Amsterdam is the life and soulful capital of the Netherlands, but outside of this city lies many fascinating places to visit and venture in order to capture the full essence of the Netherlands. There are elements of the Dutch that the field of Amsterdam is unable to accommodate all of them, such as the beautiful tulip fields as well as De Zaanse, Schanns collection of colourful windmills. If time truly allows, come and explore out of the premises of Amsterdam for these exciting day trips to complete your Dutch Experience!
Visit the Tulip Fields at the Famous Keukenhof Flower Gardens
One of the most beautiful views the Netherlands has encapsulated would be the multi-coloured Tulip Fields in bloom during spring, and the most famous place to spectate these flowers would be at the Keukenhof Gardens. The Keukenhof, which means “ kitchen garden” spans over 84 acres of land that is beautifully decorated with more than 800 varieties of tulips. There is a burst of colour of pinks, purples, yellows and reds of tulips that stretches and appears endless into the horizon. The best, and only timing to visit the Gardens is the 8 weeks of Spring, from 20 March - 9 may, so it's important to plan your schedule early. There are many things to do there - take a stroll amidst the rows of tulips or rent a bike to cycle around the Keukenhof! If you are lucky, you can witness the annual flower parade that links from Noordwijk to Haarlem and the road in front of Keukenhof Gardens is decorated for the event.
Around 40km away, the Keukenhof Gardens is accessible from Amsterdam by bus, car as well as the train. The most popular option for many is to take the Keukenhof Express Bus to the gardens. The ride is fast and cheap as well, and thus you can have enough time to explore the Gardens. Purchase your combi-ticket earlier and choose your departure location as the price varies from different departure points in Amsterdam. You can also drive down with a rental car, which is a 34 min drive and ~6 euros of parking fee, which is not too bad! If not, you can consider going on a guided tour that not only brings you to the destination but show you around the Gardens. Of course, it is fun to explore on our own as well!
Address: Stationsweg 166A, 2161 AM Lisse, Netherlands
Opening Hours:
20th March - 9th May: 8am - 7:30pm
Entrance Fees:
0 - 3 Years: Free
4 -11 Years: €9
12 and Above (Adult): €19
Explore One of Netherlands's Best Markets and Sights in Haarlem
Not far from Amsterdam lies the dreamy Haarlem, a town-like city that captures the essence of Medieval old Netherlands. For centuries, Haarlem has been a busy market town with commerce and production, bringing the freshest produce for its people. The Grote Markt, Haarlem market square, is the heart of the town where the Saturday markets are up.
They have one of the best christmas markets in the Netherlands as well, busting with the joy and spirit of festivities.
There’s so much historical significance in Haarlem, and some of the sights to visit would be the Corrie Ten Boom Museum as well as Molen de Adriaan. The Corrie Ten Boom Museum honours the war efforts and sacrifices that Corrie has made to protect the Jews by hiding them in her Christian Home during World War 2. Visitors can get to visit the home-turned-museum and hear the true stories of how Corrie helped them hide, built a false wall and her capture as well.
Molen De Adriaan is also a fascinating windmill in Haarlem to visit as it has played a huge significance in Haarlem’s rise. Built by a french man, Hugenot Adriaan Dubois in 1778, this mill has been passed to many owners, all fulfilling different production tasks, from farming, water drainage to Tobacco snuff production. It is definitely worth visiting to learn about the transformation of this beautiful windmill.
Windmill Park Adventure at de Zaanse Schans
Located in the city of Zaandam not far away from Amsterdam, De Zaanse, Schans is one of the most concentrated spots with many of these windmills aligned around the waters, and is also a very popular place for tourists to visit and take photos of these sceneric and colorful windmills. It is easy to walk around without a guided tour and there is an abundance of activities to do in this windmill park!
You can visit the Clog Museum to purchase your own traditional clog shoes or observe the making at the clog workshop. There's also cheese sampling at the cheese factory, Catharina Hoeve, as well as many vintage or collectible shops. You can rent a bike and cycle around De Zaanse, Schans or simply enjoy a nice stroll along the river.
Address: Schansend 1, 1509 AW Zaandam, The Netherlands
Opening Hours: Most attractions are open from 9am-5pm on most days.
A Trip to the Dazzling City of Rotterdam
If you haven’t heard of the second largest city in Rotterdam, here’s why you should visit! Located only 40min by high speed train to South Holland, Rotterdam has its similarities to Amsterdam but as many more unique differences as well! As compared to Amsterdam, they are both port cities with a good level of diversity, as well as a balance between the Old and the Modern.
However, Rotterdam’s port is way more massive and impressive than Amsterdam’s and it is known to be the world’s top five biggest harbors and Europe’s largest seaport! When you visit the port, you will really understand the mechanics of commerce as well as the ecosystem of Rotterdam's flow of goods. The port also reveals the humility of Rotterdam people and the dynamics of the working city.
Rotterdam is also a cosmopolitan city with a growing population, and is well-known for its modern architecture as well as lively cultural life. Besides traditional beer making, Rotterdam people enjoy making craft beer and you can find many trendy cafes around to try the various kinds of beer they have!
One of the most interesting and famous architectures to visit is the Cube Houses! Designed by a Dutch Architect, Piet Blom, he created the most unique residence houses for the people to enjoy, with their homes exactly tilter over by 45 degrees. The inspiration behind these Cube houses was to resemble an abstract forest, with each triangular roof as a treetop. You can locate these wonderful houses right next to the Rotterdam Blaak railway station.
With an exciting day trip or two to Rotterdam, you will get to experience and perhaps compare, if you like, the best between both great cities!
The Alkmaar Cheese Market
If you like cheese, and you love markets, then go on an unforgettable day trip to The Alkmaar Cheese Market! This cheese market has been a part of Alkmaar’s tradition for more than 400 years, and it has always taken place at the Waagplein, even till today. The process is rather unique - once the cheese is all laid out, samplers then inspect the cheese and also share some samples with the public. Cheese carriers will carry the cheese wheel while walking around energetically - sometimes even invite the public to try! The deal is then sealed by the clapping of hands as an unison of approval.
The Alkmaar Market is so accessible to visit, with just a 30min ride by train from Amsterdam to Alkmaar, a charming town that is especially known for its centuries-old traditional Dutch Cheese. You can spend a day trip in Alkmaar itself, and do note that the Market opens only on weekly Friday mornings, from April to September.
Address: Houttil 26, 1811 JM Alkmaar, Netherlands
Opening Hours:
April to September (summer season): every Friday at 10am
And there we have it - 5 amazing day trip ideas to get your itinerary filled and pumped up for a great adventure outside of Amsterdam. There’s so much that the Netherlands has to offer, so do remember to prioritize your interests as well as if time allows for more than 1 day trip! Of course, the more, the merrier :)
