Last updated: June 2026
If you’re here searching for the best day trips from Amsterdam, look no further: I have a list of 27 beautiful Dutch cities and towns from which you can choose!
One of the best things about visiting the Netherlands is that — given the small distances and the well connected public transport system — you can basically do a day trip to anywhere in the country. Buses and trains will take you to any major city and, once in the train, you can relax and watch the green fields from your window while you are safely brought to your destination. You can even take your bike with you in the train if you want to!
In this article I gathered a collection of beautiful Dutch cities that worth a visit. I keep adding to this list as I explore more of the country, so it now mixes large cities with smaller historic towns — all of them easy and rewarding day trips from Amsterdam. Since I moved to the Netherlands I wanted to discover the country, to see what each province has to offer and what kind of people I meet there, which meant many day trips along the years. There is still more of the Netherlands I yet have to see, but that’s good, it means there are still beautiful places I haven’t discovered yet!
My favourite thing about most of the cities listed in this article is the quiet pace, that laid-back atmosphere that you can’t easily find in Amsterdam anymore.
The cities are ordered by the time it takes to get there from Amsterdam Central Station. I also mentioned the province, for each of them, to help you make plans if your starting point is not Amsterdam. If you live in the Netherlands I’m sure you already use the 9292 and NS websites and apps, but if you are a tourist, add them to your agenda and don’t hesitate to use them to plan your trips. Now let’s start with the list.
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Best day trips from Amsterdam: Dutch cities you need to visit
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Day trips under 1 hour from Amsterdam
1. Haarlem: the easiest day trip from Amsterdam (15–20 min by train, North Holland province)
You won’t even notice when the time passed and the train arrived at the beautiful old station in Haarlem.
This is the capital of North Holland and the home of Golden Age master Frans Hals.You could even do just a half-day trip to this city, but if you want to get to know it better, a full day is recommended. The medieval city of Haarlem is a charming destination with its cobblestone streets and historical buildings, canals and windmills. I love the relaxed pace of the city which is only changing on Saturdays: it’s market day! The main square is covered with stalls and the streets are buzzing with people. The Spaarne river runs through the city of Haarlem and you could do a cruise, if you’d like, or just walk along it, looking for the perfect café to have a drink.
To see: Grote Markt and St.Bavokerk (a 14th century cathedral), De Adriaan Windmill, Frans Hals Museum, Teylers Museum, The Dolhuys or Museum van de Geest (the museum of Mind), Amsterdamse Poort (the old city gate), Cathedral of St. Bavo, the Hofje van Bakenes, the oldest of Haarlem’s hidden almshouse courtyards.
To do: Stroll the cosy streets and make sure you don’t miss Spaarnwouderstraat, a little street with art galleries. Shopping is also a good idea, if that’s your thing, because Haarlem has a few unique shops that you’ll want to visit. Head for de Gouden Straatjes (the Golden Streets – shopping district) and discover everything they offer! Do a canal cruise, to admire the beautiful architecture from the water level. Or hunt for the many hofjes (hidden courtyards) that Haarlem has!
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: the local newspaper, Oprechte Haerlemsche Courant, is one of the oldest newspapers in the world that are still being published.
👉 Read here my full guide to Haarlem: Day Trips from Amsterdam: A Guide to Haarlem
👉 Make the most of your visit by planning in advance:
Haarlem: City Center Walking Tour
Haarlem: Local Craft Beer Tasting In The Famous ‘Jopenkerk’
2. Utrecht: a canal-city day trip from Amsterdam (27 min by train, Utrecht province)
Utrecht is perhaps my favourite place for a day-trip. I fell in love with the city on my first visit there and I always go back with pleasure. Utrecht is a mix of quiet and lively streets and has a certain refreshing feel to it. It also has a lively vibe because it’s a university city. The canals are something special: they differ from the Amsterdam ones, in the sense that they are on two stories, dug deeper into the streets. Little antiques shops pepper the city and you can spend hours browsing through them, looking for lost treasures. Many cafés and restaurants are tempting you at every corner, but make sure to get acquainted with the rich history and contemporary culture too, by visiting some of the many attractions.
To see: visit Dom Toren and Dom Kerk (St. Martin’s cathedral), to see the city from above; the Pandhof garden (which was part of the old monastery garden), Speelklok Museum (the museum of automatically playing musical instruments, a delight for adults and children alike), The Museum Catharijneconvent (museum of religious art), Central Museum, Nijntje Museum, Railways museum, DOMunder (an underground route to discover the city’s past), Rietveld Schröderhuis, the Botanical Garden and the unique werfkelders — the two-level wharf cellars along the Oudegracht, now cafés and terraces at water level.
