Are you coming to The Netherlands in summer and wondering what to do in our small, but wonderful, country? Seriously, there is so much to do in The Netherlands over summer, you better book your tickets and hotel soon. The weather is often quite good, pretty warm, and the country is nice and relaxed this time of year. Check out my 15 favourite things to do in The Netherlands in summer.
Plan your trip to The Netherlands
- Find cheap flights to Amsterdam from your destination.
- If you’re travelling from Germany, Belgium, France or the UK catching the train to Amsterdam may prove to be more efficient and cheaper than flying.
- Book your hotel in The Netherlands in time, as prices tend to go up quickly once summer approaches.
- If you need more space or if you’re travelling with a family, you might like to opt for a holiday home, such as Center Parcs in The Netherlands, Landal or Roompot.
- Read more on how to plan your trip to The Netherlands.
15 top things to do in The Netherlands in summer
Content of this article
- Beaches in The Netherlands
- Rent a beach house in The Netherlands
- Take surfing lessons in The Netherlands
- Visit the Wadden Islands
- Take a bike trip
- Watersports in the city
- Visit Muiden & Muiderslot
- Explore the Zeeland province
- Delta Park Neeltje Jans
- Seal safari in The Netherlands
- Wine tasting in The Netherlands
- Visit the Dutch villages near Amsterdam
- Discover the windmills of Kinderdijk
- ‘Venice of the North’: a trip to Giethoorn
- Day trip to one of the Dutch theme parks
Beaches in The Netherlands
Even though The Netherlands isn’t the most typical beach destination, the country has really lovely beaches nervertheless. If you spend summer in The Netherlands you will soon find that a day (or two) at the beach should really be included into your plans. The beaches in Zeeland are really popular, but if you’d like to stay closer to the cities, you mights want to visit The Hague Beach (Scheveningen) or Amsterdam Beach (Zandvoort). Quieter beaches can be found on the Wadden Island, such as Texel or Ameland.
Read more: fun beaches in The Netherlands
Rent a beach house in The Netherlands
There is only one thing that’s better than spending a day at the beach and that’s spending a couple of days at the beach, for example in one of the beach houses in The Netherlands. Over the last couple of years more and more small groups of beach houses were buit along the Dutch coast where you are allowed to spend the night. Some of my favourites are Beach resort Nieuwvliet-Bad, Beach houses in Julianadorp, Strandhuisjes Wijk aan Zee and Roompot Bloemendaal aan Zee.
Take surfing lessons in The Netherlands
If you like the beach, but if you’re more on an active person, summer in The Netherlands is the perfect time to take surfing lessons. Especially around Scheveningen (The Hague Beach) you’ll find a lot of surf schools offering lessons and courses. If you’re travelling with the whole family, you may like to book surfing lessons for children.
Visit the Wadden Islands
Nature in The Netherlands can be utterly breath taking and this is certainly the case when visiting the Wadden Islands, in the north of the country. The five Wadden Islands are Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog and all of them are stunning in their very own way. The largest of the Wadden Island is Texel, which can be reached from Amsterdam via the harbour of Den Helder, and has lovely wildlife reserves, quaint villages and wide sandy beaches. The other alluring islands can be reached by ferry from Harlingen or Holwerd.
Read more about the Wadden Islands on Your Dutch Guide
Take a bike trip
Spend summer in The Netherlands as a true Dutch person and explore the Dutch countryside by bike. Whether you’d like to cycle around Amsterdam or one of the other Dutch cities or would like to see some proper Dutch countryside, the bicylcle is the perfect means of transport.
Join these fun bike tours
Watersports in the city
Not only Amsterdam, but many Dutch cities, such as Utrecht, Rotterdam, Zwolle and Leiden are famous for their canals. And that means that even on warm days you can simply coll off by taking a boat trip, join a kayak tour or rent a standup paddle. Something you simply moust try in summer in The Netherlands.
