The Netherlands is an easy-travelling country, as public transport and roads are very good. Also, the country is very small and flat, so no travel time between 2 destinations will be longer than 3-4 hours. It has much to offer, as you can see good cities, cute villages, and cool nature. In the itineraries, I will not include things to do that are only for a short period (such as the Keukenhof) or a special day (such as King's Day or Carnaval). If you want to know which route to take, check out:

One week

One week gives you the opportunity to see the most important highlights of the country. You can see many things from Amsterdam as a base, but I recommend going to a city and staying there. 

Day 1 & 2: Amsterdam

Enjoy your first 2 days in Amsterdam and see the canals; visit the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. In the evening, head to De Pijp and later to the Red Light District. Visit the Vondelpark, the Dam, and the Jordaan as well. Walk through the city, and you will find many highlights along the way. If you want more information on what to do in Amsterdam, have a look at: 

Day 3: Day trip to Volendam, Marken and Zaanse Schans

Take a day trip from Amsterdam to visit 3 remarkable locations. I would recommend a tour, as they will also show you a place for cheese and maybe another village like Monickendam or Broek in Waterland. At least visit the fishing village of Volendam and take the ferry to Marken to see traditional Dutch houses. Afterward, head to the Zaanse Schans to see some windmills in a great environment. Afterwards, head back and visit another neighborhood of Amsterdam, such as the Dapperbuurt.

Day 4: Amsterdam - Texel (Wadden Islands)

Take an early train ride of 1.5 hours to Den Helder, where you can take the 30-minute ferry to Texel. I would recommend hiring a bike here and riding the whole island. Head to your accommodation and explore the biggest island of the Wadden Islands. Maybe visit a nice beach or dunes, or head to the capital of the island, Den Burg. 

Day 5: Texel - Utrecht

Enjoy the island in the beginning and see what you can do. There are some activities I can recommend:

• De Slufter, a lovely tidal marsh to have a good hike
• See the Texels brewery
• Go to Ecomare to see rescued seals 

Afterwards, bike back to the ferry, which goes to Den Helder. Take the train for a little bit less than 2 hours to Utrecht and enjoy the evening here.

Day 6: Utrecht - Rotterdam

Enjoy the lovely canals of Utrecht, where especially the Oude Gracht is fabulous. Also see the Dom, and in the afternoon, head to Rotterdam by a 40-minute train ride. In Rotterdam, head to the Markthal, the Kubuswoningen, and the Nieuwe Haven. Also see the skyline and the Erasmus bridge, and when you have time, head up to the Euromast.

Day 7: Rotterdam - home

Unfortunately, today is your day to go home. Enjoy Rotterdam as much as possible, until you have to go home. You can get a train to Amsterdam Airport, which takes around 30 minutes. From Rotterdam, you can also take trains and buses to other countries. 

Two week itinerary

Two weeks give a better view of the country, and you can see more of The Netherlands. This can be the perfect amount to have a great time in The Netherlands.

Day 1 & 2: Amsterdam

Day 3: Day trip to Volendam, Marken and Zaanse Schans

Day 4: Amsterdam - Zandvoort and Haarlem

Get up early to head to Zandvoort by train or bus ride and make a hike in the dunes at the Wisentenpad so you can try to observe European bison, konik, deer, and more. After the hike, head to the beach by foot, see the Noordzee, and enjoy some lunch. Afterwards, head to Haarlem by a 10-minute train ride and enjoy a late afternoon and evening in the cute Haarlem.

Day 5: Haarlem - Texel

Head to Texel by an almost 2-hour train ride to Den Helder and take the ferry to Texel.

Day 6: Day trip to Vlieland (Wadden Islands)

Take a one-hour boat ride to Vlieland and see another Wadden island. and do a seal tour here. Bike around the island and enjoy this unique ecosystem. After a good nature day, head back to Texel and enjoy this island.

Day 7: Texel - Utrecht

Day 8: Utrecht - De Hoge Veluwe National Park 

First, enjoy Utrecht to the fullest and see the Dom and the canals. Take a 1 hour public transport trip to the east and find a place in the forest or in a village around the national park (Hoenderloo, Otterlo, and Schaarsbergen are the most convenient), so you can get in tomorrow. 

Day 9: De Hoge Veluwe National Park

After the entrance gate of the national park, there are bikes, which you can grab and enjoy the multiple ecosystems. There are some cool wildlife observation points to find animals such as roe and red deer, wild boar, mouflon, and foxes. If you are very lucky, nowadays you have a very small chance of seeing wolves. Bike the whole park and visit the Kröller Müller Museum to see a great sculpture garden and paintings of Van Gogh and Piet Mondriaan. Also, have some rest at the restaurant in the middle of the park.

