In a nutshell
- Planning a day trip from Amsterdam? We’ve rounded up 8 truly beautiful places to visit near Amsterdam — with practical advice on how to get to each one.
- You’ll find all the tips you need right here, so you can spend less time researching and more time exploring.
- Our personal favorites near Amsterdam: the windmills of Zaanse Schans, charming Utrecht, and Haarlem — Amsterdam’s older sister.
Zaanse Schans
- Distance from Amsterdam: 20 kilometers
- Our tip: Guided Zaanse Schans tour incl. transfer
Zaanse Schans is a small town on the Zaan river, just a stone’s throw from Amsterdam. It’s best known for its gorgeous windmills.
Zaanse Schans is a mix of a lived-in village and an open-air museum. Alongside the windmills, you’ll find a historic wooden clog workshop, cheese shops, and genuinely charming rustic cafés.
If you’ve already ticked off all the things to do in Amsterdam, we highly recommend making the trip out here.
Visiting Zaanse Schans with a tour group
The guided Zaanse Schans tour is honestly the best way to visit. The value for money is fantastic!
Round-trip transfers are included, plus a windmill visit, a trip to a wooden clog workshop, and a cheese tasting. You really can’t go wrong.
Book the guided Zaanse Schans tour online
Getting to Zaanse Schans on your own
By car, take the A8 from Amsterdam — the drive takes about 20 minutes.
Alternatively, hop on the train for around 4 euros from Amsterdam Centraal to Koog-Zaandijk at Zaanse Schans. The ride also takes about 20 minutes.
Keukenhof
- Distance from Amsterdam: 39 kilometers
- Our tip: Keukenhof visit with a tour group
Keukenhof is a flower park southwest of Amsterdam, open every spring. It’s one of the most spectacular Amsterdam day trips you can do during tulip season.
This is where you’ll find the most stunning tulip fields near Amsterdam, and every year the park has a different theme — think Van Gogh or Flower Power.
Visiting Keukenhof with a tour group
Going to Keukenhof with a small group is the more stress-free option — and it saves you around 10 euros. Transfer and admission are both included. Once you arrive, you’re free to explore at your own pace.
Book the Keukenhof visit with a tour group online
Getting to Keukenhof on your own
Because Keukenhof gets seriously crowded, it makes sense to buy your ticket online in advance even if you’re going independently.
By car is easy — take the A4 from Amsterdam. The drive takes about 30 minutes.
Getting there by bus and train, on the other hand, is unfortunately quite complicated and takes nearly an hour. We’d advise against it.
Haarlem
- Distance from Amsterdam: 30 kilometers
- Our tip: Train ride from Amsterdam to Haarlem
Haarlem is located just west of Amsterdam — a short hop away, and absolutely worth a visit. It’s often called “Amsterdam’s older sister,” and for good reason.
You’ll find beautiful canals and historic canal houses here too, but without anywhere near the crowds of Amsterdam. A fantastic day trip from Amsterdam!
How to get from Amsterdam to Haarlem
Haarlem is one of the easiest excursions you can do from Amsterdam.
From Amsterdam Centraal, the train takes just 10 minutes to Haarlem’s main station. The fare is only around 7 euros and trains run every ten minutes. It couldn’t be simpler.
By the way, the I Amsterdam City Card covers many museums in Haarlem and a canal cruise too. So if you already have the card, you’ll get great value out of it here.
Book train ticket to/from Haarlem online
Zandvoort
- Distance from Amsterdam: 39 kilometers
- Our tip: Bike rental in Zandvoort
Zandvoort is a coastal town on the North Sea, and one of the most popular beach destinations near Amsterdam.
You can look forward to a long sandy beach, the open sea, and small cafés and restaurants with water views. There are also great bike paths for cycling tours along the coast.
Our tip: Zandvoort is also a great day trip from Amsterdam with kids. Just pack some beach toys and escape the city for a day. It’s a fantastic change of scenery and the kids can burn off loads of energy.
How to get from Amsterdam to Zandvoort
By car, take the A10 from Amsterdam — the drive takes 40 minutes.
Even easier is the train from Amsterdam Centraal to Zandvoort. The ride takes 30 minutes and you don’t have to worry about parking.
