Day trips from Amsterdam

North of Amsterdam is Volendam where you can rent bikes and ride along the dikes, attend a demo for Gouda Cheese and wooden shoe making, or even take a short boat trip from the harbor to the island of Marken. The next town north of Volendam is Edam--another cute town to walk or bike around. Also where the famous cheese is made. Have fun!

Texel Island - This trips gives you an opportunity to the beautiful dunes of the Netherlands, gorgeous pasture land with sheep houses, a visit to the Texel Brewery, a seal and bird rehabilitation center, and a few small, charming towns. From the harbor there is a 20ish kilometer bike ride that takes you through the southern part of the island in a loop.

Utrecht- This is one of the most underrated cities in Netherlands. It have a handful of nice museums (including the UNESCO world heritage site at the Rietveld Schroder House), one of the only places I have seen where they have a row of restaurants down at canal level - makes for a lovely afternoon beer or late lunch. There is also castle nearby (Kasteel de Haar), but it was mostly done in the early 19th century. It also have a beautiful flower market on Saturday.

If you like to bike there are many lovely rides:.

1. Maastricht - you can do a three country ride through the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. On the way you pass the Netherlands-American WW2 cemetery and go through countryside that is different from the rest of the Netherlands. The Take One Beer cafe is nice in Maastricht is nice and there is a botel to stay in for a different accommodation experience.

2. Gouda - there is a loop ride from Gouda that goes through Kinderdijk and beautiful farmland. I would definitely visit Kinderdijk, whether by bike or bus - it is an amazing site.

I agree - Utrecht is an amazing city and only about 30 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal. There are canals, good shops, museums, excellent food, and amazing architecture.