To do: walk along the canals (Oude Gracht is the most beautiful), climb the Dom Tower, have a boat ride and dinner at the restaurants next to the canals.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: Residents of Utrecht are unsure if they should be referred to as Utrechters or Utrechtenaars.
👉 Read here my full guide to Utrecht: Things to Do in Utrecht: a Complete Guide to Discovering the City and Its Surroundings
👉 Make the most of your visit by planning in advance:
Utrecht: Discovery Tour DOMunder
Museum Speelklok: Entry Ticket
Centraal Museum Utrecht: Skip The Line Ticket
Dom Tower: entry ticket and guided tour
Utrecht: Highlights and Secrets with a Walking Tour
3. Alkmaar: a cheese-market day trip from Amsterdam (35 min by train, North Holland)
This pretty city is most famous for its traditional cheese market, which takes place on Fridays, from March till September. Yes, visiting the cheese market in Alkmaar is a very touristy thing to do, but they put on a special show that worth visiting. And if you are a fan of good cheese, this is the place for you! After the market you can stroll through the city, which is a typical Dutch city with cobblestone streets and gingerbread houses. You can totally skip the market and only visit the city; there are plenty of cheese shops around to buy your cheese. There are also many cute shops where you can find interesting stuff, including lots of vintage design and antiques. Don’t miss “Sweets” Oudhollandse Museum Winkel, a shop that will take you back to 100 years ago. It’s incredibly pretty and cosy and you can have a delicious cake with hot chocolate there. Alkmaar proudly calls itself ‘Victory City’ (Victoriestad) for famously resisting a Spanish siege in 1573.
To see: Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar is a great museum; Cheese Museum and Beatles Museum, if you have enough time to spend in Alkmaar; Grote Sint-Laurenskerk to see the largest stained-glass window in Europe.
To do: take a boat tour or a guided walking tour.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: the people who live in Alkmaar are called “kaaskoppen”, which means “cheese heads”, and it’s a reference to the cheese market of Alkmaar.
👉 Make the most of your visit by planning in advance:
Alkmaar: Cheese Market Tour from Amsterdam
Alkmaar: Friday Cheese Market and Hoorn Private Tour
4. Amersfoort: a medieval day trip from Amsterdam (35 min by train, Utrecht)
Only half an hour from Amsterdam, Amersfoort is a medieval gem that wears its history lightly. Three of its old city gates still stand: the photogenic Koppelpoort, the water gate Monnikendam and the Kamperbinnenpoort, and the Eem river loops around and through the centre to form a small canal network. It’s an old city with a young, lively vibe, especially on market day, and it’s also the birthplace of painter Piet Mondrian.
To see: Koppelpoort (the combined land-and-water gate), the Onze Lieve Vrouwetoren (the ‘Lange Jan’ tower), the Muurhuizen (‘wall houses’ built on the old ramparts), the Mondriaanhuis (Mondrian’s birthplace), Museum Flehite, the Kamperbinnenpoort.
To do: Walk the Muurhuizen ring, admire the OLV tower, browse the Saturday market, follow the canals.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: locals are nicknamed ‘Keientrekkers’ (boulder-draggers), after a legend about hauling a giant boulder into the city to win a bet.
👉 Read here my full guide to Amersfoort: Day Trip to the Medieval City of Amersfoort
👉 Make the most of your visit by planning in advance:
Amersfoort: Guided Walking Tour
Amersfoort by bike – Stories of World War Two
5. Hoorn: a Golden-Age harbour day trip from Amsterdam (35 min by train, North Holland)
Half an hour north of Amsterdam, Hoorn is a handsome old harbour town on the IJsselmeer with a glorious past. In the 17th century it was an important base of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), and that golden age is everywhere in the centre: grand merchant houses, the proud Hoofdtoren on the water, and the colourful Westfries Museum on the main square. Today the harbour is full of sailing boats and a lovely place to sit in the sun (or to skate in the winter).
To see: the Hoofdtoren (old harbour tower), the Westfries Museum (temporarily closed until 2027 for renovation), the historic harbour, a replica of the VOC ship De Halve Maen, the old merchant houses.
To do: Walk the harbour, ride the historic Museumstoomtram steam tram to Medemblik, sit on a terrace at the Roode Steen square.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: Cape Horn — the southern tip of South America — is named after Hoorn: navigator Willem Schouten, born here, rounded it in 1616 and named it for his home town.
👉 Read here my full guide to Hoorn: Day Trip to Hoorn
6. Leiden:a university-city day trip from Amsterdam (40 min by train, South Holland province)
Leiden is home to the country’s oldest university (1575) and the birthplace of Rembrandt. It’s packed with historical buildings and monuments. It’s a lovely and peaceful place. Few tourists venture here so you can be the only one around holding a camera, marvelling at the poems on the walls, discovering hidden courtyards and gardens. The old canal system, all six kilometres of it, is still intact and a pretty sight to look at. And if you visit Leiden in spring, you can very well plan a trip to outside the city because it’s sitting right in the middle of the tulip fields area!
