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Are you thinking about taking a day trip from Amsterdam? Good! Excellent choice. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that Amsterdam isn’t beautiful. Oh man, it’s incredibly charming. However, it’s not the only ace up the Netherlands sleeve. Perfect places for day trips are just a few train or bus stops away. Thank god it’s a small country! So pick a place from the list, pack your bag and go, explore, have fun! Haarlem Volendam, Marken, Edam Delft Utrecht Giethoorn Rotterdam Den Haag Keukenhof Zaanse Schans Haarlem This is the easiest day trip to plan. It’s so close, sometimes I feel like Haarlem could be a part of Amsterdam (people from Haarlem, please don’t hate me). A train from Central Station will take you to Haarlem within 15 minutes. I spent more time on the subway to get to Bijlmer. But yeah, 15 passes, and you’re in another city, equally beautiful as Amsterdam. It makes a good impression already from the magnificently looking train station. Nevertheless, there are more places to amaze you. Oh, where do I start? First, just walk towards the center, enjoy the views of Haarlem’s architecture. Make sure to stop by Grote Markt and the Old City in general. When you’re there, be impressed by Grote Kerk: St.-Bavoker and the old City Hall. If museums are your thing, go to Teylers Museum (the oldest museum in the Netherlands) and Frans Hals Museum. It will let you dive there into the city’s culture and art history. Worth seeing is also Amsterdamse Poort, Haarlem's only surviving city gate, which was built in the early 15th century. Edam, Volendam, Marken This is real. Pure experience. No big city will give you that much Dutch vibes as those villages. Each of them will make you feel their unique climate and convince you that visiting the countryside might be fun as well. Edam, well known for their famous cheese, might sound familiar to you. The village itself appears to be one of the prettiest places in the Netherlands, a lovely spot to walk, with historic streets and charming canals. Just next to it, you’ll find Volendam, which is a fishing village. A walk through the harbor is an absolute must. After, you can explore the village’s streets and be charmed with them, oh then be sure to check St. Vincent’s Church. Last but not least, Marken, for visiting which you’ll need to cross the water. This one is located on an island. Let me tell you only one thing about Marken. Have you seen all of those utopian pictures of nice, calm villages? It’s Marken! It’s full of charming houses, some of them are built on stilts to accommodate rising tides. Delft With Delft, I have a special bond. It was one of the first places I’ve visited besides Amsterdam. Completely fell for this city. Its charm is indescribable. Delft is one of those places, where something magical is in the air. Those streets, houses, and storefronts are making an incredible picture together. Wandering among the canals is almost mandatory while visiting. Also, stop for a moment at the City Markt to check the City Hall and Nieuwe Kerk (which is a resting place for the Dutch Royal Family). At some point, you’ll probably notice that the color blue is a strong accent. That’s pretty normal in Delft, it’s because of the city’s most famous product. Royal porcelain. It’s gorgeous, I know. For seeing more of it and learning a bit about the history of Royal porcelain, go to Royal Delft. It’s one of a kind museum because, during the visit, you’re actually at the manufacturer, where they’ll show you how the porcelain is made. Utrecht Around 30 minutes, that’s how much time you need to get to the lovely city of Utrecht. Isn’t it the best for a day trip? The first impression of Utrecht for me was a bit weird, I left the Central train station and the only things I saw were concrete and glass. Not what I wanted! But, believe me, Utrecht has an old soul, you just need to find it. Go to Domplein's central square, and look up at the high and rising Dom Tower. Once you’re there, just climb the tower and be delighted with the view. Walk around, explore, and you will reach Domkerk (it’s next to the tower) with their garden. Don’t forget to wander around the beautiful Oudegracht canal, where the city's most beautiful spots can be found. Utrecht’s museum offers numerous places. The most interesting ones would be Museum Speelklok, dedicated to music boxes (for me, it’s a bit too creepy); St. Catherine's Convent Museum which focuses on the history of Christianity in the Netherlands; and the Railway Museum, which I don’t need to say what is about. Giethoorn Let me warn you from the beginning. Giethoorn isn't the easiest when it comes to going there. Especially with public transport. 