7-Day Netherlands Itinerary: Amsterdam, Tulip Fields & the Dutch Cities

Fly into Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) and take the direct train to Amsterdam Centraal (17 minutes, €5.40). Day 1: the Rijksmuseum is the Netherlands' greatest museum — Rembrandt's Night Watch, Vermeer's The Milkmaid, and Delft Blue porcelain are the highlights. Book timed entry in advance. Allow 3 hours. Afternoon: the Van Gogh Museum (book in advance) — the world's largest collection of Van Gogh paintings, including The Bedroom, Almond Blossom, and Sunflowers. Evening: rent a bike and cycle along the Prinsengracht canal — the most beautiful of Amsterdam's concentric canals. Dinner in the Jordaan neighbourhood — the most charming part of Amsterdam, with excellent restaurants and brown cafés (bruine kroegen). Day 2: the Anne Frank House (book weeks in advance — it sells out). Allow 1.5 hours. Afternoon: take a canal boat tour (1 hour) — the best way to see Amsterdam's extraordinary canal architecture. The Heineken Experience (book in advance) is a fun afternoon activity. Evening: explore the Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein areas for bars and restaurants.

Take the train to Haarlem (15 minutes from Amsterdam). Haarlem is a beautifully preserved 17th-century city — the Grote Markt (main square) with the Gothic St Bavo's Church is one of the finest medieval squares in the Netherlands. The Frans Hals Museum has the finest collection of Dutch Golden Age portraits outside Amsterdam. Allow 2 hours. If visiting in tulip season (late March to mid-May): take the bus from Haarlem to the Keukenhof Gardens (30 minutes) — 7 million bulbs in bloom across 32 hectares, with windmills and a lake. One of the great horticultural spectacles in the world. Book tickets in advance. The bulb fields (bollenvelden) around Lisse are also spectacular — cycle through them for the full experience. Return to Amsterdam in the evening.

Take the train to Utrecht (30 minutes). Utrecht is the Netherlands' fourth-largest city and one of its most charming — the Dom Tower (the tallest church tower in the Netherlands; climb it for panoramic views) and the unique wharf cellars along the Oudegracht canal are the highlights. The Museum Speelklok (mechanical musical instruments) is a delightful and unusual museum. Lunch at one of the canal-side restaurants. Afternoon: take the train to Rotterdam (40 minutes) and then a bus to Kinderdijk (30 minutes) — a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 19 working windmills in a polder landscape. The most iconic Dutch landscape in the country. Return to Rotterdam for the night, or back to Amsterdam.

Rotterdam is the Netherlands' most architecturally exciting city — almost entirely rebuilt after World War II bombing, it has become a showcase for contemporary architecture. The Cube Houses (Kubuswoningen) by Piet Blom are the most photographed buildings in Rotterdam — you can visit the interior of one. The Markthal is a spectacular food market inside a giant horseshoe-shaped building with a photographic ceiling mural. The Erasmus Bridge (the "Swan") is a striking cable-stayed bridge over the Maas. The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (currently partially closed for renovation) has an excellent art collection. The Fenix Food Factory in the Katendrecht neighbourhood is the best place for lunch — a converted warehouse with artisan food stalls. Take the water taxi across the Maas for views of the Rotterdam skyline.

Take the train to Delft (15 minutes from Rotterdam). Delft is one of the most beautiful cities in the Netherlands — a perfectly preserved 17th-century canal city, the birthplace of Vermeer, and the home of Delftware blue-and-white pottery. The Vermeer Centrum Delft tells the story of the city's most famous son. The Royal Delft factory (Koninklijke Delft) is the only remaining original Delftware factory — fascinating to visit. The Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) has the mausoleum of William of Orange. Afternoon: take the tram to The Hague (15 minutes). The Mauritshuis is one of the world's great small museums — Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson, and Fabritius's The Goldfinch are all here. Book in advance. The Peace Palace (seat of the International Court of Justice) and the Binnenhof (Dutch parliament) are worth a look from the outside.

Return to Amsterdam (50 minutes from The Hague by train). Spend the morning at any museums you missed — the Stedelijk Museum (modern and contemporary art), the Amsterdam Museum (city history), or the Jewish Historical Museum. The Albert Cuyp Market (Tuesday to Saturday) is Amsterdam's largest street market — excellent for Dutch cheese, stroopwafels, and herring. Take the free ferry across the IJ to Amsterdam Noord — the most rapidly developing neighbourhood in the city, with excellent street food, the EYE Film Museum, and the NDSM Wharf (a converted shipyard with street art and creative businesses). Take the train to Schiphol for your departure flight.