Amsterdam day trips
The best day trips from Amsterdam in 2026
The Netherlands is small and well-connected — within 30 minutes you can be at a North Sea beach or a windmill village, within 2 hours at the island of Texel. Here are the best options, with prices and direct booking links.
🧀 Summer tip: The famous Alkmaar cheese market takes place every Friday from 27 March until end of September 2026 — one of the most spectacular shows in the Netherlands. Book a guided tour from Amsterdam →
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Best day trips from Amsterdam in 2026
- Giethoorn - the Dutch Venice, 2–2.5 hours from Amsterdam
- Zaanse Schans - windmills and traditional crafts, 30 minutes from Amsterdam
- Volendam & Marken - historic fishing villages, 40 minutes from Amsterdam
- Efteling - the Netherlands' most visited theme park, perfect for a family day out, 2 hours from Amsterdam
- Zandvoort - North Sea beach, 30 minutes from Amsterdam
- Haarlem - historic city with canals and museums, 20 minutes from Amsterdam
- Keukenhof - tulip gardens, seasonal (March–May), 35 minutes from Amsterdam
- Texel - island with beaches and nature, 2 hours from Amsterdam
- Leiden, The Hague, Rotterdam - historic and modern cities reachable by direct train in 40–80 minutes
Tip! Curious to see something more off the beaten track? Join the small group Five hidden gems tour and visit the village of De Rijp, the windmill of Schermerhorn, the oldest working planetarium in the world, and the preserved mummies of Wieuwerd.
What are the good websites to book a day trip from Amsterdam?
We recommend to check three websites Tiqets.com, GetYourGuide.com, and Tours & Tickets. Sometimes they offer discounts on tours, so it’s worth checking them all if you’re looking for a good price.
My favourite tours from Amsterdam are the ones by Hop on Hop off Holland, departing from This is Holland. These tours combine the freedom of traveling on your own with the ease of not having to think about logistics. Most of them will take you to the destination in a comfortable bus and give you time to explore it on your own.
| Tour from This is Holland to: | Price in 2026 | Tickets and more info |
|---|---|---|
| Zaanse Schans | € 19,50 | See prices & book → |
| Volendam | € 25 | See prices & book → |
| Giethoorn | from € 64,50 | See prices & book → |
| Efteling | from € 92,50 | See prices & book → |
| Alkmaar | from € 69,50 | See prices & book → |
1. Day trips from Amsterdam to the Dutch countryside
The peaceful countryside of Waterland is located just a few kilometres away from Amsterdam. One of the most famous villages in the area is the traditional fishing village Volendam. While it’s quite touristic, it’s still a nice place to take a walk, enjoy the views of the colorful wooden houses and the old boats, and have lunch at the lively fishing harbor. Smit-Bokkum smokehouse and restaurant is the place to taste smoked eel and the classic local dishes.
You can travel from Amsterdam to Volendam by public transport bus 316, direct transfer bus or join a guided tour.
From Volendam take a ferry boat to Marken, a historic small fishing village with charming green wooden houses built on stilts. The Volendam-Marken Express is a ferry service between Volendam and Marken all year round, departing every 30 - 90 minutes depending on the season. The crossing takes around 30 minutes.
Edam is another small town 25 km away from Volendam. On Wednesdays in July and August you can visit the famous Edam cheese market. People in traditional clothing recreate a traditional cheese market. Such an impressive show! In 2026 you can visit the Edam cheese market on Wednesdays from 1 July till 19 August 2026 from 10:30 till 12:30.
Broek in Waterland and Monnickendam harbour village are two more charming little places in the area. We bet that once you get here you won’t want to leave.
De Koperen Vis restaurant is a good place to have lunch or dinner by the water in Monnickendam.
If you are travelling by public transport, the best way to get around the Waterland region is by bus. We recommend you to consider buying a Waterland day ticket. It cost €12,50 and is valid on all local bus routes throughout the area. Another great option is Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket for 1 – 3 days of unlimited travel by bus, tram, metro and train in Amsterdam and surrounding areas.
In Amsterdam the buses to Volendam, Edam, Marken Monnickendam, Broek in Waterland depart from Amsterdam/CS IJzijde bus terminal.
2. Day trips to Giethoorn
Giethoorn, a picturesque village in the province of Overijssel, is one of the most beautiful destinations in the Netherlands. Known for its traditional Dutch houses nestled along romantic canals and 180 bridges, the village is unique in that the old part has no roads.
Giethoorn doesn’t have a train station, so traveling from Amsterdam requires a combination of train and bus. The journey takes about 2 to 2,5 hours each way and costs € 58 for a round trip using public transport. For a more convenient option, consider booking a tour to Giethoorn from Amsterdam or bus transfer.
| From Amsterdam to Giethoorn | Ticket price | Tickets in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Public transport | € 58 | Book >> |
| Bus transfer | from € 65* | Book >> |
| Group tour | from € 79* | Book >> |
* price includes a boat tour in Giethoorn.
3. The North Sea, the Dunes and Haarlem city
Zandvoort aan Zee is the closest seaside place to Amsterdam. It’s known for its long North Sea beach as well as impressive coastal dunes merging with the Nationaal Park Zuid-Kennemerland. Direct trains from Amsterdam Centraal to Zandvoort aan Zee station run every 30 minutes, and the ride itself takes 30 minutes as well. In the summer season you’ll find numerous restaurants and beach clubs here. We recommend, the Hippie Fish, Club Cabo or Ubuntu Strandbar.
Rent a bike and explore the dunes in the National park Zuid-Kennemerland. Or visit Haarlem, an old historic city located half-way from Zandvoort aan Zee to Amsterdam. Even the train station here is impressive. It’s one of the oldest train stations in the Netherlands and the only one built in Art Nouveau style. Some scenes of the Hollywood’s Ocean’s Twelve movie were filmed right here.
4. Day trips from Amsterdam to Leiden, The Hague and Rotterdam
Leiden, an old city between Amsterdam and The Hague, is famous for its university, museums and glorious history. It’s also the place where Rembrandt was born. Today the city has almost 3,000 monuments and is often being called one large open-air museum. While walking through Leiden you’ll notice numerous poems painted on the buildings. The Wall Poems is a project in which more than 110 poems are written on the walls in the poet’s original language. You can plan your own route and find all poems in your language!
In The Hague we recommend to take a walk though Binnenhof complex, the seat of the Dutch parliament, visit the Mauritshuis gallery and Escher in the Palace museum. After a long day it’s nice to watch the sunset at Scheveningen, the beach district of The Hague with a pier, a lighthouse, and a harbour. Catch by Simonis, an international seafood restaurant in the marina with a wide assortment of daily catch can be a perfect spot for dinner.
For your day trips from Amsterdam you can travel to Leiden, The Hague or Rotterdam by direct Intercity train or join one of the guided tours from Amsterdam.
Related articles:
- How to get from Amsterdam to Giethoorn
- Travel to Volendam and Marken from Amsterdam
- Haarlem city guide: things to do
- The Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam: how to get there
- Amsterdam with kids: things to do
- Amsterdam itinerary: best of the city in 2 days
- Canal cruises in Amsterdam
- Keukenhof 2026: spring tulip gardens near Amsterdam
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