The Perfect One-Week Netherlands Itinerary
The Netherlands is such a small country, yet almost everyone has heard of it one way or another. This country may be small but it is filled to the brim with amazing places to visit and people to meet. There is simply so much to see and so much to do in this country that we decided to create the perfect one-week Netherlands itinerary for you so you can visit the Netherlands and get the most out of your experience! In this itinerary, we will only spend a single day in Amsterdam before we whisk you away to all the other great things this tiny country full of large-minded people has to offer you.
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Why do you need one week to visit the Netherlands?
The Netherlands is a very small country and when most people think of it they will immediately think of Amsterdam and its vices. While this country is as open-minded as most people presume it to be, the country is more than just Amsterdam. It is full of history everywhere you look, and every city has a unique story to tell. We want to take you further into the Dutch aesthetic than just Amsterdam, which is why we will only be spending a single day there. Leaving you six days in this travel itinerary full of experiences you probably didn’t expect or think of!
When you visit the Netherlands’ most popular tourist attractions, it is best to get a skip-the-line ticket one day in advance. This way you'll avoid waiting in line for hours and don't have to worry about wasting time standing in one spot!
Public transportation in the Netherlands is one of the best in the world. The country has one of the most intricate train networks in the world and besides that, there are also subways, trams and buses that will get you just about anywhere. The best part is that it's all covered by one simple ticket! They adopted the Japanese system of a simple pre-paid public transportation card that you can use in all forms of public transportation throughout the entire country. When you visit the Netherlands and travel by train there are plenty of ticket machines in all stations but getting the right ticket could be just as complicated as their language. So, if you are unsure we advise either asking an employee for help or going to the service desk to buy the best ticket option for you.
There are two types of trains when you visit the Netherlands: Intercity trains and Sprinter trains that have their own colour scheme, which makes them easy to recognise. The yellow and blue intercity trains connect larger cities to one another for fast travel. While the white and blue Sprinter trains will stop at smaller towns in between cities.
The ultimate one-week Netherlands itinerary
The Netherlands is one of those countries that deserve to be on anyone's bucket list. This is why we went above and beyond to create the best week-long itinerary for you. Showing you all the best places of this idyllic country, without the clichés.
Day one – Explore the capital, Amsterdam.
Day one of our 7 days in the Netherlands, assuming you either come in by international train or via plane, will likely have you arriving at Amsterdam central station or Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. This is why we will be starting our tour there. A warm welcome begins in Amsterdam, where you can admire beautiful Dutch architecture and picturesque canals. You can even visit the world-famous Rijksmuseum or take a walk through Vondelpark, one of Amsterdam's many parks.
A canal cruise through Amsterdam is a must-do activity when visiting the city, these guided boat tours will take you through the canals of the city and present you with wonderful views from the water.
Many companies offer canal tours in Amsterdam, most of them are similar to each other. The tour will typically last around one hour and will take you through some of the most popular areas of Amsterdam.
There are many museums in Amsterdam, and most of them are worth a visit when you visit the Netherlands. The Rijksmuseum is one of the most popular museums in Amsterdam, and it's home to some of the Netherlands' most famous artworks. The Anne Frank House is also a popular museum, and it's dedicated to the life of Anne Frank. The museum is located in the building where Anne and her family hid from the Nazis during World War II.
The Vondelpark is one of the most popular parks in Amsterdam, and it's easy to see why. It's a beautiful park with a large pond, plenty of green space and a few small cafes. Westerpark is also a great park, and it's one of our favourites because it's so big! There's plenty of space to walk, run or bike, and there are also some great restaurants and cafes in the park.
Day two – Visit the dutch Island of Texel and enjoy Holland’s best beaches.
On the second day of our one-week in the Netherlands, we’re heading north, off of the mainland. From Amsterdam, you can grab an intercity train to the most northern city of the province of Noord-Holland, to the city of Den Helder. From here a 20-minute Ferry ride will bring you to the small island of Texel where you can both experience Dutch Island life to the fullest today.
When you visit the Netherlands, it’s really not complete without seeing at least the largest island of their island group. Visit the East India Trading Company museum or take a relaxing walk along the beaches and dunes of this island. The entire island is small enough that you can rent a bike (or scooter) and cycle around the entire island to go sightseeing.
On the most northern tip of the island, you will find De Cocksdorp with a beautiful red and white lighthouse, the area is home to a lot of bird species. Or you can visit the idyllic villages of Oosterend and De Waal where you can breathe in Texel’s history. Or you can visit one of the remaining bunkers on the island that were left from the second world war. There were originally about 500 of them, most of them have been broken down but some remain.
Day three – Take in the modern skyline of Rotterdam.
After taking the Ferry back to the Dutch mainland, we board a train back to Amsterdam. Here we will transfer to the ‘intercity direct’ If you travel with an OV chip card and not a rail pass, don’t forget to load the supplement ticket for the Intercity Direct train onto your card. This train is always serviced and if you don’t have that supplement you will risk a 50 euro fine. When in doubt, ask the conductor of the train to help you. The intercity direct is a special high-speed train that will bring you to Rotterdam central station a good 30 minutes faster than the normal train would, going through several underground tunnels with a speed of up to 160 kilometres per hour.
Once you get to Rotterdam central station you will find yourself in a completely different city than Amsterdam. This is because the largest part of Rotterdam had been bombarded during the second world war, making way for the metropolis that it has become.
