Haarlem/Amsterdam before Ricks 21 Day BOE

I was in Amsterdam the week before Easter on a Rick Belgium and Holland tour in 2019 (wow....a lifetime ago). The tour finished and I left on 4/16 (Tuesday) and Easter was the following Sunday.

Amsterdam was very busy and I wanted to get out before the actual weekend and before King's Day which is April 27.

I'd go a few days ahead if you can so you can go to Keukenhof. There used to be a special bus from Haarlem to Keukenhof which would make it easy. I'd also want to go early to get timed entry tickets for the Van Gogh Museum. This tour used to go to Anne Frank House but I'm not sure if it still does. If that is something that interests you, you could do that ahead as well.

This will be a wonderful time of year for this tour!

We've done this tour twice, and both time made sure to have extra time in Haarlem. The Franz Hals Museum is a "don't miss" for us, as is the rather quirky science museum, Teyler's museum. The Corrie Ten Boom house is also worth a visit, but you'll have to book your tour in advance.

We also took time to go into Amsterdam to visit the Hermitage Museum. Yes, it's a branch of the famous Hermitage in Russia.

We found a number of really good Italian restaurants in Haarlem, which surprised us. There's also a good Serbian (I think) restaurant just off the main square.

Keukenhof didn't really interest us, and it's possible your tour will go there. Our second one did, and frankly, we would rather have gone to the folk museum that the tour visits other times of the year.

Take plenty of time to rest up and enjoy yourself before the tour. It's a whirlwind!

anyone been there around that time.

I have

generally a good time, but I don't know Easter date next year. If it isn't too early. My fav time is 3rd week of April to 2nd week of May.

We did the BOE starting May 1 and stayed in Haarlem for 4 days ahead. We went to the Van Gough museum and the Resistance museum. We did a day trip to Delft and The Hague to see the Mauritshuis museum. Weather was a bit cold, though from May 1 on it was delightful. We were going to try a bike tour but timing and weather prevented. I’d certainly go back again for several days.
Have fun.

Easter next year is April 17. We were in Haarlem later in April a few years ago. King's Day, April 27, was a big celebration all over the country and we enjoyed the atmosphere and the fact that the outdoor music stopped promptly at 10. The tulips at Keukenhof were in full bloom. We liked the Hals museum and various Amsterdam sights a short train ride away (we'd been there before). Do you have a more specific question, Joe?

We will be in Haarlem/Amsterdam before our 21 Day BOE

Are you staying in Amsterdam or Haarlem, or both? If you have a few days prior to the trip I'd recommend staying in Amsterdam, or perhaps Amsterdam and then going to Haarlem the night prior to the tour start. Sure you can take the train into every day Amsterdam but there are so many museums to visit, places to stroll, if you are right there in Amsterdam. And if you're getting over jetlag you can pop into your hotel for a brief nap or to adjust clothes if the weather changes.

This year, like much of Europe, we had one of the coldest Aprils in history... May was not much better - with plenty of rain & wind. Let's hope next year is MUCH warmer! Although tourist sites, museums, grocery stores, etc. are open through the Easter holidays, many smaller businesses (shops) will be closed on Easter & Easter Monday.