Next time you fly into Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands, one of Europe’s busiest, ponder the fact that until the mid-nineteenth century, the area was the bottom of a lake. Who knew?
Vast, sprawling, the Haarlemmermeer was nicknamed ‘Waterwolf’ for how ravenously it swallowed up the surrounding land. To stop this happening, the Dutch drained it using some of the most extraordinary steam-powered engineering the world had ever seen.
This is just one of many bizarre fun facts from Dutch history I picked up during a recent eye-opening adventure to explore the beaches, villages and countryside of North Holland, that make easy day trips from Amsterdam!
Like most visitors to the country, I tend to fly into Schiphol and make a beeline straight for Amsterdam, rarely scratching the surface of what surrounds the city.
As a fan of exploring places other travellers tend to overlook, when I was invited to spend three days and nights exploring North Holland beyond it, obviously I jumped at the chance.
I was pleasantly surprised by what I discovered – so close to the airport, too. Not just the history and the landscapes, but how much there is to see and do in such a compact area.
So, if you’re looking to add a North Holland day trip from Amsterdam onto your next Netherlands itinerary, this region deserves far more attention than it gets.
I’ve also included all the places I visited on a handy map at the end of the post. Let’s explore!
Things to Do in North Holland
North Holland travel rewards those who venture beyond Amsterdam’s canals. Within an hour of the city, the scenery shifts completely, revealing open countryside, waterways, coastal towns and traditional villages.
This itinerary covers three contrasting areas: the engineered landscapes of Haarlemmermeer, the coastal energy of Zandvoort, and the lakeside heritage of Edam and Volendam.
What I loved the most is how incredibly easy is to explore, too. You’ll find well-connected roads, regular trains, cycling routes, and short distances between key sights make it ideal for multi-stop itineraries.
You can experience beaches, villages, forts, and lakes all in a single trip without long travel times.
Day 1 – Haarlemmermeer and Cruquius: Water, engineering and green landscapes
The water-rich region of Haarlemmermeer shaped by both nature and Dutch engineering has been transformed into a modern, open region filled with green spaces, cycling paths, and recreational areas. It’s a great place if you love walking, cycling, or enjoying open spaces without crowds.
My trip begins with lunch at Theehuis Cruquius, a peaceful café open since 1934, overlooking historic waterways and with tables outside on a shady terrace or inside a contemporary dining space.
From here, it’s an easy five-minute e-bike ride through countryside along part of the 44km-long Polderroute cycle route past fields to my first stop: the fascinating Cruquius Museum, which tells the story of the Haarlemmermeer and how it was drained in the mid 1800s to create the region we see today.
What I love most about it is the unique setting inside a perfectly preserved original steam pumping station with its gothic features, arched windows and red brick, and watching the eerie giant iron sluice mechanism in action rising from the water.
I hop back on my bike, through more lovely rambling Dutch countryside to Kunstfort bij Vijfhuizen, a contemporary art space and studios set in one of 46 reimagined forts that once formed part of Amsterdam’s defensive line now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After a wander through its cobbled corridors, I find it hard to peel myself away from this bucolic creative community, but it’s worth it to spend the afternoon cycling around the curved paths of De Groene Weelde (The Green Wealth) recreational park next door.
Its most prominent feature is ‘Big Spotters Hill’, a massive, pyramid-shaped viewing deck with views of the surrounding polders and the nearby Amsterdam skyline on a clear day.
My quest for dinner takes me to the Fort NOXX restaurant in another restored historic Fort van Hoofddorp. Sipping a chilled glass of chardonnay on the string light-festooned terrace, it’s so relaxing watching resident swans bobbing in and out of the former moat.
I order the satay chicken I’ve noticed it on practically every menu since I arrived.
Fun fact:The Netherlands has a rich culinary connection with Indonesia, its former colony, meaning Dutch-Indonesian dishes like satay and nasi goreng have become deeply embedded in everyday Dutch cuisine. You’ll spot them on menus everywhere.
I get a great night’s sleep at the nearby Florian Hotel, a cool and comfortable budget base with basic but stylish rooms in a revamped office building near the airport.
Day 2 – Zandvoort and Volendam: coastal, harbour and Lakeside Life
The next morning it’s time to hit the beach! A short drive from the Florian Hotel and a train ride from Amsterdam, Zandvoort is one of the easiest North Holland beaches to visit from the city.
The long and wide caramel coloured shoreline is backed by dune landscapes with cycling and walking paths through protected nature areas.
