While Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands and it’s a perfect travel destination on its own there’s nothing wrong with branching out and exploring more beautiful sights around the Netherlands. So if you’re looking for some wonderful things to do to help you take in the full experience of visiting the Netherlands I got you covered! Whether you’re looking to explore beautiful castles or the charming windmills, the possibilities around Amsterdam are endless! I’m always in search for historical and picturesque locations and I must admit I found some real hidden gems. Here are 10 of my favorite day trips that are only a few hours away, it’s fairly easy to get around.

Zaanse Schans, Zaandam

While coming into Amsterdam from Paris we decided to take the bus not only to save money but to view the country side while we caught up on some work, it was a quiet and scenic 6 hour drive (we paid a little extra for seating in the front row of a double-decker bus). On our drive in we saw so many windmills and at the moment it felt unlikely that we were going to see one in person but with some research we came across Zaanse Schans, an open-air museum located in Zaandam.

The Zaanse Schans Card is €15 for adults and €10 for children. With the Zaanse Schans Card you have admission to five different attractions, the Zaans Museum, the Zaan Time Museum, Weaver’s House, Cooperage, and Jisper House.

Another option is to purchase the Zaanse Schans Card + bus ticket, which includes admission to all five museums as well as a ticket for bus transportation to and from Amsterdam Central Station. Prices for this option are €7 more per person, €22 for adults, €17 children 12-17, and €11 for children 4-11.

HOW TO GET HERE

It’s just a quick 20 minute drive from Amsterdam, or an hour bike ride. If you don’t want to rent a bike or if you don’t have a rental car, I’d suggest doing the Zaanse Schans Card + bus ticket, it’s a simple and easy way to get around for a fraction of the price.

You can also take the train, from Amsterdam Centraal take the Sprinter Line - 7450 Uitgeest on Platform 8a to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans.

Railway Museum, Maliebaanstation 16, 3581 XW Utrecht

This former railway station was established in 1927 and is now Utrecht’s national railway museum. The museums takes you through the history of trains in the Netherlands. It’s filled with interactive exhibits, educational attractions and overall filled with information about the dutch railways. General admission to the museum is €17.50 per person. Open daily 10 am - 5 pm, expect Mondays when they’re closed.

HOW TO GET HERE - roughly 50 minutes one-way.

Walk to Amsterdam Central and take Sprinter train - 7453 Rhenen on Platform 4b. Take it for 11 stop and hop off at Utrecht Vaartsche Rijn from there it’s roughly a 15 minute walk.

WHERE TO EAT + DRINK

Selena Grillroom Pizzeria, Oudwijkerdwarsstraat 98, 3581 LH Utrecht - If you’re up for some pizza this pizzeria has some great pizzas for a cheap price! I personally enjoy a simple pizza with cheese and basil but here you can add any any vegetable you can think of.

If you’re on a budget or just simply want to grab a snack in-between meals there’s an Albert Heijn, just down the street. I personally, enjoy visiting grocery stores to grab snacks and drinks for myself and chocolate and candies to send my family back home.

Castle De Haar, Kasteellaan 1, 3455 RR Utrecht

This beautiful medieval castle is definitely worth the lengthy trip from Amsterdam, I highly suggest adding this to your itinerary. The oldest historical record of De Haar Castle dates as far back as 1391, which is crazy to think about how old this beautiful castle really is. The castle has undergone numerous rebuilding and restoration throughout the centuries. You can purchase tickets to view inside the castle along with a guided tour of the rooms and the gardens for € 17,00.

HOW TO GET HERE - roughly a 2 hour trip one-way.

Arrive at Amsterdam Sloterdijk you’ll want to take the Sprinter Line - 7457 Rhenen after 9 stops hop off at Maarssen. Then walk across the street to get on the connecting ride at Maarssenbroek, Station Maarssen, get on the yellow 11 Line towards Leidsche Rijn via Vleuten. After 4 stops hop off at the Vleuten, Rubenslaan station, and from Vleuten take bus 111 to the castle. Then it’ll be a 14 minute walk to Castle De Haar.

Muiderslot Castle, Herengracht, Muiden

This beautiful medieval castle was built in 1280 along the Vecht River, and shortly after it was demolished due to the castle being conquered. In 1370 it was rebuilt by the Count of Holland, in 1581 it was owned by P.C Hooft, an author who used the castle as a summer home for scholars and poets. In the early 19th century the castle became a prison for a short time before being abandoned. The castle has been restored to replicate how it stood in the 17th century and is now a national museum. Admission to the museum is € 15.50 per adult and € 9.00 for children 4 to 11. They do offer a free audio tour that is definitely worth doing.

HOW TO GET HERE - roughly an hour one-way.

From Amsterdam Zuid take the Sprinter Line - 4359 Almere Oostvaarders on Platform 2, after 4 stops hop off at Weesp Station. Then at Weesp Station take the 110 bus, Bussum Station via Muiden, only 4 stops later you’ll arrive at Muiden, Centrum. Then it’ll be a short 10 minute walk from here.

Koppelpoort, Kleine Spui, Amersfoort

The Koppelpoort is a medieval gate to the entrace of the city of Amersfoort, it was built in 1425. It’s a beautiful place to walk around and people watch, it’s surrounded by water and the views are amazing. Make a day of it and wander throughout the neighborhood streets, and get lost within the city.

