5-Day Holiday in the Netherlands

Recently, during the spring break, we made a 5-day family trip to the Netherlands. We started from Darmstadt, Germany (where we live) and drove to the Netherlands. We stayed in a small town named Wognum (about 45 km north of Amsterdam) for the entire trip and made day trips to Amsterdam, Keukenhof, Zaanse Schans, Marken, Volendam and Giethoorn.

Check out a short video here.

I shall give you all the details about our trip in this article.

Based on my experience, I shall take you through all the information you need to plan your trip to these four locations.

So, let’s start.

Arrival in the Netherlands

By Air

There are many airports in the Netherlands. Depending on the places you wish to visit, you can plan to land at the nearest airport.

The best airport to land at for this itinerary is Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

Amsterdam Airport is about 25 km from Amsterdam City Centre.

You can check your flight options here.

The official website for the airport is https://www.schiphol.nl/en/.

Transfer to the city from Amsterdam Airport

There are four ways to do this:

From the airport, take the Sprinter train from the airport to the city centre. The train runs regularly and takes about 20 minutes to reach the city centre. Head to your hotel/apartment from the city centre using public transport.
Alternatively, you can book a bus ride from the airport to the city centre.
If you are a family, a more convenient option is to take a taxi from the airport to the city centre.
You can rent a car for the entire trip. You can pick up the car from the airport and return it there after as many days as you like. We have rented from SIXT multiple times and found their cars top-notch quality.

Further in the article, I have discussed public transport to travel within Amsterdam and to various nearby towns, as well as exploring different places by car, along with information about parking.

By Car

If you live in any of the nearby towns, the fastest and most convenient way to reach Amsterdam is by car. But remember that parking in the city centre is not easy to find and is quite expensive.

Check out parking places in Amsterdam, as well as the hourly rates here.

Further in the article, I have shared information about where we parked at various places.

If you don’t own a car, you can rent one. We have rented from SIXT multiple times and found their cars to be of top-notch quality.

While you are here, you can read my articles:

How to get a driving license in Germany- Step-by-Step guide

My Experience with renting a car in Germany

Since we live in Darmstadt, Germany, and Amsterdam is about 450 km away, it was ideal for us to travel by car. It took us about 6 hours with breaks to reach.

By Train

You can reach Amsterdam Central Station by train. Trains ply regularly, and it is well-connected to most European cities.

From Germany, you can use Deutsche Bahn’s website to book a train to Amsterdam.

You can also book trains from various European countries to Amsterdam on the Omio website.

Public Transport within Amsterdam

There are many ways to get around Amsterdam.

If you are comfortable using public transport, this is the cheapest and fastest way to move around the city. You can book your tickets for local transport in Amsterdam here. You can book this ticket for up to 7 days, and the more days you choose, the cheaper the per-day cost becomes. You also save yourself the hassle of manoeuvring through the city’s traffic and expensive parking.

The second alternative is a Hop On Hop Off Bus, which specifically caters to tourists and allows you to see all the places of interest, with a convenient audio guide. You can even include canal cruises in the ticket. You can check out this option here.

Accomodation in Amsterdam

Plenty of hotels, youth hostels, and Airbnbs are available in Amsterdam. Make sure you book them well in advance to save costs. If you plan to stay in Amsterdam, it would be best to book something in the city centre so you can easily visit all the places.

Alternatively, you can check for accommodation in any of the neighbouring towns. We booked an apartment in Wognum, a small town 45km north of Amsterdam. We got it at better prices than the ones we saw in Amsterdam.

Here is the link for the accommodation we booked for a family of four. If you need any more information about this accommodation, contact me, and I can share our experience.

Now, let’s move on to our itinerary in the Netherlands.

5-Day Holiday Itinerary in the Netherlands

Day 1: Arrive and check out the city centre of Amsterdam, followed by check-in

Day 2: Half day at Keukenhof and rest of the day in Amsterdam City Exploration

Day 3: Day trip to Zaanse Schanz, Volendam and Marken

Day 4: Day Trip to Giethoorn

Day 5: Some more Amsterdam City Exploration and drive back to Darmstadt

Let me now take you through the itinerary in detail.

