Cycling trips around Amsterdam

Other Amsterdam blogs

Netherlands is a cycling paradise, we all know that. But experiencing it is something else. Everyone cycles here. All the time. Come hail or snow or rain or wind, you can’t keep a Dutch person off their bike! And I have seen it myself, it’s totally true.

And it definitely helps that the infrastructure for biking is excellent in the Netherlands (of course it also helps that the country is completely flat!). There are cycling paths of course within cities, but also linking the villages and towns of the country. You can easily cycle from anywhere to anywhere, through cycling paths which are away from the main roads. They are wide, well paved and mostly pass through fields, next to canals and other picturesque locations. Where you are not disturbed by cars or anything else, and can cycle safely.

Cycling towards Muiden

Cycling in the Netherlands is amazing, and is my favourite activity here (whenever the weather is good of course 😊). I definitely am not Dutch enough to want to cycle in the cold, rain and wind! But on warm sunny days, I do like to go for a long bike ride in the country. The routine is always the same – ride through scenic routes to some nearby village or town, explore the place, its museums, churches etc., eat at a nice restaurant by the water, and then cycle back home. These bike rides are excellent weekend activities, a mix of exercise and exploring the outdoors. Below, I am sharing some of the longer rides I did.


Abcoude (35 kms, March 2022, May 2023)

Abcoude is a small town south of Amsterdam, and you just need to cycle next to Amsterdam's Amstel river to get there. The first part of the ride is the same as the bike ride to Ouderkerk which I had done before, along the river, with farms all around. And then you veer off course a bit to get to Abcoude, riding through fields and canals.

Cycling along the Amstel

We cycled along the farms by the Amstel, and then stopped for lunch at Abcoude. That day had turned out to be a sunny but very windy day. So biking though through gorgeous views was extremely tough. At times we felt that we kept cycling but not moving! It was tough. It was too cold that day to take off gloves to take photographs even. So maybe that’s why, this is one of those rides I don’t remember a lot of, except that it was the first one to get out of winter hibernation mode. 

I visited Abcoude once again, this time in summer by car, and was again impressed by the village. This time, we went to a local farm, the Hindenhof and bought fresh milk and other products grown or produced locally at the farm itself. It was fun to check out all the things available there. We then walked around town, along the canals and church, admiring how every Dutch village turns out to be so picturesque.


Amsterdamse Bos (25 kms)

Amsterdamse Bos or the Amsterdam forest is the local forest of Amsterdam. It’s a huge green area about 2500 acres, just a 10 mins bike ride from my place. It has everything – lakes, ponds, forests, parks, cherry blossoms, restaurants, theatres, spas and so on. And it’s very popular with Amsterdammers for multiple adventure activities, like running, walking, cycling, rowing, camping and so on. The Bos is always an easy pick to go and cycle. Anytime, anywhere.

Bos in winter

I have cycled there often, whenever I need to get some fresh air and exercise on short notice. And it’s always a pleasure to explore it. It has miles and miles of tracks, and most of the times we just go wherever the path takes you. All tracks are lined with tall trees, green in summer and bare in winter. There are many water bodies everywhere, and it’s fun to cross the small creeks while cycling.

Bos in winter

I do remember some rides there specifically though. Once was when we cycled there on a very cold and misty day in winter - there was fog everywhere, it was just so magical, I cannot forget that ride. The water bodies, the grass meadows, the people running, everything was engulfed in fog. and felt like a dream. It was also extremely old, but as I had layered up well, so I didn't even notice.

Cherry blossoms in Bos

Another time we cycled to the Bloesempark, which is a cherry blossom park in the Bos. It had rows of cherry blossom trees, laden with pink flowers and surrounded by loads of people. It looked nice. And another time was during lockdown in 2021 winter, when cycling there, we just stopped on a road and just experienced the planes fly by just above our heads as they landed into Schiphol. They felt so close, I felt we could almost touch them.

Walks in Bos

A few times, I went for walks in Bos and always ran into people involved in different activities. Sometimes we came across lakes where people were swimming, sometimes football fields where children were playing, sometimes campgrounds where families were camping for a few days, sometimes festivals where everyone was enjoying the music. And of course, everyone rowing and kayaking in the Bosbaan in any weather, any time of the year. There was always a surprise around the corner whenever I cycled there. I loved the Bos, having a place like this so close cannot be underrated.


