Week to spend in Netherlands/Belgium

Amsterdam, Kinderdijk, Wassenaar beaches, Maastricht, Maarsen (+ boat ride to V Volendam), Rotterdam, the Veluwe National Park, the Wadden Islands in the North Sea, Brugge, Dinant, Namur, Bruxelles, Antwerpen are all examples of destinations great for sightseeing even if no museum is involved.

On my last trip, I stayed in The Hague instead of Amsterdam - much cheaper and cleaner, though minus the canals. The Hague is interesting, has a lovely seashore, and is easy to day-trip to other Dutch towns - Rotterdam, Delft, etc. I also used Ghent as a base for Belgium - it's between Brussels and Bruges, so good for seeing both. Ghent has canals and beautiful Gothic buildings. It's a university town, not as touristy as Bruges, has a castle too. Bruges is photogenic. I've heard good things about Antwerp, but still haven't fit it in.

Why do you want to go to these countries? What are your interests? What do you consider "sightseeing"? It sounds like you should read some guidebooks and decide which cities/towns you want to visit, then come back to us with specific questions. All we can do is tell you about our favorite places, which may ultimately hold no interest for you or your family.

Thank you Sarah, et. al. Thanks for your pointer. Just checked out books to go through places that is of interest. My intent is to see if there are any places that is a must see...but I understand that everyone's interest is different. appreciate all your response. thanks. Sundar

VK, I'd suggest splitting your time between Amsterdam and perhaps Bruges. You can take day trips to other nearby locations to cover a wider area. For example, from Amsterdam you could visit Haarlem, and from Bruges you could visit Brussels or Ghent. With only a week, I'd try to minimize changing Hotels as much as possible. Are you taking a flight home from Amsterdam? Happy travels!