Are you planning to visit the Netherlands sometime soon and need some ideas of places to add to your list? Then, most likely, this post is for you! I will be sharing with you a travel itinerary on how you can spend one week in the Netherlands.
One week in the Netherlands Travel Itinerary
This itinerary does not include the usual Dutch cities that are considered to be must-sees if you are visiting the Netherlands. Instead, I am going to suggest other cities just as beautiful and charming but that is a bit less touristic. This itinerary starts in a city close to Amsterdam because I will just assume that most people will use this airport to arrive in the Netherlands. However, if that is not your case, feel free to change the order that you would visit these cities, to fit your arrival/departure location the best.
Let’s start with this one week trip itinerary in the Netherlands, shall we?
Day 1 Alkmaar, North Holland
About Alkmaar
Alkmaar will be our first stop on this one week in the Netherlands Itinerary. Alkmaar is located in the province of North Holland, Alkmaar’s first mention in documents goes all the way to the 10th century. City rights were granted in 1254. Alkmaar is well known for its annual cheese market, happening every year sometime in June, for the past 400 years. It is also known for its charming city center that I’m sure anyone will fall in love with.
How to get there
By car
From Amsterdam to Alkmaar is a short ride; in less than 50 minutes, via A9, you will be arriving in Alkmaar. There are no toll costs to be considered (at the time his post was written). When arriving in Alkmaar by car, you can either park at your hotel or if needed it, I would recommend using one of the P+R parking facilities. these are usually located a bit outside the city center, making them a cheaper option to park your car compared to city center parking facilities, and you’d take a free bus to the city center.
P+R parking fees: FREE
More info: accessibility and parking in Alkmaar
By train
Assuming you will depart from Amsterdam’s airport, you will always need to take two trains since there is no direct connection between Schiphol and Alkmaar. It will either be a Sprinter + Intercity or 2x Intercity trains. This strongly depends on what time you are traveling, therefore my advice is to check it beforehand.
You can either use Google to plan your travel by train or the Dutch railway NS website. Ticket pricing will be provided as well.
Trip duration by train: approx. 50min
What not to miss in Alkmaar
Alkmaar makes a perfect day trip option in the Netherlands since you can easily explore its center on foot in one day. Of course, there are more things to see and do but those would be located further away from the city center. But these are the ones you should not miss when visiting Alkmaar:
- Cheese Museum
- Hof van Sonoy
- Grote Sint-Laurenskerk
- Beer Museum
- City’s Museum
- The Beatles Museum
- Het Kruithuisje
And it goes without saying, but I am 200% sure you will love strolling around the city center; on sunny days, you will find many people enjoying their time along the beautiful canals. Perfect for a little break. But hey, if you are reading this post during the Covid-19 Pandemic, please keep in mind all social distancing measures, while enjoying Alkmaar.
Where to eat/drink
I asked a friend of mine that lives in Alkmaar which restaurants would she recommend and these were her two recommendations:
- Turfmarkt – very close to the inner part of the city center.
- Grand Café De Kleine Waarheid – located close to the Grand Hotel
Where to stay
Regarding hotels, well, there is a vast selection to choose from, depending on your budget and if you wish to stay in the city center or a bit outside (this may be convenient if traveling by car). I took a look at booking.com and it seems these were the TOP3 hotels in Alkmaar:
Nearby
A few other cities nearby Alkmaar are Heerhugowaard, Den Helder – where you’d a take a ferry to visit some of the Dutch Islands, like Texel, Terschelling, and Nes.
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Day 2 Leiden, South Holland
About Leiden
Leiden, our second stop of the one-week itinerary in the Netherlands, is located in the Dutch province of South Holland, just a few kilometers south of Amsterdam. Leiden has city rights since 1575 and is home to the famous Leiden Universit (oldest Dutch university). It was in Leiden University’s botanical garden that the tulip, dutch major symbol, was first introduced to Western Europe, many centuries ago.
