What to see in Holland in 4 days

Are you planning to visit Netherlands and don't know where to start? In this article we tell you the must-see places in one of its most famous regions, Netherlands. Although many people treat them as synonyms, the Netherlands is only a region consisting of 2 of the 12 provinces of the Netherlands. 

Join us in this guide to what to see in Holland in 4 days to get to know Amsterdam and its surroundings, as well as the essential of its gastronomy. We will visit the charming villages of Edam, Volendam and Marken we will tour the famous red-light district and we will visit other important cities such as Rotterdam and The Hague. 

A long weekend of 4 days is more than enough to know the Holland's must-sees If you have a week, you can take it easy and continue to see impressive sites or combine it with a visit to neighboring Belgium. 

The best time of the year to visit the Netherlands

The Netherlands, and the Netherlands in general, are characterized by a maritime climate quite rainy but not too cold. It is quite likely that you will get a few drops regardless of the time of the year, so do not forget your raincoats to not miss a minute of your visit.

For us, the best time to visit the Netherlands would be between the months of spring y summer You will have more hours of sunshine and less rain. In addition, if you go between the months of March and May you can take the opportunity to see the tulip fields. At this time you can find the flower par excellence of the region in all its splendor, it is not usually very cold and although it rains, it is worth it as long as you can contemplate an endless field full of tulips in Keukenhof for example, one of the most famous gardens.

If you go in autumn temperatures will be similar to those of spring, but you will find a landscape of brown and reddish shades beautiful. You can enjoy a walk along the canals or any of its parks without any problem but do not forget your coat and raincoat.

The winter would be another of the times we would choose to go if we could not go in spring, since from the end of November they begin to decorating the streets with small lights y Christmas decorations creating a magical environment in the cities. There are also often stalls street food and skating rinks on ice, impossible to get bored! Of course, temperatures are already much lower, so a complete winter outfit is a must: gloves, hat and scarf.  

Our recommendation is that you do not worry too much about the season if you do not fit the dates to go in spring-summer, as the country is breathtaking either way. Besides, whatever the season do not forget your raincoat Since the weather in the Netherlands is very changeable, you can go out in the morning with an impressive sunshine and get a little rain in the middle of the day.

Getting around the Netherlands

Before starting your trip and discovering all the secrets of Holland, here are some of the best ways to get to the Netherlands moving around in the Netherlands. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages, and will depend a little on the type of trip you want to make, but we summarize below our pros and cons:

• The Netherlands is a very flat country, so many cities can be easily covered by car bicycle. You will see that it is one of the most used means of transportation in the country, which is full of bike lanes. We were very impressed by the traffic on the bike lane in the mornings at rush hour, which far outnumbered the car traffic. We recommend rent a bike to visit some of the cities or villages from a different, Dutch perspective. Beware of short people, however, as bikes in Holland are sized according to the average height of the country (1.82cm for men!).
•  In the Netherlands there is a network of public transportation It is quite good and is the method of travel that we recommend if you do not want to drive and you are going to visit well-connected cities. The trains They connect the main cities with many frequencies, and are very comfortable and fast. You can check all the schedules and prices at the NS page. The price The public transport system in the Netherlands is a bit higher than in Spain, but it works very well. We also recommend you to take a look at the buses They are cheaper than trains and do not necessarily take much longer to cover the same route.
• Another very good option to move around the Netherlands is rent a car. This will give you total freedom in your trip but may be a bit more expensive than the public transport option (unless you are traveling in a group). We would choose this option only if you are going on a longer trip of at least one week, where you will visit more distant or worse connected places.

Day 1: What to visit in Amsterdam

On any trip to the Netherlands, a visit to the Netherlands is a must Amsterdam should be mandatory. It is a fairly large city but still you can walk around it without much problem. We recommend you to start the day with a free tour and then focus on visiting what you are most interested in what the guide tells you. Getting lost in the canals of Amsterdam seems to us to be the best option to get to know the city, walking through essential places such as the red-light district the Anne Frank's house or the Van Gogh Museum.

If you want detailed information about what to see in Amsterdam in one day you can visit our article. Here we leave you a small summary of the points that we consider essential in Amsterdam:

• Dam Square: Amsterdam's main square and nerve center of the city. It is home to the Royal Palace and the Dam National Monument.
• Amsterdam's red light district One of the most iconic places in the city. Do not miss the shop windows, especially at night. There are also free tours dedicated especially to this neighborhood if you are interested in its history. 
• Begijnhof The beaterio of Amsterdam, very curious because it is hidden and still inhabited. 
• Flower market Floating market with all kinds of flowers, seeds and gardening articles. Special mention to the tulips that are very Instagrammable. 
• Museums: Rijksmuseum (National Museum of Amsterdam) and Van Gogh Museum with a large collection of the Dutch painter's works.
• Anne Frank House Museum Museum dedicated to the story of Anne Frank, hidden from Nazi persecution with her family in the attic and attic of a house. Beware that tickets can only be purchased online. 
• Coffeeshops The Netherlands: undoubtedly another of the main attractions for tourists visiting the Netherlands. Visit our article if you want to know which ones we visited.
• Jordaan and the 9 streets If you still have time to spare, we recommend wandering around these neighborhoods, which are full of canals and stores.
• Heineken brewery: For beer lovers, they give you a tour that includes a tasting of two beers at the end. 

One option we recommend if it is not raining too much is to go around the city like a Dutchman, in bicycle. There are options of renting all day or renting bikes by the minute. We tell you the details here.

🍪 The best cookies in Amsterdam
On the free tour we were recommended a store that is a must for those with a sweet tooth. If you want to know where it is, visit our article about where to eat in Amsterdam. You won't regret the visit.

Day 2 : What to see in Edam, Volendam and Marken

On your route through Holland, we recommend that you save one of the days for one of the best excursions you can make from Amsterdam, a visit to the charming villages in the north: Edam, Volendam y Marken.  

This visit offers an immersion into Dutch culture, with cheese, mills and picturesque maritime views It is one of the places that we liked the most in our trip to Holland. These places are quite touristic, so in high season you will surely find them full of visitors. We leave here a summary of the must-see places, but if you want all the details of the route and the best transport options, visit our article about the best places to visit what to see in Edam, Volendam and Marken. 

Edam

The name Edam rings a bell, doesn't it? That rich ball cheese that we have all eaten at one time or another. Well, it comes from this small Dutch village that gives it its name. At Edam Edam ball cheese is the protagonist, and the village offers stores, a cheese museum and attractions linked to this iconic product. But that's not all it's famous for, the town is beautiful and features plenty of channels y typical houses Dutch. We recommend you to wander aimlessly through the village, you will fall in love with it!

Volendam

The next stop on the route is this picturesque fishing village located on the Lake Markermeer Volendam is characterized by its long promenade full of bars, stores where you can buy souvenirs or food, street stalls and surrounded by the typical traditional houses. We recommend, as in Edam, to let yourself wander aimlessly and enjoy the scenery. 

🥞 Poffertjes
This traditional Dutch sweet can be bought at various stalls along the promenade of Volendam. They are a kind of mini crepes accompanied by the topping of your choice. They are a MUST.

Marken

Marken has the peculiarity of being a typical Dutch village in the middle of the sea. The sea views are spectacular so here we recommend, in addition to strolling through the main streets as Westerstraat, visit the marina and fishing port.

Excursion to the villages of Edam, Volendam, Marken and Zaanse Schans

If you prefer a more organized option that includes some experience, we have been recommended the excursion of Edam, Volendam, Marken and Zaanse Schans. It is one of the most famous and, from our point of view, one of the most beautiful excursions you can do in Holland. It was recommended to us by some friends who live in Holland but when we went to book it, there were no more places left for the day we had planned to go so we had to organize it on our own. It is quite cost effective because it includes all the transports the visit to a clog factory and one of cheese and access to the wind turbines from Zaanse Schans You can hire her. here!

