BELGIUM &
NETHERLANDS
Sept 1 – 14, 2025
PRICE
$3,550
DURATION
14 Days | 13 Nights
GROUP MAX
8-14 People
PHYSICAL
Moderate
WEATHER
Warm
TOUR OVERVIEW
We explore the Belgian cities of Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp with visits to the historic buildings, European Union for the Deaf and much more with en-route to Amsterdam, the “Venice of the North” of Netherlands to be guided by local deaf Belgian and Dutch in sign language.
TOUR LEADER
Himel Chowdhury
TOUR PRICE
$3,550
1 SPACE LEFT
Maximum 2 Travelers per Reservation
$500 deposit per person is required to reserve space. The availability of space is based on a first come, first serve basis.
100% of the balance is required 90 days before the first day of the tour.
DAY 1 • • •
Arrive in Brussels, the EU’s capital city, with a transfer to our hotel and meet your tour leader. Have lunch and thereafter, a light tour of the Atomium and Mini-Europe during the afternoon with the local tour guide. Have orientation meeting during welcome dinner in an old restaurant with classic Belgian cuisines before a good night’s sleep. Sleep in Brussels for 4 nights.
DAY 2 • • •
A morning visit to the EUD (European Union for the Deaf) with a tour guide by Deaf Director of EUD. After lunch, another local deaf guide in Brussels with visits to the streets of Government buildings, Belgian Royal Palace, Kunstberg Garden, Manneken Pis, Grand Place in Market Square and much more.
DAY 3 • • •
After breakfast, visiting the beautiful town of Bruges, the capital of West Flanders in the North-West Belgium with a local deaf tour guide by seeing its canals, cobbled streets, and the historic buildings, eat copious amounts of Belgian Chocolate and Waffles with an addition of 2,000 beers and much more.
DAY 4 • • •
A day trip to Ghent, including to the world’s most coveted masterpiece painting, “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb”, at the St. Bavo’s Cathedral of the Counts and St. Michael’s Bridge. An evening dinner at a deaf-owned restaurant.
DAY 5 • • •
Check out the hotel and transfer to Antwerp, another fantastic city up in the North of Belgium, in a region called Flanders and the Antwerp Harbor – a real hidden gem of Europe and not just because it’s the diamond trade capital of the world and discover a lot more history and culture to get into today by seeing how Europe from the 1600s meets a modern version of itself. Sleep in Antwerp for 3 nights.
DAY 6 • • •
Spend all day starting from Antwerp Central Station to an old town of Grote Markt, Vlaeykensgang Alley, Cathedral of Our Lady & Elfde Gebod and much more.
DAY 7 • • •
Check out the Plantin-Moretus Museum – Christophe Platin, an first industrial printer from his home around 1550 and afterwards, head over to one of Antwerp’s beautiful public squares – Groenplaats (Green Square) for lunch. After lunch, head over to The Rubens House, a famous Baroque painter who lived in 16th-17th centuries townhouse. Stop by at Meir Street Shopping while taking a break at Wapper Square and thereafter The Chocolate Line and The Antwerp Diamond District.
DAY 8 • • •
After breakfast, morning transfer to Amsterdam. After lunch, hop on a cruise from the city center and enjoy its charms shimmering on the water to explore the quaint canals of Amsterdam by getting to know the city’s history from its humble medieval beginnings to the economic and cultural boom times of The Golden Age and then head over to the Dam Square with overlooking at the Royal Palace and Nieuwe Kerk. Then, visit the famous Red-Light District afterwards. Sleep in Amsterdam for 6 nights.
DAY 9 • • •
Explore Amsterdam on a walkabout all day and see: Anne Frank Museum and Jewish History Museum while browsing around through the Jewish Quarter covers the life of Anne Frank and the Dutch Resistance during the World War II. Afterwards, wandering around Jordaan neighborhood where an old working-class residential neighborhood that hip, the most overlooked part of Amsterdam, to see a few secrets of de Jordaan that you might not see otherwise. After lunch, see the Amsterdam History Museum that features a very thorough history of Amsterdam, showing the growth and construction of the city over time. A short visit to the Red-Light District before an evening dinner.