Broek in Waterland (64 kms, May 2023, August 2024)

Broek village

The first time I visited this village was when I went cycling to Monnickendam. The ride all through was gorgeous, through green fields with flowers, interspersed with loads of waterways. We stopped at the village of Broek, at the local church which had a cafe inside. As we sat outside to take a break, we witnessed a local parade, where everyone was dressed up and just having a nice time.

Broek village

Then we visited the village again, this time driving there. We walked around in the village and around the church. All around were green fields, and within the village cute houses and loads of flowers along the canals. There was a lake in the centre, and we had tea there. We also ran into an open air festival going on in the village. It was so much fun just to drive out of Amsterdam one evening to such beautiful surroundings, and have a warm cup of evening tea there. Bliss

Lake in Broek

Broek village

Haarlem (45 kms, September 2022, August 2024)

Haarlem is a small city, very close to Amsterdam. It is quite popular with people who like to live close to Amsterdam but don’t like its noise and crowds. We decided to cycle on a supposedly warm day in September. The whole ride was about 45 kms and was mostly next to the road, though patches of it were inside in the greens which made for a fun ride. We however got caught in a rain shower in between and so had to spend some time at an outlet mall right in the middle of Amsterdam and Haarlem.

Haarlem fall colours

Haarlem is quite similar to Amsterdam, with its canals and typical Dutch architecture. In fact, it’s also sometimes known as Mini Amsterdam (it’s on my visit to Haarlem I realised that after a point most of Holland’s towns start looking similar 😊). After reaching the city centre, we first visited the Frans Hals museum which mostly housed paintings. I liked the still lives from Heda Claesz but overall wasn’t very impressed.

The city outside was fun to walk through, especially the main church and square were quite grand and nice. Haarlem is painted quite often in the Netherlands with the church as the highlight. Also Haarlem lends its name to one of the major counties of New York. So it was nice to be there.

The streets next to the canals also looked stunning, with fall colours in full bloom. The ride back was more away from the roads, and so much more fun. And this is the fun of cycling in the Netherlands, you can easily make a day out of it and get some exercise too. Without any planning 😊.

I then visited Haarlem again with friends in summer. This time we drove, and then walked around in the city centre. After lunch, we checked out a few shops and were pleasantly surprised with the quality of shopping there, it was so much better than Amsterdam. Plus with less people there was definitely more time and space to explore everything. I liked the city this time too.


Lisse tulip fields and flower parade (50 kms, April 2022)

Lisse tulip farms

The tulips are quite the high point for the Netherlands, as it signals the start of spring. And the tourist season. I had already been to the Keukenhof gardens and the tulip fields, but I still wanted to bike through them. So one sunny spring day, we set off to see them, without a plan or any information even. We just started cycling towards Lisse, the heart of tulip fields in the Netherlands.

Tulip fields

The ride till there was quite ok, as a large chunk of it was just straight biking along the road, all around Schiphol. But once we reached the fields, it was bliss. There were rows and rows of multi-coloured tulips, anywhere and everywhere we cycled. With cute houses and windmills next to them. And we kept cycling among these enchanting flowers. It felt surreal to be there. Most of the tulip fields had red and yellow flowers, though we saw some pink and white ones too (I saw the white tulips for the first time). Sometimes we got down for a few photos, but for most of the time, just admired them and kept biking.

Tulip fields

The highlight of the day though turned out to be that, that day there was an annual flower parade passing through the area. So all the villages on the route were buzzing with activity since morning as the flower parade would pass through them later in the day. All the restaurants were full, and people were just sitting outside their houses with food, getting ready for the parade to pass by. It felt like such a festival mood, with everyone ready to wave to the tableaus and bands as they marched through.

Flower parade

And it did not disappoint. There was a long line of tableaus, made fully of fresh flowers (hyacinths, tulips and other seasonal varieties) passing by, with music playing in the background. The tableaus were magnificent, with flowers in different colours making it very easy to depict colourful scenes. All the tableaus had a theme and were quite elaborate. And when the hyacinth tableaus would pass, the air would fill up with their fragrance.

