I am staying in Amsterdam for four days in late April. I want to see the The Reik and the Van Gough museums and the Kukenhoff gardens. Maybe the Ann Frank House. Further, I want to go see something of Delft and Bruges. I would like a guide with a car for the Bruges and Delft visits. First, is this too ambitious? Second, anyone have a guide to recommend?
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
5561 posts
Trying to do both Delft and Bruges as a day trip from Amsterdam is indeed too ambitious. And with Bruges over 250 km away, a private car and driver/guide would be very expensive. Delft by itself could certainly be done as a day trip.
For the Anne Frank house, get your ticket soon.
Posted by
Bay Area SF & Uppsala Sweden
1055 posts
HA, CJean and I were typing at the same time, she said it all more succinctly....
Hi there! May I first check if you're counting an arrival day from North America as one of your days, as even with the best of intentions, it's unlikely to be a full-on day of sightseeing?
First, is this too ambitious?
Well since you asked, yes in my opinion this is too ambitious - you want to see 3 museums in 2 days, https://keukenhof.nl/nl/gardens which takes most of a day, Delft which is 1/2 a day, and Bruges, which is 2.5 hours each way by train or car, so that's 5 hours in transit without seeing anything! I would choose the museum that most interests you and be there at the opening, for example the Rijksmuseum. https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl/bezoek. I have no idea if it's too early to book Anne Frank's house, but these tickets are in the high demand, so start with it if you must see it. As you're going in tulip season, I would nail down a hotel and all the advance tickets as far in advance as possible. Hope that's helpful, the Netherlands is extremely easy to navigate by train, virtually everyone speaks English, and hopefully you have a wonderful stay!
What are you exact dates? Easter is late this year, April 20th, and the Netherlands have public holidays Good Friday through Easter Monday, AND 'King's Day' is April 26th, so that's a holiday too - so you would need to factor into your plans, if that's when you're traveling.
About guides - there is really absolutely no need for a car & driver - Take the train to Delft and if you'd like, hire a local guide in Delft? I spent 2 nights in Delft and loved it, walking and biking around town with a map and guidebook was more than adequate! And if you really want to see Bruges, I would take the train and get a local guide there if that's what you prefer. And there's a bus from Amsterdam to the gardens. Hope it all works out, and you have a great trip!
Posted by
San Diego, California
5713 posts
We were just in the Low Countries this past April, 2024. In each of these cities, there are delightful canal tours and free walking tours, (which expect tips , but worth it!) If you can, do both a canal tour and a walking tour, as you'll receive different perspectives, views, and folklore. Just do an google search, or check the RS guide book. And- many of the historical areas are car- free zones, so take the trains. Safe travels!