18 day trips worth the trip across Netherlands, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Netherlands guides.
Gouda: Cheese Capital Day Trip ★ 4.8 · Rotterdam
Markt, 2801 JH Gouda
Gouda is 25 minutes by direct train from Rotterdam Centraal. The Thursday cheese market (Apr-Aug) and T Kaaswinkeltje cheese shop offer the best raw-milk.
Schiedam: Jenever Distillery Town ★ 4.7 · Rotterdam
Lange Haven 74-76, 3111 CH Schiedam
Schiedam, 12 minutes from Rotterdam, is the world capital of jenever with five surviving windmill distilleries, a dedicated jenever museum. Family-friendly.
Gouda ★ 4.7 · Utrecht
Gouda's Thursday cheese market on the Markt is a living tradition. Farmers sell gouda from young to aged; canal cafes and stroopwafel stalls complete the day.
Amstelveen (Aan de Poel) ★ 4.6 · Amsterdam
Amstelveen is the Amsterdam south-side day-trip municipality, the destination plate being Aan de Poel, Stefan van Sprang's two-Michelin-star room on De Poel.
Kinderdijk: Windmill Landscape with Regional Food ★ 4.6 · Rotterdam
Nederwaard 1, 2961 AS Kinderdijk
Kinderdijk's 19 UNESCO windmills are 30 minutes from Rotterdam by waterbus, surrounded by the dairy-farming polder landscape that produces Gouda and farm.
Rotterdam (Markthal) ★ 4.6 · Utrecht
Rotterdam's Markthal: 100 food stalls under an arched ceiling mural. The Fenix Food Factory in Katendrecht adds craft beer, cheese and Surinamese food.
Haarlem ★ 4.5 · Amsterdam
Haarlem is a 15-minute train ride from Amsterdam, a smaller, quieter Dutch food day-trip: Grote Markt on Saturdays, Jopenkerk brewery in the converted church.
Utrecht ★ 4.5 · Amsterdam
Utrecht is the Amsterdam day-trip Dutch second city, the Oudegracht wharf restaurants set below the canal's level, the Sunday market on Twijnstraat.
Delft: Historic Dutch Food Town ★ 4.5 · Rotterdam
Markt, 2611 GW Delft
Delft is 12 minutes from Rotterdam by intercity train with canal-side cafes, local craft beer, and artisan food shops in a UNESCO-quality historic centre.
The Hague: Indonesian Rijsttafel Capital ★ 4.5 · Rotterdam
Denneweg 22, 2514 CL Den Haag
The Hague is 20 minutes from Rotterdam and has the Netherlands' best Indonesian rijsttafel tradition, with deep restaurant variety rooted in the large.
Den Haag (The Hague) ★ 4.5 · Utrecht
Den Haag's Haagse Markt is the Netherlands' largest multicultural market. Indonesian, Turkish, Moroccan and Dutch stalls spread across the Witte de Withplein.
Dordrecht: Oldest Dutch City Food Trail ★ 4.4 · Rotterdam
Wijnstraat, 3311 BP Dordrecht
Dordrecht, the oldest city in Holland, is 20 minutes from Rotterdam and offers smoked Biesbosch eel, canal-side cafes on Wijnstraat. Booking recommended.
Amersfoort ★ 4.4 · Utrecht
Medieval city 18 minutes from Utrecht. Saturday market on the Hof sells Dutch cheese and street food; brown cafes around the Vrouwetoren pour Belgian beer.
Leiden ★ 4.4 · Utrecht
Leiden's hutspot tradition dates to the 1574 Spanish siege. Wednesday and Saturday markets on the Nieuwe Rijn sell Dutch haring, cheese and seasonal produce.
Delft ★ 4.4 · Utrecht
Delft's Thursday market sells Dutch cheese and herring beneath the Nieuwe Kerk. Canal eetcafes serve stamppot and mussels; craft beers at Van Kinsbergen.
Gouda (Cheese Town) ★ 4.3 · Amsterdam
Gouda is the Amsterdam day-trip cheese-trade town an hour by intercity, the Thursday morning cheese market on Markt square running April through August.
Kinderdijk ★ 4.3 · Utrecht
Kinderdijk's UNESCO windmill array is an hour from Utrecht by train and ferry. The visitor centre serves erwtensoep and cheese sandwiches in the polders.
Zaanse Schans (Windmills) ★ 4.2 · Amsterdam
Zaanse Schans is the working Amsterdam day-trip windmill village 20 minutes by train, the mills still grinding cocoa and mustard, cheese and clog.