These are some of the best travel tips and activities to do in The Netherlands during a weekend away! Most of these activities are cheap and some are even free. The activities vary from going on free exhibitions to going on a cute picnic date with your friends, and are a must to do when you are in The Netherlands!
Walking through the canal area of Amsterdam
The reason why you must see the canal area is that they are the symbol of the city of Amsterdam. The best way to see them is obviously by boat! You can rent a pedal boat, paddle or canoe, but you can also go in a canal boat with a guide who tells you about the history of the canals and Amsterdam itself!
Photo in Volendam traditional costume
This travel tip is for the ones who love the history or wants to get to know the history of the Netherlands! Taking a picture in a historical Volendam costume is the perfect way to really get to know the history and culture. This is a fun and cheap way to have a nice outing with your friends and get a beautiful picture taken! This costs 9,50 euros per person.
Kaas- en klompenboerderij Simonehoeve
Do you want to dive deep into the Dutch culture? Then a free tour of the cheese and clog farm Simonehoeve is a fun activity for you! You will go there for a tour, a demonstration, and a tasting. All this, including parking, is completely free.
Gratis rondleiding – Simonehoeve | Simonehoeve
Thrift shops and Flea markets
If you don’t have too much money to spend, thrifting is a great activity to do. In The Netherlands, there are a lot of pop up thrift shops and spots where you can get stuff for almost free! For example you have IJ-hallen. IJ-hallen is the largest flea market in Europe. The chances of success are very high when shopping here! It is a must for people who love cheap things. You also have Waterlooplein. Waterlooplein is the oldest flea market in The Netherlands. Waterlooplein is one of the nicest places located in the middle of Amsterdam. The only thing you need to do is check when they are open and where these places are located.
IJ-Hallen Tickets (ijhallen.nl)
Visiting the beaches in The Netherlands
There is nothing more fun and peaceful than taking a stroll on the beach. There are a lot of different beaches in The Netherlands where you can do a bunch of different activities, such as: surfing, watching the sunset/sunrise, searching for shells, organizing a picnic, and of course swimming! These are the kinds of travel tips that are amazing to do with your friends!
At the beach of Scheveningen, there is also a beautiful pier with a ferris wheel and a zipline.
Here are some examples of the beaches:
– Zandvoort
– Bloemendaal aan zee
– The beach of Scheveningen
Picnic in a park
Another one of the most fun travel tips is going on a picnic at the park. This is the perfect activity to do on a warmer day with friends! You can picnic in the nearest parks or in one of the bigger parks. What is a picnic without some food? You can get food from the supermarket, or if you want to spice the picnic up you and your friends can make your own cultural dishes. Some other activities that are really fun while you are picnicking are painting and drawing! You can find really cute and fun inspiration on TikTok!
Some popular parks in The Netherlands are:
– Vondelpark
– De Maasduinen National Park
– Haagse bos
High tea in a tea garden or organize your own high tea
What is a high tea without sweet and savory snacks, and of course the tea? This is one of the most fun travel tips to do with your best friends! Little scones, muffins, sandwiches, you name them! You can either organize a high tea yourself, or go to a tea garden. When you organize it yourself, don’t forget about the allergies that some people have! There are plenty of tea gardens where you can have high tea!
these are some examples of the cheaper ones:
- De Millinger Theetuin – Millingerwaard | Bijzonder Plekje
- De Hoestinkhof – Engels theehuis en B&B | Bijzonder Plekje
Free festivals
Free festivals are perfect outings for people who love a day of fun and of course music! The only thing you need to do is to find out when these festivals take place.
Some of the best known festivals are:
– Deventer op stelten (Overijssel)
– Free festival van Art of Dance in Almere (Flevoland)
– Gratis pop/rock festival Appelpop in Tiel (Gelderland)
Free tour of the Van Abbe Museum
Are you a fan of art? Then the free tour of the Van Abbe Museum is a great activity for you! There are mini tours on the days Tuesday to Saturday from 12:30 and 14:30, these take about 30 minutes. And there is a guided tour on Sunday from 12:00 pm, which is a more extensive tour.
Daily free tours (vanabbemuseum.nl)
Stroopwafel factory
Stroopwafels. Who doesn’t love them? A stroopwafel is a typical Dutch snack, and to know how it is made is a super fun and cool experience. After the tour everyone can enjoy a fresh made stroopwafel! These kinds of travel tips are the best, because you get to know how a delicious stroopwafel is made!
Tickets | Siroopwafel Experience Gouda (siroopwafelfabriek.nl)
Visit Keukenhof
Keukenhof is a beautiful flower park northwest of Lisse, in the province of South Holland. It is the second largest flower garden in the world! They organize shows, events, tours, and more. 7 million flower bulbs are planted inside the park every year. You can visit Keukenhof from March to May. This is one of the most beautiful and nice smelling travel tips. The tulips are super beautiful and magical looking!