The best day tours from Amsterdam

Amsterdam is an amazingly vibrant city with a lot to offer. From eclectic restaurants to trendy hotspots and from interesting musea to discovering the city center through a boat ride on the infamous canals. While Amsterdam is an absolute gem of a city, it is also often used as a startpoint to discover more of the Netherlands. From Amsterdam it is quite easy to take day trips to other parts of country. This way you will see less touristic and idyllic sides of the Netherlands. Are you ready to do some sightseeing while staying in Amsterdam?

Are you ready to explore the rest of the country? Make sure to keep reeding than because we will give you some great ideas for day trips that are very accessible from the big city!

Best day tour from Amsterdam No 1. Visit Giethoorn – a very authentic Dutch village

Giethoorn is a Dutch Village that is also known as ‘Holland’s Venice’. It is a village that is only reachable by boat. The village almost looks like a theme park. You will see cute little colorful cottages that are reminiscent of the way the Dutch people would build their houses back in the day. You can take a canal ride or discover this village by walking through it. It will definitely be a unique experience.
This village only has aprox. 2600 inhabitants, but it does have 150 bridges.

You can book a boat tour that will take about an hour, a walking tour that will take about 1,5 hour or a combination of both. The tours are available in Dutch, English and Chinese.

Day tour from Amsterdam No 2. Visit Keukenhof – The famous Dutch Flower Fields

Keukenhof is just a car ride of 45 minutes away from the city center of Amsterdam and it will show you why the Netherlands is worldwide known for their flowers. Keukenhof is not only the Netherlands biggest flower field that is accessible to the public, it is also the biggest flower garden in the world.

If you book a tour to visit the Keukenhof, this is what you can expect:

You will gather at a pickup point in Amsterdam where you will be brought to the Keukenhof by bus. Depending on the season you will be able to see large flower fields whilst you are driving up to the Keukenhof. In the Keukenhof you will be able to walk freely or to do a walking tour with a guide that can tell you more about the different type of flowers and the seasons where they are blooming.

Because it is a very large park it is not recommended for those that are in a wheelchair or have trouble walking long distances. The tour will take about 5,5 hours (this includes the transfer time) and can be booked with a guide that speaks Dutch, English, Spanish or German.

Best day tour No 3. Visit Bruges in Belgium – a city you truly must visit if you have the chance

Belgium is very close to the Netherlands. If you are located in the South of the Netherlands you can reach Belgium within an hour. From Amsterdam to Bruges it will take you about 3 hours. If you go by public transportation it can take you even up to 5 hours so booking a tour is definitely to be recommended.

When booking this specific tour you will be picked up and dropped off by a comfortable luxury vehicle. You can just sit back and relax while you are being driven to Bruges. When you are in Bruges you will understand why this is such a popular city. It has beautiful canals, colorful townhouses and breathtaking churches and other architectural highlights. You will get to spend 4 to 5 hours in the city. This is the perfect amount to discover all that Bruges has to offer. Don’t forget to buy some delicious Belgium chocolates while you are there in one of the many chocolate boutiques.

Best tour from Amsterdam No 4. Visit de Zaanse Schans – Discover life in the Netherlands in the 17th century

De Zaanse Schans is not only popular with international tourists, it is also very popular amongst Dutch locals. It is a very fun experience and trip back in to history to see how the Dutch where living their lives back in the 17th century. When you book this tour you will have quite the full schedule ahead, but trust us, you would not want to miss any of the activities that you will be doing. You will be picked up (and dropped off) at the gathering point in Amsterdam. The tour will take about 8 hours. You will drive to the ‘Zaanse Schans’ in a luxury vehicle including airconditioning. The Zaanse Schans is known for their authentic houses, windmills and clog- and cheese factories. Discover the art of making these traditional wooden shoes while eating delicious traditional Dutch cheese.

You will end the day with taking a trip within a trip to the cities of Volendam and Marken. These fisherman’s towns are extremely iddilic. The houses are kept in their original conditions and you will see how small these house actually are compared to the average home in the Netherlands. Volendam is also the perfect place to have a delish fish dish since you will be sure the fish will be fresh as they only work with their daily catches.

We hope these tours will give you some inspiration to discover more from the Netherlands and a small part of Belgium while you are staying in Amsterdam. Whatever tour you will book, make sure to always wear comfortable shoes and to bring your camera with you to capture the memories you will make.

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By the way: If you are going to travel to Amsterdam, here might be some fantastic day tours and other fun deals for you.