And in between there were marching bands from different cities. As well as some businesses marketing themselves. It was fun to sit by the side of the road, and enjoy seeing them pass through. It was so lovely to be there that day. After the long day, we didn’t cycle back though, just took the train back from Sassenheim to Amsterdam (something else that makes cycling easy in the Netherlands, the well-connected railway network allows one to modify rides to even partial rides).

Tulip fields

Over the next few years, I went to the Lisse tulip fields multiple times, at least a couple of times every spring. Sometimes just to Lisse, something just driving through while coming back from office. It was just so amazing to be among the tulips, walk through them, photograph them. I never tired of them. I even managed to once go there on a sunny warm day and get photographed in a saree. I never tired of them, even once. And can go there again whenever I visit the Netherlands again - they were one of my favourite experiences in the country.


Monnickendam (55 kms, June 2022, August 2024)

Monnickendam

Monnickendam is a small fishing town north of Amsterdam, in an area called Waterland. Apparently this whole area was earlier a swamp, and is built on totally reclaimed land. The ride there was through country fields and gorgeous canals. Many of the canals were lined with houseboats all the way, and some very grand ones. Monnickendam was a very picturesque city too, with coloured houses and lots of boats. We walked through its old streets, and went up the church tower museum.

After lunch, while coming back, we thought of going to the island town of Marken for a detour but as it had been a long ride already, we decided not to. And kept cycling back to Amsterdam. This was definitely one of those bike rides where we got too tired, and coming back was a challenge. Especially as the day was extremely windy, and we ran into a lot of closed routes while coming back. But we did make it back, safe and sound.

It turns out I had cycled to Monnickendam a second time too (I had completely forgotten this trip), this time through some stunning scenery along the villages in the north. I don’t think we stopped much in Monnickendam, but we did enjoy that ride a lot. Also because we chose a better route back home and did not have to cycle against the wind the entire time 😅.


Muiden (33 kms, July 2021, May 2023)

Muiden

This was my first long bike ride in the Netherlands, on a sunny summer day. I cycled along the water, towards the city of Muiden. As it was my first cycling trip, I liked it. Though I am not sure if it was that good or not 😊. I didn't know enough about cycling then, so instead of following cycling specific apps, I followed Google Maps. And so the path was sometimes next to the roads or cities, which wasn’t fun. The parts through the countryside were definitely more enjoyable.

Muiden cafe

Muiden was fun though, a small little picturesque village. With narrow streets, old houses and decorated with flowers everywhere. And with a nice little castle in it. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed spending the afternoon there. As it was sunny, it was full of tourists too. Biking back was tough though as it was my first long ride, but totally enjoyable.

Muiden castle

We visited Muiden again once in summer, when we drove there and so it felt a lot easier to get to. We walked around the central town, to the castle, along the sea and then were off to our next stop. There were just so many picturesque places everywhere in Netherlands to go to whenever you felt it (as long as the weather supports you 😂), it's amazing.


Ouderkerk aan de Amstel and Ronde Hoep Loop (40 kms, July 2021, May 2023, June 2023, July 2023, Sep 2023, May 2024, June 2024,, July 2024, Nov 2024)

Cycling to Ouderkerk

This is one of my favourite cycling tracks, as it starts along the Amstel river, within 10 mins of my place. And the whole cycle path is along farms, beautiful houses and people boating in the lakes. It’s a fabulous experience on a sunny summer day. Which was when I cycled there 😊. We first cycled till the town of Ouderkerk and then did the Ronde Hoep Loop. We had to take a few short ferries across the small canals too during the Loop.

Lunch at Ouderkerk

We then took a break and had lunch next to a canal in the town centre. It felt so idyllic, it was perfect. I liked Ouderkerk too. It felt like a nice place to live. I have heard since about people who move from Amsterdam to Ouderkerk, to still be able to enjoy Amsterdam life close enough. And the cycle ride back was as enjoyable as cycling there. The only disturbance were the 100s of racers who frequent this path – they bike so fast, they are almost a hazard to other cyclists' safety. The rest of the ride was fabulous, it is a bike ride I can see myself doing often.