DAY 10 • • •
A day trip to Rotterdam, a major port city in the Dutch of South Holland and explore around a young, dynamic city known for its modern architecture and impressive harbor, although only a fraction smaller than Amsterdam, it has a completely different look and feel than the capital city of Netherlands, Amsterdam.
DAY 11 • • •
A day trip to Utrecht to explore a 2,000-year-old town. Go up the Dom Tower (highest point in Holland) and enjoy the panoramic view of Netherlands. An easy walkabout through churches, almshouses, yards, gardens, and historic monuments. Cruise on the gorgeous canals as well as dine on the canal side.
DAY 12 • • •
Another walkabout all day and see: Van Gogh, Rijksmuseum and visiting the Tulip Museum, in a little basement that does a wonderful job of telling the history of tulips in Netherlands and the infamous tulip craze that rocked the Dutch economy. Later in the evening, visit the Red-Light District.
DAY 13 • • •
Visit Heineken Brewery and then, go to De Negen Straatjes (The Nine Streets) to explore around the charm and style that Amsterdam is famous for in one of the city’s loveliest shopping districts and have free time for shopping, etc… and Kalverstraat and Vlooienmarket if you are looking for the perfect souvenir. Then, visit the local Deaf Club. Farewell dinner.
DAY 14 • • •
Depart from Amsterdam International Airport for USA or take TGV train to your next respective destination.
- 13 nights in 3-4 stars accommodations.
- 15 meals: Breakfast (13), Dinner (2)
- Services of a deaf group leader on call 24 hours a day.
- Services of local deaf guides.
- All transportation expenses.
- All admission fees for attractions and museums mentioned in the itinerary.
- Most tips, except for your Tour Manager.
- Informative travel preparation packet.
- Pre-tour and/or post-tour itinerary consultation.
- $100 discount per person on your next regular tour.
- Domestic and/or international airfares.
- All other meals not mentioned in the itinerary and personal expenses.
- Any COVID-19 related tests.
- Travel insurance.
- ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization).
Why do you need travel insurance?
LEARN DIFFERENT SIGN LANGUAGES!
Hands On Travel is a proud sponsor to Intersign University which provides sign language courses in many different countries.
Learn MoreTOUR MANAGER
Himel Chowdhury
TOUR PRICE
$3,550
1 SPACE LEFT
Maximum 2 Travelers per Reservation
$500 deposit per person is required to reserve space. The availability of space is based on a first come, first serve basis.
100% of the balance is required 90 days before the first day of the tour.
Why do you need travel insurance?
LEARN DIFFERENT SIGN LANGUAGES!
Hands On Travel is a proud sponsor to Intersign University which provides sign language courses in many different countries.
Learn MorePRICE
$3,550
DURATION
14 Days | 13 Nights
GROUP MAX
8-14 People
PHYSICAL
Moderate
WEATHER
Warm
GALLERY
Got a Question?
First, please scroll through our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have further questions or need help with a specific topic, feel free to contact us! Thank you.
RESERVATION
Spots are based on a first come, first serve basis. A $500 deposit per person is required to reserve your space and can be paid with a debit or credit card. Alternative payment options include personal check or wire transfer. After registration, you will receive an automatic email response with further instructions. Full payment is due 90 days before the start of your tour.
Absolutely yes! You can contact us by clicking this link and fill out the form and we will get back to you. Above all, we want to make your tour a memorable one for your group.
HOT is proud of the three distinct reasons that allow it to be different from other tour companies: they use sign language exclusively, travel in small groups which provide an intimate experience while also having more flexibility on their schedule, and spend time visiting places they love versus wasting time at places where there wasn’t much interest..
Generally, all tours will provide accommodations in double rooms with private bathrooms and breakfast, transportation expenses including lunch and dinner (depending on the itinerary), museum entrance fees along with a $100 credit towards your next full tour. In addition we provide you with information about each specific tour so that you can be fully aware of what is included.
