Short answer: with 7 days, spend three nights in Amsterdam, one in Delft for The Hague and the coast, and two in Rotterdam with the Kinderdijk windmills, flying home from Schiphol, about 25 minutes away by fast train. With 10 days, add two nights in Maastricht in the hilly south. With 14 days, see the whole country: Amsterdam and Haarlem, the car-free village of Giethoorn, Utrecht, The Hague, Rotterdam, the Zeeland coast and Maastricht. Distances are short, trains run often, and you never need a car.
This guide turns the sample trips on our Netherlands travel guide into day-by-day plans, with travel times between stops and the best area to sleep each night. Mid-April to early May (tulips and King’s Day) and June to September are the best times; September is the sweet spot, with settled weather and fewer crowds than July and August. Our best time to visit the Netherlands guide goes month by month, and our top 10 places to visit in the Netherlands explains each stop. For a plan built around your dates and interests, use our AI trip planner. Everything here was checked as of October 2026.
The three routes at a glance
| Route | Days | Stops | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam and the Randstad cities | 7 | Amsterdam (3 nights), Delft (1 night), Rotterdam (2 nights) | First trip, museums, canals and windmills |
| The Randstad and Maastricht | 10 | Amsterdam (3), Delft (2), Rotterdam (2), Maastricht (2) | Cities plus the hilly, food-loving south |
| The whole country | 14 | Amsterdam (4), Giethoorn (1), Utrecht (1), Delft (2), Rotterdam (2), Middelburg (1), Maastricht (2) | Villages, coast and cities, all by train and bike |
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the main gateway, with a train station under the terminal. Eurostar and international trains also reach Amsterdam and Rotterdam from Brussels, Paris and London, and Maastricht is close to Belgium and Germany, so you can end a trip there and continue by train.
Travel times between the main stops
These are the legs used in the plans below. NS (Dutch Railways) runs most trains, often every 10 to 30 minutes on the main lines, so you rarely need to book; tap in and out with a contactless bank card or phone (OVpay). The fast Intercity Direct between Amsterdam, Schiphol and Rotterdam needs a small supplement between Schiphol and Rotterdam. Times not from an operator or tourist board are approximate.
| Leg | How | Time | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schiphol – Amsterdam Centraal | Train | about 15 min (approximate) | General reference |
| Amsterdam – Rotterdam | Intercity Direct | about 40 min | Rotterdam tourist board |
| Schiphol – Rotterdam | Intercity Direct | about 25 min | Rotterdam tourist board |
| Amsterdam – The Hague (Den Haag Centraal) | Intercity | about 50 min (approximate) | Booking sites |
| The Hague – Delft – Rotterdam | Intercity or tram | about 10–15 min each (approximate) | General reference |
| Amsterdam – Utrecht | Intercity | under 30 min (approximate) | General reference |
| Amsterdam – Haarlem | Train | about 15 min (approximate) | General reference |
| Rotterdam – Kinderdijk | WaterShuttle (Fri–Sun) or bus 489 from Kralingse Zoom | under 30 min by boat; about 35 min by bus | Kinderdijk |
| Amsterdam – Steenwijk (for Giethoorn) | Train, then bus 70 (about 11–15 min) | about 1 h 30 to Steenwijk (approximate) | Booking sites |
| Rotterdam – Middelburg (Zeeland) | Intercity | about 1 h 30 (approximate) | General reference |
| Amsterdam – Maastricht | Intercity, direct | about 2 h 20–2 h 30 (approximate) | Booking sites |
Our Netherlands guide has the details of OVpay, fares and cycling. Bikes are the other half of Dutch transport: most cities have bike rental at or near the station.
7 days: Amsterdam, Delft, The Hague and Rotterdam
The classic first week in the Randstad, the ring of cities in the west, all within an hour of each other. Fly into and out of Schiphol.
- Day 1, Amsterdam: Train from Schiphol to Centraal. Walk the canal ring and the Jordaan, then an evening canal cruise. Sleep: the canal ring or the Jordaan (3 nights).
- Day 2, the museums: The Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum on Museumplein; both need a timed ticket booked online, and under-18s go free. Picnic in the Vondelpark between them.
- Day 3, the Anne Frank House and a day trip: The Anne Frank House first thing (tickets are released online every Tuesday for six weeks later, with no door sales), then the windmills of Zaanse Schans or Haarlem’s old town and Frans Hals Museum by train. From mid-March to early May, go to Keukenhof and the bulb fields instead (open 18 March to 9 May in 2027).
- Day 4, to The Hague and Delft: Train to The Hague (about 50 minutes) for the Mauritshuis and Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring”, the Binnenhof square and an afternoon on the beach at Scheveningen. Tram or train on to Delft. Sleep: Delft’s old town (1 night).
- Day 5, Delft and on to Rotterdam: Morning in Delft: the market square, the New Church tower and a Delftware workshop. Then 15 minutes on to Rotterdam: the Markthal, the Cube Houses and a harbor boat. Sleep: Rotterdam center or Kop van Zuid (2 nights).