Houses along the Amstel

Over the next four years, I visited Ouderkerk at least 10 times (if not more). It was just so charming, the ride or drive so gorgeous and so close to Amsterdam, it was a no brainer to go there. The cycling path till Ouderkerk was my most favourite, along the Amstel, with picturesque scenes around, grand houses, farm animals and so on. I cycled there whenever I felt in need of some upliftment. 

Waterfront in Ouderkerk

Ouderkerk had a nice waterfront with beautiful houses all along it. And great restaurants on the waterfront. So I also drove there many a sunny summer evening, just to eat along the waterfront or walk in town along the canals, the churches and restaurants. Though I would never take the highway, but always drive through the small road along the Amstel, it added so much to the joy of going to Ouderkerk. It was always a pleasure to visit this small little town, and I miss it.

Walk in Ouderkerk village

Sunset at Ouderkerk

Het Twiske (64 kms, May 2023, swimming in June 2024, driving in Sep 2021)

The Twiske is a huge green recreation area just north of Amsterdam. It was polder land earlier, and still is full of waterbodies everywhere. I have been there before by car, but this time decided to go biking. And what a spectacular ride it was.

Landsmeer houses

As we biked north from Amsterdam, we cycled past some gorgeous villages, like the Landsmeer, Den Ilp, and Jisp. They were full of gorgeous houses with canals all around. And housed in bright green fields, it was so refreshing to cycle there. We also passed by fields with farm animals, where the cycle paths were lined with bright yellow flowers, all along (wild sarson).

Cycling paths

We stopped first at a small café next to a water body, where a group of rowers had come in their boats and were having a lunch break. All at least in their 60s! And then we cycled to the Twiske, taking a break next to the lake. Everywhere there were wild flowers, it was just awesome to be there – definitely one more of my favourite cycle rides. The ride back got a bit tiring, but the landscape kept us motivated. And we reached back on time. I realised later, that this was my longest ride till date.

Swimming in Twiske

In addition to cycling, I also once went to swim in the Twiske. We drove to one of the lakes there, Stroolstrande, which had a nice picnic area. There were some facilities there for changing etc., and a small beach on the lake. So we sat in the sun, and then swam in the lake. There were even swans swimming along with us. Not a lot of people though. The water wasn't as clean as some of the other places we have swum though as there was some algae floating around. But it was still fun 


Vught (20 kms, August 2022)

Vught lake

I did a short course in South Netherlands, near the town of Vught and stayed there for a few days. And as I am slowly becoming Dutch, one of the warmer days, I just picked a bike and went out in the area for a long bike ride. Without a trail, without a plan. Just where I felt like cycling too. We first passed the nearby lake, called the Ijzeren Man (the Iron Man). (One of the other days, I came to the lake to swim too, it was a great experience as it was extremely warm and not too deep either)

After the lake, we just kept cycling along the fields and farms. We saw a few Christmas tree farms on the way. And a few balloons in the air. We also passed by a few other cyclists, they are everywhere. It was a nice refreshing ride, before the winter kicked in soon.


It was always such a pleasure in Amsterdam to be able to just pick up your cycle and go anywhere - you were guaranteed a great day out with loads of exercise, fresh air and stunning views. I miss that now 😔.

(Blog first published in May 2023, updated in Jan 2026)

Other Amsterdam blogs 

Some cities and villages of Netherlands

Other Amsterdam blogs

The largest cities in Netherlands are Amsterdam, the Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht. I lived in Amsterdam for four years and it’s quite an old city with traditional Dutch canals and architecture. The Hague is quite cute too, like Amsterdam, but quieter and less touristy. While Rotterdam is quite different from them all, it’s a new and modern city, built of concrete and glass. And I never managed to go to Utrecht! 

Outside of these main cities, there are many other smaller cities and towns which are quite visit worthy. (I would actually consider all of them villages but some of them fall in the list of Dutch cities, so I call them cities too😊). Here are my experiences of exploring the Netherlands and its various villages.


Delft (June 2022, Oct 2023, Feb 2024, Nov 2024)

Delft canals

Delft is a small city with the typical Dutch canals and architecture. It is also a student town, and so quite charming to walk through. I visited Delft for the first time in summer 2022 in June, on a gorgeous sunny day. And what I remember from the visit was that we spent a very relaxed idyllic day in town, enjoying ourselves immensely. It was so serene everywhere, with very little tourists around.

