While no trip to the Netherlands would be complete without a couple of days in Amsterdam, if you have a few more days to spare it’s definitely worth exploring some of the other cities nearby! The train system is quick and easy to navigate, so you can get between cities in just an hour or two. The itinerary below gives a loop you can take for a weekend in the Netherlands starting and ending in Amsterdam, but it would be just as easy to start or finish in The Hague or Rotterdam.
(When I visited the Netherlands in April 2023, I arrived in The Hague by boat from England – highly recommend that overnight trip! – and departed from Rotterdam, headed to Antwerp and beyond into Belgium.)
Day 1 Morning – The Hague
8am – Start by heading to The Hague/Den Haag, about an hour from Amsterdam Centraal station. For breakfast, try the Bookstor Cafe or Dudok, both fairly close to the center.
10am – While you could easily spend days in this bustling city – seat of the Dutch government and home to several UN functions as well – for now, just pick one museum to check out in the morning. The Mauritshuis is world-renowned, but if that’s a bit too much for a quick stop, the Escher in Het Paleis museum, a collection of Escher’s work in the former winter palace of Queen Mother Emma, is also well worth exploring and certainly on a much more manageable scale.
2pm – Wander through the atmospheric narrow downtown shopping streets (like Papestraat) and grab late lunch, then hop on the tram #1 intercity service to Delft! Get off after about 30 minutes at Prisenhof, one stop before the central station.
Day 1 Afternoon – Delft
3pm – If you can handle another museum, the Prisenhof will give you the perfect primer on Dutch history. Nearby, the Huis Van Meerten is a nineteenth-century house, historic on its own but also full of Van Meerten’s collection of old building fragments, furniture and Delft pottery. Or, just get an early start on wandering the canals!
6pm – Explore Delft’s central square, including plenty of cheese and pottery shops, and the picturesque canals throughout the city center – much quieter than what you may have seen in Amsterdam! Find dinner at one of the many restaurants poised for people-watching, and consider climbing the tower of the Nieuwe Kerk for a golden hour or sunset view.
(Spend the night in Delft – I highly recommend “B&B Plantage 98” – no website, but you can find it on Airbnb or call the friendly host directly.)
Day 2 Morning – Rotterdam
9am – It’s only about 30 minutes from Utrecht to Rotterdam Centraal station. From there, you can hop on a local bus, or head towards the river on foot to get a sense of the city’s more modern architecture. Coffee shops abound if you need breakfast – I was pretty happy with the Chocolate Company Cafe.
10:30am – Explore the historic port of Delfshaven (search “Historisch Delfshaven” on the map), perhaps stopping at the Euromast on the way if you’re in need of a view. Then, take a water taxi (book online, on demand) to the Boompjes or Oostplein stop.
12pm – Lunch time!! Check out the interesting architecture and wide range of food options at the Market Hall. Then, admire the “Kijk-Kubus” Cube Houses next door, perhaps even taking a tour if you have time.
Day 2 Afternoon – Utrecht
2pm – From Rotterdam Blaak station, it’s 45 minutes by train to Utrecht! Maybe take a nap if you don’t mind missing the views along the way.
3pm – Utrecht is a fun university town that doesn’t have a particularly intricate canal network, but the canals you’ll see in the center of town are unique – they’re two stories tall! (…or deep?)
Wander away, including down the stairs to walk along the water if you like, checking out the shops and homes that have entrances “below ground” but right onto the canal.
5pm – Don’t worry, there’s a bell tower to climb for a panoramic view here, too! (Dom Tower.) Plenty of great dinner options as well – again, I recommend choosing based on the people-watching possibilities.
You can spend tonight in Utrecht, or it’s about 30 minutes back on the train – hope you enjoyed a weekend in the Netherlands, beyond Amsterdam!
