Yes, we know the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House are must-visit places for your trip to the Netherlands, but if you ever get tired of Amsterdam, do not forget that the Netherlands has a lot more to offer! Check out our 5 best picks for a day trip away from Amsterdam.
If you have not had enough of walking around the streets of historical cities, please do not stop at Amsterdam! The Hague, Delft, Utrecht, Leiden, Haarlem, the list is endless. A city trip is a great way to get to know the history and culture of the Netherlands. You might even wan to combine two cities to get the most out of your day.
1. Haarlem
Try Haarlem, for example, it is just a 15-minute train ride from Amsterdam Centraal and it is one of the most charming cities in North Holland, full of history and beautiful hidden spots that you can discover with one of our private walking tours. This city was the epicenter of the tulip mania in the 17th century and it is still known today as the bloemenstad, “flower city”. Not only can you visit a quintessentially Dutch city, with the typical roofs and facades and an intricate system of canals, but it can also offer a varied choice of museums, from the Frans Hals Museum to the Teylers Museum, the oldest in the Netherlands.
The Grote Kerk on the Market Square in Haarlem.
2. Keukenhof
If you are planning to visit the Netherlands between mid-March and early May, chances are you are looking forward to taking a stroll in a tulip field. Before you get a fine, however, do not forget that it is frowned upon and illegal to enter privately-owned tulip fields, as it may put the tulips at risk of harmful bacteria. Instead, we recommend you pay a visit to the biggest and most famous tulip garden of the Netherlands, the Keukenhof. Situated just an hour south of Amsterdam, it hosts every year over a million tourists who come from every corner of the world to witness the tulips bloom. It is definitely an unmissable stop for your spring visit. Check out their website for the opening dates, as they might differ every year.
Tulips in full bloom at Keukenhof. Source: new.cision.com via keukenhof.nl
3. Zaanse Schans
Windmills, cheese, and clogs are the trinity of the Netherlands’ image abroad. What if we told you that you could find all of this in a single place, just 30 minutes outside of Amsterdam? Zaanse Schans is an open-air museum that includes 12 windmills, a clog museum with live demonstration and a cheese museum, among others, that can give you a feel of how a Dutch industrial neighbourhood might have looked.
A view of the Zaanse Schans windmills. Source: dezaanseschans.nl
4. Scheveningen
It’s a sunny day and you’d rather be at the beach? The Netherlands won’t disappoint! Our pick for a day trip filled with plenty of sunbathing and swims in the North Sea is Scheveningen, in The Hague. The name of the former fishing village near The Hague is sure difficult to pronounce (not for anything, it was used to detect German spies during WWII), but what you’ll end up doing here is far from exhausting. With around 10 km of sandy beaches, a pier, museums and a dune park (with wild cows!), this neighbourhood of The Hague has many activities to offer. You can take a stroll, rent a bike, or simply just lay your towel on the beach and enjoy the good weather. You might even want to begin or end your day with a private tour of The Hague from one of our guides, who will be able to tell you the important role of this neighbourhood for the de facto capital city of the Netherlands. Just do not forget to apply sunscreen!
People on Scheveningen Beach enjoy the beautiful summer weather with the Pier and the North Sea in the background.
Source: beeldbankdenhaag.nl
5. Volendam and Marken
These quaint fishing villages, just about 30 minutes north of Amsterdam, are the perfect opportunity for you to take a step back in time. The traditional houses, the harbour and the stunning views over the lake have inspired hundreds of landscape painters over the centuries. Volendam is also known in the Netherlands for famous singers such as Jan Smit and Anny Schilder. Maybe you can listen to their songs as you take the quick ferry trip to Marken, that was once an island and is today connected to the mainland through a narrow strip of land. There, you should try a herring at the fish stand and walk through the streets of this curious village!
A glimpse of Volendam’s main street, with its typical houses. Source: laagholland.com
Get ready for your trip by arranging your private tour with a local guide and checking out how the public transportation system works in the Netherlands!
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