The Netherlands
The Netherlands, in a few days
From Amsterdam to the bulb fields, then The Hague, Delft and Rotterdam, day by day and by train: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.
- Day by day
- 1 Amsterdam Days 1-3
- 2 Keukenhof and the bulb fields Day 4
- 3 The Hague and Delft Day 5
- 4 Rotterdam Day 6
- 5 Amsterdam Day 7 · return
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
Day by day
Amsterdam
A capital built around a ring of seventeenth-century canals, UNESCO-listed, where bicycles outnumber cars and the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum face each other across one square.
- Canal cruise1h · from €18An hour under the bridges of the seventeenth-century canal ring, the best angle on the gabled houses.
- Anne Frank House (timed ticket)1h30 · from €16The secret annex where Anne Frank wrote her diary. Tickets are sold online only and go weeks ahead.
- Walking the Jordaan
- Vondelpark
- The Bloemenmarkt, the floating flower market
- The Begijnhof courtyard
Keukenhof and the bulb fields
One of the largest flower gardens in the world, open only from mid-March to mid-May, set among the tulip fields of the Bollenstreek.
- Keukenhof gardens (spring only)Half day · from €20Around seven million bulbs planted every year, in flower from mid-March to mid-May and closed the rest of the year.
- Cycling the tulip fields2h · from €15A ride through the Bollenstreek, where in April the fields are striped in blocks of colour.
- The windmills of Zaanse Schans
- The Bollenstreek villages
- Noordwijk beach
The Hague and Delft
The seat of the Dutch government and of the international courts, with Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring at the Mauritshuis. Delft, the town of blue and white pottery, is a short train ride away.
- The Mauritshuis (Vermeer)1h30 · from €17A small museum with a great collection, home to Girl with a Pearl Earring and View of Delft.
- Delft and its pottery worksVisit · from €12Royal Delft, the last of the town's seventeenth-century potteries still at work, where the blue and white ware is painted by hand.
- Scheveningen beach and pier
- The Binnenhof, seen across the Hofvijver
- Delft old town and its market square
- The canals of Delft
Rotterdam
Its centre was flattened by bombing in May 1940 and rebuilt as a testing ground for modern architecture. Its port is the largest in Europe.
- Cube Houses and the Markthal, guided1h30 · from €15Piet Blom's tilted yellow cubes and the arched market hall beside them, with a guide to the city's architecture.
- Harbour cruise (Spido)1h15 · from €17A boat tour among the docks and cranes of the largest port in Europe.
- Erasmus Bridge
- The Markthal and its painted vault
- Witte de Withstraat
- Delfshaven
Amsterdam
A capital built around a ring of seventeenth-century canals, UNESCO-listed, where bicycles outnumber cars and the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum face each other across one square.
- Canal cruise1h · from €18An hour under the bridges of the seventeenth-century canal ring, the best angle on the gabled houses.
- Anne Frank House (timed ticket)1h30 · from €16The secret annex where Anne Frank wrote her diary. Tickets are sold online only and go weeks ahead.
- Walking the Jordaan
- Vondelpark
- The Bloemenmarkt, the floating flower market
- The Begijnhof courtyard
Worth sorting before you go
Go by train · The country is small: Amsterdam to Rotterdam takes about 40 minutes. Tap in and out with a contactless bank card on trains, trams and buses, and forget the car.
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Compare the agencies before you land.
Compare · Booking
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
Some links are partner links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Stroopwafel: two thin waffles stuck together with syrup, best warmed on top of a hot coffee.
- Bitterballen: crisp fried balls of beef ragout, served with mustard and a beer.
- Haring: raw herring with onions, held by the tail and eaten in one go.
- Patat: thick chips in a paper cone, with mayonnaise or peanut sauce.
- Cheese: Gouda and Edam cut to order at the market, from young to old and crumbly.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Never walk on the cycle paths. They are usually red, always fast, and cyclists will not stop.
- Book the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House online, well ahead.
- Keep the noise down in residential streets at night, above all in central Amsterdam.
- Learn the rules before you rent a bike: hand signals, lights after dark, and always lock it to something fixed.
Words that help
English ↔ Dutch
| English | Dutch |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hallo |
| Thank you | Dank je |
| Please | Alstublieft |
| Yes | Ja |
| No | Nee |
| Excuse me | Pardon |
| Goodbye | Tot ziens |
| Do you speak English? | Spreekt u Engels? |
| I don't understand | Ik begrijp het niet |
| How much is it? | Hoeveel kost het? |
| Where are the toilets? | Waar zijn de toiletten? |
| The bill, please | De rekening, alstublieft |
| Help! | Help! |
| Cheers! | Proost! |
The practical page
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/netherlands
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.