Given the fact that Leiden’s university is so renowned, it comes with no surprise that Leiden was once considered to be one of Europe’s scientific “hotspots”. Einstein was a lecture and researcher at this university, somewhere between 1916 and 1930.
What you may not know is that Leiden is also the hometown of many worldwide famous people; for example, the famous painter Rembrandt, or the DJ Armin van Buuren, and worth mention, Carice van Houten. She played the role of Melissandre in Game of Thrones, HBO blockbuster!
Alongside all these interesting facts, Leiden is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful cities in the Netherlands.
How to get there
By car
Just within 1 hour, you will be arriving in Leiden from Alkmaar, via the A9 highway, times may change depending on the traffic but it’s only 66km. When you get to Leiden, I would recommend parking your car, either at the hotel (if possible) or, again, at P+R parking facilities. There currently two options, Leiden Haagweg and Leiden ‘t Schouw. With either of them, you get a free bus ride to the city center. For fees and more information please check the Parking at Leiden website.
By train
There are no direct trains from Alkmaar to Leiden, however, you need to switch trains only once, for most cases. The journey can vary depending on your travel times. But, usually, the trip is somehow between 1h10 – 1h30. You can either use Google to plan your travel by train or the Dutch railway NS website. Ticket pricing will be provided as well.
What not to miss in Leiden
I loved to just stroll through the city center and observe the many charming buildings, the cozy narrow streets, the canals, and we did not have an itinerary.
However, there a few landmarks that I would recommend you to check out:
- Botanical Garden of Leiden
- Molen De Valk
- Burch van Leiden
- Rijksmuseum boerhaave
- Hooglandse Kerk
- Molen De Put
As a cherry on top of the cake, if the weather allows it, make time to go on a cruise through Leiden’s canals. We did that and it was amazing! Price may vary, but we paid 10eur per person for a 1-hour ride.
Where to eat/drink
Where to stay
Leiden has quite a vast selection of hotels to choose from. When I visited Leiden, we stayed at the Ibis, which is just across the train station, and they’re a good option if you’ll be traveling by train as well.
Nearby
Not so far from Leiden, you have other interesting cities: The Hague, Delft, and Scheveningen (the beach, basically), are just a few examples.
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Day 3 Den Bosch, North Brabant
About Den Bosch
Den Bosch’s official name is… brace yourself: ‘s-Hertogenbosch (meaning Duke’s forest)! Yes, that’s it. Let me know if you can pronounce it 🙂 Den is Bosch is the capital of the Dutch province North Brabant, and the third stop of our one-week itinerary in the Netherlands got its city rights somewhere around 1185.
For those of you familiar with the concept of Carnival, I’ve got good news: Den Bosch loves Carnival! Yes, they are major in celebrating it and every year make a big party. So, if Carnival is your thing, you may want to give a try in Den Bosch.
How to get there
By car:
From Leiden to Den Bosch is again a short ride; in less than 1h30 you will arrive in Den Bosch. The best route is via A12 and A2, but that can depend on the traffic conditions. Once you arrive, you can either decide to park at the city center (it comes with a nice price tag, just so you know), or use one of the three P+R parking facilities (4eur per day) and take a free shuttle bus to the city center. For opening hours, fees, and other info please check Parking in Den Bosch website (in Dutch).
By train:
The train ride from Leiden to Den Bosch can vary from 1h30 to 1h45, depending on the train connections, since once again, there are no direct trains between these cities. Plan your travel by train or the Dutch railway NS website. Ticket pricing will be provided as well.
What not to miss in Den Bosch
Please let me know if I’m starting to sound repetitive, ok? But I’m a walker kind of tourist when it comes to city trips, and given the fact that Den Bosch’s center isn’t that large, I recommend you to just stroll around and discover the city on foot. When I visited, we had no map, but we checked Google maps for some references.
