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Amsterdam is a notorious tourist hotspot. Every year, millions come to the city for its photogenic canals, world-class museums, and “coffee shops.
But like many other major European cities, it’s becoming oversaturated with tourists, so much so that it recently prompted residents to sue the city. The overtourism has spilt out to surrounding areas that are also popular tourist destinations. During the spring, the surrounding tulip fields are trampled by tourists. Zaanse Schans, a nearby village famed for its windmills, is introducing an entrance fee of €17.50 in 2026 to curb tourism.
The good news is there’s so much more to the Netherlands than Amsterdam. Here are a few other worthwhile Dutch travel destinations to add to your list.
Go to Utrecht for a more chilled alternative
Just a 20-minute train ride west from Amsterdam is the lovely Utrecht. The fourth largest city in the Netherlands, it has a sizeable student population. But there’s plenty for tourists to explore and appreciate. And with the largest train station in the country, it’s incredibly well-connected.
Like Amsterdam, Utrecht is filled with canals. However, many have two levels, and you can sit right next to the water on the Oudegracht.
The city is famous for the Dom Tower, the tallest church in the country, at 112 metres. Another often-visited attraction is the Nijntje Museum, devoted to the fictional rabbit Miffy.
Utrecht is also where the beloved fish doorbell is stationed. The camera, installed in one of the city’s locks, helps fish migration.
Hoge Veluwe National Park is a hidden slice of nature
The Hoge Veluwe National Park is a great place for a nature-based day trip. The park is a unique mix of heathlands, sand dunes, and woodlands. The entrance fee is €13.40 per person for adults (12+) and €6.70 for children. Once inside the park, you can use one of the free white bicycles, and explore 40 kilometres of biking paths.
The park also houses the Kröller-Müller Museum, which features an impressive collection of Van Gogh artwork, second only to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
It’s most accessible by car, but you can also take a bus from either the Ede or Apeldoorn train stations.
Rotterdam hides a fast food secret
The second-largest city in the Netherlands provides a very different experience from that of other cities.
As a port city, Rotterdam was heavily bombed during the Second World War. Much of the city had to be rebuilt, so its buildings are very innovative and modern. It has many skyscrapers and bridges that make for a distinct skyline.
Rotterdam’s attractions include the horseshoe-shaped food market Markthal, cube-shaped houses designed by architect Piet Blom, and the Erasmus Bridge, which overlooks the biggest and one of the busiest harbours in Europe.
The city is also where a unique Dutch fast food originated. Kapsalon, as it is called, is a smorgasbord of doner meat, fries, Gouda, lettuce, tomato, garlic sauce, and sambal hot sauce. It was invented in Rotterdam in 2003 by a Cape Verdean hairdresser (Kapsalon is Dutch for hairdressing salon).
Texel is great for a beach holiday
In the north of the Netherlands are a series of islands, and the largest of them all is Texel. Part of the Dutch Wadden Islands, Texel is an ideal spot for those looking to escape the big cities. It has a diverse landscape: beaches, dunes, and forests, and is described as a “bird watcher’s paradise”.
While the coast attracts many visitors during the summer, it’s open all year round. The island can be reached by ferry: boats leave from Den Helder multiple times a day, every day.
The Hague is more than just government
Den Haag is the de facto capital of the Netherlands. It’s the country’s administrative centre, seat of government, and also the site of the International Criminal Court.
But the city is also rich with museums, parks, and a coastline. You can find Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” on display at the Mauritshuis. And the Kunstmuseum and Escher museum are also great places to visit for art lovers.
The Hague’s 11 kilometres of beaches are great to visit during the summer, especially the Scheveningen pier. Scheveningen district also hosts “Vlaggetjesdag” day each summer: a festival devoted to the Dutch delicacy of herring.
Go to Maastricht for a taste of the south
If you fancy a trip to the other end of the Netherlands, you should pay a visit to Maastricht. Located in the Dutch province of Limburg – just a stone’s throw away from the Belgian border – Maastricht is known for its medieval-era architecture and vibrant student life.
One thing you’ll want to check out is the Boekhandel Dominicanen, a bookstore located inside a former church.
The city also comes alive for Carnaval: a three-day public street festival six weeks before Easter Sunday. The festival is mostly only celebrated in Dutch cities south of the river.
Haarlem and Leiden have an Amsterdam aesthetic without all the hustle
These cities are similar but underrated alternatives to the capital city. Both have classic Dutch buildings, canals, central market squares, and windmills. And while you can rent a bike in either city, both are quite walkable.
In Leiden, you can pay a visit to the Hortus Botanicus Leiden. It’s the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands, and also home to the smelly Amorphophallus gigas – which literally translates as ‘giant shapeless penis’.
Haarlem is the site of the first and oldest museum in the Netherlands, the Teylers Museum. It’s an art, science, and natural history museum all in one, and throughout the years has welcomed guests like Napoleon, Tsar Alexander, and Albert Einstein.