I’ll be honest though: the town itself has seen better days. The grandeur that once made Zandvoort a glamorous seaside destination has largely disappeared, and the centre feels a little tired.
That said, there are gems if you know where to look. Like the Zandvoort Museum, a small cultural space that traces the town’s fishing roots and its evolution into one of the Netherlands’ most popular beach destinations which easily fills a slow morning.
It’s also fun to take a walking tour through the town’s “sloppies”, narrow historic alleyways that predate the tourist development and reveal a quieter, more characterful side to Zandvoort that most visitors walk straight past.
Hotel Grand Café Deight in the centre is another distinct find. Set in an 1890 building in the heart of Zandvoort, it stands out to me for its unique colonial-style facade and Art Deco interior, and its homemade lemonade in flavours that change with the season.
From Zandvoort, it’s an easy drive to Volendam and its quieter neighbour Katwoude, both on the shores of Lake Markermeer.
Volendam is one of the most recognisable fishing villages in the Netherlands, known for its buzzy colourful harbour, pretty streets with traditional wooden houses, and rich maritime heritage.
After a wander, a lovely way to enjoy the village is with a ride on a tall ship with harbour views before dinner at Grand Café de Botterwerf on the waterfront serving fresh seafood and more chicken satay!
One thing I wish I’d known before visiting: Volendam has a surprisingly rich artistic heritage. In the late 19th century it became a magnet for painters, many of whom paid their bills in art and over a thousand of those paintings still hang in the harbour today. Worth seeking out.
I spend my second night at Van der Valk Hotel Volendam in Katwoude. I rarely recommend chains, but make an exception for this modern hotel for its Wes Anderson styling: lots of pastel pinks, the lobby is filled with velvet cocktail chairs and the check in desks look like olf-fashioned ticket booths. I also love its spacious contemporary rooms and impressive buffet breakfast.
Day 3 – Edam: Canals, Cheese and pretty cobbled streets
You can’t visit North Holland without a trip to Edam. Famous for its cheese, the town is stunning and well worth your time. It’s quieter and more refined than nearby Volendam, with elegant canals and well-preserved merchant houses, but gets busy in summer. Crowd-phobes be warned.
I find the best way to explore Edam is to just wander as I follow the town’s cobbled streets to the Grote Kerk, one of Edam’s defining landmarks, and on to the Edam Museum to absorb the full story of the town’s trading history and cheese heritage, of course.
Here I make an unexpected discovery: a floating cellar, a uniquely Dutch solution to storing goods on waterlogged land, and very common throughout the Netherlands apparently according to my guide.
A browse in the Henri Willig’s cheese shop, with its bright red awning and wheels of Edam stacked outside, is a must for souvenirs. But a highlight of my time in Edam is a Koeboot canal boat tour, for a completely different perspective on the town.
Some of Edam’s most extraordinary buildings are only visible from the canals including domed octagonal theekoepels, or tea domes. Built in the 17th and 18th centuries, these quaint, historic structures served as private garden retreats where wealthy merchants and local residents would relax and drink tea while watching boats pass by
My trip ends with lunch at Paviljoen Strandbad Edam overlooking a reed island and sailboats on the Markermeer. It’s the perfect finale to a relaxing couple of days getting to know the unsung charms of North Holland and I almost consider cancelling my Eurostar train home.
How to Get Around North Holland
Travel around North Holland is easy. Most places to visit in North Holland are reachable quickly from Amsterdam by train, car or organised transfers, and the short distances between stops make it easy to combine several destinations in a single day.
In Haarlemmermeer, cycling is the best way to experience the Dutch countryside – dedicated paths connect forts, open landscapes and green spaces in a way that feels designed for it. For Zandvoort beach, the train from Amsterdam takes under half an hour.
North Holland Itinerary: Suggested Routes
North Holland works well both as individual day trips from Amsterdam and as a connected multi-day journey.
A coastal day in Zandvoort is ideal for beach walks and relaxed seaside dining. A countryside route through Haarlemmermeer offers a slower pace, combining cycling, nature and Dutch engineering history.
A full day in the Edam–Volendam area delivers the classic Dutch experience of canals, windmills and lakeside villages in the Netherlands.
If you have more time, combining all three makes for a fun three-day Netherlands travel itinerary, from coast to countryside to historic water towns, and one of the most rewarding ways to see beyond Amsterdam.
I travelled to North Holland with I Amsterdam.
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