Cafe in Delft

We walked around mostly in the central area, which was full of canals and loads of eating places. We ate at a cafe next to the canal, in the sun and I so fell in love with the town. We also visited a few of the must-see places in town. There were a few notable cathedrals here, and we went to a couple of them. My favourite was the Maria Van Jessekerk cathedral, it was gorgeous from the inside.

We visited the Prinsenhof museum, which mostly showcased the history of William the Silent who had fought against the Spanish King, Philip the second. And in a way set the foundations of Netherlands and the current royal family of House of Orange. The city of Delft had sided with him, a Protestant and so they share a special bond with the royal family till today.

The other highlight of the town is the famous Delft pottery – it’s similar to the Chinese style of pottery and was picked up by this city to benefit from the high demand for pottery across Europe. The museum had a few of those pieces too, along with paintings.

Delft canals

Delft it also famous for a lot of art masters coming from this city, most famous of them was Vermeer. So there were a few shops with his stuff too, plus a museum of his house which we could not visit due to lack of time. But we immensely enjoyed just walking around town, enjoying an idyllic day. Overall, I liked the time I spent in Delft, it’s definitely a good timepass place on a nice weather day.

Delft canals

I visited Delft a few more times after that initial trip, and every time I did the same - walk through the old city centre, along the canals, visit the main square, eat and just enjoy a leisurely day around. It's a nice little place to spend time on a sunny day. And the peacefulness in town is definitely something unique. 


Enkhuizen and Maarkerwaarddijk (July 2024)

Enkhuizen park

The Dutch built two major dykes along the North Sea to block the sea and create huge inland lakes. And I always wanted to drive along those dykes, to see those giant feats of engineering. So one day we drove to the town of Enkhuizen in the north, and then crossed the lake along the Markerwaarddijk dyke.

Enkhuizen beach

We loved the town of Enkhuizen. We first walked along its main street, which was already empty by then as it was 5 pm. Even though it was bright daylight as it was summertime. We then spent some time in a cute little park with some water bodies and thereafter walked to the beach which was quite small and empty at that time. Then we walked along the waterfront with all the boats and charming houses. There were so many bridges and canals and yachts all around. We could feel it was a rich town.

Loosen social housing

We then stopped at the Snouck van Loosen social housing project which was a settlement of free housing made by the government for the underprivileged. I was blown away with the housing estates. Grand old houses landscaped with waterbodies and a lot of greenery, built on the waterfront. Even the rich in many countries don’t get to live like this! And that’s when I realised, the Netherlands as a country is at a different level altogether..

Enkhuizen waterfront

After this astonishing discovery, we left the town and drove along the Markerwaarddijk dyke for 30 kms, coming back via Lelystad. And what an experience it was. To drive along where the sea was contained was an experience by itself. I really wonder how the Dutch even thought of doing something like this.

It was interesting to drive on the dyke, and see that the water level on both sides was different. There was a lot of wind there, so we couldn't get out for long and explore much. But the feeling of the greatness of the human mind was definitely there. And hats off to the Dutch spirit. To imagine something like this.


Hague (March 2022, June 2022, Sep 2023, May 2023, Nov 2024)

I’ve been to Hague a few times, and it feels like a quiet city. A few times, we have walked along the main market area, as well as the Hague pond and the Binnenhof which is the Dutch Parliament. They were all cute, but nothing much to write home about. We also visited the Mauritshuis museum which houses the famous ‘girl with the pearl earring’ painting and Scheveningen, the famous Hague seaside resort. We walked along the royal palace and the market streets, all fun to explore. Overall, I wasn't as impressed. Maybe because the Hague is supposedly a nice city to live in, but as a tourist (in my opinion) it doesn’t have a lot to offer.


Giethoorn (April 2022, May 2023, June 2024)

Giethoorn is a very old and typical Dutch village, about 1.5 hours drive from Amsterdam. It shows up in a lot of travel blogs as a must visit place. So on a sunny weekend in 2022 spring, we drove there. We saw tulips on the way which was nice as always. And Giethoorn did not disappoint.