Fun water activities in The Netherlands
Visit Muiden & Muiderslot
If you’re into beautiful castles, you better head to Muiden. This little town is only a stone’s throw away from Amsterdam and an often overlooked day trip from the Dutch capital. From Muiden village you can take aboat trip to fortress island Papmpus, but the real highlight of the village is Muiderslot, a stunning historical castle with equally beautiful castle gardens.
Explore the Zeeland province
The province of Zeeland is, without a doubt, the best place to spend your summer holidays. With lovely beaches around every corner, fun cities and bueatiful quaint villages. Spend a day at the beach, eat oysters in ‘oyster capital of The Netherlands’ Yerseke, take a tour through The Netherlands most beautiful city hall in Middelburg or spot some excellent street art in Goes. You won’t get bored.
Plan your summer trip to Zeeland
- Stay at Beach Resort Nieuwvliet Bad, Center Parcs Port Zélande or Hotel Katoen.
- Don’t forget to explore Middelburg and Zierikzee.
- Top things to do in Zeeland.
Delta Park Neeltje Jans
When you visit the province of Zeeland a visit to Delta Park Neeltje Jans is more or less mandatory. Here you will learm everything about the iconic Delta Works that were built after the devastating floods of 1953. But Neeltje Jans also hosts a large sea aquarium and theme park, so there’s really something there for all age groups.
Seal safari in The Netherlands
Joining a seal safari is one of the top things to do when you visit the Dutch visit of Zeeland. You will join a small group on a boat and will be able to observe the seals in their natural habitat of Westerschelde. They’ll be sunning themselves on the sand banks or you’ll be able to see them swim close to the boat. A top expettience.
Wine tasting in The Netherlands
Somethin you really have to try when you’re visiting The Netherlands is summer is go for a wine tasting in the province of Zeeland. Wijnhoeve De Kleine Schorre is one of the best vineyards in The Netherlands and produces award winning white wines. You’ll be able to go on a guided tour along the vineyard or simply taste some of their amazing wines. I especially recommend the Rivaner.
Visit the Dutch villages near Amsterdam
if you’re spending the summer in Amsterdam, you may want to escape the warm city and visit some of the beautiful Dutch villages near Amsterdam. Typical Dutch villages, such as Volendam, Edam and Marken are just around the corner and the windmills of Zaanse Schans are also less than half an hour away from the city centre of Amsterdam.
Visit Dutch villages near Amsterdam
Discover the windmills of Kinderdijk
One of te loveliest sights in The Netherlands is UNESCO heritage site Kinderdijk. The 19 historical windmills of Kinderdijk are a site to behold and summer is the perfect time for a visit. Take a boat tour to take the UNESCO site in from the water or walk of bike along the waterfront.
Plan your trip to Kinderdijk
- Take the train to Rotterdam
- From Rotterdam, take the waterbus to Kinderdijk.
- Buy your ticket to Kinderdijk in advance, as it will be busy in summer.
‘Venice of the North’: a trip to Giethoorn
The town of Giethoorn in the Dutch province of Overijssel is one of the most remarkable towns in The Netherlands. Giethoorn is known for its bridges, waterways and punts. It has been said that Giethoorn is a place without roads, and even though this is technically not true, large parts of the town are connected by canals and small footpats. A boat tour is therefore the best way to discover Giethoorn. Do book your day trip from Amsterdam to Giethoorn in advance as it’s a popular destination in summer.
Day trip to one of the Dutch theme parks
There is no time like summer in The Netherlands to visit one of the many theme parks in the country. Most popular is, without a doubt, Anton Pieck designed Efteling in the south of the Netherlands, where you may as wel spend the night as one day could prove to be too short for a visit. Another great theme park is Walibi Flevo. If you’re travelling with smaller kids, I recommend Madurodam, Sea Life, Themapark Linnaeushof or Avonturenboerderij Molenwaard.
Summer in The Netherlands
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16 Comments
Paul
July 28, 2018 at 9:32 amIt looks like Amsterdam overshadows some of the other great things to do in the Netherlands. Great article with lots of stuff I’d love to try next time I’m in the country. Congrats on bubs too!