To see: Burcht van Leiden (the “Citadel”, a medieval fortress which offers a view over the city), Zijlpoort (old city gate), the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (National Museum of Antiquities), Museum De Lakenhal, Wereldmuseum (Museum of Ethnology), the Botanical Garden, The Walls Poems (Poems painted onto buildings), De Valk Windmill.
To do: have a drink on the boat platforms, walk around the city centre, find the place where Rembrandt was born, do a canal cruise.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: it is said that the first Dutch tulip that started the tulip mania was planted in Leiden, at the Botanical Garden.
👉 Make the most of your visit by planning in advance:
Hortus Botanicus Leiden: Skip The Line Ticket
Hortus botanicus Leiden + Canal Cruise Leiden
7. Rotterdam:a modern-architecture day trip from Amsterdam (50-60 min by train, South Holland)
To see something different, go to Rotterdam, the largest port in Europe and the Netherlands’ second-biggest city. This is a modern city, almost entirely rebuilt after it was destroyed in the World War 2, and it’s a display of contemporary Dutch architecture at its best. Tall, modern buildings form Rotterdam’s skyline and there’s a large river running through the city. It’s not the typical Dutch city, no brick houses and little canals (apart from Delfshaven, the only part of the old city that survived WWII bombardments), no hoards of tourists roaming around (although their number is increasing every year). It’s more suitable for a weekend trip, to get a proper image of the city, but if you don’t have that time, one day-trip is enough for a sneak peek into the life of this rival of Amsterdam. Innovation is a defining word for Rotterdam, with the municipality designing exciting projects like the floating green islands.
There’s art and architecture to discover, harbour and ships, and historical heritage all around. Here you can see the New York Hotel, the place from where the European immigrants used to sail to America (I have a soft spot for places like this).
To see: The Nederlands Fotomuseum, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (contemporary art museum), Fenix Museum, Erasmus Bridge and the river Maas, the Old Harbour, the Cube House, the old district of Delfshaven, Euromast, New York Hotel, Feyenoord Stadium, the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, the world’s first publicly accessible art-storage building.
To do: take the water taxi, visit the amazing Markthall (covered market hall), have lunch at a restaurant on the hip Witte de Withstraat, eat pancakes on the water on the PannenkoekenBoat, go for a day of urban surf.
Getting around: buy a day pass and use the public transport to move between the landmarks, because, unlike other Dutch cities, Rotterdam is big and you can’t easily walk from one place to another.
Fun fact: Rotterdam has a statue that was nick-named “The Buttplug Gnome“, which is actually supposed to represent Santa Claus with a Christmas tree, by artist Paul McCarthy.
👉 Make the most of your visit by planning in advance:
Rotterdam: 1-Hour Sightseeing Splash Tour
Rotterdam Harbor Cruise – Spido
Feyenoord Stadium: Guided Tour
8. The Hague: a royal-city day trip from Amsterdam (50 min by train, South Holland)
Located by the North Sea, The Hague (or Den Haag, in Dutch) is the seat of the Dutch parliament and government, the King’s residence, and home to international courts of justice. The city has quite a different feel to Amsterdam or the other typical Dutch cities: there are almost no canals, replaced instead by wide streets. The architecture is different, more inclined towards a baroque or classic style. It’s a beautiful city, with a residential feel to it and featuring a beautiful large beach: the nearby sea resort Scheveningen (which is a must see, if you visit The Hague). One day is not enough to see everything, you’ll have to choose what appeals to you the most, or visit multiple times, if you live in the Netherlands.
To see: Mauritshuis (art museum, the place where you can see the famous Girl with a Pearl Earring by Vermeer), Fotomuseum Den Haag, The Escher Museum, Kunstmuseum Den Haag (which holds the world’s largest collection of works by Piet Mondrian), Gemeentemuseum, Peace Palace, The Binnenhof (Inner Court), Madurodam, Palace Noordeinde, Panorama Mesdag.
To do: Go to the Scheveningen beach, see the Pier, or go shopping.
Getting around: on foot in the centre, but there are some points of interest that require taking the tram (for example when going to the beach).
Fun fact: The Hague is where the government meets, but it’s not the capital of the Netherlands.
👉 Make the most of your visit by planning in advance:
Escher in The Palace: Entry Ticket
The Mauritshuis Museum: Entry Ticket
From Amsterdam: Rotterdam, Delft & The Hague Guided Day Tour
9. Gouda: a cheese-and-stroopwafel day trip from Amsterdam (55 min by train, South Holland)
Gouda (say ‘How-da’) is known the world over for its cheese, but there’s far more to this South Holland town than that. Granted city rights in 1272, it has over 750 years of history written into its churches, canals and market square, crowned by one of the prettiest Gothic town halls in the country. A day here revolves around cheese and stroopwafels, a bit of history and a lot of relaxed wandering.
