For a one-time life experience, you can start with a tour of the enchanting village of Giethoorn in the north of the Netherlands, with many canals and a total lack of roads. During a 1-hour guided boat tour, you can visit this fairytale village where less than 3,000 persons are living. Explore the restored village on foot to see the structure of every farmhouse on a tiny, man-made island. Walk along the narrow footpaths to explore hundreds of bridges and admire the village's quiet ambiance.

Your journey will continue with an exploration of the most picturesque traditional 17th-century Zaanse Schans settlement, which includes houses and a series of wonderfully restored windmills from the nation's industrial heritage. In Zaanse Schans village, you can stroll through the charming greenhouses and visit a factory that makes the famous clogs in this part of the world. There's also a Dutch cheese to taste, and when you're there, you can try some at the Catharina Hoeve Farm, where you can also learn about how it's made.