. 

Make sure you don't forget to try the special pancake restaurants, a real Dutch specialty. The delicious pancakes are large enough to be considered a whole dinner and you can choose from a great variety of toppings for your pancake. 

On the go, kroketten (filled croquets) bitterballen and frieten met pindasaus (French fries with peanut butter dip) are the most popular fast foods.

PASSPORT & VISA REQUIREMENTS

Visitors from many countries do not need a visa if they are planning to stay in the Netherlands for less than 3 months. A valid passport is enough.

Safety

In general, the Netherlands is a very safe country, and with the usual precautions you won't experience any problems.

Traffic wise, the Netherlands is one of the safest countries in the world. The country is known for its network of bicycle lanes, which greatly improves the safety for cyclists. Be careful crossing the streets making sure to look for cyclists that can be traveling fairly fast.

Electricity

The voltage in Holland is 220 volts. Travelers are advised to bring an adapter for two-prong, round-prong plugs with side grounding contacts.