In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Zaanse Schans is 17 minutes by NS train to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans, €8.40 return, and the village is free to enter in 2026. Volendam is bus 316 from Centraal, about 30 minutes, and Marken a 30-minute boat from there; the coach tour of all three is from £25.19. Keukenhof (18 March to 9 May 2027) is cheaper by the coach shuttle with entry (from £29.90) than by train and bus on 2026 fares. Giethoorn is about 2 hours each way, and a tour costs what the train does. Haarlem (€5.50 each way), Delft and The Hague (a €35.90 loop) and Rotterdam (€20.20 each way) are trains with nothing to book. Or book a tour: the Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken tourad (from £25.19) and the Keukenhof shuttle with entryad (from £29.90) are the two to compare (GetYourGuide, 1 October 2026).
The day trips compared
Train fares are NS’s own 2026 second-class e-ticket fares for an adult from Amsterdam Centraal, as listed on 1 October 2026; NS raised fares by 6.52% on average on 1 January 2026. Tour prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” price for one adult on the same date.
| Trip | Getting there | Fare | Tour from | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken | NS to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans, 17 minutes; EBS bus 316 to Volendam, about 30 minutes | €4.20 each way, €8.40 return, to the Zaanse Schans | £25.19 (5½ hours, all three) | The village is free in 2026; each mill is €7.50 |
| Keukenhof | Coach shuttle from Amsterdam, or train to Amsterdam RAI and bus 852 (2026 line) | 2026 combiticket from RAI €38.50; train €3.70 each way | £29.90 with entry | Open 18 March to 9 May 2027; tickets on sale 15 October 2026 |
| Giethoorn | NS to Steenwijk, then bus 70; about 2 hours each way | €29.00 each way, €58.00 return | £47.88 with a boat | Discover Holland’s €53 day return with a boat trip runs to 31 December 2026 |
| Haarlem | NS from Centraal, under 20 minutes | €5.50 each way, €11.00 return | None | Nothing to book; Teylers and the Frans Hals Museum are closed on Mondays |
| Delft and The Hague | NS from Centraal; Delft about an hour, The Hague 45 to 50 minutes | €15.30 to The Hague, €17.30 to Delft; €35.90 for the loop | £51.25 (with Rotterdam, 9 hours) | Delft to The Hague is €3.30 |
| Rotterdam | NS from Centraal, about 45 minutes | €20.20 each way; the Intercity direct and Eurocity direct add €3.20 | £51.25 (with Delft and The Hague) | The three-city loop is €43.20 |
Utrecht and Alkmaar are €10.00 each way and need no booking. A day ticket for the whole region, the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket (€23 for a day, €34 for two, €44 for three), covers the trains to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans and Haarlem and the EBS buses to Volendam (GVB); it does not cover Steenwijk or Rotterdam.
When a tour is worth it
A tour earns its price where the stops are far apart or the public transport is slow:
- Keukenhof. On 2026 prices the train and bus came to about €46 (€38.50 combiticket plus €3.70 each way to RAI) against £29.90 (about €35) for the shuttle with entryad (4.7 stars from 15,462 reviews). Keukenhof says the 2027 combiticket price comes later. The Keukenhof guide has the shuttle’s meeting point and last bus.
- Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken. Volendam is a different journey from the Zaanse Schans train (bus 316 from Centraal), and Marken needs a boat, so doing all three on your own is three separate legs. The coach tour of all threead (from £25.19, 4.5 stars from 21,112 reviews, 5½ hours) is the sensible way to do all three in a morning. For the Zaanse Schans alone, go by train.
- Giethoorn. The coach tour with a one-hour boat tripad (from £49.96, 4.5 stars from 3,041 reviews, 7½ hours) costs about what the train does at full fare, and it leaves from De Ruijterkade, by Centraal, at 10:00.
- Delft, The Hague and Rotterdam. The guided coach tourad (from £51.25, 4.2 stars from 2,682 reviews, 9 hours) costs about €60, against €43.20 for the three-city loop by train, or €60.70 with Royal Delft’s €17.50 entry, which the tour includes. It leaves out the Mauritshuis; the Delft and The Hague guide and the Rotterdam guide cost the train versions.
The trips
Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken
NS to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans, 17 minutes, €8.40 return · Zaanse Schans free · tour from £25.19
A village of working windmills, craft shops and a cheese farm on the Zaan, with Volendam, a fishing village, and Marken, a village of wooden houses, to the north-east. The Zaanse Schans site is free to enter; five mills, the Zaans Museum and Museum Zaanse Tijd charge, and De Kat, the paint mill, is €7.50 (zaanseschans.com). A tourist entry fee has been delayed, not dropped: Zaanstad council said on 7 January 2026 that it would decide before the 2027 season. The Zaanse Schans and Volendam guide has the mills, bus 316 and the boat to Marken.
