Amsterdam Daytrips

With all the fantastical tripping and sights at your fingertips in Amsterdam proper, you may wonder why you would ever want to leave the city. The city appears to be the seat of all things urbane and cultural in the Netherlands, but the popular conception that the remainder of the country offers nothing more than quaint provincialism simply isn’t true. The decidedly stereotypical—yet wonderfully so—Zaanse Schans will satisfy hankerings for Dutch clogs and cheese, while a 45min. bus ride out to Aalsmeer will immerse you in more flowers than you ever thought possible. A slightly longer jaunt brings you to Leiden, a bustling university town; to Rotterdam, a modern city with cosmopolitan flavor; or to The Hague and to Delft for the seat of Dutch government and the birthplace of Johannes Vermeer, respectively. A few hours away, the desolate Wadden Islands boast the finest beaches in the Netherlands, and a nature-minded trip to De Hoge Veluwe National Park will reveal the Kröller-Müller museum—the country’s best collection outside of Amsterdam (or, arguably, even including the capital).

This guide covers most of the Netherlands, all of which is easily accessible by train, or even bike, from Amsterdam. Biking through the Low Countries is exceptionally easy—they are, after all, largely flat and mostly below sea level. For convenience, you may also take your bike with you on all trains for a €6 fee. Spring, when fields of tulips create a sea of colors along the roads, is an ideal time to see the country in all its stereotypical, but beautiful, glory.

The towns and cities in this guide are listed by route (so that it’s easy to hop from one town to another) and then in order of their approximate distance from Amsterdam. The closer and smaller ones are an easy two-hour excursion, while larger and more distant areas are better seen over a couple of days.

• Gouda

Gouda (pop. 75,000) is anything but cheesy. It is the quintessential Dutch town, complete with canals, narrow and winding brick-paved alleys, a windmill, and odd pronunciation (HOW-da). In the 14th century ...more

• Scheveningen

For non-Dutch speakers, pronouncing the name of this beach town due north of The Hague is usually an exercise in futility. (Pick your poison—Let’s Go has heard SHKHE-ven-ikh-er, SHAY-fen-ing-ger ...more

• Delft

The lilied canals and stone footbridges that still line the streets of picturesque Delft (pop. 100,000) make up one of the loveliest retreats from the urban buzz of The Hague or Amsterdam. Delft is famously ...more

• Bloemendaal aan Zee

In recent years, Bloemendaal aan Zee has transformed from a quiet stretch of beach into the site of the Netherlands’s largest and most popular beach party. While Zandvoort aan Zee is backed immediately ...more

• Lisse

A sleepy village just outside Amsterdam, Lisse’s main (and indeed sole) attraction is horticulture—specifically, that renowned Dutch flower, the tulip (which is, ironically, not native to the Netherlands) ...more

• Noordwijk Aan Zee

Beautiful beaches can be found about an hour from Amsterdam and The Hague in the town of Noordwijk aan Zee (pop. 25,000). hile this stunning hamlet on the coast of the Netherlands has always been a favorite ...more

• Arnhem

Arnhem’s nightlife may not compare to Utrecht’s, but this sleepy city (pop. 150,000) on the Lower Rhine is a must-see for those interested in WWII history. Arnhem was the site of the ill-fated Operation ...more

• Zaanse Schans

Unleash your inner tourist for a day at delightful Zaanse Schans, a 17th-century town located only 20min. from Amsterdam on the River Zaan. Feel free to fumble clumsily with an oversized map while fiddling ...more

• Zandvoort Aan Zee

Just seven miles from Haarlem, the seaside town of Zandvoort draws gaggles of sun-starved Germans and Dutch to its expansive stretch of sandy beaches during summer. The ocean water is generally too cold ...more

• Apeldoorn

While not a magnificent town in itself, Apeldoorn (pop. 160,000), some 25km north of Arnhem, is another gateway to De Hoge Veluwe National Park. Apeldoorn is home to the stunning  Museum Paleis ...more

• Hooghalen

Hooghalen is not a tourist town; in fact, with a population hovering around 1000, it’s barely a town at all. However, this hamlet hides one of the Netherlands’s most important sites, nestled appropriately ...more

• Wadden Islands (Waddeneilanden)

Tucked away off the northwestern coast of the Netherlands and inauspiciously named (wadden means “mud flat”), the Wadden Islands are an unassuming vacation destination. The Dutch wouldn’t have ...more