See the opposite city in Rotterdam

Rotterdam is the opposite city of Amsterdam, as the city is very new. During the Second World War, the whole city centre was bombed, which means that the current city is new and has new sights. Things to do in Rotterdam are:

• The Markthallen (see picture above) have a lot of cool market stalls from all over the world in a cool hall
• See the skyline of Rotterdam from the Maas to have a great view of the city
• See one of the best zoos in the Netherlands at Diergaarde Blijdorp
• See the weird Kubuswoningen (see picture below) and see how people live here

• See the cute Oude Haven (old harbour)
• Go high in the sky at the Euromast
• Observe the impressive Erasmus bridge 
• Visit the Depot Museum Boijmans van Beuningen

Tourist occurrence: Low

How to get here: 30-50 minutes by train from Amsterdam

How much time needed: 2 days

Visit one of the Wadden Islands

The Netherlands has 5 different inhabited islands in the interesting Wadden Sea. The Wadden Sea has one of the highest tidal differences in the world, so you can walk in a lot of areas where the sea often floods. The islands are perfect for bicycle rides and seeing nature. There are options to spot seals and great bird life. There are many beaches, cute villages, and light houses as well. This is perfect for nature lovers. The islands are Texel (the biggest), Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland, and Schiermonnikoog.

Tourist occurrence: Low

How to get here: Every island is reached by ferry, where you need a ticket. The ferries depart from different cities. 
How much time needed: 2-3 days

Enjoy a nice bitterbal or other Dutch food

The Dutch kitchen is absolutely not the best kitchen in the world; it is far from that. However, around 5/6 pm in bars, you can get lovely bitterballen (or other different fried and non-fried snacks) next to your drink. It is very nice to try them in different ways, but meat is the main one. Other things to try are haring (raw fish) and poffertjes (small pancakes). 

Find the Dom in Utrecht

Utrecht is the fourth-biggest city in The Netherlands and absolutely worth a visit. The Dom is the highest building in the city and cool to see, the same as the lovely canals you can walk next to. The city is worth a visit for sure, and it is also as easy as a daytrip from Amsterdam, although a night here would be recommended. 

Tourist occurrence: Medium
How to get here: 25 minutes by train from Amsterdam

How much time needed: 1 Full day

Eat some eel in Volendam and pay a visit to Marken

Volendam is a very traditional fishing village where you can taste some very nice eel and other fish. The houses are very traditional and worth taking a look at in the village. Have a stroll in the town and walk on the lovely boulevard. Don't forget to take a traditional photo where you will be dressed as a fisherman or a "girl with cheese." Also visit the cute city of Marken by ferry from Volendam. This is good in combination with the Zaanse Schans.

Tourist occurrence: High
How to get here: 20 minutes bus ride from Amsterdam

How much time needed: 3 hours

Find windmills at the Zaanse Schans

The Zaanse Schans may be the most traditional sight to see in The Netherlands. These windmills offer a great view of the surroundings and are a unique way to see culture in the Netherlands. Maybe you will find people in clogs. The villages in this area are a fantastic addition to the sight. The Zaanse Schans is great in combination with Volendam, maybe with a tour. 

Tourist occurrence: High
How to get here: 40 minutes by train and walk from Amsterdam. One hour from Volendam by bus. 
How much time needed: 2 hours. 

See the politics in The Hague

The third-largest city in the country is also the location where politics resides. You can walk around the beautiful buildings and around the city. You can also visit Madurodam, which is a miniature country of The Netherlands, so you can see every sight here. The best museum to visit is the Mauritshuis, which has a great art collection. 

Tourist occurrence: Low
How to get here: 1 hour by train from Amsterdam.

How much time needed: 5 hours.

See the south in Maastricht

Maastricht is the second-largest city in the country. The vibe is more Belgian, and craft beer is more important. The most important square is the Vrijthof, which contains many bars and restaurants. Maastricht has beautiful bridges, the river Maas, and churches, but the highlight is the already-mentioned other vibe. This is the perfect city to have a relaxed day in the Netherlands. 

Tourist occurrence: Low 
How to get here: 2.5 hours by train from Amsterdam. 
How much time needed: 1 -2 days

Have a beach day at the North Sea

The Netherlands has many beaches on the west coast. The beaches are not as beautiful as in the Caribbean, but the sand is lovely, and there are chances to have some waves. There are mostly some beach bars in the place where you want to be. The most famous beaches are in the towns of Scheveningen (at The Hague), Zandvoort, Zoutelande, and Bloemendaal. 

Tourist occurrence: Medium
How to get here: When on the West you can easily go to many beaches. 
How much time needed: A couple of hours. 

Visit the student city of Groningen

Groningen is a city in the north-east, which is a good city to visit. The city is not the most beautiful city in the country, but it is one of the best to get "gezelligheid," which is cozy and having a good time at once. The city centre is full of students, and their creativity makes the city a very fun place to visit. The bars in the centre do not have a closing time. The things to visit for the rest are the Martinitoren, with a great view (see picture above), and the Groninger Museum.

Tourist occurrence: Low

How to get here: 2 hour by train from Amsterdam. 

How much time needed: 1 day, and especially a night.

