Things to See & Do in the Netherlands

Most first visits work best with one Amsterdam base and a day trip or two by train, rather than moving hotels.

Van Gogh Museum

I would give the Van Gogh Museum a morning of its own. The collection has more than 200 of his paintings and about 500 drawings, and the letters let you follow his life from those early years through to France. You see the famous pictures, and you get a real sense of the person who painted them.

Visitors looking at a framed self-portrait of Vincent van Gogh in a grey hat — A self-portrait of Van Gogh

The canal ring

Amsterdam’s 17th-century canal ring is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Staying in or near it — the Jordaan, the Nine Streets, or along the main canals — puts most of the city within walking distance. A canal cruise on day one is a good way to get your bearings.

Bicycles parked along a canal railing, with tree-lined canal houses and a bridge beyond — Bikes along a canal

Houseboats moored in front of a row of gabled canal houses — Houseboats along the canal

Anne Frank House

Tickets are sold only online, for a timed slot, on the museum’s own website. They are released every Tuesday for the week six weeks ahead, they often sell out, and there are no door sales or waiting list. Other sites offering “Anne Frank House tours” do not include entry. This is the one Amsterdam booking I would put in the calendar.

A white sign reading Anne Frank Huis on a black door — The Anne Frank House sign

Museumplein

The Rijksmuseum, home to Rembrandt and Vermeer, sits a short walk from the Van Gogh Museum. Both use timed tickets, and the Van Gogh Museum in particular is best booked before you fly.

Museum visitors photographing a Van Gogh self-portrait in a gilded frame — A Van Gogh self-portrait

Day trips by train

Haarlem is about 15 minutes away and Utrecht about half an hour. Delft, The Hague and Rotterdam are each within about an hour, and Zaanse Schans, with its working windmills, is a short ride north.

Windmills reflected in still water at dusk — Windmills along the water

Canada and the Netherlands

Canadian soldiers played a central role in liberating the Netherlands in 1944 and 1945, and the connection is still felt. The Canadian War Cemeteries at Groesbeek and Holten are moving places to visit as a dedicated day, and the Dutch royal family’s gift of tulips after the war is the root of Ottawa’s Canadian Tulip Festival.

Back to the Netherlands overview

Let’s plan your Amsterdam trip

Tell me when you would like to go and whether this is a city break on its own or one stop on a longer route. I’ll plan the stay, the trains and the timed tickets worth securing early.

The initial 30-minute consultation is complimentary. The professional research fee is $50 per traveller aged 2 or older, paid before research begins.

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