Amsterdam is one of the most well connected cities in the world. Not only is it connected with cities, towns and villages in the Netherlands, it is also connected with the countries around it through an impressive rail and road network. This makes day trips from Amsterdam so easy!
Amsterdam is also super crowded and popular with tourists. This is why I always urge people to step away from the city. Head out on a weekend trip or if you don’t have that much time at least embark on a couple of day trips from Amsterdam. It will give you a chance to see a different part of the Netherlands.
I mean I get it. Amsterdam is a photographer’s delight and yeah you can easily pair those amazing photographs with some epic Amsterdam quotes and captions. But dare to venture away from the oft trodden city. You will be astounded by the beauty that awaits you!
Trust me, no matter how many places we visit, we are still struck by how unique each and every city and town is in the country. We’ve been traveling through the country extensively ever since we visited so we definitely know what we are talking about!
Oh and really, if you have a week in Amsterdam or just four days, makes sure to add a couple of these to your itinerary!
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Looking for great day trips from Amsterdam? Book a tours to Volendam, Zaanse Schans and Marken. You can do three locations in one day!
Day Trips From Amsterdam – Table Of Contents
Day Trips From Amsterdam
1. Edam
If you love cheese then Edam is one of the best day trips from Amsterdam for you!
⭐️ Rating: 4.8/5 (1,356 Reviews) Price: $43 per person Duration: 6.5 – 7.5 hours 📍Meeting Point: Meet by the front door of the NH Collection Amsterdam Barbizon Palace Hotel Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
Distance From Amsterdam: 21 kms
How To Get There: Take the Intercity from Amsterdam Centraal station to Hoorn. From Hoorn station take a bus to Edam bus station.
Edam is one of the cheese making towns of the Netherlands. In fact, you have probably heard about the world famous ‘Edam’ cheese that is made here. It is exported all over the world!
“Great tour with a great tour guide (Rob). He was very knowledgeable and made the tour very fluid and fun. The food along the way was great and he made great recommendations as well.
I did the boat tour after which I highly recommend as well, very convenient to do together.”
Jamie (read more reviews now!)
Here you can see how cheese is made and actually watch the process. Plus plenty of cheese tasting. We tried so many different types of cheese during our visit! You can buy your favorite cheese after the tasting too!
Don’t forget to check out the famous cheese market which is held in the summer months. You can also visit the Edams museum while you are there. Don’t forget to visit Volendam while you are here. It is just a short walking distance away.
Many of the tours to Edam combine it with a trip to Zaanse Schans & Marken. It makes an effective use of time and you get to see a lot of different parts of the country. Trust me! This is one of the best day trips from Amsterdam that you could embark on!
2. Volendam
On a day with good weather, Volendam is one of the best day trips from Amsterdam!
⭐️ Rating: 4.5/5 (5,343 Reviews) Price: $42 per person Duration: 5.5 hours 📍Meeting Point: Meet at the Tours and Tickets office in the IJ hall inside Amsterdam Central Station Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
Distance From Amsterdam: 21 km
How To Get There: Take the bus from Amsterdam Prins Hendrikkade
We were taken to Volendam by an aunt of ours who lives in Amsterdam. Honestly back then I had never heard of it. I know that not a lot of people love this village and that’s okay. I had a wonderful time because of how she planned the trip.
“This tour was well organized and very informative. The bus was comfortable and the guide was friendly. We enjoyed all 4 stops so much. The places are very beautiful and iconic. I would do this tour again in a heartbeat!”
Kathryn (read more reviews now!)
We basically walked the entire way down the dyke till Edam (which I will be covering in a bit). This took us away from the usual touristy stuff and we had a chance to truly enjoy the fishing village of Volendam.
If you do visit and want to walk on the dyke, make sure to check the wind speeds. If the weather is bad avoid the stretch because it is pretty unsheltered. Don’t forget to catch a bite of fresh herring while you are here too!
There are a couple of tours that combine your trip to Volendam with Zaanse Schans and Marken. You can see how planning your day trips from Amsterdam can help you cover so many different places in a single day.
3. Lisse And Keukenhoff
This glimpse of the countryside will tell you why Lisse is one of the best day trips from Amsterdam!
⭐️ Rating: 4.6/5 (3,881 Reviews) Price: $42 per person Duration: Valid for 1 day 📍Meeting Point: Start at the check-in counter on the ground floor of This is Holland Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
Distance From Amsterdam: 39 Kms
Getting There: There are loads of buses that head to Lisse from Amsterdam everyday.
“Beautiful garden, skip-the-line ticket was very useful as there were very long queues at the entrance.”
Alina (read more reviews now!)
I’m including both Lisse and Keukenhof together as part of one of the epic day trips from Amsterdam. This is because Keukenhof is one of the most popular trips to take from the city. Most people don’t realize just how close it is to Lisse and often skip out on visiting this pretty gorgeous city.