Day 3: What to see in Delft

We continue our route through Holland in this small university town in Holland, Delft. Only 1 hour by public transport from Amsterdam, Delft is a beautiful city full of channels and not too touristy so it is not as crowded as others nearby. We went there because a friend of ours lives there and we loved it, we totally recommend a visit if you want to see a place that is not as crowded as others nearby more local. We tell you the most worthwhile places to visit in Delft:

• Old Church (Oude Kerk). It is estimated that it was built in the eleventh century along the main canal of Delft. Its leaning tower (it was built on top of part of the canal) is one of the hallmarks of Delft. 
• New Church (Nieuwe Kerk). Church of the fourteenth century restored, with one of the highest bell towers in the Netherlands. It is located in the central square of Delft. 
• Market Square (Marktplein). One of the largest squares in Europe. Here you will find the town hall or the new church, and it is the perfect place to stop and have a drink. 
• City Hall (Stadhuis). Impressive Renaissance building that has been rebuilt several times over the years. It retains a Gothic tower that was once a prison. 
• Old channel (Oude Delft). It runs through the old town of Delft and crosses the city from north to south.
• East Gate (Ootspoort). This gate was the only one of the Delft gates that was saved in the fire that ravaged the city. It was formerly used as a watchtower. 
• Prinsenhof Museum. Located in a former convent of the fifteenth century.
• Roos Windmill. The only mill, of the 9 mills in Delft, still standing. Guided tours inside are organized. 
• Vermeer Center. It has life-size reproductions of the Flemish author's works. 
• Royal Delt Blue Ceramic Factory. One of the best things to do in Delft if the weather is really bad.

If you want to make this same route, in our article about the must-see places to visit in DelftHere you have a Google map so you can follow this route in a very easy way, go and see it!

Day 4: Visit Rotterdam and The Hague

The fourth day of your visit to the Netherlands can be used to visit other major cities in the Netherlands, such as Rotterdam y The Hague. Both cities are very well connected by public transportation, so you can visit both in the same day, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. 

Rotterdam

Rotterdam is a very industrial city and modern with huge business buildings and the second most populated city in the Netherlands. It was quite destroyed after World War II, so you will see that its style is quite different from other Belgian cities with more traditional architecture. In Rotterdam you won't find an old historical case, but some of the most important avant-garde buildings most impressive we have ever seen. It's a must-see city for lovers of the modern architecture.

Your port, Europoort The airport is one of the largest in Europe and is one of the main gateways to the European continent. An example of what we were telling you about modern architecture is the famous cube houses of Rotterdam, one of the main attractions of the city, people live inside and everything! You can't miss its impressive Markthal a residential building that has a market underneath (you will be amazed with its design!), or its famous bridges over the Meuse river, highlighting the Erasmusburg An impressive bridge of 800 meters that rises to let the ships pass. If you would like to have a detailed route with the most important points what to see in Rotterdam don't miss our article. 

The Hague

The Beech is an enormously important city in the Netherlands as it is where the country is governed and where the royalty lives. The city is home to the parliament the king's palace and the international court of justice of the united nations, where the International Tribunal of The Hague. It highlights its great cultural offer with a multitude of museums and historic buildings to visit. Some of the must-see for us are:

• Binnenhof. This collection of historic buildings houses the New Zealand Parliament, the Prime Minister's office and the Ministry of General Affairs. You can not miss the pond known as the Court Spring (Hofvijver) to take some great pictures, or the building Ridderzaal o Hall of the Knights, which looks like a church with its two towers and its gothic style.
• The King's Palace or Palace of Noordeinde.
• The Peace Palace which houses the International Court of Justice. It can only be visited with a guided tour, which can be of the interior or the exteriors and gardens. 
• Museums.  the  museum of the incredible artist from New York Escher; the museum Mauritshuis where you can find the famous Vermeer's painting "The Girl with the Pearl Earring". We visited the Escher museum and liked it very much, impressive his impossible drawings and imaginary worlds.
• Madurodam. This miniature park is one of the best things to do in The Hague with children. It contains a miniature recreation of some of the most emblematic places of the city.
• Scheveningen Beach. If you still have time to spare, you can go to this very long beach, which has a ferris wheel and a very lively promenade. 

As always, if you want more detail and a route planned in detail with a map of The Hague Please do not hesitate to visit our article.

If you want to read other articles ideal for your trip that complement What to see in Holland in 4 days you can visit our posts about Netherlands.