We will be in Amsterdam in late May (our first time there) and want to venture out of the city to do a day trip during our stay. We'll be doing this the day before we leave to come home so we're not looking to go super far away from Amsterdam. I'm looking for suggestions on which towns would be good to visit or if there are any that aren't worth the effort. So far I've looked at Haarlem and Edam/Marken/Voldenham, so I'd be interested to hear thoughts on these towns or any other suggestions. We'd be looking for interesting towns to walk around in and see the sites, have lunch, etc. Suggestions on what to see, places to eat would also be appreciated. Thank you!
Posted by
Duluth🌲
9367 posts
If I had a choice of two towns for day trips from Amsterdam, I would choose either Leiden or Hoorn.
Leiden is a beautiful university town. It is the home of Leiden University, which is one of the oldest universities in the country, and is quite lovely with charming cobblestone streets, 17th century gabled houses. It has many historic buildings but does not have the "touristy" feel of many other places. It's a much more livable feel. The city has many picturesque canals and waterways, which are lovely to walk along and there are boat tours you can take. And there are lots of parks, gardens, and green spaces in Leiden.
There are several museums, including the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (National Museum of Antiquities), which has an wonderful collection of Egyptian artifacts. There is the Museum De Lakenhal (Municipal Museum), and the Naturalis Biodiversity Center. The Hortus Botanicus (botanical garden), which was established in 1590, was the site of the planting of Holland’s first tulip bulbs in 1593. Rembrandt was born in Leiden, and Albert Einstein taught at Leiden University. St. Pieterskerk is quite historic and worth seeing, even if you just check out the outside of it. Rembrandt's parents were married and buried there.
Hoorn: I really enjoyed Hoorn as a day trip on my last trip to Amsterdam. It sits right on the harbor and has a a lovely vibe with its many historic buildings. There are water taxis that will take you around the scenic harbor where you can see a 17th century replica of the historic D’Halve Maen boat. De Roode Steen is the main market square where you can stop (and Hoorn has several markets during the week). You can find plenty of charming restaurants and cafes off the square. My friend and I ate at one and had a beautiful view of the harbor.
Veermanskade is a really lovely street running along the water where you can see some of the ships, but also some beautiful Dutch houses dating back to the 17th century. And the Westfries museum is a real gem, showing a lot of folk art and unique items from the region. Make sure you stop by the museum just to see the actual building as it's quite beautiful in its own right.
If convenience is a major factor, I would go with Leiden as it's closer to Amsterdam and very easy to get to by train. But Hoorn is not difficult—it's just a bit further from Amsterdam up on the coast.
Posted by
Snohomish, WA
3165 posts
We were not enthralled with Marken or Volendam, but loved our day trips to both Delft and Gouda. Those are both just a short train ride away and are perfect for wandering for a day.
In Delft, we went to the Royal Delft Factory and Museum. When we planned this, we figured it would be a short stop in memory of my mother who loved Delft. We were so wrong, it was fascinating and we were there for quite a while. You can watch them up close making each piece and painting each piece. I bought a vase there that when I was paying, the lady looked the bottom and said the lady who painted that was there that day, so she went and had her sign a certificate for me. Kind of fun:) The museum and factory were both extremely interesting. We had dinner at Monastere, which we stumbled upon, and it was excellent!
In Gouda, we had a mediocre lunch, but wandering the town was very enjoyable.
Posted by
Brooklyn, NY
4539 posts
Depends on your interests
Modernism - Rotterdam
Art and WWII (Corrie Ten Boon museum book ahead) - Haarlem
Cheese - Edam - market on Wednesday
- Gouda - market on Thursday but fun cheese experience/museum
Local Culture - Volendam and Marken with Edam - go by bus with localbus.nl
Pottery - Delft
Political - The Hague (and Girl with the Pearl Earring)
Windmills - Kinderdijk
We’ve been to the Netherlands 3x, it never disappoints. Easy transport between all cities and everyone is friendly and speaks English.
Posted by
SoCal
1706 posts
We stayed a week in Utrecht last summer. It was a great place to stay, but wouldn't recommend it for a day trip.
Aside from Amsterdam itself, our favorite day trips were to Leiden and Haarlem. Beautiful, tranquil, and full of great art. Delft we found too many tourists and too much blue tableware on sale everywhere. Not to our personal taste.
Final recommendation to consider: Den Haag (The Hague). We really enjoyed its old town, and the city's geopolitical importance was evident.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
2897 posts
Leiden is fantastic and it’s only a half-hour train ride from Amsterdam Centraal.