Visit the beautiful city of Haarlem is located just 15 minutes away from Amsterdam. It’s a must-see if you like art, history, culture and shopping. In our guide we’ve selected the best things to do in Haarlem.
Haarlem is also way less crowded than Amsterdam and it’s easier to find a good accommodation at a reasonable price here. It is also conveniently located between Amsterdam and Keukenhof and Amsterdam an the beach. So many travellers choose Haarlem as their main place to stay in the Netherlands.
Visit Haarlem: where to start
- Travel to Haarlem from Amsterdam by train in 15-19 minutes. From Schiphol you can travel to Haarlem by direct bus 300.
- There are dozens of nice hotels in Haarlem. We recommend Brasss Hotel Suites and Hotel ML in Haarlem. If you arrive by car, there are two great places to stay just outside Haarlem – Duin & Kruidberg hotel and B&B Elswoutshoek located in a mansion, previously owned by Borski, one of the richest families in the Netherlands of their time.
- Visit Teylers museum (the oldest museum in the Netherlands),the Frans Hals Museum and take a canal cruise around the center of Haarlem. All these activities are free with the I amsterdam city card.
Haarlem city guide:
- Travel from Amsterdam to Haarlem
- Travel from Schiphol airport to Haarlem
- Where to stay in Haarlem?
- Haarlem: things to do
How to get to Haarlem from Amsterdam?
Direct trains from Amsterdam Central station to Haarlem run every 15 minutes. One-way ticket in 2025 costs €6,20 (online is €1 cheaper), travel time is 15 – 19 minutes. Book train tickets online.
Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket is also valid on NS trains in the Amsterdam Area (which includes Haarlem) and all metro, tram and bus lines operated by GVB, Connexxion, AllGo and EBS, including night buses.
With ARTT ticket you can also travel to Keukenhof, Zaansce Schans, Volendam and many other famous places in the Amsterdam area.
How to get to Haarlem from Schiphol?
You can take a direct bus line 300 from Schiphol airport to Haarlem (€ 6,50, travel time 36 minutes. Round trip costs € 11,75).
If you prefer travelling by train you’ll have to change train at Amsterdam Sloterdijk station (one-way ticket costs € 8,10, travel time is 30-40 minutes).
Where to stay in Haarlem
Haarlem has a good choice of 2 – 4 star hotels, which are generally cheaper than accommodations in Amsterdam. There are plenty of hotels located in the city center. Our choices are:
- Bed & Breakfast Hotel Malts, if you are looking for a place that feels like home
- Hotel Lion D’Or, conveniently located next to the train and bus station
- Amrâth Grand Hotel Frans Hals, if you come to Haarlem for business
- Brasss Hotel Suites
- Hotel ML
Unique accomodations near Haarlem:
- Fabulous B&B Elswoutshoek located in a mansion, previously owned by Borski, one of the richest families in the Netherlands of their time.
- Duin & Kruidberg hotel in the National park near the dunes.
Photos: hotel Duin & Kruidberg
Things to do in Haarlem
Visit the Windmill De Adriaan
A famous windmill is located on the Spaarne river. Join a guided tour to learn more about how windmills work. And enjoy the sight of the old city from the platform above the river.
Address: Papentorenvest 1a, Haarlem.
Opening hours depend on the season, check the official website.
Entrance tickets in 2025:
- adults – € 7,50
- children age 5 till 12 – € 3,50
- children age 0 till 4 – free
See the organ that young Mozart was playing at St Bavokerk
The wooden tower of the Grote of St. Bavo church on the central square (Grote Markt) reaches 78 meters into the sky, which makes it one of the largest in The Netherlands.
The church has an impressive interior and a unique atmosphere: wooden ceiling, stained glass windows and 400 gravestones, including that of a famous Dutch artist Frans Hals.
The church also has a famous organ by Christian Müller. Many world-known musicians played this organ, including Mendelssohn, Händel and the 10-year-old Mozart.
Address: Grote Markt 22, Haarlem (North side).
Opening hours: Monday till Saturday, 10:00 – 17:00. In July and August also open on Sundays 12:00 – 17:00.
Tickets:
- adults – € 4
- children 12-16 – € 2
- children 0-12 free (accompanied by an adult)
Guided Tours
Every Saturday there is a guided tour starting at 14:00. From May 15 till October 1 there is also an extra guided tour starting at 14:30. The tours take about an hour. No reservation required. Price is € 7 for an adult and € 2 for children (0 – 16 years old).
Drink a cup of coffee on Grote Markt
Make a short break for a cup of coffee at Haarlem’s main square and observe the daily life of the locals.
On Saturdays there is a big market at the Grote Markt. Here you can buy cheese, sausages, waffles, flowers, eat a broodje haring (Dutch herring in white bread) and enjoy the atmosphere.
Saturday market in Haarlem is open every week from 8:30 to 16:00.
Visit Teylers museum, the oldest museum of the Netherlands
Opened back in 1784, today Teylers museum has collections of art and books, instruments and scientific objects, coins and medals, fossils and minerals. One part of the museum – The Fundatiehuis – is the former family home of Pieter Teyler van der Hulst, a wealthy Dutch merhant and banker whose collection led to the formation of Teyler’s Museum.
Address: Spaarne 16, Haarlem.
Tickets in 2025:
- adults – € 17,50. Book online >>
- children age 6 till 17 – € 2,50
- children to the age of 6 – free
- free entrance with Museumkaart and I Amsterdam City Card.
If you like art, visit the Frans Hals Museum. It is one museum in two locations: Hof (Groot Heiligland 62), where you can find the 16th and 17th century masters and Hal (Grote Markt 16), with exhibitions of modern and contemporary art.
Tickets in 2025:
- adults – € 16. Book online >>
- children – free
- free entrance with Museumkaart and I Amsterdam City Card.
Take a canal cruise
Take a cruise around the historic city center of Haarlem. The Smidtje Canal Cruises departure point is easy to find – it is located across the canal from Teylers Museum, on the river ‘t Spaarne. Tickets online >>
Tip! This canal cruise is also free with I amsterdam city card.
Visit Haalem hofjes
Haarlem has a lot of hofjes – small hidden gardens surrounded by old houses grouped around a community garden with a water pump. Find out more about the history of Haarlem hofjes and try to find all 21 of them.
Here is full list of Haarlem hofjes: https://www.haarlemsehofjes.nl
Visit a rooftop restaurant DeDAKKAS
DeDAKKAS restaurant (De Witstraat 1A, 2011 DV Haarlem) located on the roof of the parking garage de Kamp is one of the most spectacular places for lunch in Haarlem. You can sit on the outside terrace or inside and enjoy the view.
Taste local beer in Jopenkerk, a former church in Haarlem
Address: Gedempte Voldersgracht 2, Haarlem
Jopenkerk is a beer brewery, restaurant and a pub in the building of a former church be a pub. Local Jopenbier is very famous in the Netherlands. The brewery has a wide selection of traditional and seasonal beers. And at the restaurant you can order meals combined with matching sorts of beers.
We recommend to make a reservation in advance.
Explore the Haarlem Station
We hope you’ve liked Haarlem same as we do! One more tip before you go back: don’t take a train as soon as you come to the railway station. Take some time to explore its unique building.
Its one of the oldest train stations in the Netherlands and it’s also often used as a film scene for movies. Some episodes of the Hollywood’s Ocean’s Twelve movie were also filmed here.
Have a nice time in Haarlem!
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