Keukenhof
Coach shuttle with entry from £29.90 · open 18 March to 9 May 2027, 8:00 to 19:00
The spring flower park in Lisse, with about 7 million bulbs. Each ticket is valid for one date and arrival time, you need photo ID, and 2027 tickets go on sale on 15 October 2026 from keukenhof.nl. The Keukenhof from Amsterdam guide compares the shuttle, the bus from RAI and the 2027 prices, and tulip season says which weeks the park and the bulb fields flower.
Giethoorn
NS to Steenwijk then bus 70, about 2 hours each way, €58 return · tour from £47.88
A canal village of thatched cottages and footbridges in Overijssel. The municipality of Steenwijkerland announced an action plan in March 2026 to curb crowding on the water, with more enforcement and tighter checks on boat rental (Steenwijk City). The Giethoorn guide has the train and bus, the €53 deal and the tours.
Haarlem
NS from Centraal, under 20 minutes, €5.50 each way, €11.00 return
A city west of Amsterdam with the Teylers Museum and the Frans Hals Museum (€18.50 each), the beach at Zandvoort 10 minutes further by train, and the finish of the Bloemencorso flower parade on Saturday 17 April 2027. Nothing needs booking, and both museums are closed on Mondays. The Haarlem guide has the hours, the Zandvoort fares and the boat trips; the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket covers the train but costs more than the €11.00 return.
Delft and The Hague
Delft about an hour, €17.30 · The Hague 45 to 50 minutes, €15.30 · €35.90 for the loop
Royal Delft (€17.50) for Delft’s blue-and-white tiles and pottery, the Mauritshuis (€21) for Girl with a Pearl Earring, and Madurodam (€22.50). Delft to The Hague is €3.30. The Delft and The Hague guide has the order to go round, the museum hours and what the £51.25 coach tour includes. Discover Holland, an initiative of the Dutch public transport operators, sells pre-paid tickets to The Hague and Rotterdam.
Rotterdam
NS from Centraal, about 45 minutes, €20.20 each way
The Markthal is free, the Cube Houses’ show house €3.50, the Spido harbour tour €18.75, and the Kinderdijk windmills are a WaterShuttle of under 30 minutes from the Erasmus Bridge. Adding Rotterdam to Delft and The Hague makes a three-city loop of €43.20 at full fare, since Rotterdam to Delft is €4.40. The Intercity direct and Eurocity direct trains add a €3.20 supplement. The Rotterdam guide has the walking route and the sights.
Before you choose a day
For the month, see best time to visit Amsterdam.
Keukenhof is open for 53 days a year, so it decides the date, not the other way round. The Zaanse Schans publishes a crowd calendar for the coming months on zaanseschans.com. A national public transport strike stopped NS trains and Connexxion and EBS buses on 9 September 2026, so check NS the day before a long trip. The Discover Holland Giethoorn ticket is not valid on King’s Day, 27 April. The NS trains here are not covered by the I amsterdam City Card, and Amsterdam public transport has the GVB fares for the days in the city.
For a meal before or after, where to eat in Amsterdam has the places to book and the closed days. What to book before you go to Amsterdam has the booking list. The Anne Frank House slot is fixed six weeks ahead, so choose the day trip day around it. 3 days in Amsterdam uses the Zaanse Schans as its third day, and Amsterdam in one day is the plan if you have no day to spare.
Common questions
What is the easiest day trip from Amsterdam?
The Zaanse Schans. NS trains from Amsterdam Centraal to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans take about 17 minutes and a return is €8.40, followed by a 15-minute walk. The village is free to enter in 2026; the mills charge, with De Kat at €7.50.
Is a Keukenhof tour from Amsterdam cheaper than going by train?
On 2026 prices, yes. The combiticket from Amsterdam RAI (entry and return bus) was €38.50 and the train to RAI is €3.70 each way, about €46 in all. The GetYourGuide shuttle with entry from Amsterdam is from £29.90 (1 October 2026). Keukenhof has not published its 2027 combiticket price, and 2027 tickets go on sale on 15 October 2026.
Can you visit Giethoorn as a day trip from Amsterdam?
Yes, but each way takes about 2 hours. The train to Steenwijk is €29.00 each way at full fare, then bus 70 to the village. Discover Holland sells an off-peak day return with bus and a one-hour boat trip for €53, valid to 31 December 2026. A coach tour with a boat is from £47.88.
Which day trips from Amsterdam need a tour?
Only Zaanse Schans with Volendam and Marken in one day, and Giethoorn if you do not want four hours on public transport. Haarlem, Delft, The Hague and Rotterdam are NS trains with nothing to book, and the Zaanse Schans alone is a short train ride.