- Day 6, Kinderdijk: The WaterShuttle from Rotterdam (under 30 minutes, Friday to Sunday) or bus 489 to the 19 windmills of Kinderdijk, a UNESCO site; the ticket includes the museum mills and a boat tour. Evening at the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen or on the Erasmus Bridge.
- Day 7, home: Intercity Direct to Schiphol (about 25 minutes).
Swap it: art lovers can trade Rotterdam’s second night for Utrecht, with its sunken wharf-side canals and the Dom Tower. More detail is in our Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam guides.
10 days: the Randstad and Maastricht
The 7-day route at a slower pace, then south to Maastricht, a city of Roman walls, wine bars and hills that feels closer to Belgium than to Amsterdam. Fly into Schiphol and home from Schiphol, or continue by train to Belgium or Germany.
- Days 1–3, Amsterdam: As in the 7-day plan. Sleep: the canal ring or the Jordaan (3 nights).
- Day 4, The Hague: Train to The Hague: the Mauritshuis, the Peace Palace visitor center and the beach at Scheveningen. Sleep: Delft’s old town (2 nights).
- Day 5, Delft and Leiden: Delft in the morning, then Leiden’s canals, museums and its 16th-century botanical garden, the Hortus Botanicus.
- Day 6, to Rotterdam: Modern architecture, the Markthal and a harbor tour. Sleep: Rotterdam center (2 nights).
- Day 7, Kinderdijk: Windmills by WaterShuttle or bus, and an evening on the Witte de Withstraat.
- Day 8, to Maastricht: Train south (about 2 h 30, often with a change). Walk the Vrijthof square, the old city walls and the Bonnefanten museum by the river. Sleep: the city center around the Vrijthof (2 nights).
- Day 9, Maastricht: A guided tour of the North Caves under Sint Pietersberg (about 1 h 10, cool all year, bring a sweater), then the Dominicanen bookstore in a Gothic church and an evening in the Wyck district.
- Day 10, home: Direct Intercity to Schiphol (about 2 h 30), or a train onward to Liège or Aachen.
Swap it: beach lovers can trade Maastricht for Zeeland, with wide sandy beaches, Middelburg’s old town and the Delta Works storm barriers. Details: Maastricht.
14 days: the whole country
Amsterdam and Haarlem, the canal village of Giethoorn, Utrecht, the Randstad, Zeeland’s coast and Maastricht. It works best from May to September, when Giethoorn’s boats and Zeeland’s beaches are in full swing; in spring, add Keukenhof.
- Days 1–4, Amsterdam: The 7-day plan’s three days plus a fourth for Haarlem or Zaanse Schans, or a bike ride out to the polders and villages north of the IJ by free ferry. Sleep: the canal ring or the Jordaan (4 nights).
- Day 5, to Giethoorn: Train to Steenwijk (about 1 h 30, approximate) and bus 70 into the village. Rent an electric whisper boat or a canoe and explore the canals and thatched farmhouses. Sleep: Giethoorn (1 night).
- Day 6, to Utrecht: Early boat or walk before the day visitors arrive, then train to Utrecht. Climb the Dom Tower, then dinner on a wharf cellar terrace by the Oudegracht. Sleep: Utrecht center (1 night).
- Days 7–8, The Hague and Delft: The Mauritshuis, Scheveningen beach, Delft’s market square, and Leiden on the second day. Sleep: Delft (2 nights).
- Days 9–10, Rotterdam and Kinderdijk: Architecture, the harbor and the windmills. Sleep: Rotterdam center (2 nights).
- Day 11, to Zeeland: Train to Middelburg (about 1 h 30), a walled town of merchant houses, then a bike ride to the beach at Domburg or a trip to the Delta Works at Neeltje Jans (Deltapark open daily from late March to 1 November in 2026; dated tickets online). Sleep: Middelburg (1 night).
- Day 12, to Maastricht: A long train ride across the south with changes (about 3 hours, approximate). Evening on the Vrijthof. Sleep: the city center (2 nights).
- Day 13, Maastricht: The North Caves, the city walls and the Dominicanen bookstore, or a hike on the Sint Pietersberg.
- Day 14, home: Direct Intercity to Schiphol (about 2 h 30).
Swap it: want an island? Trade Zeeland for two nights on Texel, the largest of the Wadden Islands, reached by train to Den Helder and a short ferry, with dunes, seals and cycling. Details: Giethoorn and Zeeland.
Where to sleep, by stop
| Stop | Best area for a short stay | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | The canal ring, the Jordaan or near Museumplein | Walk to the museums and canals; trams to Centraal |
| Delft | The old town | Quiet, pretty and cheaper than The Hague, 10–15 minutes away |
| The Hague | The city center or Scheveningen | Museums in town, beach and promenade by the sea |
| Rotterdam | City center or Kop van Zuid | Markthal, harbor and Centraal station close by |
| Utrecht | Around the Oudegracht | Canals and wharf terraces, a short walk from the station |
| Giethoorn | The village or nearby Dwarsgracht | See the canals early and late, without the day crowds |
| Middelburg | The old town | Trains to the Randstad and buses or bikes to the beaches |
| Maastricht | The center around the Vrijthof, or Wyck | Old town, restaurants and the station all on foot |
Dutch cities add a tourist tax to hotel bills; Amsterdam’s is one of the highest in Europe. Details are on our Amsterdam guide.