2 trains and a bus with 3 hours of traveling. It might be overwhelming, but please bear it, you won't regret. It's called by some "Venice of the Netherlands". To move around the village, you either need a boat or walk from one island to another. Canals are everywhere. Visiting Giethoorn is like entering the magic world of fairy tales or traveling in time. It's mostly car-free, and the houses! Mostly are centuries-old thatched-roof houses. It's also located in the middle of National Park Weerribben-Wieden. Rotterdam Flashback from Utrecht, but stronger. Concrete and glass on every corner. But I like it in Rotterdam, it seems to be a great contrast to Amsterdam. In modern cities, where everything looks so big and kind of serious, you can feel this specific urban vibe, and they have so many things to offer. A great place to start your visit would be Central Station, just to admire its unusual shape (and if you’re planning on going to Rotterdam by train, it’s gonna be pretty easy). From there, walk around between skyscrapers. While being already in touch with the modern surroundings, continue on exploring more by visiting Cube houses, which appear to be one of the most famous places in Rotterdam. Must admit, they look pretty cool. Just next to it, you’ll find a symbol of the city - Foodhallen, looks like a huge gate or horseshoe. Step by for a moment and try delicious dishes from different cuisines. For amazing views, the best spots would be Erasmus bridge and Euromast. For a little break of modern, shiny areas, take a walk through Delfshaven. The newest and coolest attraction in the city is undeniably Miniworld, where you can explore many places from the country in their miniature version. And art lovers, an important stop for you would be Kunsthal. Den Haag It feels royal there, at least for me. Formal too. But there is a reason for that. Even if Amsterdam is considered a capital of the Netherlands, the government is residing in Den Haag in Binnenhof, one of the oldest still working parliament buildings. And most importantly, Dutch royal family lives there. Noordeinde Palace, the king’s house, should be placed on the list of things to see. Den Haag is prepared for all kind of visitors. For example, they have their Drievliet theme park, which is a great spot for family trips to have hours of fun. Den Haag is full of museums and art galleries. The list is pretty impressive, and I couldn’t decide which to mention, so just check this list here. I personally love to visit Den Haag’s shore, Scheveningen. Sometimes the promenade there reminds me of shores in US. Keukenhof Okay, think about the most known symbols of the Netherlands. We’ve got cheese, windmills and tulips. Yeah, we're gonna focus on the last one. Tulips, plenty of them, blooming and located in the world’s largest garden. The amount of flowers can be overwhelming, but they will impress you with the colors and smells. There are 7 million flower bulbs planted every year, creating an incredible exhibition. Located in a small town of Lisse, Keukenhof is welcoming their visitors only seasonally from mid-March until mid-May. And that makes the visit even better, special and unique. Zaanse Schans Oh, and here we are covering another symbol of the Netherlands. Windmills. I couldn’t imagine a better place to do that than Zansee Schans. It’s a beautiful neighborhood located in Zaandam and its history goes back to the 18th/19th century, which can be easily noticed when you look at those cute houses. All the windmills, located just next to Zaan river, make the picture of the area idyllic. There is calmness there. To learn more about thehistory of the windmills, be sure to go to Zaans Museum. In the meantime, try the local shops, buy some cheese or baked goods to make the most of your experience.