Getting to Keukenhof from Amsterdam is pretty easy. We spent the afternoon in Lisse after visiting the tulip gardens. Mind you, Keukenhof is open only for 8 weeks in a year BUT if you aren’t here in tulip season, it is still worth heading out to Lisse itself.
What I loved about Lisse was the quiet countryside. It is a great place to take a picnic lunch and just chill watching the fields in spring or in summer. These are obviously on the outskirts of the city. Rent a cycle and just explore!
If that does not float your boat then head to the center of the city and enter the Saint Agatha’s church which is gorgeous and pretty impressive. Catch a bite to eat at the city center or just wander around the quaint streets. Its a pretty great way to spend one of your day trips from Amsterdam.
4. Leiden
Leiden is a beautiful city to visit as part of day trips from Amsterdam.
⭐️ Rating: 4.3/5 (75 Reviews) Price: $27 per person Duration: 2 hours 📍Meeting Point: At boat/dock of ‘Rederij van Hulst’ and show your voucher to the captain/staff member. Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
Distance From Amsterdam: 50.5km
Getting There: Take the Intercity from Amsterdam. It is just a 45 min journey to Leiden.
If you are looking for a place that looks a lot like the capital city but lacks the insane crowds then Leiden is the perfect choice for one of your day trips from Amsterdam.
With gorgeous canals, loads of beautiful buildings and plenty of things to do, Leiden is definitely one of the best places to visit in the Netherlands.
“Great value for money. Two hours and many beautiful typical Dutch sights on the way: windmills, lakes, boathouses, etc.
The personnel was also lovely and they serve some refreshments on board too which is great. Finally, the ship was clean and roomy, which I appreciated a lot.”
Dora (read more reviews now!)
We visited Leiden on the same day as we visited the Keukenhof gardens and Lisse. It was a short journey from there but you can easily make the trip directly from Amsterdam itself.
One of the top attractions in the city is the iconic windmill. You can get up close and see it for yourself. The city also has an impressive amount of museums that you can offer. Popular museums are the Rijksmuseum Boerhaave (a science museum), the National Museum of Antiquities, the National Museum of Ethnology and the Molen De Valk (Windmill).
We walked around the city so much that the kids needed to nap in the evening, which means that we got to sit in the sun (since it sets late during spring and summer!) and enjoy a couple of beers. The food scene here is also pretty cool so make sure to plan where you want to head to because they usually don’t always have tables available.
While you are there, don’t forget to catch one of the canal tours in Leiden. It is a great way to see the city and offers you a totally different perspective. The Kaag lake windmill tours is one of the best ways to go through the Dutch countryside.
5. Gouda
Gouda is another one of the interesting day trips from Amsterdam that cheese lovers will love!
⭐️ Rating: 5/5 (1 Reviews) Price: $269 per person Duration: 8 hours 📍Meeting Point: Pick up from your hotel in Amsterdam Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
Distance From Amsterdam: 64 kms
How To Get There: Take the train to Gouda. It is less than an hour’s journey away which is why it is one of the best day trips from Amsterdam.
Gouda is another Dutch city that is famous for its cheese. Named after the city, the Gouda cheese is exported all over the world and is one of the biggest sources of revenue for this city. The Gouda cheese is delicious. It is not hard nor is it soft. The texture is somewhere in between which is what makes it interesting.
What I love about this cheese is the rich caramel like texture that the cheese has. Even the Gouda cheese has differences when it comes to taste which largely depends on how long it has been aged.
Like in Edam, you can taste a wide variety of different cheese here and buy your favorite. The best time to visit is during the seasonal cheese markets. These are held on Thursdays between April and August in the medieval Markt square so plan your trip accordingly!
6. Delft
Delft is a cool place for day trips from Amsterdam.
⭐️ Rating: 4.2/5 (111 Reviews) Price: $66 per person Duration: 10 hours 📍Meeting Point: De Ruijterkade 105 Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
Distance From Amsterdam: 67 kms
Getting There: Take the intercity from Amsterdam to Delft
Delft is another university city in the Netherlands. It is a spot for one of your day trips from Amsterdam not just because the city is extremely lively but because Delft is famous for all different reasons.
“Our guide Evelyn was excellent and had so much knowledge to share, we enjoyed her insight. It was overall a very good tour and a nice way to see other parts of the Netherlands.”
Rochelle (read more reviews now!)
The city is home to the famous blue white tiles that you see in all the souvenir shops. These tiles have different intricate patterns and scenes on them and are iconic. The tradition of making them in Delft goes back to over 400 years ago.
Today, these tiles are not just one of the Dutch souvenirs from Amsterdam that people take back home, they are also collectibles and are used to decorate homes.
Delft also has an old medieval church right in the heart of the city. This church is the burial site for the Dutch master painter Johannes Vermeer. When we visited there were renovations going on but you can climb up the tower and have a view of the whole city.
Most of the Delft tours include a trip to the Hague and Rotterdam which makes sense since they are all very close to each other.
7. Rotterdam
Rotterdam is one of the best day trips from Amsterdam for people who love modern architecture!