Day 1: Arrival and Exploring Amsterdam Central

Since we started from Darmstadt, which is about 450 km from Amsterdam, and we stopped a couple of times for a break, it was almost evening by the time we reached Amsterdam. We parked at IJ Dock Parking and walked to the Central Railway Station.

A note about IJ Dock Parking: This is a pretty good parking place close to the city centre. If you plan to spend a day in Amsterdam, this place is perfect for parking your car. But sometimes, it can get full, especially during peak tourist season. So it is best to book it online. When booked online, a parking spot is reserved for you for the day, and you can enter and exit as many times as you like. Moreover, the parking cost is lower when booked online. You can check their official website to book it.

From the parking, it was a 15-minute walk to the central railway station.

We explored the waterfront and walked along the IJ river, soaking in the city vibes.

Then, we explored the city centre, crossing the road from the railway station and heading to Damrak.

The Damrak is an avenue in the centre of Amsterdam that runs between Amsterdam Central Station and Dam Square. It is the main street where people arriving at the station enter the city. It is a crowded street, but an excellent place to check out local cheese shops, souvenir shops, Strooperies (that sell the famous Stroopwaffles), etc.

Check out some pictures taken at various shops on Damrak.

Then, we reached Dam Square, the city’s main square. This square has many historical buildings and is the venue for many public events. It has a lively atmosphere, making it a popular destination for both locals and tourists.

The most notable structure in this square is the Royal Palace. You can see it from the outside or visit it from the inside. It is a 17th-century monument that houses pieces of art from the Dutch Golden Age and features sculptures by artists such as Ferdinand Bol and Govert Flinck. You can buy the tickets here.

You can find out more information about the Royal Palace here.

Right opposite the Royal Palace is the National Monument, a tribute to those who lost their lives in World War II, which stands prominently on the square.

Madame Tussauds, the famous wax museum, is also located in Dam Square. Here, you will find many interactive photo sets of the stars of the screen, TV, politics, music, and more. You can find tickets here.

More information about Madame Tussauds can be found here.

Amsterdam Dungeon is also located about 450 mt from Dam Square. You can book your tickets here. You can find more information here.

After checking out Dam Square, we returned to the car park to pick up our car and drove to our apartment and checked in.

Day 2: Visit to Keukenhof, Anne Frank Museum and some more City Exploration

Since we were there during the Spring season, which coincides with the Tulip blooming time, visiting Keukenhof was a must-do. It was, in fact, one of the main reasons for planning a trip to the Netherlands during spring.

We started the second day of our holiday with a visit to Keukenhof.

Keukenhof, also known as the Garden of Europe, is the world’s largest flower garden located in Lisse, Netherlands. While it is widely known for its tulips, Keukenhof also features numerous other flowers, including hyacinths, daffodils, lilies, roses, carnations, and iris. It was established in 1949 by a consortium of bulb growers and flower exporters to showcase their products and support the export industry.

Keukenhof is only open to the general public for an eight-week tulip display from mid-March to mid-May. It is a beautiful garden, offering multiple photo opportunities. There are restaurants, washrooms, and plenty of open spaces for a picnic. The park also has a small canal for a boat tour and plenty of souvenir shops (though I would suggest buying souvenirs on the Damrak instead of Keukenhof because you get the same stuff at better prices there).

After spending more than half a day at Keukenhof, we came towards the city centre of Amsterdam.

You can book your visit tickets here. This ticket includes a shuttle transfer to the garden. However, if you plan to go on your own, visit their website and book a visit and a parking ticket.

Some Tips for your visit to Keukenhof:

Book in advance. There are time slots for entry into the garden, so if you want a choice, book well in advance so you can enter at your preferred time.
Try to reach early: To avoid the crowds, try to enter the park by 9 a.m.
Carry food if you like: Although cafes are on the premises, you can bring your food.
Avoid buying souvenirs in the garden. They are overpriced. You can get the same ones in Damrak, in the city centre of Amsterdam.
Plan some time to visit the tulip farms in the neighbourhood. You can park your car at Keukenhof, walk to the neighbouring farms, and visit them. They offer plenty of photo opportunities and are a treat for the eyes.

