Things to Do in the Netherlands – Do you know that the Netherlands has a beautiful city called Amsterdam? With its well-preserved canals, sturdy architecture, and rich art and history, the city should be on your list to visit while travelling to the Netherlands.
Not only Amsterdam, but other cities also have great attractions that tiket.com summarized for your first-time vacation to the Netherlands. Keep on reading, t-mates!
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Things You Need to Know Before Going to the Netherlands
There are lots of tourist attractions in the Netherlands you can visit. To make your journey more comfortable, note the essential things below!
1. Know the Basic Dutch Language
While you are here, you may hear the Dutch language other than English. However, try to learn the Dutch language used daily, like Goedemorgen to greet “good morning,” Goedemiddag means “good afternoon,” and Dankjewel to say “thank you.” Make your holiday more meaningful by blending in with the locals
2. Prepare the Euro Currency
The Netherlands uses the Euro. To avoid the difficulty of exchanging money, try to prepare Euro before your departure. You can exchange money at money changers around tourist attractions, but it is usually more pricey.
3. Secure Your Visa
To go to the Netherlands, you must have a Schengen Visa. It is a special visa for sightseeing or business trips to the 26 Schengen countries, including the Netherlands.
Before applying a Schengen visa, there are several things to prepare, such as making itineraries, bank statement, proof of tickets and accommodation, insurance, valid passports, register forms, recent photos, and Schengen visa sponsorship letters if any. See how to apply for a Schengen Visa here.
4. Stay Update on the Travel Regulations
In addition to having a Schengen visa, please make sure to know the travel regulations in the Netherlands. To enter the Netherlands, you no longer need to show the negative results of the COVID-19 test. Still, you must show the certificate of the full-dose vaccine administered at least 14 days before departure and fill out the Vaccine Declaration form.
Best Time to Visit the Netherlands
The Netherlands is a four-season country where each season has its own appeal. This is the best time to visit for each season!
Spring: Late April – May. In April, you can enjoy relatively rain-free weather with an average temperature of 54℃ (12.2℃). April is an ideal time to experience Dutch culture, as the Tulip Festival and National Restaurant Week are both held in April.
Summer: August. In July, the tourist density decreased, especially in Amsterdam, so you can enjoy the city without fear of being too crowded. The air temperature is relatively warmer this month, so you might need a thin jacket during your journey.
Fall: The whole season. In the fall, you can get the best holiday experience in Europe, including the Netherlands! You can see yellow leaves falling and enjoy the air that is no longer hot but not too cold.
Winter: December–January. Who doesn’t like the joy of Christmas and New Year’s Eve? It’s no wonder that there will be many visitors this season. If you want to avoid the crowd, try to come here in January instead.
Best Things to Do in the Netherlands for an Unforgettable Holiday!
In the Netherlands, mainly in Amsterdam, there are many tourist attractions. Let’s try these incredible activities below to make the most of your time!
1. Take a Cruise and Sailing Over Canals
Begin your holiday by sailing over the Amsterdam canal, which is very popular among tourists and locals. Fun fact: These legendary waters are on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list!
In the 13th century, canals were used as water control areas, navigation systems, and defense sites. As time passed, sailing over the canals became one of the best things to do when on holiday in the Netherlands. Take an hour’s cruise to witness the history, architecture, and magnificent scenery!
You can also see the beauty of local houses and churches on the banks of the river, beautiful bridges, Anne Frank houses, and the Westerkerk. Amazing!
Price: Starts from 181,105 IDR/person*
Operational Hours: Every day, 10AM – 10PM (local time)
Address: Stadhouderskade 550, 1072 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands (Check on Google Maps)
2. Cycling Around the City Like a Local
All roads in Amsterdam have been designed to facilitate bicycles. In fact, there are 900,000 cyclists in Amsterdam, so don’t be surprised if you see many people traveling with bikes on the streets.
To blend in with the locals, you can try riding around the city by renting a bike for 24 hours. After that, use the rental bike to go anywhere for 24 hours and be Amsterdammer.
Besides being fun, you can save up more on your transport cost and best of all: no waiting for buses.
Price: Starts from 279,439 IDR/24 hours*
Operational hours: Every day, 9.30AM – 5PM (local time)
Address: Yellow Bike Tours & Rental, Nieuwezijds Kolk 29, 1012 PV Amsterdam, Netherlands (Check on Google Maps)
3. Brewery Tour & Beer Tasting
For those who don’t know, Amsterdam is the birthplace of Heineken®. No wonder visiting the Heineken® brewery has become one of the best things to do in the Netherlands.
The brewery in the city’s heart has been operating since 1988 and was started as a unique museum in 2001. Here you will learn the history of Heineken® and how this small Dutch brewery became the most premium beer brand in the world.
Not only that, you can learn about the ingredients of each Heineken® bottle by tasting, touching, and smelling the main elements one by one. If you’re a beer lover, you can’t miss this fantastic experience!