To see: the Markt with its Gothic Stadhuis (City Hall) and the Waag (cheese weigh house), the St. Janskerk and its famous stained-glass ‘Goudse Glazen’, Museum Gouda, the canals.
To do: Taste cheese and a fresh stroopwafel, catch the traditional cheese market (Thursday mornings, April–August), wander the old centre.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: the stroopwafel was invented in Gouda, reputedly in the late 18th–19th century by a baker using leftover crumbs and syrup.
👉 Read here my full guide to Gouda: A Lovely Day Trip to Gouda
👉 Make the most of your visit by planning in advance:
Gouda Cheese Experience Entry Ticket
Gouda: Open Boat City Canal Cruise
Day trips 1 to 2 hours from Amsterdam
10. Delft: a Delft Blue day trip from Amsterdam (1 hr by train, South Holland)
Famous for its porcelain, university and its blue heart, Delft is truly a special place. Another one of my favourites, I recommend it wholeheartedly. As in most of the Dutch cities, you should start the visit in the Grote Markt (Central Square), visit the church, take a few photos with the blue heart (I guess this is what you call an instagram worthy spot) and then wander the streets. Delft is the city of painter Johannes Vermeer and the burial city of the Dutch royal House of Orange. You can follow his footsteps around the city, visit the Vermeer Center to learn about his life and work, and find his grave in the Oude Kerk (Old Church) or see the place from Vermeer’s “The little Street” painting, which was identified only a few years ago.
Delft will charm you for sure with its narrow streets, beautiful canals looking like straight out of a painting, and many cosy shops.
To see: The Vermeer Centrum , Oude Kerk and Nieuwe Kerk (Niew Church), The Markt (the main square), The Blue Heart (close to the Oude Kerk), Prinsenhof Museum (temporarily closed), Delft City Hall, Oostpoort, TU Botanical Garden.
To do: Visit Royal Delft to witness the production of the blue Delft porcelain; hunt for antique ceramic shops (they are amazing), get lost on the cobblestone streets and admire the old city and make sure you don’t miss the Oude Canal.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: there’s a tram between Delft and The Hague, and if you are in no hurry you can take the tram from Delft straight to Scheveningen beach.
👉 Read here my full guide to Delft: Day Trip to the Charming City of Delft
👉 Make the most of your visit by planning in advance:
Vermeer Centrum Delft: Entry Ticket + Audio Guide
Royal Delft: Delft Blue Factory & Museum
Delft: Craft Beer Tasting in Medieval Brewery
Delft: Guided City Walking Tour
11. Den Bosch (’s-Hertogenbosch): a medieval day trip from Amsterdam (1 hr by train, North Brabant)
’s-Hertogenbosch, also known as Den Bosch for the ones who twist their tongue pronouncing this city’s name, is a lovely place in the south of the country. It’s very picturesque and some say it should be a must on your visiting list. It is the capital of North Brabant and the birthplace of the painter Hieronymus Bosch. There are a few museums to visit but the main attraction is the city itself. Do an organised walking tour or a food tour if you want, or just let yourself wander the streets and discover it at your own pace. And make sure to consider a boat cruise on the Binnendieze river (it’s like your regular canal tour with a twist: the boats take you under the medieval buildings in certain spots).
To see: Jheronimus Bosch Art Center, Saint John’s Cathedral, Noordbrabants Museum and Stedelijk Museum.
To do: a boat tour through the Binnendieze, the atmospheric hidden canals that run beneath the old city. ; eat Bossche Bollen (traditional pastries).
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: the oldest brick building in the Netherlands is located in Den Bosch, in the Market square: The Moriaan building.
👉 Read here my full guide to Den Bosch: Day Trip to Den Bosch: the Best Things to Do in This Picturesque Brabantian City
👉 Make the most of your visit by planning in advance:
Het Noordbrabants Museum Entry Ticket
Loevestein Castle Entry Ticket
12. Enkhuizen: a Zuiderzee day trip from Amsterdam (1 hr by train, North Holland)
Enkhuizen is one of the loveliest towns on the IJsselmeer: cobbled streets dotted with flowerpots, sinuous canals, 366 listed monuments and a beautiful marina. Like Hoorn, it grew rich in the Golden Age, first on herring (its old nickname was Haringstad, the Herring City) and then as one of the six VOC chambers. Its open-air Zuiderzee Museum is one of the best places in the country to step back into old fishing-village life.
To see: the Zuiderzeemuseum (indoor + open-air), the Drommedaris tower at the harbour mouth, the Peperhuis (a 1625 VOC warehouse), the marina and old centre.