⭐️ Rating: 4.2/5 (2,213 Reviews) Price: $19 per person Duration: 75 mins 📍Meeting Point: Check-in and board your boat at the Willemsplein 85, Rotterdam Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
Distance From Amsterdam: 78 Kms
How To Get There: The best way to get to Rotterdam from Amsterdam is to take the train. It takes about 40 minutes to reach the city and it is a pretty comfortable journey.
“Very cold when you’re on deck but a great way to see Rotterdam in one go and also to make a list whilst on board to see where and what you want to see.”
AJ (read more reviews now!)
Rotterdam is another interesting city in the Netherlands. This city has been through so much in the past century. It was bombed during WWII and had to be reconstructed. Instead of rebuilding it as it was, the Dutch decided to deviate from the norm and construct rather unique buildings. This has made it one of the unique places in the country.
One of the most popular buildings that everyone wants to catch a glimpse of is the iconic Cube houses. Aside from this, the Market hall is another interesting building to see. Plus you can check out the famous Rotterdam market while you are there.
Rotterdam is also a port city and an important part of the Dutch trade routes. The city has an interesting Maritime museum that you can visit. Don’t forget to visit the St. Laurence Church which has a Gothic design. You can even climb up the tower for a view of the city.
One of the best things to do in Rotterdam is to take the Harbor boat tour.
8. Kinderdijk
In my humble opinion, Kinderdijk is one of the best day trips from Amsterdam.
⭐️ Rating: 4.6/5 (10 Reviews) Price: $230 per person Duration: 9 hours📍Meeting Point: Meet your guide at This is Holland. Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
Distance From Amsterdam: 95 km
Getting There: Getting from Amsterdam to Kinderdijk is a bit tricky because you have to use a couple of modes of transport. First take the train to Rotterdam. From there take the bus to Kinderdijk village.
Kinderdijk is located much more south than most of my other suggestions for day trips from Amsterdam. It is however one of the most magical places that I have visited.
It was our first trip in the country and one that has always stayed with us. The trick is to have great weather which is not always the case in this country because it is mostly wet!
“Kinderdijk is enchanting! It was so interesting to see 19 windmills and how this feat of engineering has helped control the water in Holland.
We also went to The Hague, known here as Den Haag, and saw the International Criminal Court, various embassies, and the nearby beach area, courtesy of our guide and driver Theo…who was fabulous and gave us so much interesting information! A definite 5 star tour!”
Annonymous (read more reviews now!)
Kinderdijk is a UNESCO Heritage site and it comprises windmills both old and newer ones that were used to keep the water out with the help of canals and dykes. They were later phased out for much more efficient ways of draining the water.
It is a great place to visit for the iconic view. You can stroll through the countryside, catch a picnic lunch or have food at the restaurant onsite.
Kinderdijk also has an onsite museum. I highly recommend visiting it first so that you understand the history of the site and why there are so many different methods used to keep the land dry. It also has an intriguing story about why the place is called Kinderdijk!
One of the best tours to Kinderdijk combines it with a visit to the Hague and the iconic museums in the area.
9. Groningen
Distance From Amsterdam: 181 km
Getting There: Getting from Amsterdam to Groningen is super easy. There are trains that run through the route every day!
Groningen is the city that we call home. It is a fort city and you don’t immediately realize it. If you pull up maps and check it out, you will see a canal that circles the city center. This marks the area that the fort once occupied.
Today, Groningen has expanded outwards and is a university city. It is extremely lively and very vibrant especially in summer and spring. It is also known as one of the most walkable cities in the world. Did I mention that the most popular mode of transport here is cycling? This is because Groningen was designed to actively discourage the use of cars through the city center!
There is lots to do in Groningen city too! From the famous Martini tower to the Oude Kerk in the center, there are loads of different old buildings to explore. Let’s not forget about the best part of the city… The Vismarkt!
Pro Tip: Visit the Van Delft shop for some amazing Dutch treats!
Looking for great day trips from Amsterdam? Book a tours to Volendam, Zaanse Schans and Marken. You can do three locations in one day!
There you have it! A list of all the top day trips from Amsterdam that you should consider taking. Trust me! Escaping from the crowded city will give you a different perspective into the Dutch way of life.
Plus, there are some cool experiences to be had along the way. Boat rides through the harbors, cycling along tulip fields, cheese tasting etc. These are memories that will last!
Other Posts That May Interest You
- Cool Amsterdam tulip tours to Consider
- Gorgeous towns in the Dutch countryside
- Amsterdam for a week: An exciting itinerary
- Amazing Dutch souvenirs from Amsterdam
- Cool weekend trips from Amsterdam
- Epic Amsterdam captions for Instagram
anukrati
Saturday 6th of May 2023
Volendam would definitely be on my list on my next trip to Amsterdam. Have you been to Giethoorn? You might consider adding that to the list as well :)
Penny
Saturday 6th of May 2023
Definitely. Geithoorn is on our bucket list for the upcoming months. I'll be updating the article with my personal experience once I visit it. :)