After spending about half a day at Keukenhof, we headed to Amsterdam City Centre. We parked our car at IJ Dock Parking, had lunch at a Japanese restaurant in the central railway station, and walked to Anne Frank’s house, a 20-minute walk from the station.

Anne Frank’s House is the house where Anne Frank lived during the 2nd world War. Today, it is a museum dedicated to her life. During the 2nd world War, when the Netherlands was occupied by Germany, Anne Frank hid here with her family in the rear building of this house. This place was called the Secret Annexe. Here, she lived for years and wrote about her experiences. But they were explosed and the Nazis found them and moved the family to the concentration camp in Auschwitz. No one other than her father survived and went on to get her daughter’s diary published. The museum preserves the secret hiding place and has a permanent exhibition on the life and times of Anne Frank.

My Tip for a visit to the Anne Frank Museum:

Book your tickets well in advance. They sell out quickly. You can book your tickets here.

If you still haven’t got the tickets, the next best alternative is to book a Life of Anne Frank and World War II Walking Tour. This two-hour tour with a local guide helps you understand more about the Netherlands during the Second World War.

We visited the Anne Frank Museum and explored the Jordaan neighbourhood. It is close to the Anne Frank house and home to many art galleries, particularly for modern art. The area is also dotted with speciality shops and restaurants. It is said that Rembrandt also spent the last years of his life here. Today, this place is a lovely neighbourhood with beautiful canals, cafes and restaurants.

After this, we called it a day and headed to our apartment.

Day 3: Day trip to Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken.

On this day, we made a day trip to Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken.

We started from Wognum (where we stayed) and drove to Zaanse Schans. We covered a distance of about 32 km in 30 minutes. Note: Zaanse Schans is just 20 km from Amsterdam. You can also use public transport from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans. Find all the information here.

Zaanse Schans is a neighbourhood in the town of Zaandam, near Amsterdam. It is characterised by historic windmills and distinctive green wooden houses, which were relocated here in 1961 to recreate the look of an 18th—or 19th-century village.

Access is free throughout the year. You can walk the long path past various old windmills, which were used for various purposes, take pictures, etc. However, if you wish to visit the museums, you must buy a ticket. You can check out the tickets here.

The place houses museums, mills, workshops where people can practise traditional crafts, shops, and restaurants.. You can easily spend 2-3 hours in this place.

Since the parking was full at the Zaans Museum (the closest you can get ), we parked our car about 1.5 km from the neighbourhood and reached Zaanse Schans on foot.

Note: the parking at Zaans Museum costs € 15 per visit for cars, but the place where we parked was free of cost.

We explored the place on foot and, in the end, stopped at the cafe at the Zaans Museum. We spent about three hours in Zaanse Schans and loved the experience.

You can learn more about Zaanse Schans here.

Our next destination for the day was Volendam.

Volendam is a tourist town on Markermeer Lake, known for its streets, colourful wooden houses, old fishing boats, and traditional clothing worn by some residents. Its harbour is lined with cafes and restaurants, and it is a lively and wonderful place offering a true seaside experience. This town is 22km east of Zaanse Schans and about 20km northeast of Amsterdam.

We parked our car at the entrance of the town and explored it on foot.

At this place, we could park the car free of cost, with the parking disc, for about 1.5 hours.

If you wish to spend more time in Volendam, you can consider parking here.

The town has lovely houses, narrow streets, and many bridges over several canals that crisscross it. We walked to the harbour and had lunch at one of the restaurants. My review of the restaurant is posted here.

After a relaxed lunch, we explored the harbour area and walked through the streets, checking out local cheese shops, souvenir shops, etc.

After spending about 3 hours in Volendam, we headed to our last stop for the day, Marken.