HOW TO GET HERE

From Amsterdam Centraal take the Sprinter Line - 15859 Amersfoort Vathorst in Platform 10b, 10 stops later hop off at Amersfoort Central Station.

Keukenhof Tulip Gardens, Stationsweg 166A, 2161 AM Lisse

When it comes to flowers, Keukenhof is a must! Every spring over 7 million bulbs bloom into colorful tulips and with 800 varieties you’ll have a hard time picking a favorite! If you happen to have children Keukenhof has some fun activities for them, such as treasure hunting, petting animals at their petting farm and getting lost in their maze. Just like Zaanse Schans you can purchase a combination ticket that includes a round trip bus ticket and admission to the park for €32.50

HOW TO GET HERE

From Amsterdam Central you’ll want to take the M52 Train, then hop on the 852 Europaplein (RAI) Metro Station.

Gouda, 21 Lange Tiendeweg

Visit this beautiful city known of it’s historic monuments and traditional cheese markets. Gouda is a city in the western region of the Netherlands known for it’s delightful gouda cheese. Gouda is famous for its production of cheese, it’s Gouda cheese is now one of Holland’s biggest exports. Which is why you must visit their Gouda Cheese Market located in central Markt Square. To this day farmers still make their cheese in the traditional way, making their cheese as delicious as when they first started back in the 14th century.

Museum Gouda - This small museum is full of local information, rich history and beautiful art in their gallery. Admission to the museum is 10€ per adult and 4€ for children.

't Kaaswinkeltje, Lange Tiendeweg 30 - If you’re looking to purchase some cheese, this cheese shop is the perfect place to stop to browse through the endless supply of cheese and cheese samples.

Gouda Cheese House, Hoogstraat 1 - This is another great cheese store, here you’ll find pre-sliced cheese with affordable prices. They have some great samples of their cheese, I highly suggest getting a few different types of cheeses and having a picnic at Van Bergen IJzendoornpark (just a 10 minute walk).

Gouda Cheese Market, Markt Square - This historic cheese market dates as far back as 1395. Witness the numerous cheese wheels delivered by horse and cart to the centre of the market every Thursday April 2nd to August 27th from the hours of 10 in the morning to 12:30 in the afternoon.

HOW TO GET HERE

Other than driving, the easiest way to get to Gouda is by train. It’s roughly 50 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal to Gouda Goverwelle for €14, or 18 minutes from Rotterdam Centraal for €7. I personally book my tickets through Omio it’s an easy and reliable way to see the available trains coming in and out of the city.

Historic District Rotterdam, Overblaak 70, 3011 MH Rotterdam

Rotterdam is a major city in southern Netherlands and just an hour south of Amsterdam and is widely known for their culture, architecture, and riverside scenery. Their picturesque marina is one of the few parts that survived the 1940 bombing of the old city of Rotterdam. It’s now home to some of the most beautiful architecture in the world, such as the Market Hall, the cube houses, and Witte Huis.

HOW TO GET HERE

You can either fly into the Rotterdam-The Hague International Airport, by bus, driving or by train. I found that taking the train is the easiest and quickest way to travel to Rotterdam from Amsterdam. A straight-shot from Amsterdam Centraal to Rotterdam Centraal is roughly 40 minutes for only €20.

Windmills at Kinderdijk, Molenkade Nederwaard 1, 2961 AS Kinderdijk

Before exploring the windmills I suggest visiting the Windmills Museum and the Wisboomgemaal Visitors’ Centre to catch up on some history. These nineteen beautifully preserved windmills were built in the early 18th century and are used to help drain the Alblasserwaard polders to help control floods (a polder is a piece of land in a low-lying area that has been reclaimed from a body of water by building drainage canals).

HOW TO GET HERE

I personally found that the best way to get to Kinderdijk from Rotterdam Centraal is to book a train ticket to Sliedrecht for 7 € and then take the bus to Kinderdijk. I find it easier to follow when I have a ticket in writing, I’m the worst when it comes to public transportation and will definitely get lost so even if it takes a few more minutes this was the way I found to be the easiest for myself.

who-s-denilo-aU9eXkfVxqw-unsplash (1).jpg

Delft, 95 Trompetstraat

This beautiful university town is known for its museums, beautiful streets and glorious canals. I suggest taking a walking tour to really get to know the background of the buildings as you pass them, or maybe explore on your own and wander through the charming the canals.

Museum Prinsenhof Delft, Sint Agathaplein - This urban palace built in the Middle Ages as a monastery is now a museum that showcases art from the 17th-century. It’s also home of one of the most famous assassinations in Dutch history, admission to the museum is € 12,50 per adult.

Keep an eye out for the impressive churches such as the gothic old church (The Oude Kerk) located at HH Geestkerkhof 25, and the newer church (Nieuwe Kerk) located at Markt 80.

HOW TO GET HERE

It’s a 15 minute train ride from Rotterdam for only $5, or an hour from Amsterdam for $17. Delft is the perfect place for a day trip, beautiful scenery, quick travel time without connections, and it’s conveniently cheap!

Planning to visit the Netherlands? I hope you add some of my suggestions to your itinerary. Did I miss any exciting locations near Amsterdam? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to check them out!