Netherlands 3 Day Itinerary

Anne Frank House tickets sell out weeks in advance and the museum will not let you in without a timed-entry booking. This is the single most important logistical fact about a first trip to Amsterdam. Book as soon as the date window opens, check the website by 10:30am on Tuesdays when new slots release, and do not assume you can sort it on arrival. Everything else in the Netherlands is substantially easier.

Day 1: Amsterdam

Schiphol Airport sits beneath its own train station. A direct train to Amsterdam Centraal costs around 6.20 to 7.10 euros in second class and takes 16 to 18 minutes, running every 10 to 15 minutes. Taxi fares to the centre run 40 to 60 euros depending on traffic. The train is the obvious choice.

Start the morning at the Van Gogh Museum on Museumplein. Entry costs 27 euros (booked online in advance; the museum does not sell walk-up tickets reliably in busy periods). The collection holds over 200 paintings and 500 drawings by Van Gogh, arranged chronologically so you follow the artist’s development from the dark, muddy Dutch period through to the luminous southern France canvases. The Bedroom in Arles series and the Almond Blossom painting are the standouts. Budget 90 minutes to two hours.

Walk north through the Jordaan district to the Anne Frank House on Prinsengracht. If you have booked ahead (see above), your timed-entry slot will be for a specific hour. Entry costs 16.50 euros for adults with audio guide. The house itself is small, dark, and deliberately unrestored. The emptiness of the hidden annexe after the furniture was removed by the Nazis is more affecting than any exhibition could be.

Lunch in the Jordaan: Winkel 43 on Noordermarkt is famous for its apple pie (appeltaart) and reliable Dutch cafe food. The terrace fills up quickly on market days (Saturday and Monday). Alternatively, Brouwerij ’t IJ, a craft brewery inside a working windmill in the Oost district (20 minutes by tram), serves local beer alongside bitterballen (fried beef ragout croquettes) that are among the best in the city.

Afternoon: walk the Canal Ring at your own pace. The UNESCO-listed concentric canal system of Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht is best appreciated on foot or by renting a pedal boat from one of the hire points on Leidsegracht or Korsjespoortsteeg. A canal cruise from the central station area costs around 14 to 18 euros and runs 75 minutes, which is enough to cover the main historic sections.

Evening: the Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein squares are the tourist pub zones and are accordingly priced. The better option is to eat in the Jordaan or De Pijp neighbourhood. Restaurant Blauw on Amstelveenseweg serves Indonesian rijsttafel, a multi-dish feast from the Dutch colonial period that remains the best value meal in Amsterdam. Expect 35 to 45 euros per person.

Day 2: The Hague and Delft

Take an Intercity train from Amsterdam Centraal to Den Haag Centraal. Journey time is around 50 to 55 minutes; trains run several times per hour. A single ticket costs about 13 euros.

The Hague is the seat of the Dutch government and the location of the International Court of Justice, but the main visitor draw is the Mauritshuis. This 17th-century townhouse holds one of the most concentrated collections of Dutch Golden Age painting anywhere in the world, with Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson, and Fabritius’ The Goldfinch all under one relatively small roof. Entry costs 19.50 euros. The building is compact enough that two hours covers it properly.

Binnenhof, the 13th-century complex that still houses the Dutch parliament, is a short walk from the Mauritshuis. The exterior courtyard and the Ridderzaal (Hall of Knights) can be seen on guided tours; check availability at the Prodemos visitor centre on Hofweg.

From The Hague, Delft is 12 minutes by train. Walk from Delft station along Breestraat to the main market square. The Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), completed in 1496, contains the royal mausoleum of the House of Orange-Nassau; entry to the tower (for the view) costs around 5 euros. The Old Church (Oude Kerk), a few minutes away, is deliberately and improbably tilted: the Gothic tower leans more than two metres off-vertical due to 14th-century ground subsidence.

The Delft Blue pottery tradition is visible in almost every shop window. The Royal Delft factory (De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles) on Rotterdamseweg is the only original Delft Blue manufacturer still operating and offers factory tours with entry around 15 euros. Skip the tourist shops selling cheap imitations from China; genuine handmade pieces are marked clearly and cost significantly more.