Emese
July 28, 2018 at 10:30 amGorgeous country! I’d love to visit those small Dutch villages, among other things… Thank you for the tour and tips. And congratulations 🙂 Babies are so precious.
Anisa
July 28, 2018 at 11:09 amThe summer is my favorite time of year for sure! I would love to go back to the Netherlands in the summer, I have not been to the beaches there.
Jessica
July 28, 2018 at 1:47 pmFirst congrats on the new baby! There seems to be a lot to do in the Netherlands – the seals, beaches, and islands sound like great things to do this time of year.
Jessica
July 29, 2018 at 3:41 pmCongratulations on your baby boy! 🙂 And fantastic information as always, I love your photos, and I’m dying to come visit these places!
Anda
July 30, 2018 at 12:49 amWhat a great event, Esther! Congratulations! Your little boy is going to change your life quite a bit, but it’s going to be for the better. You live in such a beautiful country and there is indeed so much to see and do there. I can only hope to explore these beautiful beaches someday.
Sara
July 30, 2018 at 2:32 amCongrats on your little one!! I love the look of the beach huts in the Netherlands. I’ve never noticed them anywhere else but they seem like a relaxing way to enjoy the seaside!
Goblinette
July 30, 2018 at 2:30 pmBabies are awesome. We are expecting one next week. Hope he likes to travel 🙂 We visited Haarlem beaches once and were told a few times Zeeland is beautiful and we have to visit someday. Right now I wish I was there …. weather looks a bit more pleasant for pregnant ladies than my local options.
Esther
July 31, 2018 at 8:23 amCongrats on your baby! Enjoy! The first few weeks just woooooosh by! Yes, the Zeeland coast is particularly pretty as well. I grew up nearby and have the fondest memories of the Zeeland coast.
Erin
July 30, 2018 at 3:42 pmEsther, I love this list of how to experience the Netherlands in summer! I’ve visited the country a couple times in my life — though only once in summer. Both trips were spent primarily in Amsterdam. I was only 14 at the time of my first visit, so I’m not entirely sure where we went biking. Perhaps it was Amsterdam Noord because that scenery looks familiar. It was definitely fun and an activity I would love to do again. My mom has been researching our Dutch ancestry, so during a future visit, I would love to take my mom to explore some of the other towns you mentioned. The Dutch villages in particular seem picturesque and charming. And, congratulations on the birth of your future globetrotter!
Lolo
July 30, 2018 at 6:00 pmCongrats oh your baby! Love all of these things to do in the Netherlands during summer! It’s been nice to read all of your individual posts about these locations, but it’s nice to see them all in one! Hope to experience a Dutch summer one day!
Sarah
August 2, 2018 at 4:27 pmFirst of all, congrats on your wee globetrotter!! How exciting! Hopefully you get to take him on some of these Dutch adventures soon. This is a great list. It was winter and rainy when I was in Amsterdam! I would love to come back and do the seals, or stay in a beach hut. Or both!
Rob+Ann
August 3, 2018 at 9:11 pmCongratulations, Esther! Little boys are the best, although I may be a little biased. 😉 Great post, too. We definitely want to explore more of Netherlands, but hadn’t thought about a summer trip. Lots to do, you’re right – and it looks really inviting. 🙂
Rhonda Albom
August 3, 2018 at 11:18 pmI would have liked to spend more time in the Netherlands but my cruise stop was cut short and my time in Europe too rushed. Muiden looks quite picturesque and I’m fascinated by Neeltje Jans and its technology. After seeing Dutch beaches in your separate post, I would love to visit in the summer.
Agness
August 5, 2018 at 2:33 pmI’ve spent one month this summer in Amsterdam and I completely loved it, Esther. There is no better time to be in the Netherlands than in summer. Congrats on your baby!
Lydia
August 15, 2018 at 11:57 amYou’re so lucky for having a sweet little angel! Congrats! Thanks for introducing the Netherlands as an awesome summer destination which I would never think it can be! 🙂