Sustainability in The Netherlands – 8 Days

You’ll depart on your flight.

You will meet your tour manager.

Your flight will arrive.

You’ll take a train from the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Leeuwarden.

You’ll arrive at your accommodation and store your luggage. If your rooms are ready, you’ll check in. The Alibi Hostel used to be a jail and has been repurposed into a chic hostel in Leeuwarden. *This is a shared bathroom hostel.

You will receive your reusable tote bag, journal, and pen.

You’ll take a canal cruise of Leeuwarden.

You’ll have dinner.

You’ll have breakfast.

You’ll board your bus to go to the Omrin Recycle Boulevard.

You’ll visit the largest recycling facility in the Netherlands, the Omrin Recycle Boulevard and participate in a workshop. Omrin, the Frisian word for cycle, was named the most sustainable company in the Netherlands in 2019. However, it’s more than just a recycling plant. Sustainable items are created in their circular workshops and sold. These products are more or less ‘new’ because they are made from existing raw materials and have been given an improved appearance.

You’ll board the bus and head to Afsluitdijk.

You will have lunch.

You’ll visit Afsluitdijk, a major dam in the Netherlands that was built in 1927 and runs from North Holland to Friesland. You’ll hear a short presentation followed by a visit of the Wadden Center dedicated to Afsluitdijk.

You’ll board the bus and head to Leeuwarden.

After staying at the Alibi for 2 nights, you’ll take a tour of the hostel and learn more about its history as a jail and the conversion process to turn it into a modern hostel.

Back at the hostel, you’ll gather as a group to discuss major takeaways from your time in Leeuwarden.

You’ll have dinner.

You’ll have breakfast.

You’ll take a train to Amsterdam.

You’ll arrive at the Conscious Hotel Westerpark in Amsterdam. If your rooms are ready, you’ll check in. The Conscious Hotel brand values sustainability and was awarded a Greenkey Gold Certificate representing that the hotel is doing everything they can to operate in a sustainable way. They do this with the most sustainable solutions. They have water saving taps and showers that minimize waste without you even noticing it! They have solar panels on the roof and the hotels run on Dutch wind power. All rooms are equipped with comfortable Royal Dutch Auping beds which are also cradle-to-cradle, meaning all materials will be reused. Their linens are organic and rental bikes are made from recycled old bike frames. They also only use the best products in their restaurants: everything is organic and mostly locally sourced.

You will take a break for lunch (not included).

You’ll take a guided tour at the Fashion for Good Museum. Its mission is to bring together the entire fashion ecosystem and be agents for change in the industry. It demonstrates innovative ways to move away from a ‘take-make-waste’ pattern which has led to 60% of all clothing produced ending up being burned or in landfills within one year of being made.

You’ll visit the Het Grachtenhuis Museum, a museum dedicated to the history of Amsterdam’s canals. You will learn about the evolution of the importance of canals for the city.

You’ll have some free time to explore Amsterdam.

You’ll have dinner.

You’ll have breakfast.

You’ll gather as a group to reflect on the first day in Amsterdam.

You will walk or take public transportation to your next stop.

You’ll have the unique opportunity to make a difference by going plastic fishing by boat through the famous Amsterdam canals. A fun competition will be embedded with a prize at the end!
You will take a break for lunch (not included).

You’ll take a bike tour of Amsterdam. There are more bikes in Amsterdam than people making this one of the most popular modes of transportation! Highlights include: Artis Zoo, Magere Brug, De Pijp, Hortus Botanicus, Joordan, and Vondelpark and cycle past the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Nemo. Admire windmills and beautiful scenery.

You’ll visit the Anne Frank House, where the girl made famous by her surviving diary hid with her family for two years. Though Anne perished in the war, her father survived and published her diary as a testament to life under Nazi rule. You’ll see the original pages of the diary and experience Anne’s daily life in hiding.

You’ll have dinner.

You’ll have breakfast.

You’ll take a train to The Hague.

You’ll arrive at the Court Green Hotel in the Hague and store your luggage. If your rooms are ready, you’ll check in. The Court Green Hotel Court Garden is the first ecodesigned hotel in the Netherlands and is located in trendy Zeeheldenkwartier, one of the nicest city districts in The Hague.

You’ll have free time to grab lunch at The Hague Market. Buying local foods has many environmental benefits including preserving small farm land, reducing food miles and preserving genetic diversity. It also has economic benefits such as keeping money and jobs in the community and providing profit to local farmers.

You’ll visit the Duurzaam Den Haag and learn about the steps the organization is taking to make The Hague a greener, sustainable city.

You’ll visit the European Climate Foundation (pending confirmation). The ECF was founded in 2008 as an international non-profit organization who aims to promote climate and energy policies. The aim is to reduce Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions and to help Europe play a stronger international leadership role in mitigating climate change.

You’ll gather as a group to reflect on your day in The Hague.

You’ll have dinner.

You’ll have breakfast.

You’ll take public transportation to your next stop.

You’ll meet Julia van Rooij, a surfer and activist, dedicated to bringing awareness to the damage humans are doing to not only beaches, but also the planet. You’ll have the opportunity to speak with Julia and ask her questions.

You’ll participate in an organized beach cleanup.

You will take a break for lunch (not included).

Surf’s up! You’ll take a beginner’s surf lesson.

You’ll take public transportation to your next stop.

You’ll gather as a group for a closing discussion.

You’ll have dinner.

Your flight will depart.

You’ll have breakfast.

You’ll take a train back to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

You’ll arrive at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.