Den Bosch is a very lively city, with cute streets, terrace tables, nice architecture and it will for sure cause an impression on you. In the summertime, you can also take a cruise through the Binnendieze. But here some of Den Bosch’s finest landmarks you should make sure to include on your list:
- Sint-Janskathedraal
- Museumkwartier
- City Hall building at the Markt square
- De Moriaan, the oldest brick house.
- De Binnendieze
Where to eat/drink
A quick search on Trip Adviser for “places to eat in Den Bosch” will give you plenty of options, for all budgets, cuisines, and meals. From my day in Den Bosch I can recommend restaurant ‘t Gerucht for a quick lunch, yet very delicious, and for a good dinner, I would recommend Brasserie Cé, which is the restaurant in the hotel we stayed in.
Where to stay
We did our reservation via Booking.com.
Nearby
Cities or activities you might find interesting nearby Den Bosch:
- Breda
- Tilburg
- Or the amusement park De Efteling
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Day 4 Maastricht, Limburg
About Maastricht
Welcome to Maastricht, our fourth stop in this itinerary in the Netherlands. Maastricht is the capital of the province Limburg, and the second oldest Dutch city! Maastricht was first to mention in ancient documents in the 7th century! Despite being “an old city” Maastricht is a very alive city, multi-cultural, multi-lingual and most of all very friendly.
How to get there
By car
From Den Bosch to Maastricht is a 1h30 car ride via the A2 highway. From experience, I would recommend parking your car outside the city center, as the closer to the center you are the more expensive it gets. With that in mind, I recommend parking at the P+R Maastricht Noord, where you have free parking for 48h and you can reach the city center with bus line 10; the ticket will cost 2,15eur. In case you need further information, then check Parking at Maastricht website.
By train
From Den Bosch to Maastricht, you can take a direct intercity train that runs every 30min, and within 1h40 you will be arriving at Maastricht Central station. From there, it will be just a short walk until you reach the city center. For pricing and schedules, please check the NS.nl website.
What not to miss in Maastricht
Maastricht is not a super big city but it has enough to see for a good two days. The good thing is that is a compact city, meaning that most landmarks are within a short walk from each other. Some of my favorite things to do would have to start at the Ceramique neighborhood, walk by the Maas river, cross the Sint Servaasbrug, walk the narrow streets of the inner city center towards the Onze Lieve Vrouweplein. But here is a list of landmarks you should not miss:
- Bonnefanten Museum
- Center Ceramique
- Stadspark
- Helpoort
- Bisschopsmolen
- Vrijthof and Market squares
- Basilica of Saint Servatius
- The Bassin
There are way more things to see, of course, but I’m leaving that as a surprise for you to discover as you walk through the city. Just a little extra: don’t miss the city wall. It’s pretty cool!
Where to eat/drink
A lot of people come to visit Maastricht just to enjoy the shopping and dining options. Do you know what that means? That the options are almost endless. It depends on what kind of food you like, what is your budget, and how fancy you’d like to make it.
For me, one of my favorite places to go for food is the Cafe Local, right at the Market, and for dinks, I am a huge fan of the cocktail bar Beez.
Where to stay
Since I live in Maastricht, I never needed to stay at a hotel, however, if I was a tourist, I would probably go fo the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Why? Because it’s right at the river bank facing the city center. You get the best view of the town from that hotel and can enjoy a nice sunset there. May come at a price, but I guess it’s worth it.
Like with restaurant, Maastricht has a wide variety of hotels for all budgets; so just have a look at whatever booking platform of your liking.
Nearby
Maastricht being in the south of the Netherlands is very close to the Belgian and German borders. This means, extra options in case you’d extend your stay, so here are some options:
- Valkenburg
- Vaals, where you can visit the 3-country border point.
