8 best day trips from Amsterdam

Day trips compared

The day trips

20 km · About 15 minutes by train

1.Haarlem

A smaller, calmer Amsterdam with canals, almshouse courtyards and the Grote Markt dominated by St Bavo's Church, whose organ Mozart played as a boy. The Frans Hals Museum and the Teylers Museum, the oldest museum in the Netherlands, are the highlights.

Getting there

NS train from Centraal Station

Best for

Quiet stays, Culture, Couples

20 km · About 20 minutes by train plus a short walk

2.Zaanse Schans

A collection of working 18th-century windmills, green wooden houses, a clog workshop and a cheese farm along the Zaan river. It is touristy, but an early-morning visit catches the windmills turning before the coach groups arrive.

Getting there

NS train to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans

Best for

Families, First-timers

40 km · About 1 hour by bus

3.Keukenhof

Open for only about eight weeks each spring, usually from late March to mid-May, Keukenhof's 32 hectares of gardens display millions of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, while the surrounding bulb fields bloom in stripes of colour.

Getting there

Seasonal Keukenhof express bus from Schiphol or Leiden

Best for

Couples, Families, First-timers

20 km · About 30 minutes by bus

4.Volendam and Marken

Two former fishing villages on the IJsselmeer: Volendam with its harbour promenade and smoked-eel stalls, and Marken with green wooden houses on mounds and a lighthouse. Edam, home of the cheese, is a short bus ride further.

Getting there

Bus from Centraal Station, with a seasonal ferry between the two villages

Best for

Families, Quiet stays

40 km · About 30 minutes by train

5.Utrecht

Utrecht's two-level canals have old wharf cellars at water level converted into cafés and terraces. Climbing the Dom Tower, the tallest church tower in the Netherlands, gives views over the old town, and the Miffy Museum delights young children.

Getting there

NS train from Centraal Station

Best for

Culture, Couples, Families

60 km · About 1 hour by train

6.Delft

The town of Vermeer and blue-and-white Delftware has a canal-lined centre and a vast Markt between the New Church, burial place of the Dutch royal family, and the town hall. The Royal Delft pottery factory offers tours and painting demonstrations.

Getting there

NS train from Centraal Station

Best for

Culture, Couples, Quiet stays

75 km · About 40 minutes by high-speed train

7.Rotterdam

The Netherlands' second city was rebuilt with bold modern architecture after 1940: the Cube Houses, the horseshoe-shaped Markthal food hall and the Erasmus Bridge. The mirrored Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen lets visitors see inside a working art storehouse.

Getting there

Intercity Direct from Centraal Station

Best for

Culture, Food lovers

60 km · About 50 minutes by train

8.The Hague

The seat of the Dutch government holds the Mauritshuis, home of Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring and View of Delft, and the seaside resort of Scheveningen with its pier and long sandy beach is a short tram ride away.

Getting there

NS Intercity from Centraal Station

Best for

Culture, Beach, Families

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• NS trains from Centraal Station reach Schiphol, Haarlem, Utrecht, Zaandijk and other day-trip towns.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask