The Netherlands is a small, flat country in northwest Europe. It is known for tulip season, wooden shoes, cheese, crooked houses, canals and windmills.
Most people visit Amsterdam when coming to the Netherlands, which is a fantastic city to visit. There are so many other destinations in the Netherlands to explore as well.
My family and I visited the Netherlands in 2022 for the first time. Our friends moved to Utrecht, a large city about 30 minutes from Amsterdam. We had a blast on our first trip to the Netherlands. We discovered the tulip fields around Lisse, floated the canals, biked like locals and ate delicious stroopwafels for the first time.
The very next year, we were traveling full-time and deciding where we wanted to move. We knew that we wanted to be based in Europe, but that was all we knew.
During our Netherlands trip in 2023, we went to the smaller city of Groningen because Mike’s ancestors were from there. We instantly loved this city so much. It was the perfect size, beautiful, safe, clean and family friendly. It checked a lot of boxes.
After much consideration, we chose Groningen as our home base. We told ourselves that we would try it for a year, and after almost 3 years we are still here.
While living in the Netherlands, we have traveled around this little country and found many more beautiful spots to visit. I will continue to upgrade this page with new and exciting places to travel to in the Netherlands.
Personalized Itinerary and Travel Services To The Netherlands
Do you have the desire to travel internationally, but haven’t done it yet? I understand it can be scary and overwhelming.
If you want help planning a stress-free Netherlands trip, I can help!
As a Netherlands expert, I will listen to your interests, travel style, and your concerns and build out a personalized travel toolkit that you can use on your first international trip. I also offer support on your trip, so that you can ask questions as you go along!
Learn more about how I can help you take your first international trip to the Netherlands worry free! Read more here-> Customized Travel Toolkit To The Netherlands
When To Visit The Netherlands
The Netherlands is a small country, so the climate is about the same throughout the whole country. Our friends that live near Amsterdam have slightly warmer weather than us in the North, but it is usually only a few degrees difference. The climate is fairly temperate even though it is more inline with Canada. The North Sea keeps the temperatures from swinging too high or too cold.
Peak Season
There are two peak seasons in the Netherlands. For 8 weeks, from late March to early May, the countryside explodes with color when the tulip fields start blooming. For these 8 weeks millions of tourists come to the Netherlands.
Spring is a beautiful time to visit and the weather is usually sunny and warm-ish. Even though it is high season, tulip season is one of my favorite times to be in the Netherlands. There is nothing like seeing the tulip fields in bloom. Want to get away from those other million tourists? No problem. There’s ways to get away from the crowds. I have post for that! 😉
The other peak season is during the summer, July and August, when the temperatures are at their highest and most pleasant.
Off Season
Winter is the off-season when you will find grey skies, rainy weather and lower costs. If you are okay fighting the rain and cool temperatures, you can enjoy lower crowds, especially in Amsterdam, and lower prices.
The weather starts to turn colder and rainier in October and doesn’t start getting better until March.
Shoulder Season
When can you get the best weather with lower crowds and best prices? The shoulder season. And in the Netherlands, you will find this travel season May to June and also again in September.
If you want more details about when to visit the Netherlands, check out this post: Best And Worst Times To Visit The Netherlands
Plan Your Trip To The Netherlands
If you want help planning your trip to the Netherlands from an expert on this country, I’m happy to create a customized travel plan for you. However, if you want to plan it all on your own, that’s great too.
Below you will find all of my free resources for planning a trip to the Netherlands. I will be adding more and more to this list, so check back if you don’t see what you are looking for. Or better yet, send me a message!
The Netherlands
- Best And Worst Times To Visit The Netherlands
- 5 Undiscovered Tulip Fields In The Netherlands That Are Beyond Beautiful
- 8 Cute Small Towns In The Netherlands Worth Visiting
- It’s Tulip Time: What You Need To Know To Visit Keukenhof Gardens In 2026
Groningen
- A Local’s Guide To The 12 Best Things To Do In Groningen
- 17 Groningen Restaurants For Those Who Love Food
- 11 Magical Ways To Celebrate Christmas In Groningen
Where To Go In The Netherlands
So everyone knows about Amsterdam, but do you know which other amazing destinations in the Netherlands you can visit? I used to be the same as you. I knew only Amsterdam. After living here for almost three years, I now realize there are so many other beautiful places to discover.
Below I have marked on a map some of the best places to visit in the Netherlands and have included a few hidden gems as well. I have been to many of the Netherlands destinations, but not all of them. This summer we are staying and exploring even more of this tiny country. I can’t wait to share even more with you.
Besides Amsterdam, some big cities that you may have heard of visiting in the Netherlands are The Hague, Rotterdam, and Utrecht. All of these cities are pretty close to each other. Another city that is worth visiting is Groningen. We are biased since we live here, but we think it is one of the best cities in the Netherlands! Maastricht is another one of those cities that people love, although I sadly haven’t visited yet.
If cities aren’t your thing or you want to break them up with some smaller towns, there are quite a few cute areas in the Netherlands to visit. The most popular small towns are Zaandam and Zaanse Schans to see the windmills, Volendam and Marken for touristy shops filled with wooden shoes and tulips and cute green traditional buildings.
Giethoorn’s quaint canals fill quickly in the spring and summer months but are beautiful to explore. Haarlem and Leiden are mid-sized cities near Amsterdam that are considered mini, less-busy alternatives to Amsterdam. Delft is known for its pottery and Gouda for its cheese. Let’s not forget the world famous Keukenhof Gardens.
The map includes other lesser-known towns too like Amersfoort (another one of my favorite places) and Bourtange. For beaches and islands, the Wadden Islands and the province of Zeeland are ones to consider.
Most Recent Netherlands Blog Posts
Below are our most recently published blog posts to the Netherlands.
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17 Groningen Restaurants For Those Who Love Food My husband and I love food. Actually my youngest too. […] -
A Local's Guide To The 12 Best Things To Do In Groningen We visited Groningen for the first time in 2023 and […] -
Best And Worst Times To Visit The Netherlands We first landed in the Netherlands in the spring of […] -
5 Undiscovered Tulip Fields In The Netherlands That Are Beyond Beautiful Let’s talk about tulip fields in the Netherlands. There are […] -
It's Tulip Time: What You Need To Know To Visit Keukenhof Gardens In 2026 It's tulip time in the Netherlands. My favorite time of […] -
8 Beautiful And Less Crowded European Summer Destinations For Families Are you dreaming of a European summer trip but dreading […] -
8 Cute Small Towns In The Netherlands Worth Visiting Many people that visit the Netherlands rarely wander outside of […] -
11 Magical Ways To Celebrate Christmas In Groningen I love Christmas. The twinkly lights. The joyful traditions. The […]