To do: Visit the Zuiderzee Museum, take the seasonal ferry to Stavoren or Medemblik, wander the canals.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: at its peak Enkhuizen had the largest herring fleet in the Netherlands — hence its old nickname, the Herring City.
👉 Read here my full guide to Enkhuizen: Visit the Most Beautiful Town: Enkhuizen
13. Arnhem: a history-and-nature day trip from Amsterdam (1 hr 5 by train, Gelderland)
Arnhem, the capital of Gelderland, is a city of contrasts: largely rebuilt in a modern style after heavy WWII destruction, yet ringed by some of the finest nature in the country. It’s known for the fierce 1944 battle of Operation Market Garden — the ‘bridge too far’ — but also as the Netherlands’ fashion capital, with the lively Modekwartier design district. Come for a relaxed, very local day out and a green escape.
To see: the John Frost Bridge (of ‘A Bridge Too Far’ fame), Sonsbeek Park, the Modekwartier (fashion and design quarter), the Netherlands Open Air Museum (Nederlands Openluchtmuseum), Burgers’ Zoo, Airborne Museum Hartenstein (outside Eindhoven but still close by).
To do: Shop the Modekwartier, walk in Sonsbeek Park, explore WWII history, and use Arnhem as a gateway to the Veluwe and the Hoge Veluwe National Park (with the Kröller-Müller Museum).
Getting around: on foot in the centre; bus for the Open Air Museum and the Veluwe.
Fun fact: the film ‘A Bridge Too Far’, about the battle of Arnhem, was actually shot in Deventer — post-war Arnhem had changed too much to play itself.
👉 Read here my full guide to Arnhem: Day Trip to Arnhem
👉 Make the most of your visit by planning in advance:
Dutch Open Air Museum Entry Ticket
Airborne Museum Hartenstein Entry Ticket
14. Zwolle: a Hanseatic day trip from Amsterdam (1 h 10 hr by train, Overijssel province)
Zwolle is the capital of Overijssel, a Hanseatic city encircled by a star-shaped moat. It’s a lovely city, often overlooked by the people looking for a day-trip. This is the place where you can visit a fantastic bookstore, built in a 15th century cathedral: Waanders in de Broeren. The city definitely worth a visit, to get away from the crowds; you can walk the quaint streets, enjoying the slow pace of life, the romantic feel of the area.
To see: Waanders in de Broeren bookstore, Grote Kerk, Museum de Fundatie (visual arts museum) and Kasteel Het Nijenhuis, Sassenport (the gate house in the city wall), the Peperbus, the tall tower of the Onze Lieve Vrouwe basilica.
To do: Walk around to see all the squares, narrow streets, historical monument; shop, sample the restaurants, have an apple pie at the bookstore.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: Zwolle’s city walls are star-shaped (a specific feature of the Hansa Towns).
15. Breda: a relaxed southern day trip from Amsterdam (1h 15 hr by train, North Brabant)
Breda is a lovely city in the southern province of North Brabant. It has a relaxed, almost Burgundian southern feel and deep ties to the House of Orange-Nassau. It’s not a big city, thus being the perfect destination for a relaxed day trip. Shopping included, because there are a few interesting shops in the city. It the past, Breda used to be a fortress and you’ll find some signs of that past here and there, in buildings like the Castle of Breda or The Spanjaardsgat. The rest of the architecture is mostly southern Dutch style, with pretty façades in pastel colours, cosy streets and impressive churches. Breda is also known as the Nassau Stad, because it was the official residence of the Orange-Nassau family for several centuries (the current Dutch king, Willem-Alexander is a descendant of this family.)
To see: Breda Castle, a UNESCO heritage, the ancestral home of the Counts of Orange-Nassau, Grote Kerk (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk), Vincent Van Gogh’s House, Breda’s harbour, Begijnhof and the Beguines (with a lovely interior herb garden), the Spanjaardsgat.
To do: shop, relax, walk around.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: for some unknown reason, Breda is the city with the highest density of shoe shops in the Netherlands.
👉 Make the most of your visit by planning in advance:
Highlights tour with local guide
Efteling Theme Park is close by, so why not book a fun day as well? Kaatsheuvel: Efteling Theme Park Day Admission Ticket
16. Den Helder: a maritime day trip from Amsterdam (1 hr 17 by train, North Holland)
At the northern tip of the North Holland peninsula, Den Helder is the home of the Royal Netherlands Navy and the gateway to the island of Texel. It’s not a pretty-canals kind of town; it’s all about the sea, ships and sailing, with wide beaches and dune nature on its doorstep. Worth the trip if you love maritime history, or are heading on to Texel.
To see: Willemsoord (the historic naval dockyard), the Marinemuseum (naval museum), Fort Kijkduin, the Donkere Duinen (Dark Dunes) nature area, the Texel ferry.