Geithoorn in spring

The village is made up of old thatched roof houses surrounded by picturesque canals all around. Apparently the houses are built on small peat islands which are connected by over 170 small wooden bridges!! We spent the whole day walking around the village, taking in the sights. Of the magnificent houses and the charming canals around them. The place was full of tourists that day and many of them were boating. And of course, there were lot of shops to keep tourists busy. It was a lively place to spend the day. I liked it, it felt very idyllic and might be fun to stay at too, just like that.

Geithoorn in summer

I liked Geithoorn so much that I went there every year. The second time we went in summer and the weather was just stunning. There were poppies and white flowers everywhere. The houses looked just breath-taking, surrounded by nature in full bloom with so many flowers. We went boating in the village this time. (You can rent a boat from anywhere, as almost every second house does boat rental as a side business.) And then you can drive the boat yourself. 

So we took the boat, first into the large lake, the Beulakerwijde and then through the town. The lake was huge with a small island in it. It was open and very windy. And then boating through the village was like being in a dream. It was a place where the canals were the roads. And the picturesque wooden houses each was on its own island. The islands are surrounded by waterways, and connected to each other with small wooden bridges. It was just so much fun to navigate the town.

Geithoorn in summer

It was also fun, as there were so many boats and they were all crashing into each other, given the drivers were not professional boaters and the canals were very narrow. Still the summer vibe made it all fun. After the boat ride, we walked along the sides and the town was very crowded. Boating through the crowds was definitely more fun than walking through the crowds. 

De Wieden national park

My last visit to Giethoorn the next year, though still in summer was on a rainy day and a completely different experience. The village was empty, and felt so different from the last time when there was no place to even walk. This time we took the boat into the national park around the lake. It was all forested, with some grass fields and reeds everywhere. There were lots of water lilies around too. We walked up to a viewpoint to get a view of the place around, it was very marshy. We also passed by some highland cows, swans and ducks on this ride. The entire time it was raining, and we did the whole boat tour in the middle of the worst of Dutch weather. But somehow still enjoyed.

Geithoorn in the rain

Then we explored the shops in town. There were many small boutique shops selling interesting stuff, like one selling all kinds of rocks, some flowers and so on. They were a a pleasure to browse through. After that, we walked all the way to Smits Pavilion, a huge restaurant on the lake, for lunch. It had got so freezing by then, we stayed inside and then left soon. And even though we enjoyed the day despite the rain, I definitely prefer Geithoorn in the sun.


Kinderdijk (June 2024)

Kinderdijk

I had heard about Kinderdijk as being similar to Zaanse Schaans, but since it was a bit farther off and no one raved about it much, I didn't go there till the very end of my stay in the Netherlands. And boy, would I have regretted not visiting it.

Kinderdijk

Kinderdijk is about an hours drive from Amsterdam, a beautiful location in the countryside with some waterways and around twenty working windmills all lined along the 2-3 rivulets in the area. We had gone there on a sunny breezy day, which was just perfect. The windmills looked so magnificent, standing tall in rows along the rivulets. 

Kinderdijk

With the green grass around, the lotus flowers in the water and reflections of the clouds and the windmills in the flowing water. The whole place looked like a painting. We walked along the path enjoying the views and just being there. It's a feeling difficult to describe. I loved being there, and wish had gone there more often and earlier.



Leiden (Dec 2021, Nov 2022)

Leiden was one of the first places I visited in Netherlands outside of Amsterdam. It was during the winter of 2021, in November, when it had already started becoming cold. It was also the time of a partial lockdown in Netherlands, when shops were only allowed to be open in the afternoons.

Leiden

Leiden is a historical town for the Netherlands, with a lot of historical events happening here. It was the location from where the pilgrims left for the US. It was Rembrandt’s birthplace. It’s also the location of the Leiden university where a lot of great scientific discoveries were made, like refraction, electron theory and so on. It is a student town now and so had a very relaxed and fun vibe to it.

Canals of Leiden

The city is very small with just a hundred thousand residents. It has two main gates to the city on each end and you can walk from one to the other in a few minutes. And everywhere in the centrum, there are canals, lined with Dutch style houses. As both times I visited Leiden on a Saturday, the local farmers market filled the city centre, all along the main canal in the centre. It was fun to do some window shopping there. Flowers, cheeses and lot of other food stuff are always the highlights to buy from there.