Visit the Euromast lookout tower in Rotterdam and get a 360-degree view of this amazing skyline first-hand. There is no other Dutch city like it with its skyscrapers and its unique architectural design right on the waterfront. Followed by a visit to the extremely unique “cube houses” and a stroll through the amazing industrial harbour. If you’d like to explore the harbour from the water, which we highly recommend, you can book a guided boat tour that will show you all the highlights of the largest trading port in Europe.
If you're an art lover, the Van Nelle Factory is a must-see when visiting the Netherlands! Spend some time walking around the Iconic Blaak Street and admire new buildings while enjoying a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants! For a more relaxed atmosphere, visit one of Rotterdam's famous canals and take a walk along one of the longest pedestrian paths in Europe.
The Maritime Museum is another popular museum in Rotterdam, and one of the highlights is its collection of historical ships. There are also plenty of exhibits that focus on Rotterdam's maritime history.
Day four – The UNESCO world heritage windmills of Kinderdijk.
The fourth day of our one-week Netherlands itinerary is going to be rather special. You can’t visit Holland without visiting the most iconic windmills of the country, and today will be just the day for that. The village of Kinderdijk is open year-round and is a UNESCO world heritage site like no other when you visit the Netherlands. Here you will find more windmills than anywhere in the country and the landscape shows the true Dutch character of a lifelong battle against water and high tide. Some of these windmills are still operational and give you a great insight into the old-fashioned way of making oil and flour by kinetic energy. You can plan a day trip here yourself or take a guided day tour straight from Rotterdam. Some of these tours will bring you by regular bus but it’s also worth the experience to take the water bus. Yes, a water bus. Rotterdam has several buses that will literally drive right into the water, turn into a boat and simply float you to your destination safely.
Day five – Visit Zeeland, The Ibiza of the Netherlands
From Rotterdam, on the fifth day of our 7-day Netherlands itinerary, it’s only a stone's throw to Zeeland, which is often referred to as the Ibiza of the Netherlands because it is the only place in this country where you will find south-facing beaches. This place also offers the most hours of sun in the entire country, which is why it is among the favourite getaways for the locals. Depending on where you want to go, several buses can take you straight to your destination in Zeeland, or you can go around the many bodies of water in this province and take the train. A train ride from Rotterdam to Vlissingen, which is the last stop in Zeeland, will take you about 2 hours.
In the Province of Zeeland, there is something for everyone when you visit the Netherlands. From natural reserves where you can take a relaxing walk that houses countless bird species that you can watch without disturbing them to the Delta waterworks which is a defence line built after the great water disaster of 1953 that flooded the largest part of the province. The Delta waterworks are an impressive sight to behold and they protect the countryside from storms, tide and high water from the Northern sea.
After you enjoyed your share of nature or Dutch engineering you can take a walk on the “Hoge Hil” beach of Domburg and enjoy the beautiful beaches and the many restaurants on the boulevard there. Or you can choose to continue to Middelburg or Vlissingen. In Vlissingen, you can stroll along the boulevard or visit the maritime museum or a prison tower that was built in the 15th century.
In Middelburg, you can visit the beautiful town hall, the ‘Zeeuws museum’, the local city brewery, the abbey tower of Long John, several city gates and churches. It doesn’t really matter where you stroll past in this old city, every nook and cranny will surprise you with beautiful old architecture.
Day 6 – Get a taste of the Dutch mountains in Maastricht.
It is the 6th day of our week-long itinerary in the Netherlands and that means it is almost over. But we’ve only seen the western half of the country at this point. From Zeeland, we will hop back on a train and cross to the other -southern- side of the country and swap the flat, below sea level part of the country for the hillsides of Limburg. By train, the trip from Vlissingen to Maastricht will take you approximately four hours, so make sure you leave early. We will take a guided city tour that will take you past Maastricht’s heritage in about 2.5 hours. The tour starts at the ‘Helpoort’ which is the oldest remaining city gate of the Netherlands and it will take you past another operational mill and across the old city wall, the St. Pieter fortress and a quarry. Before stopping at the highest vantage point of the region to get a good look at this beautifully preserved city.
This beautiful city has restaurants and bars everywhere in the centre that will allow you to sit on the terrace and relax and unwind after a couple of long days of exploring this country. So sit back and relax and enjoy your evening.
Day 7 – Bask in the true Dutch authenticity of Utrecht.
From Maastricht, on the last day of our one-week Netherlands itinerary, we take the train back to Utrecht central station which will take you about 2 hours. Utrecht is another beautiful city with a unique character. If you take a walk through this city you will find that part of it is filled with very old architecture, But the area around the central station is undeniably more modern than the rest of the city. This is because the station area was bombed at the end of the second world war and part of the city was reduced to rubble because of it. Making room for modern architecture.
Utrecht is also the home of Miffy, the world-famous white little bunny in children's books that is officially called ‘Nijntje’. The Miffy Museum is definitely worth a visit, especially if you have kids. Book a canal tour through the many waterways in the city and relax while you take in the beautiful views. Visit the railroad museum to see the trains that used to drive the tracks dating back to the early 1900s and take a city tour on foot to explore the beautiful architecture and climb the 112 metres tall Dom tower, which is an old church tower in the middle of the city centre.
Finish the week off strong when you visit the Netherlands by grabbing dinner in one of the many ‘werfkelder’ restaurants which are located below street level, right on the waterfront of Utrecht’s many beautiful canals. To enjoy your last day in this one-week Netherlands itinerary.
From Utrecht central station, it’s only about a 30-minute train ride back to either Schiphol airport or Amsterdam central station.