Book train ticket to/from Zandvoort online
Giethoorn
- Distance from Amsterdam: 119 kilometers
- Our tip: Guided day trip to Giethoorn
Giethoorn is a small village on the far side of the IJsselmeer. It’s not the closest Amsterdam excursion, but it’s still easy to reach — and seriously worth it.
With its many canals and bridges, Giethoorn is known as “Holland’s Venice.”
What makes it truly special: the town center has no streets at all — only canals. Everywhere you look there are small islands with farmhouses, all connected to the mainland by over 170 bridges.
Visiting Giethoorn with a tour group
We recommend a guided day trip from Amsterdam to Giethoorn, including transfer and boat tour. You don’t have to think about a thing — just sit back and enjoy the typically Dutch countryside on the bus ride and during the boat tour.
Book the guided day trip to Giethoorn online
Getting to Giethoorn on your own
Going independently is only really worth it if you have a car. By public transit, the trip takes nearly three hours each way.
By car, take the A6 — it’s about a 1.5-hour drive from Amsterdam.
The Hague
- Distance from Amsterdam: 64 kilometers
- Our tip: Train ride from Amsterdam to The Hague
The Hague is southwest of Amsterdam and one of the most varied day trips from Amsterdam on this list.
You can explore impressive sights like the Peace Palace, then stroll along the beach — The Hague sits right on the sea and has an 11-kilometer-long sandy beach.
How to get from Amsterdam to The Hague
We recommend the train with NS International from Amsterdam Centraal to Den Haag HS. A one-way ticket costs around 15 euros and the journey takes about 45 minutes. Trains run roughly every 15 minutes.
Book train ticket to/from The Hague online
If you’d rather drive, take the A4 from Amsterdam — the trip takes about 55 minutes.
Utrecht
- Distance from Amsterdam: 44 kilometers
- Our tip: Train ride from Amsterdam to Utrecht
Utrecht is southeast of Amsterdam and one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands.
We wouldn’t say Utrecht beats Amsterdam, but it’s definitely earned the nickname “Amsterdam’s little brother.”
There are plenty of canals and churches to explore here too. We’re especially fond of the antiques and secondhand strip along the Oudegracht — it’s a great place to browse.
How to get from Amsterdam to Utrecht
The easiest way is by train. For around 11 euros, you can travel from Amsterdam Centraal to Utrecht’s main station. Trains run every ten minutes and the journey takes about 40 minutes.
Book train ticket to/from Utrecht online
By car via the A2, the journey takes about the same amount of time.
Find more Utrecht tips here:
Rotterdam
- Distance from Amsterdam: 78 kilometers
- Our tip: Train ride from Amsterdam to Rotterdam
Just like The Hague, Rotterdam is southwest of Amsterdam — just a bit farther out.
Rotterdam is a seriously cool port city where modern architecture meets historic character. That goes for both the activities and the sights in Rotterdam.
Beyond sightseeing, you can also take a harbor tour on an amphibious bus — a real highlight.
How to get from Amsterdam to Rotterdam
We recommend the train with NS International from Amsterdam Centraal to Rotterdam. A one-way ticket costs around 20 euros and trains run roughly every ten minutes. The journey takes about 50 minutes.
Book train ticket to/from Rotterdam online
Alternatively, you can drive via the A4 from Amsterdam to Rotterdam in about an hour.
Frequently Asked Questions About Day Trips from Amsterdam
Which cities are near Amsterdam?
Amsterdam is surrounded by plenty of places worth visiting. We’d especially recommend Haarlem, Utrecht, The Hague, and Rotterdam.
All four are roughly 19 to 43 miles from Amsterdam and super easy to reach by train.
Which day trip from Amsterdam is best for kids?
Keukenhof and Zandvoort are both great picks for a day trip from Amsterdam with kids.
Both destinations are easy to reach independently, so you can go at your own pace. The kids will have plenty to see — and at Zandvoort especially, they can burn off loads of energy on the beach.
Which Amsterdam day trips are the most affordable?
If you want a budget-friendly excursion from Amsterdam, Haarlem is our top pick.
The train from Amsterdam to Haarlem costs just under 7 euros and gets you there in only ten minutes. It’s honestly hard to beat.
