Welcome in Holland! Are you looking to get away from the crowds in Amsterdam?
We offer 6 small group tours off the beaten track with experienced local guides. Come and explore nature looking for wildlife, ride a horse on the beach or enjoy a day on a boat looking for seals. Learn more about WWII at a former camp site or dive into art and architecture surrounded by Holland’s most beautiful nature.
OUR TOURS
We have made some significant changes to comply with the current COVID-19 social distancing and safety regulations.
As all tours are private for up to 6 people of one group (household, family or friends), we are very flexible and can add new destinations upon request. Existing destinations are: Seals, concentration camp Vught, National Park Hoge Veluwe, Horse riding, Bird watching and Island Tour. Adding tours with destinations like Giethoorn, Zaanse Schans, Marken or Kinderdijk is definitely a possibility!
We will explore the National Park Hoge Veluwe, home to Red Deer, Roe deer, Wild Boar and Mouflon, stopping at several lookouts and wildlife viewing areas. If you like, we can discover the park by bicycle as well! For those in your group who are more interested in art or architecture we offer to drop you at the entrance of the country residence/museum Jachthuis Sint Hubertus or the The Kröller-Müller Museum.
On this half day tour, we will take you on a journey along the breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage site Waddensea. We will explore the Waddensea by boat at low tide, scouting for seals and migrating birds. We will visit the historic town of Medemblik on the IJsselmeer coast, the golden era village of Twisk, and we will see the famous enclosing dike between Noord-Holland and Friesland up close, on this family friendly trip.
Come and discover Holland from horseback! Our amazing trail ride takes you through the forest and dunes to the beautiful Dutch beach. We offer hacks for beginner, intermediate and experienced riders. For experienced riders we offer to include a nice gallop on the beach! The ride typically lasts 1,5 – 2,5 hours, depending on the weather and riding level of the people in your group. Please note our age (8+) and weight(<100kg/220lbs) restrictions for this activity.
On this small group tour, we will visit the remainders of the WWII Nazi concentration camp Vught, with its reconstructed watchtowers, barracks, crematorium and children’s memorial. The camp was first used in 1943 and held 31,000 Jewish and political prisoners. During this visit, the importance of this time in our recent history will be highlighted. An audio tour is included at the site. Our tour guide will stay with the group throughout the visit and will be able to answer your questions.
Our national parks are geared towards bird watchers with many easy accessible blinds and lookouts. On this full day trip we will take you on a walk in one of our biggest nature reserves, with lakes, wetlands, swamps and grasslands. It is home to a huge variety of bird species, of which 31 are on the European endangered species list. The area is also know for its big herds of large grazers like Red deer, Heck cattle and wild Konik horses. A boxed lunch is included with this trip.
Experience a full day at the beautiful island of Texel and it’s surrounding UNESCO World Heritage site Wadden sea! We will sail to Texel and explore its National Parks, historic villages and beaches. We will pick you up in Amsterdam in the morning and will bring you back late afternoon. A full day of island experience at one of Holland’s most beautiful islands! A boxed lunch is included. Upon request and availability you can add a seal watching tour to this booking.
TESTIMONIALS
A beautiful walk through the dunes, between the trees and the sun, we jogged in moments and walked in another. I highly recommend this walk.
I got this trip as a birthday surprise. It was amazing experience! Sarah was a great companion, everyone in stables was very friendly and helpful, stables themselves are just fancy,... read more
I had a super fun day with Eva visiting the seals at the Wadden Sea and the towns around the Ijsemeer. Eva took care of all the details, and you... read more
GALLERY
The Waddensea is the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world. The Waddensea is one of the largest wetlands in the world. It consists of islands, channels, gullies and flats, which are continually changing shape and sometimes even location. The Waddensea is unique: it is the only tidal and coastal island system in the world with a temperate climate that is so large and contains such an enormous variety of plants and animals. A World Heritage Site since 2009 it has a surface area of almost 11,500 km² and is shared by The Netherlands, Germany and Denmark.
The Waddensea is teeming with life! Mussel banks and mudflats that arise from the sea at low tide form a rich area where large amounts of mussels, shellfish, worms, shrimps and plants make up a richly laid table for many birds and fish. Many North Sea fish use the Waddensea as a nursery while others live there year round. Marine mammals, such as the harbour seal, the grey seal and the porpoise, profit from the rich fish life in the Waddensea. The seals hunt in the sea at high tide and rest on the sandbanks at low tide. More than 30,000 harbour seals live in the Waddensea as well as over 2000 grey seals. The area is famous as both a breeding ground and winter fuel station for migrating birds. In total, 10-12 million migrating birds pass through every year, consisting of waders, geese, ducks and gulls.
During our half day tour we will stop in the beautiful historic town of Medemblik on the IJsselmeer coast. Founded in the 13th century the town became important and wealthy in the 16th and 17th century, largely because of the trade vessels which sailed to faraway cities on the Hanze Trade route. The town has a small castle from the 14th century as well as a working grain mill. Wandering along its canals it is easy to imagine the times of the golden age!
During our full day Island tour we explore the beautiful island of Texel, located in the Unesco World Heritage site Wadden Sea. The island has a wide variety of picturesque fisherman’s villages that we will visit along the way.
Dutch Seal Tours was founded by Sarah and Eva, close friends since they were kids. Both coming from a family of passionate flatboat sailors, we spent a substantial part of our childhood out on the mudflats of the Wadden Sea, searching for shellfish and scouting for seals. We have already passed on the love for this unique wildlife area to our kids and friends, but we are convinced the Waddensea is one of the must sees for international nature lovers! This small country is home to a great UNESCO World Heritage site teeming with wildlife and we would like to share it with you! As conservation of the area is key, our focus is on sustainable tourism. It is a wonderful world out there, let’s go exploring!
Dutch Seal Tours is a member of VvKR (Dutch Association for smallscale travel organizations).