- Roermond
- Aachen
- Hasselt
Bisschopsmolen in Maastricht
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Day 5 Zwolle, Overijssel
About Zwolle
Zwolle is the second largest city of the province Overijssel, right after Enschede, and our fifth stop in this one-week itinerary in the Netherlands. According to the information I found, Zwolle was founded somewhere around the year 800 by Frisian merchant and decided to name the city Zwolle, meaning “hill”. Now, if you think of the Netherlands, this is quite an odd name, isn’t it? We all know the Netherlands as a “flat” country, but the founders of Zwolle thought otherwise and gave this name as a reference to the landscape between the four rivers surrounding Zwolle: IJssel, Vecht, Aa and Zwart Water.
How to get there
By car
This is going to be the longest drive of this trip; from Maastricht to Zwolle is about 2h30 drive. Upon arrival, I’d recommend parking at one of the facilities located in Parking zone III (Parkeerzone 3, in Dutch), where you’ll pay 6eur/day. For all details about parking locations, please refer to parking in Zwolle website.
By train
A train ride from Maastricht to Zwolle will take about 3h30 with one stop in Utrecht, where you will need to switch trains. I advise to plan the trip about 36/24h ahead, so you are aware of any possible disturbances/works on the railway. For all that information, ticket pricing, and so on, please check the NS website, as mentioned above.
What not to miss in Zwolle
Zwolle has many historical monuments, which is a great plus for me. I love going to places that have a story to tell. To mention a few:
- The Roman Catholic Onze Lieve Vrouwe ten Hemelopneming-basilica
- The Paperbus – being one of the tallest and most famous church towers of the Netherlands
- City Walls
- Sassenpoort
- Thorbeckegracht
- And the Museum de Fundatie
There are more things to see, and if you get the chance to visit Zwolle, you’ll be happily surprised by how beautiful this city is!
Where to eat/drink
As I mentioned before, the couple of times I was in Zwolle, it was to visit friends, so we did not go out for food or drinks. So, to provide some information about it, I asked my friend (Thank you Frankie!) and he pointed out the following restaurants:
- Park Paviljoen – located at the in the park by the water
- Woodies – in the city center
- Vaca Negra – for all meat / BBQ lovers out there.
In case you like something else, check out trip advisor for inspiration.
Where to stay
I have been to Zwolle twice; the first time we stayed at a friends’ house, and the second time we stayed at a hotel with our dog (A Labrador Retriever) with us. How cool, right? As in any other dutch city, there are many options, but I liked the hotel we stayed in, Hotel Lumen, and would recommend it, especially if you take your dog and arrive by car (parking was free). But, if you prefer to stay closer to the city center, then just check some of the many options available on Booking.com, for example.
Nearby
These are some of the cities or parks close by Zwolle you might want to check out if you got time:
- Lelystad
- De Weerribben-Wieden National Park
- Apeldoorn
- Enschede
Other posts you may like:
Ready for the next step in this itinerary?
Day 6 Groningen, Groningen
About Groning
And we have arrived at our sixth and last stop of this one-week itinerary in the Netherlands: Groningen.
Groningen is the capital of the Dutch province… Groningen, :), and also the largest city in the North of the Netherlands. According to historical documents, Groningen was an important trade center back in the 13th century and reaching its glorious years in the 15th century.
Groningen is an old city, and that translates to the beautiful architecture of its buildings, especially those located in the inner part of the city center, which I am sure will delight your eyes!
Another interesting fact about Groning is that it is home to the second oldest Dutch university, right after Leiden. It was in this University, that the first Dutch female to get her diploma, Aletta Jacobs, becoming then the first Dutch female physician!
How to get there
By car
From Zwolle to Groning is a short car ride; in about 1h15 minutes you will be arriving in Groning. Then, you will either park your car at the hotel, if possible, but if not then there are many parking facilities. As before, parking fees will depend on how close to the city center you are. There are 5 P+R parking facilities on the outskirts of Groningen; there you can park for free but you will need to purchase a bus day ticket (6eur) to bring you to the city center. For more information on parking fees and locations, please check parking in Groningen website.