Price: Starts from 367,736 IDR*
Operational hours: Sunday – Thursday 10.30AM – 7.30PM | Friday & Saturday 10.30AM – 9PM (local time)
Address: Heineken Experience, Stadhouderskade, Amsterdam, Netherlands (Check on Google Maps)
4. Museum Hopping with I amsterdam City Card
Amsterdam has nearly 100 museums for nearly everything from art, culture, history, and more.
Plenty of museums are popular among visitors, including the Rijksmuseum, the Jewish Cultural Quarter, the Rembrandt House Museum, the Moco Museum, and the Stedelijk Museum. The good news is these museums can be visited for free if you have an Amsterdam City Card!
You can use the Amsterdam City Card easily, only need to scan it at one of its exchange locations, and afterward, enjoy a variety of free attractions and exciting discounts.
Price: starts from 1,052,125 IDR*
Operational hours: Every day 9AM – 9PM (local time)
Address: I amsterdam Visitor Center 10, Stationsplein, 1012 AB, Amsterdam, Netherlands (Check on Google Maps)
5. Taking Picture in I amsterdam Sign & Visit Anne Frank House
When exploring the Netherlands, stop by the I amsterdam sign landmark. It was initially located in Museumplein in 2014, but it is currently in front of the A’DAM observation site in Overhoeksplein.
Take as many photos as possible and share them on social media as proof of your vacation to Amsterdam.
After that, about 15 minutes away, you can go to Anne Frank House. The museum hosts a permanent exhibition of Anne Frank’s life, but the most notable is the well-preserved Secret Annex, where she and her family hid for more than 2 years during WWII.
Operational hours: I amsterdam, 24 hours | Anne Frank House, Every day 9AM – 10PM (local time)
Address: Evert van de Beekstraat 202, 1118 CP Schiphol, Belanda (Check on Google Maps) | Westermarkt 20, 1016 GV Amsterdam, Belanda (Check on Google Maps)
Time to Travelling Outside Amsterdam
Besides Amsterdam, there are plenty of things to do in the Netherlands spread from Volendam to Giethroon which can be reached within 30 – 120 minutes from the city. You can immerse yourself in another magnificent side of the Netherlands.
1. Visit the Idyllic Villages of Volendam, Zaanse Schans, and Edam
To make your travel easier, you can buy round-trip tour packages to Volendam, Zaanse Schans, Edam, and many more through tiket.com. The packages include bus tickets from Amsterdam, a tour guide, and also admission to all amazing attractions, starting from 526,175 IDR*. Find out all the fun activities info below!
Experience the Fascinating Traditional Culture in Volendam
Volendam is a village in the Markermeer (district) and is famous for its traditional fishing culture and clothing, taking only 30 minutes by public transport from Amsterdam.
You can spend two to three hours in Volendam trying out traditional costumes, visiting cheese manufacturers, or eating fresh fish. Thereafter, go travels to “Doolhof”, the oldest part of Volendam.
At the Volendam Cheese Factory, you can see the process and history of making cheese, a very famous product in the Netherlands. Don’t forget to buy delicious cheese to take home or make a snack!
See Hundreds of Windmills in Zaanse Schans
As one of the most popular tourist attractions, this area was once an industrial zone with hundreds of windmills that functioned to grind everything from spices and cooking oil to sawdust.
Now, the entire village is turned into an open museum with at least eight ancient windmills. While some of them have been preserved at their original sites, others have been moved to Zaanse Schans to preserve this unique Dutch heritage. Complete your trip by coming here, t-mates!
Stop by the Birthplace of Edam Cheese
If Amsterdam is named for its proximity to the Amstel River, Edam is set up around a dam that crosses the E or Ije river. It is also the birthplace of the world-famous Edam Cheese. Don’t forget to stop by the weekly cheese market, you can find farmers from various regions going to visit & trade.
This place is also very Instagrammable as you can see the view of beautiful old buildings that are very distinctive with ancient architecture. Make sure you take a lot of pictures here, t-mates~
2. Enjoy The Fairy Tale Country Village in Giethoorn
You may have seen an online photo of the prettiest village in the Netherlands, Giethoorn. This beautiful village has no roads and is known as “Venice of the North”. Giethoorn has 200,000+ tourists annually and has a population of 2,260.
Giethoorn is a village that has a strong attraction naturally. Once you’ve arrived, you’ll immediately see the attractiveness of Giethoorn village as it existed in the country of fairy tales. After that, enjoy the loveliness of this village by sailing the boat.
There are tons of water activities you can do in Giethoorn, including SUP (stand-up paddling) in the canal, don’t forget to bring swimsuits and changes too!
Your Netherlands Getaway will be More Exciting & Affordable with tiket.com!
So, ready to pack your bag and go to the Netherlands? Besides the places mentioned above, you can also find many choices of attractions in the Netherlands on To Dos tiket.com!
going anywhere? tiket.com!
*The information is valid at the time of writing. Price and other policies are subject to change at any time without prior notice.