Alternatives by interest
Tulip and garden lovers
Come between late March and early May. Base yourself in Haarlem or Leiden, close to the bulb fields between Haarlem and Leiden, and give Keukenhof a full morning; it is open from 18 March to 9 May 2027 and sells tickets online. Photograph the fields from the edges and never walk into them: they are private farmland. King’s Day on 27 April turns every town orange.
Cyclists
The Netherlands has thousands of kilometers of signposted bike paths. Rent a bike for the dune paths between The Hague and Leiden, the polders and dikes north of Amsterdam, Zeeland’s coast or the heath and forest of the Hoge Veluwe National Park near Arnhem. Most trains carry bikes outside rush hours with a bike ticket.
Beach lovers
Choose June to September. Scheveningen is the easy city beach; Zeeland’s Domburg and Cadzand have quieter, wider sands, and Texel has dunes and long beaches. The North Sea stays cool even in summer.
Food lovers
Eat your way through the markets: Rotterdam’s Markthal, The Hague’s huge Haagse Markt and Amsterdam’s Albert Cuyp. Try raw herring from a street stall, warm stroopwafels, bitterballen with a local beer, and an Indonesian rijsttafel, a legacy of Dutch trading history that is especially good in The Hague. Cheese lovers can time a day trip to Alkmaar’s traditional cheese market on the Waagplein, held on Friday mornings from spring to September (check the year’s dates before you go), or Gouda’s on summer Thursdays. In Maastricht, the food scene leans toward Belgium and France: try the local vlaai fruit tart and the wines grown on the nearby slopes.
Families
Keep to two bases, such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Children love Kinderdijk’s windmills, Madurodam’s miniature Netherlands in The Hague, Zaanse Schans and NEMO science museum in Amsterdam. The trains are frequent, so day trips are easy.
Tips for planning your route
- Match the season to the route. Mid-April to early May for tulips and King’s Day; June to September for long days, cycling and beaches; September for settled weather and fewer crowds. Winter is cheaper and cozy, with short, grey days.
- Book the big museums ahead. The Anne Frank House releases tickets online every Tuesday for six weeks ahead and has no door sales; the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum need a timed slot.
- Tap in, tap out. Use a contactless bank card or phone (OVpay) on trains, trams and buses, and remember to tap out, or you pay the maximum fare.
- Skip the car. Trains are faster than driving between cities, and parking in Amsterdam is very expensive. A car only helps on the islands or in rural Zeeland.
- Watch the bike lanes. Red asphalt paths are for bikes; look both ways before you step onto them.
- Pick a weekday for Giethoorn and Kinderdijk. Both are busiest on summer weekends; go early or late in the day.
Netherlands itinerary FAQ
Is 7 days enough for the Netherlands?
Yes. A week covers Amsterdam, The Hague, Delft, Rotterdam and Kinderdijk comfortably, because the cities are under an hour apart by train. With 10 days you can add Maastricht or Zeeland.
Should I stay in Amsterdam the whole time?
You can, with day trips by train, but you will see more and spend less by moving to Delft or Rotterdam for a few nights; hotels outside Amsterdam are usually cheaper.
How long is the train from Amsterdam to Rotterdam?
About 40 minutes on the Intercity Direct, and about 25 minutes from Schiphol, according to the Rotterdam tourist board. Slower Intercity trains via Leiden and The Hague take longer.
Do I need a car in the Netherlands?
No. Trains, trams and buses reach every stop in this guide, and bikes fill the gaps. A car only helps in rural Zeeland or on the islands.
Can I visit Giethoorn as a day trip from Amsterdam?
Yes, it is about two hours each way by train to Steenwijk and bus, but staying one night lets you see the canals early and late, when the day visitors have gone.
When should I go for the tulips?
From late March to early May, usually peaking in mid-April. Keukenhof is open from 18 March to 9 May in 2027.
Is two weeks enough for the Netherlands?
Two weeks is enough to see the whole country at an easy pace, including Giethoorn, Zeeland and Maastricht, or to add a few days in Belgium.
Sources
Researched and last reviewed by TravelerCenter on 8 October 2026. The Amsterdam and Schiphol to Rotterdam times come from the Rotterdam tourist board; Kinderdijk boats and buses, tickets and hours from Kinderdijk; Keukenhof’s 2027 dates from Keukenhof; museum booking rules from the Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum; Maastricht cave tours from the operator; Deltapark Neeltje Jans dates from the park; OVpay from NS; and seasons from our best-time guide, based on Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) data. Other train times are approximate, from booking sites and general reference. Timetables, fares and rules change, so check with the operator before you travel.
Data: Natural Earth (PUBLIC DOMAIN) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODBL) · Wikidata (CC0)