Free! Gratis! No payment needed! If you are a cheap chick just like me, these words are what your heart desires. But is it even possible to find free things to do in a city such as Amsterdam? Well, you know what they say, seek, and you will find. Actually, you don’t even have to seek anymore because I’ve done some digging for you, and here are some beautiful ideas on what to do in Amsterdam for free. Free music! 1. Concertgebauw I’m pretty sure that the Concertgebouw was already at your list of what to see in Amsterdam, but money might be the main factor for holding you back from getting in and enjoying the amazing tunes. So you’d just walk there, see the majestic building, and call it a day. Okay, no. Wait a minute. What if I tell you that the first free activity in Amsterdam includes visiting the Concertgebauw? Yeah, it’s actually really simple. All you need to do is go to this website, choose a date, and you’re up for the free lunch concert they are having every Wednesday (excluding the months of July and August). There is only one teeny-tiny trick to it. The concert itself is absolutely free of charge, but to attend it, you need to first book a ticket, and there they require you to pay 2.50 Euros for the administration fee. Still, it feels like nothing, and usually the tickets for regular concerts start at 25 Euros. I guess it’s a fair deal. Check the details on your own here! 2. Bimhuis You know what? There is more! Fancy some Jam session? I mean, who doesn’t. There is this place called Bimhuis, and they are kind enough to organize free events as well. So, imagine, Tuesday evening, around 10pm, you’re sitting at the Bimhuis café, you’re enjoying the beautiful view of the IJ river, and the fun is about to begin. Ultra-talented musicians start to perform, and you’re just there living the moment. Huh? What do you say? Can you feel the vibe already? I definitely just had shivers. To have this beautiful moment experienced on your own, the only thing you need to do is click here, choose a date and wait until it happens! Let me take a look at this piece of art! 3. NDSM Oh, boy! This is one of my favorite places in the whole city of Amsterdam, and the fact that it’s one of the free activities just gives NDSM a million extra points. Let not be scared of this calling NDSM, a weird place. It is extremely odd, but that’s why one can easily fall in love with its uniqueness. So to give you a little picture of what you can find there. Firstly, these massive industrial buildings, which were used as docs and warehouses back in the days. Now they are decorated with tons of graffiti, murals, and all kinds of street art (including a beautiful portrait of Anne Frank). Then, when you look around, you notice colorful crane, old trams, neon lights, more odd little buildings, boat hotel, and a beautiful view of Central Station and its area. And just for your convenience, there is a supermarket, where you can grab some snacks, and have lunch surrounded by all the weirdness (there are some benches and tables just in front of Double tree hotel). 4. Artoel I mean, why wouldn’t you visit Artotel if it’s just in front of the Central Station? I mean, why wouldn’t you want to get in touch with art and have another free activity in Amsterdam to do? Exactly. It almost feels like you have no choice but to go there. And you know what is the best part of it (except of the fact that the entrance is free)? Almost certainly, there will be no crowds, so you could have your private moment to appreciate the art. Artotel has an ongoing collaboration with an amazing foundation called Amsterdam Street Art (they are truly amazing, big kudos to you guys if you’re reading :D), DJs and various artists. Thanks to that, they are able to provide to their guests and visitors outstanding exhibitions. Here you can read more about the what’s on the walls now. It’s all about the view! 5. OBA I think I’ve decided, just right now, that this place is my absolute favorite in the whole city. The public library of Amsterdam. Not any library, though, the one and only OBA Oosterdok, which appears to be the 2nd largest library in Europe. But it’s not about its size, it’s about the books you’d find there, the exhibitions they are organizing there, and mostly, the view. From the windows you’d see what Amsterdam is full of, which mostly is water, as the library is located just in front of a little doc k. But not only, a little skyline full of those cute little house is just on the other side of the dock, so you’ll definitely have your moment to enjoy the beauty of it. And guess what? No one’s gonna charge you a cent for entering the library! 6. Amsterdam Schiphol Panorama Terrace Well, I guess this free activity is tourist oriented, but as an Amsterdammer, you can also enjoy it. I personally (but I’m a bit of a weirdo) love getting to the airport, no matter if I’m traveling or not. If you’re already there waiting for your flight or picking someone up, why not check the view, and observe those big machines landing and flaying away. In nature, we trust! 