Day trips from Amsterdam: 9 epic adventures
Some day trips repay the early train. Plenty don't. These 9 day trips from Amsterdam are the ones that earn the hours, and each comes with an honest note on what you're really getting.
Book a TripBrugesBelgium's fairy-tale medieval town: cobblestone streets, swan-filled canals, the Belfry tower, and Belgian chocolate + beer in every direction. Directions
Book a TripGiethoornThe 'Venice of the North': a 14th-century village with no roads, only canals + footbridges + thatched-roof farmhouses. Directions
Book a TripKeukenhof Tulip GardensThe world's largest tulip garden: 7 million bulbs across 32 hectares, in bloom only mid-March to mid-May. Directions
Book a TripKinderdijk19 working 18th-century windmills lined along a single polder: UNESCO World Heritage, less touristy than Zaanse Schans, the windmills here actually still pump water. Directions
Book a TripRotterdamThe Netherlands' second city: flattened in WWII, rebuilt as a modern-architecture playground. Directions
Book a TripThe HagueThe Netherlands' political capital: the Mauritshuis museum (home of Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring), the medieval Binnenhof parliament complex, and the seaside resort of Scheveningen 15 min away by tram. Directions
Book a TripUtrechtMedieval university city 30 min from Amsterdam: the Dom Tower (Netherlands' tallest church tower, climbable), canals with split-level wharves (cafés on the lower level under the streets), and Miffy/nijntje's hometown. Directions
Book a TripVolendam & MarkenTwo traditional Dutch fishing villages on the IJsselmeer: Volendam (with its eel-smoking warehouses + harbor restaurants) and Marken (former island, still feels like one). DirectionsSome booking links earn us a small commission. It does not change the price the partner charges you.