Netherlands travel guide: plan your trip
Travelling in the Netherlands means a flat, compact country of canals, bicycles, windmills and flower fields, with very different cities a short train ride apart. Amsterdam holds the great museums, Rotterdam the modern architecture, and Utrecht, Delft and The Hague offer a calmer pace by the water.
When to go
From mid-March to May the tulips bloom in the bulb region between Leiden and Haarlem, the most photogenic time of year. June to August brings mild weather and long days, good for the beach at Scheveningen or the Wadden Islands. Autumn is windy and rainy, ideal for museums and cosy brown cafés. Winter is cold and damp, with festive lights along the canals and quieter cities to explore.
Where to go
Amsterdam
The seventeenth-century canal ring, the Jordaan district, the Vondelpark and museums such as the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum make the capital a city for walking and cycling. North of the IJ river, Amsterdam-Noord has a more creative feel.
Rotterdam
Rebuilt after the Second World War, Rotterdam is the city of contemporary architecture: the Cube Houses, the Markthal, the Erasmus Bridge and the vast port. Its museums, multicultural food scene and the Katendrecht district round out a visit.
Utrecht
A university city with two-level canals, where old wharf cellars by the water now house cafés and terraces. The Dom Tower rises above the old centre, and nearby you can visit castles such as De Haar.
The Hague and Delft
The Hague is the seat of government, home to the Binnenhof, the Mauritshuis museum and, close by, the beach at Scheveningen. Neighbouring Delft keeps its canals, market square and the tradition of blue-and-white pottery.
Texel and the Wadden Islands
In the north, the Wadden Sea islands offer dunes, long beaches, lighthouses and bird reserves. Texel, the easiest to reach by ferry, is ideal by bike, and low tide on the Wadden Sea reveals seals and sandbanks.
What to do
The tulip fields
In spring, the fields around Lisse, Hillegom and Noordwijkerhout turn into stripes of colour. Keukenhof gardens display millions of flowering bulbs, but cycling the local lanes between the fields is just as memorable.
Cycling dikes and polders
Rent a bike and ride from Amsterdam into Waterland, with wooden villages such as Marken and Monnickendam, or cross De Hoge Veluwe National Park through heathland and forest. Cycle paths are well signposted throughout the country.
Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh
The Rijksmuseum holds Rembrandt's The Night Watch, the Van Gogh Museum a wide survey of the painter's work, and The Hague's Mauritshuis Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring. Three essential visits for Dutch art.
Windmills at Kinderdijk and Zaanse Schans
Near Rotterdam, the windmills of Kinderdijk form a historic landscape of water management. North of Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans brings together windmills, green wooden houses and traditional cheese and clog workshops.
Herring, cheese and stroopwafels
Try raw herring with onions at a street stall, bitterballen with mustard, poffertjes and freshly made stroopwafels. The cheese markets of Alkmaar and Gouda, and an Indonesian rijsttafel, round out the experience.
Practical tips
- Bike lanes, often paved in red asphalt, are for bikes only: do not walk on them and look carefully before crossing.
- Trains are fast and frequent and distances are short, so you can stay in one city and take day trips from there.
- Amsterdam's most popular museums usually work with timed entry slots, so book ahead to avoid missing out.
- Wind and rain can arrive in any season; a rain jacket is more useful than an umbrella, especially on a bike.
As a couple, family or with friends
The Netherlands is easy for groups because everything is close: base yourselves in Amsterdam, Utrecht or Haarlem and take day trips by train. With children, renting bikes with a child seat or trailer is common. In tulip season accommodation fills up quickly. In Gata you can save ideas and decide together where to stay.
Save ideas and stays and decide as a group with the Gata app.
Frequently asked questions
When can you see the tulips in the Netherlands?
Flowering depends on each year's weather, but it usually runs from late March to early May, with April the safest bet. Growers cut the flowers soon after they bloom, so check the bloom status shortly before you go.
Is it worth leaving Amsterdam?
Yes. Utrecht, Haarlem, Delft and Leiden are a short train ride away and feel calmer, with canals and well-preserved historic centres. Rotterdam offers a modern contrast, and the countryside, with its windmills and polders, is best discovered by bike.
Is cycling easy for visitors?
Yes, the country is flat and the cycle network is excellent. City centres have heavy bike traffic, so follow the signs and stay in your lane. Outside towns, the numbered junction network makes it easy to plan your own routes.
Is Holland the same as the Netherlands?
Not quite. North Holland and South Holland are two of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands, home to Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. The country also includes regions such as Utrecht, Zeeland, Friesland and Limburg, where Maastricht lies.