Dinner back in The Hague: the Scheveningen seafront, a tram ride from the centre, has reliable fish restaurants. Strandpaviljoen De Fuut overlooks the beach and serves North Sea sole and herring at honest prices. Alternatively, the Chinatown area behind the Mauritshuis has good Indonesian and Surinamese restaurants at lower price points.

Day 3: Rotterdam and Kinderdijk

Rotterdam was bombed flat in 1940 and rebuilt with a philosophy that has made it the most architecturally interesting city in the country. The modern skyline, the Erasmus Bridge, Rem Koolhaas’ Markthal, and the Cube Houses (Kubuswoningen) are the results of decades of deliberate experimentation. It is a refreshingly un-preserved city.

Train from Amsterdam Centraal to Rotterdam Centraal takes 40 minutes on the Intercity Direct (supplement required, around 2.80 euros on top of the base fare) or 65 to 75 minutes on slower services.

Start at the Markthal, the horseshoe-shaped covered market opened in 2014 at Dominee Jan Scharpstraat. The vaulted interior ceiling is covered with a 11,000 square metre artwork of fruit, flowers, and insects. Entry is free. The market runs Monday to Saturday 10am to 8pm, Sunday noon to 6pm. Come hungry: the stalls cover everything from stroopwafels to Spanish charcuterie to Japanese street food. Weekday mornings are noticeably quieter than weekend afternoons.

The Cube Houses (Kubuswoningen) are a five-minute walk from the Markthal at Overblaak. Architect Piet Blom designed 38 cube-shaped houses tilted at 45 degrees and mounted on hexagonal pylons in 1984. One show house (Kijk-Kubus) is open to visitors for around 3.50 euros; it is genuinely disorienting inside.

For Kinderdijk, take the Waterbus Line 21 from the dock near the Erasmus Bridge. The 30-minute river crossing is good value as a scenic experience and drops you at the windmill complex. Adult entry costs around 19.50 euros and includes access to two working windmill interiors, a boat tour of the canal, and the visitor centre covering the Dutch water management system. The 19 working mills at Kinderdijk were built between 1722 and 1761 to pump water from the low-lying polder. The best light for photography is late afternoon when the sun drops behind the mills.

Return to Amsterdam by train from Rotterdam Centraal. The Albert Cuyp Market in the De Pijp neighbourhood (open Monday to Saturday until 5pm) is worth a stop if you arrive back before closing time. It covers two city blocks with food vendors, clothing, and flowers. The stroopwafel stalls at the north end sell them fresh and warm, which is entirely different from the sealed supermarket version.

Practical Notes

The Netherlands uses the euro. Public transport runs on the OV-chipkaart contactless card system; alternatively, contactless bank cards are accepted on all trains, trams, metros, and most buses since 2024. A single train journey between Amsterdam and Rotterdam costs around 17 to 19 euros in second class. The I amsterdam City Card (from 70 euros for 24 hours) covers unlimited public transport in Amsterdam, canal cruises, and free entry to most major museums. It is good value if you plan to visit multiple attractions in Amsterdam in a single day.

Schengen visa rules apply. Citizens of most EU countries and many other nations (including the US, UK, Canada, and Australia) can enter without a visa for stays under 90 days. Non-EU visitors should check the current ETIAS requirements, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, which has been phased in for visa-exempt nationalities.

May through September is the practical travel window. Tulip season peaks in mid-April around Keukenhof (the park itself costs 24 euros and should be booked ahead). Amsterdam in July and August is very crowded and accommodation prices peak sharply. Late September and October offer reduced crowds, cooler temperatures, and competitive hotel rates.

One logistical note that most guides understate: cycling is the primary transport mode for Dutch residents, and many Dutch cycling facilities are not intuitive for visitors. Stay out of the red-painted cycle lanes on pavements, look both ways before crossing any path that looks like a smooth strip of red asphalt, and if you rent a bike, practice on a quiet canal-side street before joining the flow on a major road.