Famous for its incredible scenery, worldwide influence on culture and kind of wacky way of life, the Netherlands is an amazing place to visit. It’s mostly famous because of the capital, Amsterdam, however, there are also many other things to see and to do outside of this vibrant city too.

From the peaceful canals to the delicious food, inn this itinerary, you see exactly how to spend 5 days in the country!

 

 

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Five Day Netherlands Itinerary – What to See and Do

 

Why You Must Visit the Netherlands

The Netherlands is a small country, but it has so much to offer! Amsterdam is one of the most famous places in the world and it’s amazing to see it by yourself. The architecture is very unique and there are many things to do. Besides that, the Netherlands has so much more to offer! There are many small cities with beautiful buildings and a great history.

Speaking of history, the Netherlands has a very interesting history. It’s great to learn about all things that happened in the past. There are many places in the Netherlands where you can learn about that in a very fun way.

Furthermore, traditional Dutch food is great and definitely a must-try. So, there are many reasons to visit this beautiful country!

 

 

Some Basic Information on the Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country in Europe with a population of about 17 million people. It consists of 12 provinces and the most famous one is North-Holland. That’s also the province where Amsterdam is located.

The official language in the Netherlands is Dutch. But, most people also speak English at a very high level. Especially in Amsterdam many people only speak English, since it’s a very international city.

 

How to Get to the Netherlands

There are several ways to get to the Netherlands. The Netherlands has several airports, Schiphol Airport being the closest to the city of Amsterdam. Other airports that can be convenient to travel to are Eindhoven Airport and Rotterdam Airport. Especially if you’re travelling to Eindhoven Airport, it can save you lots of money.

There are also several international trains going to the Netherlands. You can travel by Thalys, Eurostar, the Dutch Railways or the ICE. The Thalys comes from France. Eurostar comes from the United Kingdom. You can travel from Belgium to the Netherlands by the Dutch Railways (and Thalys and Eurostar). And if you’re in Germany, you can go to the Netherlands by ICE.

Besides that, you can also get to the Netherlands by bus. Many international companies offer that. For example, Flixbus and Ouibus have routes to the Netherlands.

 

 

Where to Stay in the Netherlands?

The most convenient place to stay in the Netherlands is in Amsterdam. Amsterdam has a central location. From there you can easily go to other places by public transport. Furthermore, there are so many things to do in Amsterdam, so it’s fun to stay there!

But, it can get very busy in Amsterdam. It’s a very popular tourist destination. So, if you want to stay in a quieter place, you can better stay somewhere else. For example, Zaandam is a great place to stay. It’s close to Amsterdam and close to other popular places in the Netherlands. This can save you lots of money as well! Because Amsterdam is by far the most expensive city for accommodations.

 

 

 

Netherlands 5-day Itinerary

This is an itinerary for five days in the Netherlands. The first three days, you will be in Amsterdam. You will get to know the city better and explore the best sights. After that, you’ll go to other very interesting places in the Netherlands as there are some great weekend trips from Amsterdam.

 

Day 1 in the Netherlands

The first day will be in Amsterdam. You can start your day with walking along the canals. The canals are very famous and it’s magical to see them in real life. You can also do a canal cruise. During a canal cruise, you will see the most famous parts of Amsterdam and get lots of information. It’s a great way to learn more about the city in a fun way!

 

 

 

Then, you can have lunch at the Avocadoshow. The Avocadoshow has many delicious dishes that all consist of avocados! There are several locations of the Avocadoshow in Amsterdam. One of them is at Keizersgracht 449.

After lunch, you can go to the Rijksmuseum. It’s a national museum and here you can learn about the history of Amsterdam. There are many kinds of artworks, so there’s something for everyone’s liking. It’s located at Museum Square, which is a large square with many museums.

In the evening, you can have a pizza at Pizzabakkers. This is one of the best restaurants in Amsterdam. The pizzas are very delicious! You can have dinner in the restaurant, but you can also order a pizza for takeaway and have dinner at the urban park Vondelpark! This is even more fun, as the Vondelpark is a very beautiful place to be.

 

 

 

Day 2 in the Netherlands

The second day is also in Amsterdam. In the morning, you can go to the swing ‘Over the Edge’. This swing is located at the A’DAM Tower. You will be swinging at a height of 100 meters! It’s an amazing experience. From there, you get the most beautiful view of the city.