To do: Take the ferry to Texel, walk the dunes and beaches, explore the old coastal forts.
Getting around: on foot around the centre and Willemsoord; bus for the dunes and the ferry terminal.
Fun fact: Den Helder is the main base of the Royal Netherlands Navy, and the ferry to the island of Texel leaves from here.
👉 Read here my full guide to Den Helder: Discover North Holland: Den Helder
17. Eindhoven: a design-city day trip from Amsterdam (1 hr 20 by train, North Brabant)
Eindhoven is the Netherlands’ fifth-largest city and its tech-and-design capital, home of Philips and of Dutch Design Week each October. Whenever I talk to people about Eindhoven, they all tend to say the same thing: “it’s not a beautiful city, but…”. That is true, this is not what you would ever call a beautiful city, but cities are not interesting only for their beauty, are they? With an important industrial heritage, Eindhoven is now reinventing itself as a cool city. Former factories have been transformed into hip bars, restaurants, art exhibitions. Creativity is the defining word for this place, and a day-trip to Eindhoven might surprise you by bringing a much needed fresh perspective. Old Dutch architecture tends to be roughly the same in every city and village, and one can have enough of it at some point. Even if you’re not a fan of industrial inspired design you might still find this place fascinating, with some of its areas looking like coming straight out of a steampunk movie.
To see: Van Abbe Museum (modern art), the DAF museum (former truck factory), Philips Museum, Next Nature Museum, Stadswandelpark, St. Catherine’s Church, Philips Stadion (for football fans).
To do: visit Strijp-S area (for cool looking bars, shops and restaurants), see the GLOW festival, look for any interesting art or tech exhibition, see the UFO shaped building of Evoluon.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: Eindhoven is home to the Van Gogh Bicycle Path — a bike path glowing in the dark, inspired by “The Starry Night” painting.
👉 Make the most of your visit by planning in advance:
Next Nature Museum Entry Ticket
Wings of Liberation, The WWII Airborne experience
18. Deventer: a Hanseatic day trip from Amsterdam (1 hr 15 by train, Overijssel)
Deventer is an atmospheric Hanseatic IJssel town, famous for its huge Dickens Festival each December. It has a rich history and its heritage can be seen everywhere around the place, in the architecture and well preserved historical artefacts. I consider it a well hidden jewel of a city, often overlooked by tourists (but I don’t mind having the streets only to myself!), where I would like to go more often. You can visit Deventer during one of its festivals, to get an impression of the liveliness of the city, or on a Sunday if you want to enjoy the very quiet pace of a provincial city.
To see: Saint Nicholas Church (The Bergkerk, situated on a small hilltop, surrounded by a charming area), Lebuïnus Church, Speelgoedmuseum (Toy Museum), Kloostertuin (a small garden), The Worp park (to see Deventer’s skyline).
To do: visit the old bookstores, sit on a terrace along the river, visit the book market in August (6 km of books) and the outdoor theatre festival ‘Deventer Op Stelten‘ in July.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: Every August, Deventer hosts Europe’s largest book fair (about 125,000 visitors).
👉 Make the most of your visit by planning in advance:
Amsterdam: Hanseatic Cities & Giethoorn half Day Trip
19. Nijmegen: a riverside day trip from Amsterdam (1 hr 20 by train, Gelderland province)
Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, with Roman roots going back some 2,000 years. However, don’t expect it to look very old (apart from a small area in the centre), because a big part of the city had to be rebuilt after the war and that changed its appearance to a more modern city. It has a young vibe, almost certainly from the large number of students living here. In the centre there’s an impressive shopping area, buzzing with people, but there are also quiet streets and green parks. The city is located on the river Waal, and the river promenade adds to its charm. Here and there, in the parks and in the city, you can see remains of the city walls and its towers.
To see: Valkhof Museum (archeology museum) and Valhof Park, muZIEum (venue recreating the experience of the blind or visually impaired), Museum De Bastei, Kronenburgerpark, Grote Markt, Stevenskerk, Velorama (bicyle museum).
To do: walk on the river Waal’s promenade, have lunch or a drink watching the boats and clouds passing by; have a local beer at De Hemel brewery, discover the Roman heritage of the Netherlands at the museums.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: Nijmegen is famous for its annual Four Days Marches, the largest multiple day marching event in the world, an event promoting sport and exercise.
