Paris & Amsterdam Luxury Experience
The Louvre, Montmartre and the Seine in Paris, a day among the canals and chocolate shops of Bruges, then Amsterdam's canal ring, the Rijksmuseum and the windmills and tulip fields of the Dutch countryside.
- Best time to go
- April and May for the tulips and mild weather; June to September for long evenings; December for Christmas lights and markets.
- Flying from India
- Paris and Amsterdam both have non-stop flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, about 9 to 10 hours.
- Visa for Indian passports
- Schengen short-stay visa: one visa covers every Schengen country on the route. Apply at the consulate of the country where you spend most nights, up to six months ahead; spring and summer appointments fill early. Fingerprints and a photo are taken at your first border under the EU Entry/Exit System.
- Currency
- Euro throughout. Cards are accepted almost everywhere; some Dutch shops take only debit or phone payments.
Paris & Amsterdam at a glance
Paris rewards walking. Spend mornings in the great museums, the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay, and afternoons in the Marais, Saint-Germain and the lanes of Montmartre below the Sacré-Cœur. An evening cruise on the Seine shows the city lit up, and Versailles is an easy half-day out. On the way north, many of our routes stop in Bruges, where canals, a medieval market square and chocolatiers fill a compact old centre.
Amsterdam is a city of 165 canals and 17th-century merchant houses, best seen from a small boat. The Rijksmuseum holds Rembrandt's Night Watch and Vermeer's Milkmaid; the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House need tickets well in advance. A day in the countryside takes in the windmills of Zaanse Schans, the harbours of Volendam and Marken and, from late March to mid-May, the tulips at Keukenhof.
Must-see
- The Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay
- Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur
- Bruges's medieval centre
- The Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum
- Zaanse Schans windmills
Food to try
- Croissants, baguettes and macarons
- French onion soup and crêpes
- Belgian chocolate and waffles in Bruges
- Dutch stroopwafels and cheese
- Indonesian rijsttafel in Amsterdam
Where to shop
- Avenue Montaigne and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris
- Galeries Lafayette, Paris
- Chocolatiers of Bruges
- De Negen Straatjes, Amsterdam
- Albert Cuyp Market, Amsterdam
Where to Stay
Areas and styles of stay we book most often. We shortlist specific hotels once we know your dates and budget.
Paris, 8th arrondissement
Palace-style hotels near the Champs-Élysées
Grand hotels in the 'Golden Triangle' around Avenue Montaigne and the Champs-Élysées, with the Seine, the Grand Palais and the couture houses on the doorstep.
Paris, the Marais
Boutique hotels in a historic quarter
Small hotels in 17th-century townhouses near the Place des Vosges, among galleries, falafel shops and some of the city's best small museums.
Amsterdam, canal ring
Canal-house hotels
Hotels in restored merchant houses along the Herengracht and Keizersgracht, ten minutes' walk from the Dam, the Nine Streets and the Jordaan.
Signature Experiences
Moments we build Paris & Amsterdam journeys around
The Louvre's Grande Galerie
A guided morning through the Italian paintings of the Grande Galerie to the Mona Lisa, with timed entry booked weeks ahead.
Rembrandt at the Rijksmuseum
The Gallery of Honour leads past Vermeer's Milkmaid to The Night Watch, Rembrandt's largest painting. A guide helps you see both before the midday crowds.
Amsterdam by small boat
A private or small open boat through the quieter canals of the Jordaan and the Western Islands, far from the big glass-roofed tour boats.
Zaanse Schans and Volendam
Working windmills, a clog workshop and a cheese farm, then fish lunch in the harbour at Volendam and the wooden houses of Marken.
Montmartre at sunset
Walk up through the artists' square of Place du Tertre to the Sacré-Cœur steps for the view across Paris, then dinner in a hillside bistro.
Rhine castles en route
On routes from Frankfurt, a cruise between Rüdesheim and St Goar passes castles and vineyards on the Rhine gorge before you continue to Amsterdam.
Planning Your Journey
Timing, routing and what our specialists tell every Paris & Amsterdam traveller
When to visit
April and May
Tulips, blossom and mild weather. King's Day on 27 April turns Amsterdam orange.
June to September
Long, warm evenings for canal cruises and café terraces. Paris is quieter in August, when some restaurants close.
December
Christmas lights on the Champs-Élysées and Amsterdam's Light Festival on the canals.
Getting there and around
Open-jaw flights
Fly into Paris and home from Amsterdam, or the reverse, to avoid backtracking.
Paris to Amsterdam
Eurostar trains (formerly Thalys) take about 3¼ hours. Bruges is reached by changing in Brussels.
Insider notes
Book Anne Frank House early
Tickets are released online about six weeks ahead and go quickly. There are no tickets at the door.
Watch for bicycles
In Amsterdam, the red-paved lanes are for bikes, which move fast and silently. Look both ways before stepping off the pavement.
Museum closing days
The Louvre closes on Tuesdays and the Musée d'Orsay on Mondays. We plan your days around them.
Keukenhof dates
The gardens open only for about eight weeks from late March. Book a weekday morning to avoid the crowds.
Paris & Amsterdam: Common Questions
Three nights in Paris and three in Amsterdam is ideal, with a day in Bruges on the way. Add a night in Paris if you want Versailles or Disneyland.
Plan your Paris & Amsterdam journey
Speak to a specialist.
Share a few details and one of our Paris & Amsterdam specialists will get in touch, usually within a working day.
Journeys from here
Itineraries that include Paris & Amsterdam
Journey · Escorted Coach
From Frankfurt to Paris
Journey · City & Culture
Paris, Left Bank to Louvre
Journey · City & Culture
Amsterdam, Canals & Masters
Journey · Multi-City
Western Europe Grand Tour
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