After that, you can have typical Dutch pancakes for lunch. These pancakes are very delicious. An amazing place for pancakes is Carousel Pancake House. The pancakes here are great and the atmosphere in the restaurant is perfect!

Then, you can go to the Concertgebouw. Here, there are lunchtime concerts. It’s very fun and also free! After you enjoyed listening to music, you can go to the Van Gogh Museum. Here, you can see amazing works of Vincent van Gogh. His work is very impressive. He created more than 2,000 works in a bit more than a decade! It’s one of the most popular museums in the country and one of the best things to do in Amsterdam.

In the evening, you can have dinner in the Pijp. The Pijp is a lovely neighbourhood with great restaurants. It’s very close to the centre of Amsterdam. One of the best restaurants at the Pijp is the Vegan Junk Food Bar. Here, you can have all kinds of junk food, but then a vegan variant!

 

 

Day 3 in the Netherlands

Day three starts at the Amsterdamse Bos. This is a giant forest in Amsterdam. It’s a very unique place because nature here is amazing. You can first go for a run at the Amsterdamse Bos. Many locals do that too, so it’s a great way to experience the city like a local.

The next activity will be a picnic at the Amsterdamse Bos. You can buy food and drinks at a supermarket and after that, enjoy the beautiful nature even more! It’s a very peaceful place to have a picnic and relax for a while.

 

In the afternoon, you can go to the Anne Frank House. This is the place where Anne Frank and her family hid during the war. Her wartime diary is very famous. You can learn a lot about wartime here and how it was to stay in a hidden place during the war. Just make sure you try to book your tickets in advance as it is very busy during peak seasons. 

When we visited, we managed to get our tickets online on the same day using the “early bird” option, however, this was very lucky and required an early rise and a laptop morning hitting refresh.

 

After that, it’s time for a burger! There are many great places for burgers in Amsterdam, and one of the best places is Burgerbar. You can choose between several burgers, and there’s also a great vegan burger!

 

 

Day 4 in the Netherlands

On day 4, you can go to Rotterdam! Rotterdam is a modern city with contemporary architecture. It’s fun to see it as it’s very different from Amsterdam! You can go to Amsterdam by train. In the morning, you can walk through the city and enjoy all the beautiful buildings.

For lunch, you should definitely go to Bagels & Beans! Here, you can have the most delicious bagels.

In the afternoon, you can go to the highest building in the Netherlands, the Euromast. From here, you have great views of Rotterdam.

For dinner, you can either go to a restaurant in Rotterdam or a place in Amsterdam.

 

 

Day 5 in the Netherlands

On the fifth day, you can visit the Zaanse Schans and Haarlem. Both places are easily accessible by train.

In the morning, you can go to the Zaanse Schans. Here, you can see many traditional Dutch houses. Furthermore, there are great activities. For example, you can see how clogs are made and you can see windmills from the inside. You can even get a photo of yourself in a traditional Dutch costume! You can also have lunch at Zaanse Schans, as there are several great lunch places.

 

 

After that, you can go to Haarlem. Haarlem is another city in the Netherlands with beautiful old architecture. But, it’s less busy than Amsterdam! It’s great to see a Dutch city without all the tourists.

In the evening, you will have dinner at Metzo. That’s a great restaurant in Haarlem with tasty dishes.

 

 

 

How to Prepare for Your Trip to the Netherlands

Before you head off on your trip to Amsterdam there are a number of things that you will need to organise to ensure a smooth and enjoyable trip. These things include what to pack, what travel insurance is the best, and where to stay in the city of Amsterdam. All of these points will be discussed in the below section.

 

What is the Best Travel Insurance for the Netherlands?

Whatever type of adventure you plan to embark on, the most important purchase you can make is always Travel Insurance. Accidents can happen anywhere and at any time, so the last thing you want is to have your holiday ruined by extortionate medical bills. We always sort our travel insurance with World Nomad’s travel insurance to ensure we are covered for a stress-free trip.

World Nomad’s Travel Insurance offers incredibly diverse and inclusive policies combined with worldwide customer support, designed with backpackers in mind. The policies they offer are all very reasonably priced and can be booked from anywhere in the world, even if you are not currently in your home country.