7. Amsterdamse Bos Such a lovely place, and if I’m not mistaken, the largest park in the whole of Amsterdam. Or is it not a part of the city anymore? Well IDK, it has Amsterdam in its name so… Well anyway. Amsterdamse Bos, as I’ve just recently read, is 3 times larger than the New York City’s Central Park. Not that it is a competition, but one may say that the size indeed matters. Forget about the Vondelpark, this is the one you wanna go to. It’s literally a forest, which has some activities to offer. I know what you’re gonna say, what is the point of going there, it will be crowded, it’s not that convenient location-wise. But wait. No. Of course there will be people there. They are always, everywhere. But in Amsterdamse Bos you have the chance to really connect with the nature, as some of its paths are just forest paths, where you can just wander and finally chill. And once you’re done, you go back to main roads, take lunch at the restaurant with this river/canal view, visit Boswinkel (which is a little store with some souvenirs) or meet the goats. Yeah, you got it right. Goats. There is an actual goat farm! Maybe it’s not entirely free of charge area, as there are activities you’d need to pay for, but it is definitely a spot for a day full of fun, with little spending. And parks are for people, parks are for free! 8. Maze at Amstel Park This is something haven’t heard about, ever. I’m not sure if I have even been to Amstelpark before, but now I kinda want to go. Anyway, Amstelpark is located not so far from the RAI station, so getting there isn’t that hard. It might seem not to be the most interesting free activity in Amsterdam, but absolutely worth a try. Imagine the spring/summer day you’d spend in a park anyway. Why wouldn’t you go to explore a cool maze, then? Give it a try once you’re there, and I will for sure do too! Places to be, things to see! 9. Amsterdam city archives We all know how great Amsterdam can be museum-wise. There are so many options, almost always with high prices coming along with it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s worth spending every single penny to get to a museum, but maybe… just maybe you can start with a cheaper alternative. What about a free museum in Amsterdam? And here’s the time to introduce you to Amsterdam city archives. It is not like the typical museum. Well, perhaps I’m just bias, as the entrance is mostly free, but it has the vibe. Their exhibitions are the best way to get to know Amsterdam in its pure way, through its people. Check what’s on at the moment, see if it’s free of charge, and then you go, and you meet some Amsterdammers. 10. Python Bridge You can say, all bridges are for free, and I do agree. But! This one seems to be a little crazier than the other ones. Its construction is a little unusual, but just take a look at the picture below to understand what I’m saying. The bridge is located in the Eastern harbor area of Amsterdam, connecting the Borneo Island and Sporenburg peninsulas. 11. Begijnhof When I moved to Amsterdam, I ended up there by randomly, as I got lost in the city center, and since then Begijnhof is one of my perfect spots in Amsterdam. If you’re wandering around the city, you just have to discover this hidden gem. But let me first explain what is what. So, there are many secret gardens in the city, and Begijnhof is one of them, in my opinion the most beautiful one. It’s a quiet space in the middle of the city center, where you can enjoy looking at those cute Amsterdam little buildings without being bothered by others. Once you've found it, make sure, it’s open for visitors, and if you enter, behave! People still live there, and they want to have their quietness undisturbed! Besides the charm of the garden, you can enter there a little chapel, a 15th century English church, which also happens to be the oldest wooden building in Amsterdam. 12. Waterlooplein Flea Market Okay, who doesn’t like flea markets? Exactly, we all love them. In fact, Amsterdam organizes them pretty often and in many locations. What makes the Waterlooplein market different? Mostly the fact that it takes place 6 days a week. It might not be exactly free activity in Amsterdam, if you decide to spend some cash there, but in case you just want to check what’s there, feel the vibe, it’s completely free of charge. The sellers offer there so many products, from clothes through books, and CDs, ending with bikes. 13. Around Europe in 7 Houses (Zevenlandenhuizen) A little, cute place to be to once again appreciate the architecture of Amsterdam. Here years ago, an architect known by the name of Tjeerd Kuipers, decided to create 7 different building, and every each of them represents architecture style of different countries. No. 20 represents Germany, No. 22 represents France No. 24 represents Spain No. 26 represents Italy No. 28 represents Russia No. 30 represents the Netherlands, No. 32 represents England 14. Sea Level Indicator in City Hall Okay, don’t panic, but I need to tell you we’re under the sea level. Well, nothing really special in the Netherlands, as most of the country is under sea level as well. However, if you don’t really believe it, have it proved for you by checking it with seal level indicator at the city hall. The entrance is absolutely free, and you can get there within city hall’s opening hours.

The city of Amsterdam is busy again. Corona? Yeah, still somewhere there, but the restrictions were lifted to a minimum. Only clubs and festivals are still to come. International Amsterdammers are out and about. Bikers, as always, are taking control of the city. Tourists are back, Dam square is incredibly crowded again. Big city life, my dear. Nothing more. I like it. Living in a big city was always one of my biggest dreams. But well. Sometimes, you just need to take a little break. Thank God, the Netherlands isn’t a big country. Better for domestic traveling. 30 minutes on the train, and you’re lying on the beach in charming Zandvoort. But what if you could take a break from the city, without leaving it? Ideal. Perfect. Wow. There are places to disconnect, to chill, just around the corner. Gaasperplas I’ve seen this one! This is the name I was always looking for on metro stops. Richting: Gaasperplas. Who would have known it’s a place one could use to run away from the city. And I used to live only two stops away from it. Why did I miss it? But well, my lack of knowledge about the surrounding neighborhood is not the point here. Gaasperplas appears to be one of the best parks in the city. The main reason would be the fact that even officially it belongs to Amsterdam, it seems to be outside the city. Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s right next to the metro station, but as soon as you enter the park, the rush stays behind you. I know what you may think. What is so special? Vondelpark is closer. True that. Completely agree. But in Gaasperplas you would be presented with more opportunities. You wanna chill next to the water and swim a bit? No problem! There is also a nudist beach for those who do not want to be limited by their clothes. If you get hungry, just have a barbecue on dedicated spots. But what makes it different from other parks are the extra activities, including horse riding or diving. Plus, to fulfill the holiday’s mode, you can camp there from dusk till dawn in the camping area. Just check all the attractions on the map below. I promise you’ll find your thing to do! Amsterdammse Bos Oh, it’s huge, better have some time booked in your calendar for visiting Amsterdamse Bos. As I recently figured out, Bos in Dutch means forest. So thanks to that, you may have a picture of what kind of park it is. When I was little, my grandpa used to take me for walks to the forest. It’s amazingly relaxing, but… After some time… pretty boring. And this is exactly what I was thinking on my way to Amsterdamse Bos. Okay, I’m gonna walk for a while, connect with nature, and then… Meh. No. Nah, it is a completely different experience. Of course, some routes of Amsterdamse Bos are typically forest paths. Birds are singing, tall trees are not allowing sun rays to bother you. Peace is in the air. Then the main paths are appearing and with them the possibilities. (Gosh, that sounds like motivational quotes from the Internet xD). The title of the coolest activity in the park undeniably belongs to a goat farm. Who wouldn’t like to spend some time hanging out with cute goats? Especially when goat cheese is offered to buy as a souvenir. Also, don’t forget to try goat milk ice cream. I didn’t dare, but maybe you have more courage! It’s not the only fun stuff available there! For those who prefer to spend their free time actively, there is a pretty nice place called Fun Forest. Remember climbing trees as a kid? Yeah, that’s it, but more advanced. Grab a rope and go up! But it’s not everything. There are places to eat, swim or rent a boat (of course, pretty common service in the Netherlands!). Craves for cultural experiences are covered as well. Outdoor theater and “Museumtram” are waiting. What I had no idea about is that in Amsterdamse Bos you can even go to a Spa & Wellness hotel. How nice is that? Massages, baths, and chill! You know what? Just check the whole list of the attractions here! Beyond Amsterdam Noord Let me start by saying that the place isn’t as full of attractions as the previous two. There is a golf course and that would be it with the activities. But, it’s not always about doing stuff. Sometimes, all we need is to sit in the grass, have a walk, or quick bike ride in the countryside. That’s why I’m introducing you to a small park and villages located just a few minutes by walk from Noord metro station. The park itself is pretty small, mostly occupied by dog walkers. You’ll find some hill, which I believe was supposed to be a viewing point. I’m not gonna lie, the view is not breathtaking. Okay. It might not be the best attempt with convincing you to go there, but give it a try sometime. Why should you? Because, after you pass the park, all of a sudden you’re in the middle of nowhere. There is a small bridge, a path with trees on the sides and a really green golf course. Then, just walk further, and you’re in the calmest place I’ve ever experienced living in Amsterdam. Nothing else but peace. And… Oh, Oh. There are cows slowly eating grass, sheep doing whatever they do on a daily basis. Utopia, I’m telling you.