By train
If you are traveling by train, then the journey from Zwolle to Groning will take you about 1h with a direct intercity train. Prices and schedules are available at NS.nl, as mentioned before.
What not to miss in Groningen
Like most Dutch cities, Groningen has a lovely city center with many shops and markets, with trendy and antique stores. It is also a culturally rich city, which makes it ideal for a day trip or short stays. Here are some of the highlights of Groningen:
- Groningen Museum
- Vismarkt
- Martini Church and Martini Tower
- Forum Bibliothek and its amazing rooftop, where you can have a 360° view of the city! Bonus: it is free!!!
But the best thing can do, in my opinion, is to stroll through the city center, and just absorb the city’s vibrant atmosphere.
Where to eat/drink
when I visited Groning, I had lunch at Het Goudkantoor restaurant, which is nicely located and it has a large variety of dishes available. Later in the day, we stopped by for some drinks and small snacks at the Cappuvino, which is located at the Vismarkt square.
Groningen has many options when it comes to restaurants and bars/pubs, so it won’t be hard to find something that suits your wishes, whether that is diet or budget.
Where to stay
There are many hotel options in Groningen, so depending on your budget and how central you would like to stay, the prices per night may vary.
When I visited Groningen, I did not stay for the night so I don’t have a personal recommendation to give you. But after checking some reviews online, it seems that Hotel Miss Blanche is a very good option, as it is located right downtown. If need other options, then please check any booking platform of your liking.
Nearby
Well, when you look at the map and see where Groningen is, you soon realize that there isn’t much around but Germany or the North sea! haha But regarding Dutch cities, I’d say:
- Leeuwarden
- Assen
And that’s it! From Groningen, you could go extend your stay in the Netherlands and maybe visit one of the other cities mentioned, or if it would be time to go home, then just travel back to the airport where you would be flying from.
Other posts you may like:
I hope you liked this one week in the Netherlands itinerary and that it can be helpful for future visits.
What cities have you already visited in the Netherlands?
Did you know any of the ones I mentioned in this post?
Let me know in the comments, I will be glad to read your stories.
33 Responses
I hadn’t heard of most of these cities but now they are on my list! Lovely way to spend one week in the Netherlands!
Hi Lisa,
I’m glad you liked the post and added these cities to your list. you will not be disappointed!
xo, B.
Ah, Netherlands is so beautiful! I have been only for a business trip and took a weekend to explore and I felt in love. I am saving this itinerary (BTW…thank yo so much, this is great!) for when finally I get to visit again, but this time, on vacation.
Hi Paula,
I’m glad you liked the post, and I hope you have the chance to come to the Netherlands and enjoy its beauty!
xo, B.
When it comes to the Netherlands, I’ve only visited Amsterdam and was very impressed with the architecture. From your pictures, it’s great to see the rest of the country has stood firm regarding it’s traditional style of building. An Andre Rieu concert in Maastricht is on my to-do list. Thanks for sharing this comprehensive post.
Hi Hazel,
I’m happy to see you enjoy the post.
Yes, most of the Netherlands kept its traditional architecture; the exception to that would be Rotterdam, where most of it is super modern.
xo, B.
Wow I’ve hardly heard of any of these! Makes me realise just how much I need to explore, even of the smaller countries in Europe. Thanks for sharing such a unique itinerary!
Hi Clazz,
I’m glad you liked the post.
Yes, even the Netherlands, being a small country, has a lot to offer. I only mentioned a few; there are many more cities worth visiting.
xo, B.
I would so love to visit and explore the Netherlands one day! It looks so beautiful. I haven’t even heard of most of these stops, so I’m definitely saving this post for later!
Hi Krystianna,
I’m glad to know you liked the post and hopefully, you will visit the Netherlands someday!
xo, b.