👉 Read here my full guide to Nijmegen: Day Trip to Nijmegen: Best Things to Do in the Oldest City in the Netherlands
👉 Make the most of your visit by planning in advance:
Best of Nijmegen: Private Walking Tour with a Local
MUZIEUM: Entry Ticket + Dutch Guided Tour
20. Zutphen: a fairy-tale medieval day trip from Amsterdam (1 hr 25 by train, Gelderland)
Zutphen is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in north-western Europe, and one of the Netherlands’ Hanseatic cities. It has one of the most charming city centres I’ve seen in the Netherlands, packed with medieval alleys and towers, hidden gardens (hofjes), cosy spots and restaurants. Zutphen is called The City of Towers, because of the many towers that were preserved and still decorate the townscape today. It also has a riverside setting on the IJssel. If you love history and quiet beauty, it’s a real gem.
To see: the Walburgiskerk and its Librije (a rare medieval chained library), the Drogenapstoren and Wijnhuistoren, the hidden hofjes (courtyards), the IJssel riverside.
To do: Explore the medieval centre and towers, hunt for the hofjes, walk along the river.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: Zutphen’s Librije is one of only a few surviving medieval chained libraries in Europe; the books are still attached to the reading desks.
👉 Read here my full guide to Zutphen: Visit a Fairy-Tale Town: Zutphen
21. Dordrecht: a historic-harbour day trip from Amsterdam (1 hr 30 by train, South Holland)
One of my favourite Dutch cities, Dordrecht is located close to Rotterdam and right next to the national park De Biesbosch (another beautiful place worth seeing). Also known as Dordt, Dordrecht is often called the oldest city in Holland, with city rights from 1220. In the past, Dordrecht used to be an important trading power, given the perfect location at the confluence of a few rivers. It also held an important position in the country’s defence, up to the WW2 (you can learn about this at the Museum 1940-1945).
Nowadays, Dordrecht is a charming, relaxed place, perfect for a short trip. The historic city centre is gorgeous, with narrow streets and canals. The canal houses are right next to the canal’s water, with no borders, like in Venice. Dordrecht’s harbour area is very beautiful and must not be skipped if you go there. Old houses, many boats, old and new, and an impressive collection of special bridges, they are waiting for you to do a trip back in time.
To see: the Grote Kerk, Dordrech Museum and Huis van Gijn, Museum 1940-1945, the former city gate — Groothoofdspoort.
To do: take a boat tour, visit the harbour area, visit a distilery. Take a boat to visit the windmills at Kinderdijk.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: The Japanese battleship Kaiyō Maru was launched at Dordrecht in 1865. She was the largest wooden warship ever launched from a Dutch yard and one of Japan’s first modern warships.
👉 Make the most of your visit by planning in advance:
Dordrecht: City Walking Tour with Boat Ride
Distillery Tour with Dutch Gin & Genever Tasting
22. Kampen: a Hanseatic day trip from Amsterdam (1 hr 30 by train, Overijssel)
Kampen, on the River IJssel in Overijssel, is another of the Dutch Hanseatic towns and one of the most charming. Cross the bridge from the station and you arrive in a time capsule of cobbled streets, leaning old façades and old-fashioned cake-and-coffee shops. It’s quiet, friendly and full of monuments from its medieval trading heyday.
To see: the medieval city gates (Koornmarktspoort, Cellebroederspoort, Broederpoort), the Bovenkerk (St. Nicholas church), the Oude Raadhuis (old town hall), the IJssel waterfront.
To do: Wander the cobbled centre, admire the gates and church, stop for old-fashioned cake at a banketbakkerij, boat rides. If you have more time for water adventures, you can book a longer cruise on the river, going to places like Elburg, Deventer, Kattegat (Kattendiep).
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: Kampen is famous in Dutch folklore for its tall tales, the absurd Kamper uien or Kamper verhalen (exaggerated, humorous tales in which locals are often portrayed as naïve or easily fooled.).
👉 Read here my full guide to Kampen: Visiting the Hansa Towns: Kampen
Day trips over 2 hours from Amsterdam
23. Groningen: a lively student-city day trip from Amsterdam (2 hr 5 by train, Groningen province)
A student city in the far north of the Netherlands, Groningen has a rich history and a vibrant present. With over 50.000 students living here, this is a definitely old city with a young vibe! There are of course pretty streets and canals around, but also many attractive vintage and concept stores and an effervescent night life.
To see: Groninger Museum (art museum), Northern Maritime Museum (temporarily closed), Prinsenhof garden, Reitdiephaven (colorful buildings near water), Groningen University, the Forum Groningen, a striking modern cultural building with sweeping rooftop views.
To do: walk around the city centre, climb the Martinitoren (Martini Tower), explore the city with a walking tour, a beer tasting.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: The most leaning tower in Europe is in Bedum, one of Groningen’s satellite towns, at the St. Walfridus church.
