Tours 1 & 2 are open for all participants of the Congress and included in the Congress fee.
Leiden Canal Cruise – Sailing through the beautiful city of Leiden on a boat trip, one experiences the very rich culture of the city: many canal-side monuments, museums and the lively center of Leiden. For instance, you will sail pass Weddesteeg, the street in which Rembrandt was born, as well as Hortus Botanicus gardens and the University of Leiden, the oldest gardens and oldest university in the Netherlands.
Hortus Botanicus Garden, Leiden – The Hortus Botanicus Leiden is the oldest botanical garden in Western Europe. Founded in 1590 and expanded in the centuries afterwards, the Hortus is the green heart of Leiden. Collecting, nursing and studying for four centuries has produced a beautiful garden with a variety of alien, unknown crops. The special gardens and greenhouses, including the collection of Hortus Malabaricus species, the Japanese garden and the Victoria greenhouse, are worth a visit.
Leiden University Library – Visiting the treasure treatise of Hortus Malabaricus and the botanical heritage of the Dutch Golden Age represented by herbarium collections, books and botanical drawings in the Special Collections of the Artis library, Leiden University library and Naturalis treasure room (guided tour).
The day after the conference, participating Vaidyas can join in a sightseeing tour of the wonderful cities of Delft, Den Haag and Amsterdam. For those participating in the Congress Extension, this tour is included in the extension fee. For all others the price is 70 EUR.
Delft – Delft is a picturesque city in the western Netherlands. No visit to Delft would be complete without purchasing a piece of the iconic blue Delft pottery, hand-painted blue-and-white pottery. Delft Blue is the world-famous earthenware that has been produced in the city of Delft since the 16th century. Delft has most attractive streets with best shopping experience, all of it in a pedestrian district.
Madurodam, The Hague – Holland's highlights and heritage – What makes the small country of the Netherlands so great? Discover this and more at Madurodam, a small city full of beautiful miniatures, playful activities and the best attractions! The models are exact replicas of special buildings and objects, on a scale of 1:25. Through intensive daily care, the greenery, especially small-leaved trees and shrubs, is kept to a maximum of 60 centimeters high.
Amsterdam, De 9 Straatjes (The 9 Streets) – The quaint and quirky streets that straddle Amsterdam’s grandest canals form the city’s most photogenic micro-neighbourhood. Known to locals as ‘De Negen Straatjes’ or ‘The Nine Streets’, this special neighbourhood is full to bursting with vintage and designer shopping, specialty stores and cozy cafés. The area offers a great overview of the architectural style of Amsterdam heritage. After 400 years it is still very lively with artisanal businesses, hidden cafes, hotspot restaurants and galleries.
Amsterdam Canal Cruise – In the evening a canal cruise boat ride with a guided Amsterdam city tour will be offered, showcasing wonderful monuments of the city.
Vaidyas will also be having sightseeing tours to Germany and Belgium during the extension. These tours are included in the extension fee.
The evening will be spent in Maastricht, the nearby capital of Limburg province, famous for its exceptionally rich historical, architectural, cultural and educational background.
Another highlight of the sightseeing tour is the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Centre in Bad Ems, Germany. It is one of the largest and most recognized Ayurveda clinics in Europe. Over 20,000 Panchakarma patients have undergone treatments here. The ancient Romans enjoyed the magnificent area and the famous “Emser springs’” with its high content of vital minerals. In the 19th century, it was the place where Europe’s tsars, emperors, kings, scholars and artists sought improvement for their health and gained new strength and vitality.
Cologne is Germany’s fourth-largest city, located on both sides of the river Rhine and is a major cultural centre. It is home to more than thirty museums and hundreds of galleries. Germany’s most visited sight – the Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) – is a World Heritage Site and the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Cologne. The University of Cologne is one of Europe’s oldest and largest universities.
Brussels is the capital and largest city of Belgium and the capital of European Union (EU). It is also the administrative centre of many international organizations.