Good to know as I havent been to any of those places 🙂 Very comprehensive post! I have been only in Amsterdam and Utrecht seems there is so much to explore
Hi Ev,
Yes, there is. Both Amsterdam and Utrecht are lovely cities; I hope you get to visit other Dutch cities 🙂
I’m sure you will like it!
xo, B.
Can you believe that we haven’t been to the Netherlands? It’s the only place that we are missing from Europe!! For sure we will follow your itinerary 🙂
Hi Alessia,
Well, we have to change that, don’t we? 😉
Hopefully, sooner than later, when the whole pandemic thing has calmed down, you come visit the Netherlands.
I’m glad you liked the post!
xo, B.
I’ve only been to Amsterdam and Rotterdam and loved both of them. Your post convinced me that there are so many other cute places to visit in the Netherlands! 🙂
Hi Marjut,
I’m glad you liked the ost and could convince you to visit other Dutch cities.
If you get to do so, let me know how you liked them 😉
xo, B.
I only visited Amsterdam and Giethoorn during the winter, and already i cant wait to go back and explore it during spring and summertime! Now ive got all these new cities to add too! Unique post, thanl u for sharing!
Hi Galatia,
Glad you liked it!
Giethoorn is such a lovely village, right? I still have to visit it one day. 🙂
xo, B.
I think I’ve been to all of these cities apart from Groningen! My dad lived in Amsterdam for a year so we went to basically everywhere in The Netherlands on holiday growing up! I loved Leiden so much when we went a few years ago!
That’s really cool that you’ve visited all the cities mentioned! 🙂
Glad you liked the post & thanks for your comment!
xo, B.
Oh man! I wish I wouldn’t have this wonderful guide before I went to the Netherlands two years ago! I missed some of these incredible + charming Dutch towns. Guess I’ll have to return soon! (Yay ☺️). Beautiful post and thank you for sharing!
Hi Mindy,
Well, I guess you’ve figured out what to do: come back to the Netherlands asap! 🙂
Glad you liked the post & thanks for your comment!
xo, B.
I meant *would’ve had this guide. Dang autocorrect! Lol
You had me at cheese market! Netherlands look and sound amazing
haha good to know! 🙂
the Netherlands is a very beautiful country, hope you have the chance to visit it some day.
thanks for your comment!
xo, B.
I love this post! I’ve only ever been to Amsterdam and never even heard of any of these places! You have inspired me to check them out in the future 🙂
Hi Lauren,
Happy to know you liked the post & that it inspires you to come to visit the Netherlands!
I’m sure you will have an amazing time, & feel free to ask for any tips in case you need it.
Thanks for your comment.
xo, B.
I need to do something like this. I visited several countries (like The Netherland) on a super-fast trip through Europe many years ago. I had said I want to go back to those countries and see more than the capital. Hope I have the opportunity to spend some time in The Netherlands.
Hi Ruth,
Glad you liked the post! Who knows, maybe you will come back to the Netherlands someday and can use this post as guidance. 🙂
Thanks for your comment!
xo, B.
Amazing post! I really like the fact that you highlight more of the Netherlands than just Amsterdam. There is so much more to see! Have you also been to Rotterdam? That’s my hometown. 🙂
Hi Lisanne,
Yes, there’s so much more than Amsterdam. People need to know that haha
I’ve been to Rotterdam many years ago, on a cold, rainy, winter day. Didn’t get to see much of the city.
Glad you liked the post & thanks for your comment!
xo, B.
Ahh! I’ve been so looking forward to going places in the Netherlands other than Amsterdam and the Keukenhof Gardens. I’ve been pinning places like crazy, but you’ve got them all in one! Thank you!
Hi McKenzie,
The Netherlands has many beautiful cities to visit. In my opinion, if you’ve been to Amsterdam before, skip it on your next visit to The Netherlands 😉
Even though it’s a small country, there are many “hidden Dutch gems” 😊
Thank you for your comment!
I’m glad you liked the post 😊
xo, B.