👉 Make the most of your visit by planning in advance:
24. Maastricht: a deep-south day trip from Amsterdam (2 hr 30 by train, Limburg province)
“A city to fall in love with” — is the official slogan of Maastricht’s tourism website. And you will fall in love with the vibrant life, the cobblestone streets and the pastel colours of Maastricht. This lovely city, situated in the south of the Netherlands, in the tri-state area between the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. It deserves more than a day trip. A weekend break would be more appropriate, to really feel the charm of the Limburg province, have time to see the historical sites, churches and museums, to sample the local cuisine, and to go shopping.
There are even some great day trips that can be done from Maastricht, like the white village of Thorn.
To see: Bonnefantenmuseum, St. Peter’s Caves, Sint Janskerk, Wilhelminabrug and St. Servaasbrug (bridges over the River Maas), Boekhandel Dominicanen, a world-famous bookshop inside a medieval Gothic church.
To do: a cruise on the river Maas, explore the area around Vrijthof Square, explore the ruins of Lichtenberg Castle, shopping, or just enjoying the good life while sampling the local cafés and restaurants. You can also take a trip to the nearby Hoensbroek Castle.
Getting around: mostly on foot but sometimes you can use the public transport.
Fun fact: St. Peter’s Caves are a labyrinth of around 9000 passages, but they’re not actually natural caves, they are mining tunnels dug along the centuries, with some of them dating back to the Roman times.
👉 Make the most of your visit by planning in advance:
Maastricht: North Caves Guided Tour
Best of Maastricht: Private Walking Tour with a Local
25. Middelburg: a Zeeland capital day trip from Amsterdam (2 hr 30 by train, Zeeland)
Middelburg is the handsome capital of Zeeland, the coastal province in the south-west of the Netherlands. With city rights from 1217, it was once the country’s second city for the VOC after Amsterdam, and it still has the grand architecture to show for it: an abbey complex, a soaring tower and elegant merchant houses. It also makes a great base for exploring Zeeland’s beaches and history.
To see: the Abdij (Abbey) complex, the ‘Lange Jan’ abbey tower, the Zeeuws Museum, the historic Stadhuis (town hall) and market square.
To do: Climb the Lange Jan, explore the abbey and museums, use Middelburg as a base for Domburg and the Zeeland coast.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: Middelburg’s spectacle-makers Zacharias Janssen and Hans Lippershey are often credited with inventing the telescope and microscope around 1600.
👉 Read here my full guide to Middelburg: Zeeland Travel Guide: the History and Beauty of Middelburg
26. Sneek: a Frisian lakes day trip from Amsterdam (2 hr 34 by train, Friesland)
In the heart of Friesland’s lake district, Sneek (Snits in the local dialect) is a quiet town where water shapes everyday life. Picturesque canals, historic architecture, the iconic Waterpoort water-gate and a big sailing scene: it’s one of the Friese Elf Steden (the eleven Frisian cities) and a lovely taste of slow Frisian life.
To see: the Waterpoort (Watergate, the town’s symbol), the Martinikerk, the Fries Scheepvaart Museum (maritime museum), the canals and town hall.
To do: Walk the canals, visit the maritime museum, soak up the relaxed pace; sailing fans should come for Sneekweek.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: Sneek hosts Sneekweek, one of the largest inland sailing regattas in Europe.
👉 Read here my full guide to Sneek: Exploring Sneek: A Guide to Friesland’s Nautical Gem
27. Harlingen: a harbour-and-tall-ships day trip from Amsterdam (2 h 44, Friesland)
Harlingen is one of Friesland’s eleven historic cities and the only one with a working sea harbour, right on the UNESCO-listed Wadden Sea. It’s a harbour-lover’s dream: restored old warehouses, hand-lifted bridges, beautiful canal-house façades and multiple harbours, full of tall ships and the brown-sailed boats of the historic ‘Brown Fleet’.
To see: the harbours and the tall ships, the Brown Fleet (historic sailing ships), the canal-side warehouses and façades, the Wadden Sea promenade and beach.
To do: Watch (or sail on) the tall ships, take the ferry to the islands of Vlieland or Terschelling, walk the harbours; for something unforgettable, spend a night in the converted harbour crane or lighthouse.
Getting around: on foot.
Fun fact: you can sleep in Harlingen’s old harbour crane or its lighthouse — both have been turned into tiny one-room hotels.
👉 Read here my full guide to Harlingen: Tall Ships and Mudflats: A Trip to Harlingen
So, are you in the mood for travelling already? Which one is next?
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I’m happy to say I’ve been to every place on the list. I lived in Haarlem for a while and I agree. It’s got a great vibe. It didn’t even feel like living in a city. It felt more like a friendly town.
So, where should I go next? Did I miss something? For example I had no idea that Dordrecht was so beautiful, no one told me about it. I just went there by chance.
You should add Giethoorn to the list (even though it’s not a city), because it’s like the Dutch Venice. Really beautiful and worth the visit.
There are many that can be added to the list 🙂 They are mentioned in other articles