Day 10: De Hoge Veluwe National Park - Maastricht

Take buses and trains for a total of 3 hours to go to the southernmost point of the country. Maastricht is a lovely city with a more enjoyable vibe, as the life is more Bourgondian. Head to Vrijthof and see the most important square in the city. 

Day 11: Maastricht - Den Bosch

Enjoy the morning and afternoon in Maastricht and head a bit north to Den Bosch (or 's Hertogenbosch) by a 1.5-hour train ride. In Den Bosch, have a lovely stroll through the city centre and enjoy the vibrant city by sitting in different bars. 

Day 12: Den Bosch - Rotterdam

After a nice walk through the city and even a bit more, take a train towards Rotterdam, which takes just over an hour, and enjoy the big city of Rotterdam.

Day 13: Rotterdam - Leiden

See some sights of Rotterdam in the morning, and afterwards head to one of the most famous university cities in The Netherlands. Besides, it has some lovely canals. This is a nice village, and when you are in Leiden on October 3, you will get treated to the Leidens Ontzet, which celebrates the victory on the Spanish in the Eighty Years War.

Day 14: Leiden - Home

Have a good time in Leiden as long as you can, and afterwards head to the airport (which is very close to Leiden) at the station to go home and think about your memories. 

Three week itinerary

Within three weeks, you should be able to see almost every corner of the country and enjoy the most of this country. Three weeks is enough to see all the main sights and some hidden gems as well. You will be in 10 of the 12 provinces of the country.

Day 1, 2 & 3: Amsterdam

Day 4: Day trip to Volendam, Marken and Zaanse Schans

Day 5: Amsterdam - Zandvoort - Haarlem

Day 6: Haarlem - Texel

Day 7: Day trip to Vlieland, or stay in Texel

Day 8: Texel - Utrecht 

Day 9: Day trip to Loosdrechtse Plassen

Head to Loenen aan de Vecht in 40 minutes by public transport and stroll around for a short while in this lovely town. Afterwards, rent a boat and go to the fantastic Loosdrechtse Plassen and see the lake and the islands with the houses. Then head back to Utrecht and enjoy a nice evening.

Day 10: Utrecht - De Hoge Veluwe National Park

Day 11: De Hoge Veluwe National Park

Day 12: De Hoge Veluwe National Park - Zwolle

Early, take a 1.5-hour bus and train to Zwolle to have a full day in this city and see the most important sights, such as the old centre and the Peperbus. You can take a boat around the city and enjoy it. You can also visit the modern art museum, Fundatie.

Day 13: Zwolle - Giethoorn - Groningen

Head out early to Giethoorn for a 1.5-hour bus ride to see this lovely village. Take a boat or canoe and see the village and the surrounding Weerribben National Park, where you may spot otter when lucky. After the boat ride, head to Groningen by 1.5 hours or so by bus and train to see the Martinitoren and the Groninger Museum. In the evening, head to the bars, as there are no closing times and a lot of students—the ingredients for a good evening.

Day 14: Groningen - Maastricht

Today, you are crossing the whole country and heading from the north-east to the south-east of the country. The train ride will take around 3.5–4 hours. Enjoy the city of Maastricht in the afternoon and evening, and take a stroll through the city. 

Day 15: Maastricht - Den Bosch

Day 16: Den Bosch - Breda

Enjoy your morning in Den Bosch, then take a 30-minute train ride towards Breda and head to a cozy city centre. Have some drinks in the nice streets and many churches. Also enjoy the water and the museums. 

Day 17: Breda - Biesbosch - Rotterdam

Take the public transport for over an hour towards Biesbosch National Park and take a boat tour for a couple of hours. If you are very lucky, you can find beavers of this nature. Afterwards, head to Rotterdam by taking the train for an hour. 

Day 18: Rotterdam

Day 19: Rotterdam - Delft - Den Haag (The Hague)

Take a 10-minute train ride to get into Delft and enjoy this cute student city and see the canals, the blue color of the water, and the lovely churches. Maybe pay a visit to the Vermeer Centrum Delft, where you will learn about this great painter. Then head to The Hague by a 15-minute train ride and go for a nap (or a beer).

Day 20: The Hague - Leiden

First, see the city centre of The Hague, and especially find the political heart of The Netherlands. Besides the importance of the area, the buildings are also stunning. Visit the Mauritshuis as well, which is right next to it. If you have time for the miniature attraction, Madurodam, go for it. In the late afternoon, head to Leiden by a 12-minute train ride.

Day 21: Leiden - Home

Head to Schiphol Airport for your trip back home. 

Add to the itinerary

Although you can always add sights to the itinerary, I would say that this covers all the important things to see for a tourist. Sights like the Keukenhof or Carnaval should be on your list when you are at the right time.

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