Windmill at Leiden

We walked around a bit, through the markets, shops, some museums, and a few windmills all the way. They were all quite picturesque. The walls of the city are decorated with painted poems written in different languages, they were fun to look out for. And as it is a university town, there were also many formulae painted on the walls – it was clear the city had a historic scientific bend to it. Rembrandt was born here, but the house where he was born has been torn down. Even then, there are a few plaques on the walls to remind people where he lived.

And that’s all we did the whole day, walk around and see all the city had to offer. Also, as it’s a small town, it's very easy to run into people you know when out in town. It did happen to my friend who was a local. Over the course of a few hours, he ran into 4 people he knew – just the number he had predicted at the start of the day 😊.

I visited Leiden once more in winter, but it was so freezing, my friends weren't keen on exploring it. So we left very soon after visiting just a cafe 😆.


Lemmer (Dec 2021)

Lemmer at Xmas

I went to this small village in Friesland, on the northern coast of Netherlands, to meet a colleague for lunch during the lockdown of winter 2021. It was an hours drive away, and I passed by lot of windmills on the dykes along the road while driving till there. The village had a very beautiful city centre, with the old architecture-d houses. We walked along the canals at night, as they were all decorated for Christmas, And it felt like we were already ‘in’ Christmas. As it was cold and windy, we did not feel like walking around too much, so just explored the centre. But I think it could be a nice place to visit in summer.


Marken (May 2023)

Canals of Marken

Marken is a nice little island village in Waterland district, slightly north of Amsterdam. The island was only reachable by boat for a long while, till it was connected by road over a dyke. We visited it this summer and were pleasantly surprised by how charming the place was.

Marken

There is one parking for all visitors right when you enter the island, and then you can explore it all, the village centre, the buurts, circle of the whole island, and its fields and farms. The village has a lot of small bridges, stunning canals and waterways, and colourful orange houses close together between them. The streets are narrow and great to walk through, with picturesque views wherever you go. It also has enough for tourists to do, like small museums, local souvenir shops etc..

Waterfront at Marken

We walked through the waterfront where there were loads of boats as well as eating places for the tourists who arrived on ferry from Volendam. You could even see the cities of Volendam and Monnickendam across the water. And inside the village, every street was picture worthy. We walked around the old church and the Kerkbuurt which was the first settlement in the area. There were also some nice farms everywhere, with farm animals , sheep on bright green grass, canal and wooden houses next to it – so gorgeous.

Walk around Marken

Then we kept walking to the other end of the island, finally coming back after taking a round of half the island. All around the island, you can walk or cycle on the raised dyke surrounding the island. You can also see that the level of water outside the raised dyke and the land inside is different – this island is definitely below sea level.

The walk was quite picturesque, with bright green grass everywhere, small beaches for swimming when warm, fields, farm animals and canals everywhere. The walk was extremely refreshing to do. It was quite windy there though.


Texel (May 2023)

In the North of the Netherlands, there are many islands (known as Frisian islands) in the North Sea which are quite popular with the Dutch. I wanted to visit a few of them, but only managed to go once to Texel (because it's so extremely windy there, finding the right warm enough day to go there was tough). So we drove till Del Helder, and then took the regular ferry to Texel (with our car). The ferry was huge, and fun to be on. We got to experience the North Sea and the seagulls flying next to us on the ferry.

Texel beach

The island felt very flat and green. And everyone seemed to be biking there. Some people had even got their bikes on the ferry. When we got off, we first drove to the beach with the Texel Lighthouse. The beach was huge, next to sandy dunes. We spent some time walking on the beach and around the lighthouse. 

After that, we drove to the town of De Koog, which was a nice little touristy place. We walked around a bit there till the beach, which was lined with holiday houses. And the sand was a beautiful yellow in colour. We also walked in the high street for a while, though everything felt the same as any other Dutch city. It got chilly soon, and then we left, taking the ferry back and then driving on to Amsterdam.