You can get your quote before you leave on your trip right here.

 

 

What to Pack for the Netherlands?

Depending on what time of year you decide to visit the Netherlands will change the requirements for what you need to pack. During the summer months of June through to September, the weather in the Netherlands is a beautiful 25-35 degrees Celcius, with very little rain.

During these months, the obvious choice is to pack light clothing that is comfortable to wear in the heat whilst you are out and about in the city. We would also recommend packing a light raincoat that you can put on if you get caught in a rare shower whilst exploring.

 

During the shoulder and winter months in the Netherlands, the temperatures vary from 15 degrees Celcius down to as low as below freezing, so warm clothes are a must. The best way to pack light whilst keeping warm is to pack a lot of thin layers that you can wear multiple of.

 

Check out our Summer Packing List for Women and Summer Packing List for Men for some clothing inspiration for your trip to paradise.

 

When it comes to toiletries, we recommend that you don’t forget to pack sunscreen. The sun in Amsterdam is very strong, especially during the summer months. Apply a lot of cream regularly to prevent a nasty burn from ruining your trip. We use this specific sunscreen to protect us as it is not as oily and irritating as other sunscreens.

 

Given the beautiful sights and scenery that you will see in the Netherlands, we highly recommend packing a good camera for your trip. If you want to read more about the cameras we use and why we love them, check out the link below.

You can read what else we keep in our camera bag over here.

 

 

 

 

Where to Stay in the Netherlands

Despite all of our love for this incredible country, there is one downside to visiting the Netherlands and it is the price of accommodation. Although it is possible to find cheap activities, cheap places to eat, and cheap ways to get around, there are no cheap options for accommodation.

Despite this, there are still some affordable options for accommodation, so regardless of your budget, you are going to find Amsterdam has the perfect accommodation for you. Here are the best places to stay in Amsterdam for all budgets that we could find.

 

 

Luxury – If you want to tour Amsterdam on the luxurious side of life, the most central and most comfortable place for you is the W Amsterdam hotel. Offering guest rooms, suites, and a heated wetdeck rooftop pool, this hotel offers the best experience for your stay in the centre of Amsterdam.

Book your stay at the W Amsterdam hotel right here.

 

Mid-Range – The best option for those who wish to visit Amsterdam comfortably without breaking the bank is the Reiwa guest house. This comfortable and spacious apartment is only a couple of miles away from major sights such as the Artis Zoo and the Rembrandt House and offers breakfast, wifi, and a terrace to relax on.

Book your stay at the Reiwa guest house here.

 

Budget – For those who are more interested in getting out and about in Amsterdam and are simply looking for a comfortable place to rest your head, the Hotel Flipper in Amsterdam is the best option for you. Situated in the Berlage Quarter of Amsterdam’s residential district, this hotel is only a couple of miles from the centre of the city. It offers either shared or private bathrooms with all of the rooms, and also offers a free breakfast and wifi.

Book your stay at the Hotel Flipper Amsterdam here.

 

 

 

 

So there you have it, your complete five-day itinerary to the Netherlands, with all of the best sights, activities and food stalls Amsterdam has to offer. If you have been to the Netherlands recently, let us know how you found it in the comments below. What were your favourite sights? What did you think of the culture? Where was your favourite area? Let us know in the comments below.

If you are planning a full trip to the Netherlands, make sure you check out the rest of our guides and Netherlands content to ensure a stress-free adventure. We will gladly answer any questions you have with regards to your trip, so either DM us or send us an email.

Don’t forget that sharing is caring! Be sure to share this article with your family and friends to let them know all about your big plans. Maybe even inspire them to visit the Netherlands themselves! Catch up with us on social media and see what we are currently up to. Tag us in your photos from your the Netherlands adventure on Instagram so that we can share them with the rest of our community.

 

 

Authors Bio

Dymphe is the creator of Dymabroad. She is a travel influencer and blogger who loves to share her travels. Her goal is to give others travel inspiration and help them to get the most out of their travels!

 

 

 

Now Read: 

• Our Top 15 Activities in Amsterdam
• Best Bites in Amsterdam – The Cheapest Places to Eat
• How to Save Money in Amsterdam – A Budget Guide to Amsterdam

 

 

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