We will be happy to assist you with a custom-designed tour, tailored towards your preferences. If not, stay up to date by joining our mailing list in order for us to provide you with any future tours that we may have availability for.
Did you know that we have travel consultants who can assist you? You can go to our Travel Consulting page for more information. The best way to accomplish this would be to seek out friends and/or family members (usually in order of 6 people) so they will lower the costs significantly, or advertise open spots on your tour publicly. We also have discounts, and some other advantages! What’s more- we are able to lower the level of accommodations as well as remove extras all together which make it feasible for a low cost.
It is often easier for us to permit single travelers when it comes time to sign up for our tours. If you are unable to find a partner and need assistance, please contact us as we may have singles available on the list- pending your approval first. There are some tours that allow exceptions for those seeking not only with partners but also without them too!
If somebody backs out, please register on our wait list or contact us directly so that we can put you on the wait list for a similar tour. We will also keep your name up to date with our latest tours and alerts about similar upcoming trips in order to give you a chance at joining them.
TRAVEL PROTECTION
Hands On Travel recommends that you purchase a travel protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. Travel protection plans include coverage for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Emergency Medical and Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Trip Delay, Baggage Delay and more. To learn more about how to help protect you and your trip investment, visit the following link: TRAVEL PROTECTION
Don’t hesitate. We will stay in touch with you from the date of deposit until your arrival at the starting point of your tour, to make sure that all is well before departure. You can contact us via phone or e-mail any time for questions and we will remain in communication throughout your trip!
BILLING
No, we do not charge any extra fees or fuel surcharges. The listed price is the price you pay. Including tax.
You can find this under our Terms & Conditions. If you find it necessary to cancel your confirmed tour reservation, you must notify HOT about it by e-mail. You may transfer your space to another suitable person or request us to seek replacements. If your replacement is found, HOT will, at its discretion depending on the time frame, refund your deposits/payments or apply it towards a future Hands on Travel tour that is to be taken no more than 3 years after the dates of the original tour. If your replacement is not found, the cancellation of your reservation will become effective and the following charges will apply: (a) if cancelled more than 90 days before the first day of the tour, all installment or additional payments will be refunded to you minus the non-refundable deposit of US $500 per person and any non-refundable payments that HOT has made to suppliers. (b) if cancelled less than 90 days before the first day of the tour, no refunds will be made.
Since tour prices are quoted as a package, no partial refunds can be made for the unused portion of any tour including lodging, meals, or any other items that are included in the tour price. This does not apply to those who wish to participate in only a portion of a tour. In this case, we can pro-rate costs for the unused days.
After registration, you will receive an automatic email reply with further instructions. A $500 per person booking deposit is required to reserve your spot on the trip and can be paid by personal check, credit card and/or wire transfer. Full payment is due no less than 90 days before the start of the trip.
If you need to cancel or postpone your trip 3 or more months before the start, all monies paid will be refunded minus the $500 non-refundable deposit. You can also transfer the entire amount of your deposit to be used for a later trip if we are able to find replacements.
DURING THE TOUR
Big coach buses separate us from local people. We fail to experience or understand the “hands on” lives of locals.
We started out as a walking tour company. Walking offers close-up experiences with local people and hidden gems to discover.
It’s much easier to communicate full to everyone in semi-circle and make sign language 100% accessible. No more missing what is being said.
We’d be able to dine in smaller, cozier and unique restaurants that would offer a local culinary experience unlike large, tourist-oriented restaurants. And, we’d be able to stay at smaller accommodations in prime locations unlike large chain hotels outside the city limits.
We strive to include local guides for certain days to promote maximum cultural experience as well as exchange deaf-related insights.
Most of our customers will gain insightful observations and deeper understanding on how Deaf people live on a local level.
Most of our customers will gain insightful observations and deeper understanding on how Deaf people live on a local level.
