Day trips from Amsterdam

From Amsterdam six towns lie within about an hour by train, and the furthest of them is Delft. So the real question is which town to choose. Haarlem and Zaanse Schans fit in half a day, while The Hague, Delft and Rotterdam want a full day and line up well one after another.

Haarlem is a town with an old square, a big church and museums, enough for a day, and the walk from the station to the Grote Markt is a little under a kilometre. Zaandam is nearer and cheaper, but it is not a trip worth making for itself, more a place for cheaper rooms.

GuideEverything Haarlem has for a day, from the church to the museums:Haarlem →

The open-air museum, with its green timber houses and old windmills along the river Zaan, charges no entry, and only individual windmills and museums inside it are paid for separately. A Sprinter reaches Zaandijk Zaanse Schans station in seventeen to eighteen minutes. From there it is a short ten to fifteen minute walk through the village, while bus 391 from the east side of Centraal takes forty to forty-five, so the train is quicker.

Utrecht is a town on the water with old wharves below street level, and it lies twenty-seven minutes from Amsterdam by train. The Dom Tower cannot be climbed without a guide and a booked time. The climb ticket is €13.50, so you book the slot before you set out, not on the spot.

GuideUtrecht in a day, and what is left on the wharves if the tower is full:Utrecht →

The Hague, Delft and Rotterdam: three towns, one day

The Hague is fifty minutes by train and has the Mauritshuis, with a ticket at €21, and in it Vermeer's View of Delft, since in Delft itself no Vermeer hangs. Delft lies about ten minutes from The Hague and twelve from Rotterdam. Rotterdam, forty-one minutes from Amsterdam on the fast Intercity direct, which carries a supplement, has the modern architecture of a city rebuilt after 1940. A good day takes Delft in the morning and The Hague in the afternoon, while Rotterdam wants a day of its own.

GuideThe Hague, from the Binnenhof to the beach at Scheveningen:The Hague →

GuideDelft in half a day, with the tower and the blue porcelain:Delft →

GuideRotterdam, the city that carried on forwards after 1940:Rotterdam →

The big flower park at Lisse is open from 18 March to 9 May 2027, eight in the morning until seven in the evening, with last entry at 18:15. A ticket bought online costs €21.50, and at the gate it costs more, so you choose it ahead.

The Alkmaar cheese market: Friday mornings

The old cheese market on the Waagplein runs on Fridays from ten until one, from the last Friday of March to the last Friday of September, and begins with a bell at ten. The direct train from Amsterdam takes about thirty-five minutes, and the walk from the station to the square is a short five. Out of season and outside those hours the small town is a quiet stroll without the lively market.

If you can pick only one

• Half a day, first time in the Netherlands: Haarlem, in the early morning, with a train back before a late dinner.
• Windmills in half a day: Zaanse Schans, by train and on foot.
• A full day, old pictures and new architecture: The Hague and Delft, with Rotterdam left for next time.

The Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket is valid for one, two or three days on GVB, regional buses and NS trains in the region. For longer routes such as The Hague or Rotterdam, count an ordinary train fare.

Getting aroundThe card, Centraal and the night trip back from a day out:Getting around Amsterdam →

Where to staySleeping in Haarlem means the trip is done before breakfast:Where to stay in Amsterdam →

Hidden gemsFerries and courtyards for the day with no trip:Amsterdam behind the gates: courtyards and an attic church →

FoodWhat to eat at a market before you leave:What to eat in Amsterdam →

When to goMonths, tulips, King's Day and canal lights, for the date you are still choosing.The best time to visit Amsterdam →

BudgetCity prices, from museums to bikes, are on the costs page.What Amsterdam costs →