Celebrate Carnaval in Brabant or Limburg

Brabant and Limburg are the most southern provinces of The Netherlands, and they celebrate Carnaval in the most fun way. The cities will get crowded with dressed-up people in February. The music can be annoying, but with some beers, it is fun. This is a nice cultural thing to do. Breda, Tilburg, Maastricht, Eindhoven, and Den Bosch are the main cities to celebrate. Besides, Den Bosch, Maastricht (see point 9), and Breda are also nice cities to visit when Carnaval is not around.

Tourist occurrence: Low

How to get here: Depending on the city between 1 and 2 hours by train from Amsterdam. 

How much time needed: 1 day and night in February.

Try to find semi-wild European bison in Zandvoort

There is a path in the dunes of Zandvoort (also a nice beach) where you can find many cool animals, like konik (wild horses), Scottish cattle, deer, and rabbits. The best species to find is the European bison, which is a rare species. Even though this is semi-wild, finding them is a very cool experience. The hike is nice, and you go through good nature. It is free to enter, but it is only open from September 1 to March 1. Besides the dunes with the European bison, the dunes are also gorgeous to walk.

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How to get here: Take a train from Amsterdam to Haarlem and go by bus to Zandvoort, Riche and then you have to walk a bit. Follow the yellow sign to the good path.

How much time needed: 3 hours.

See the cute Haarlem

Haarlem is a cute city close to Amsterdam and the beach. You can visit the Grote Markt, where there are many bars and restaurants. The city centre is small, but cozy. You can also go to the breweries Uiltje or Jopen, which are famous in the whole country. The most famous museum is the Frans Hals Museum and it is absolutely worth a visit.

Tourist occurrence: Low

How to get here: A 15 minutes train ride from Amsterdam.

How much time needed: Half a day.

Have a boat ride on the Vinkeveense or Loosdrechtse Plassen

Rent a boat at one of the 2 most beautiful lakes in The Netherlands. Both the Vinkeveense Plassen and the Loosdrechtse Plassen are stunning and worth visiting. The lakes are similar and give a similar experience. There are islands with houses on them, and you can see some nice birds, like cormorants. This is obviously only a good activity when the weather is nice. You can also take a swim.

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How to get here: Loosdrechtse Plassen is 1 hour by train and bus. Vinkeveense Plassen is over an hour and will probably pass the Loosdrechtse Plassen.

How much time needed: 3 hours.

Go by canoe through the village Giethoorn and the nature park Weerribben.

Giethoorn is a very picturesque village where no cars are allowed and you can only move by boat, foot, or bicycle. This is a very cool place to visit, and it is the most beautiful village. You won't see this in many places in the world. Just outside Giethoorn is the national park Weerribben (where you have a small chance to spot otter), where you can also go by canoe, and this is combined with a fantastic day excursion.

Tourist occurrence: Very high in Giethoorn, but low in Weerribben

How to get here: 2 hour by train and bus from Amsterdam.

How much time needed: 1 day total for both.

Only see flowers in the Keukenhof

There are so many flowers, you cannot believe it! Keukenhof is a fantastic sight to have a good time and enjoy the extremely colourful flowers. The sight is only opened in small parts of the year, mostly between certain dates in March and May. It can be necessary to get tickets in advance.

Price: €19,50

Tourists occurrence: High

How to get here: 1 hour by train and bus from Amsterdam. 

How much time needed: 2-3 hours

Find wildlife in the Hoge Veluwe

The Hoge Veluwe is a great national park and one of the best places to find wildlife in The Netherlands. When you enter this national park, you can grab a white bike (when you get off, someone else can take it) and cycle through the park. There are wild observation points where you have good chances of seeing roe and red deer, foxes, wild boar, and mouflon. Recently, the wolf has also entered the park. In the park, there is a restaurant, the great Kröller Müller museum with interesting paintings, and a garden with statues.

Price: €12

Tourist occurrence: Low

How to get here: There are 3 entrances and it takes about 1.5-2 hours from Amsterdam by train and bus.

How much time needed: 1 Full day.

See cities like Middelburg, Amersfoort, Leiden, Delft, Nijmegen, Zwolle

There are more cities in The Netherlands that are worth visiting, as I mentioned above. Especially Leiden can be a very cool city with canals, but all these cities are worth visiting for a day. When you have time left, visit these cities. Leiden is in the picture above.

Tourists occurrence: Low

How much time needed: 1 day per city

Visit the famous city of Amsterdam 

Amsterdam is the city of Marihuana and the Red Light District, right? Well, it is both possible, but the city offers way more than that. Seeing great museums and fantastic canals is a great experience. There are some very interesting neighborhoods that many people would not visit. Walking around the old city centre  is the main thing to do. 

Tourist occurrence: Very high

How to get here: Amsterdam is reached from a lot of other European countries and The Netherlands by public transport. By flight it is even more easy as it is one of the biggest airports of the continent.

How much time needed: 3-4 days

If you want to know more about Amsterdam, have a look at:

Things I have not done, but can be interesting

• Find Old graves called Hunebedden in Drenthe
• Find wildlife in Oostvaardersplassen
• Take a boat tour in the Biesbosch National Park

Final thoughts

The Netherlands is a nice country to visit. It is a small country, but there is plenty to see. I would say to try to spend more time than alone in Amsterdam, but also visit 1 or 2 cities and a national park (Huge Veluwe or Wadden Islands).

If you want to know more about The Netherlands, check out: