Five Amsterdam Day Trips- and Two Towns I'd Skip

As much as Amsterdam deserves its reputation as one of Europe's great cities, some of my favorite moments in the Netherlands happened after I got on a train and left the city behind.

This was my second visit to Amsterdam (I was mainly there for a bucket list bike ride through the tulip fields - more on that in another post!) So, I took advantage of my return trip to explore outside the city.

The Dutch rail system is super easy and there are great towns you can get to in under an hour.

I took 5 mini-day trips. Three were incredible. Two … were not.

The towns I would 100% visit again:

Woerden 

(35 Minutes from Amsterdam)

Just a girl and a giant cheese wheel!

Woerden was by far my favorite little town for a day trip from Amsterdam.

Most visitors come for the Saturday cheese market and that's exactly why I was there.

It happens on Saturdays from April to August and I loved everything about it. 

Is it a bit cheesy? Totally. (Pun intended) But it’s also incredibly charming.

Woerden is home to one of the Netherlands' last working cheese markets. This isn't just for tourists. Local farmers still buy and sell cheese here.

Woerden cheese market

Picnic along the water in Woerden

It looks like it's all a show - there are theatrics and hand slipping and audience engagement. But there's actual negotiating going on!

The crowds are small, the traders are adorable and the market is real and functioning.

Plus, cheese samples are plentiful. What's not to love??

Pro-tip when the cheese-selling is over:

Buy a few wedges from a stall, grab a freshly baked croissant and find a spot by the water for an cute little picnic.

Haarlem

(15 Minutes from Amsterdam)

Having lived in NYC for more than a decade, I couldn't skip visiting Harlem's namesake!

If you told me you only had time for one day-trip from Amsterdam, this is where I'd send you.

Haarlem is incredibly easy to reach and only about 15 minutes by train. It's everything people love about Amsterdam, but on a smaller scale. 

Haarlem Canals

Canals? Check.

Historic buildings? Check.

Beautiful walkable streets? Check.

The city center is especially charming, with cobblestone streets, outdoor cafés, and enough activity to feel lively without feeling overwhelming.

A carnival in Haarlem's city center

(That said, we happened to be there while a carnival was going on in the square which was quite the contrast.)

Even with the festivities, Haarlem still felt like place where people actually live - not just somewhere they visit.

As a bonus, you'll often find hotels here are more affordable than Amsterdam, making Haarlem a great base if you don't mind a quick 15-minute train ride into the city.

Utrecht

(30 Minutes from Amsterdam)

Utrecht is Amsterdam's chiller, cooler cousin.

It looks a lot like Amsterdam. It has the canals and the cobblestones. And lots and lots and lots of bikes.

But it doesn't have the huge tourist crowds or the chaotic feel of Amsterdam's streets.

The canals of Utrecht

There's an undeniable local vibe. I only spent a couple of hours in Utrecht, but I wish I'd had more time. It's a destination in its own right.

It's compact enough to explore on foot, filled with independent shops and cafés. It's also home to the Dom Tower, which is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands.

We popped over one night for dinner, and watching the sun set over the canals as the Dom Tower glowed in the evening light was easily one of my favorite moments of the trip.

Pro-tip: If you're tight on time - I would pick either Haarlem OR Utrecht to visit. They're both great but they're quite similar.

I'd Skip These Day Trips:

Zaanse Schans

(20 Minutes from Amsterdam)

This might be an unpopular opinion, but Zaanse Schans was absolutely a one and done for me. I wouldn't go back, and I wouldn’t recommend it to my clients.

Zaanse Schans is famous for its traditional Dutch windmills and historic buildings. Every blog, Tik Tok-er and IG influencer seems to recommend it. The reality is, it’s a tourist nightmare.

I'm didn't have any illusion that I was getting off the beaten path by any stretch. I knew Zaanse Sachans would be popular. Everybody wants to see a windmill and it's a heavily promoted attraction.

But I wasn't prepared for just HOW insane the crowds would be and how manufactured it would feel.

Pictures lie. Even my pictures own pictures are misleading!

From afar, Zaanse Sachns looks like a group of windmills, set along the water, in the peaceful Dutch countryside.

But instead of the peaceful Dutch countryside experience I’d hoped for, it was crowded and chaotic. You didn't feel like you were wandering through an old Dutch village. It was more akin to a Disney re-creation.

You can see a live clog-making demonstration, which I will admit was actually quite cool. And if you want to wait in line, you can also see the workings of an active windmill.

But those highlights don't make it worth it (IMHO.)

I will caveat this post by saying - I visited on a weekend during peak tulip season, so I'm sure that contributed to the tourist-trap vibe.

That said, if I'd had more time, I would have much rather ventured further away from Amsterdam for a true windmill experience.

Gouda

(25 Minutes from Amsterdam)

I wanted to love Gouda. I really, really did. I was pumped to eat Gouda, IN Gouda. I was imagining streets practically made of cheese and more samples than I could stomach. But alas, my dairy-filled dreams were dashed.

I think a lot of it had to do with timing. I visited on a Saturday, and Gouda was packed with tour groups and river cruise passengers (which should tell you a lot about the vibe)

The market square was so packed with tourists it was hard to appreciate it's beauty.

Ironically, for a town literally named Gouda, I had to work surprisingly hard to find actual Gouda cheese. Instead, I found plenty of souvenir stores, crowds, and cafés... and had to go on a bit of a cheese scavenger hunt to score some samples.

I have to imagine it's a great city when the ships aren't in port and the crowds are gone for the day. But if I was to recommend a Dutch cheese-experience, Woerden has my heart.

Train tips:

As I mentioned, getting around The Netherlands by train is incredibly easy - but there are a few things to know. Here's what I learned so you don't make the same mistakes I did!

Train Tips for Day Trips from Amsterdam

• Take the Intercity train whenever possible. Don’t make the same mistake I made! The Sprinter Train sounds faster. It's not. Intercity = express. Sprinter = local.

• A multi-day rail pass is worth the money if you're planning multiple trips and/or will be relying on public transportation. Just pay attention to zone restrictions. I learned this lesson the hard way after and got trapped inside the train station in Woerden. We had to use the emergency phone to get someone to let us out.

  
  

• If you don't get a rail pass, you don't need to buy a ticket. You can just tap in and tap out on your phone. It's super convenient.

  
  

• Speaking of tapping in and out, don't forget to tap out! Some stations don't have exit turnstiles. If you don't tap out, it may confuse the system next time you try to board a train. You may also end up paying more than you should.