Marken is a small peninsula on the Markermeer and is connected to the mainland by a causeway. It is about 21 km from Volendam. Its characteristic wooden houses are a tourist attraction.

We reached Marken in about 30 minutes from Volendam, parked our car at the parking lot right at the entrance of the village, and explored it on foot.

Note: You can also reach Marken from Volendam by boat. It takes about 30 minutes.

You can find a map at the entrance of the village that helps you navigate the village and see all the places of importance.

At Marken, you can visit the museum, the harbour area, the village church, and a memorial to the victims of the Second World War.

We spent about one hour in Marken. Although we liked Marken village, we found the drive on the causeway even more spectacular. The road is surrounded by the sea on both sides, and it is fantastic and must be experienced.

After this, we called it a day and headed to our apartment.

Suppose you are in the Netherlands by car. In that case, you can follow the itinerary we followed. Alternatively, you can book a Zaanse Schans, Volendam, and Marken Day Trip from Amsterdam, in which your travel to all the places will be included.

Day 4: Day Trip To Giethoorn

On this day, we made a day trip to Giethoorn.

Giethoorn is a small car-free village, about 120 km northeast of Amsterdam. It takes about 1.5 hours to reach there by car. It’s known for its boat-filled waterways, footpaths, bicycle trails and centuries-old thatched-roof houses.

From Wognum (where we stayed), Giethoorn is a little over 100 km.

After a relaxed breakfast, we left our apartment around 10 a.m. Since we visited in spring, we saw many lovely tulip fields on the way. We parked our car on the side of the road, walked to the tulip fields, and clicked lovely pictures.

Since we stopped several times, it was already afternoon by the time we reached Giethoorn. After parking our car (it was quite difficult to find a spot since many tourists had already arrived), we headed to the place where the waterways leading to the village start.

There were plenty of shops renting out boats and offering boat tours. We took one of the Whisper Boats and explored the village independently. The canals wind through the town. On the way, you can see the lovely houses, many cafes and restaurants and even get into the lake for a calmer atmosphere.

We rented the boat for about 2 hours and explored the town. Then, after returning the boat, we stopped by for lunch. My review of the restaurant we visited is posted here.

After a late lunch, we explored the town on foot, took pictures, etc.

Around 6 pm, we left Giethoorn for our apartment.

The main activities in Giethoorn are a boat ride on the canal and lake, exploring local landmarks like churches, museums, etc, checking out the lovely houses and a meal at any of the many restaurants and cafes.

Some tips for your visit to Giethoorn:

Try to arrive early to avoid crowds. We reached late and had a tough time finding parking, then getting a boat on rent and even got stuck in a jam in the canal. As the day progresses, the number of tourists increases multifold.
If you visit during the peak tourist season (spring and summer), you can even consider booking a boat in advance to avoid waiting.
If you arrive late and the crowd has already increased, consider exploring the town on foot instead of taking the boat. Jam on the canal is not fun!

Day 5: 5D Flying Experience in This is Holland and Visit to Museumplein

On this day, we made one final visit to Amsterdam. We checked out of the apartment and started our day by visiting This is Holland.

This is Holland is a 5D flying experience in Amsterdam. The show starts with an introduction to the Netherlands, what makes it special, its culture, its waterways, how they built the country, etc., which is followed by a remarkable flight experience that takes you through all the important places in Amsterdam and around.

We parked our car outside the building and bought the tickets at the counter. You even book the tickets online on their website.

Note: Parking at This is Holland is quite expensive. One alternative is to park near the central station and take a free shuttle ferry from there to Buiksloterweg (line F3). This ferry runs 24/7 from Amsterdam Central Station to the north shore of the river IJ. Journey time is three minutes. After disembarking, it’s a two-minute walk to THIS IS HOLLAND.

We did this flight experience with our teenage boys and totally enjoyed it.

After that, we headed to Museumplein.

Museumplein is the largest square in Amsterdam. It houses some of the most popular museums, such as the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum, and Moco Museum. It is a lively place and the venue for fests, demos, etc.