The West Netherlands Road Trip: The Best of the Randstad

Your West Netherlands road trip begins in the capital city itself. Home to a treasure trove of museums, numerous antique stores, and over 800,000 bicycles, Amsterdam has a little something for everybody!

Get ready to pedal away on an outdoor adventure, brush up on the local culture, or shop till you drop down the city’s winding streets.

To soak up Amsterdam’s vibrant art scene, make a beeline for the neighbourhood of Jordaan where you’ll find streets lined with galleries showcasing local artwork. If you're more interested in food and drink, head to the Oude Pijp district and take the Heineken Brewery Tour, or if it’s museums you’re after check out the Museumplein complex.

Wherever you decide to go, a two-wheeler is the means to get there. Cycling is also the most fun way to sightsee — but do stick to the cycling lanes, lest you get scoffed at!

When leaving Amsterdam and continuing your Netherlands road trip, make sure you visit the town of Lisse for its iconic tulip fields and Marken for picturesque wooden houses .

Your West Netherlands road trip continues south-west to the coastal town of The Hague. Here you’ll be greeted by gothic architecture, 16th-century palaces, and a number of grand government buildings as this little city is the seat of the government.

Politics and protocol aside, The Hague is also home to chic shopping streets, a number of art galleries and museums, and an incredible replica model town. Being a coastal city, The Hague’s edges  give way to some stunning dunes to explore, too. 

The first stop on any road trip to The Hague has to be the Madurodam. This small amusement park is home to miniature model replicas of iconic Dutch landmarks, get ready to unleash your inner child!

When you’re prepared to ‘adult’ again, pay a visit to the Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk, the tallest building in the city and the Binnenhof, a 13th-century gothic castle set aside a lake. Finally, stretch your legs in Meijdendel Park, a lush stretch of dunes interwoven with walking and cycling paths.

Once the home of Dutch leader William of Orange, the small but charming city of Delft dates right back to the 11th century and is renowned for its ceramic pottery industry, refreshing craft beers, and numerous picturesque canals.

You’ll also find yourself surrounded by a number of quirky cafes and designer shops making it the perfect destination for a relaxed day of exploring.

Culture vultures and historians alike should make a bee-line for the Prisenhof, a historical museum covering the Dutch Golden age and the history of Delft pottery. 

After, head to Nieuwe Church to view the royal tombs before pottering (excuse the pun) over to the Royal Delft to check out the city’s famous blue and white pottery.

Other worthy attractions include the university-owned Botanical Gardens, the family-friendly Science Centre, and the Race Planet Delft for a spot of go-karting!

Continue your West Netherlands road trip further south to the port city of Rotterdam. Used as a popular trading city throughout the centuries, and largely destroyed during WWII bombings, this charming city with urban flair is fast becoming as popular as Amsterdam.

When you’re not admiring the quirky post-war architecture, you’ll likely be exploring the hip urban scene flourishing in the once dreary harbour city.

Our top activities in Rotterdam include a boat tour around the harbour, a visit to The Clubhouse to marvel at peculiar cuboid houses, and a climb up the Euromast Tower to enjoy panoramic views over the city. The Maritime Museum, Rotterdam Zoo, and Market Hall Food Market are also popular attractions dotted across the city.

When continuing your road trip from Rotterdam, make sure to visit the UNESCO-listed town of Kinderdijk (home to windmills, waterways, and walking trails).

The charming city of Utrecht is not only rich in history (the area dates back to 50CE) it’s also pretty flipping beautiful. Between the ancient churches and quaint houses that date back to the middle ages, the towns winding waterways offer an excellent way to stretch the legs and take in the sights.

Come evening, restaurants open their doors and set up their outdoor dining areas on the canal wharf so you can enjoy al-fresco dining with a view. 

Two days in Utrecht will fly by as you marvel at monkeys at the city zoo, meander down the canal past colourful traditional houses, and soak up the local industrial history and art scene at the Railway Museum and the Centraal Museum.

Finish off your West Netherlands road trip with a visit to St Martin’s Cathedral, one of the largest churches in the Netherlands and a 12th-century iconic landmark.