Overall though, I think the island is more suited for activity, so coming here and going biking is a lot more fun than sightseeing here. Anyways, it was a nice day out and good fun to be there. There are many other Frisian islands worth visiting too, some of which are car-free. For some other time then!


Volendam (May 2022, May 2023)

We first visited Volendam on a May weekend when it was too cold. The next time we visited after Marken, and it was warm and very crowded. So both times, we spent a lot less time there than we should have. Apparently it is quite a popular place with tourists.

Volendam street

We mostly walked in town, through a local market and then along the waterfront. The waterfront was lined with boats, large and small. And all along there were touristy things happening - people taking photos in Dutch clothes, eating lot of seafood and just enjoying a nice day out.

When we walked inside in town, it was extremely quiet. We walked past some gorgeous houses on the sea with balconies looking out. And they all looked so idyllic, so much like a retirement place looking onto the sea. I don’t think there is a lot to do here, other than just enjoy being there.

The second time we went, again we just walked around the waterfront and that was it. Not a lot more to do.


Zaandam (July 2024)

Zaandam

Zaandam is a town near Zaanse Schaans, about a 30 mins drive from Amsterdam. But somehow I never visited it. Thankfully I finally did before leaving the country. And liked it. It's a nice little town on the IJ river, with extremely colourful houses. Everywhere in town are houses painted in bright green, red, orange and blue.

Innhotel

The most famous of those of course is the Inntel hotel, a hotel looking like brightly coloured boxes put on top of each other. We first walked around the city centre canals, around the hotel. Then we kept walking along the streets, all the way till the river, and then along it enjoying the small canals and the town around it. Everything there was beautiful, and calm. It was a nice stop and a definite recommendation for anyone visiting Amsterdam.

Streets of Zandaam

Streets of Zaandam

Zaanse Schaans (April 2022, November 2022, April 2023, May 2023, May 2024, July 2024

Dutch village house

Zaanse Schaans is an old Dutch village very close to Amsterdam which is extremely popular with tourists. It has a row of some 10-15 old windmills next to the river with some green and orange Dutch houses in between. The whole area has been preserved like it must have been decades ago. And on the other side of the river is the actual village where people still live. Both sides are totally picture worthy.

Windmills of
Zaanse Schaans

Zaanse Schaans is a tourist favourite, everyone who comes to Amsterdam definitely goes there. And so its always crowded with people. As its a touristy place, you can find the standard shops for cheese, souvenirs, clogs and so on to keep the tourists busy. And some museums as usual.

Zaanse Schaans windmills

You can go up the windmills and see how they work too. Or take a boat ride in the river there. It's quite a lively place always. We once also ran into an artist who is learning 30 languages. He stopped us asking us if we spoke telugu. And asked for a few phrases to learn in Telugu.

Zaanse Schaans windmills

I have been there six times already, taking all my guests for a visit to this gorgeous site. It’s good for a day out, and I would recommend it especially when the weather is sunny. It’s just so lovely to be there, even if it is touristy. It's just so charming to walk through the old Dutch houses, in green and orange, with the waterways all around. Always.

Zaanse Schaans along the river

Zaanse Schaans windmills

Zeeland Islands (Sep 2023) 

The Zeeland islands are a set of large islands in the West of the Netherlands. They are relatively less populated and more green and natural. We went there once on a day trip, and that was the only time I swam in the Netherlands in the sea 😄 . 

Beach in Zeeland

We first went to the beach and it had a very nice vibe. We had lunch at the restaurant. Then went into the water, it was shallow and quite calm. And we could also see the big ships moving in, to the port nearby.

Canals of Middleburg

Then we drove to the nearby town of Middleburg. It was similar but different from the rest of the Dutch towns. The Abbey, the Tower, the City Hall - all were impressive buildings. We walked by the churches and some canals. Every street has pretty coloured houses. And so many flowers everywhere. It made for some very picturesque view. Also somehow the architecture felt quite calm and quite soothing, especially around the canals. I liked it.

Streets of Middleburg

Canals of Middleburg

There are some other villages I visited while cycling, like Abcoude, Haarlem, Monnickendam, Muiden, Ouderkerk and Vught. My experiences there can be found on this blog.

(Blog first published in May 2023, updated in Jan 2026)

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