Soon, Holland will enter its most beautiful stage when tulips start blooming! The peak season is between mid-March and mid-May, before the heat of summer comes.
We finally put together this itinerary, perfect for a weekend escape. It is not only a city trip, it is two days filled with adventure - including city strolls, scooter drives, a beach break, botanical garden, cute open-air museum and more! When we look back at it, we do not even know how we made all that in two days. We had the perfect amount of time for everything and did not have to hurry or run from place to place, but of course if you have more time, you can divide the activities and take it slower.
This region was so long on our bucket list! Not only tulip fields, which are a must see, but visiting the beaches of Den Haag and exploring Rotterdam. It will be two years now, since we finally decided to go - it was probably the most spontaneous trip we have ever done. It was the second week of May and we got a weekend off at work (Eli normally works weekends too) and were thinking what to do about it. This was the first idea that came to our mind, firstly super random, but then we thought - okay, why not!
We worked on Friday morning and left later in the afternoon directly to Rotterdam. At that time, we used to live in Dortmund, which is more than 3 hours ride by car. We stayed in a great locations in the city centre, specifically in the City Hub Rotterdam, an urban hotel where instead of rooms, you sleep in hubs - a small space with a bed only (and some cool features like colourful lights and music speakers you can control through bluetooth from your phone haha). The bathrooms including showers and toilets are shared, men and women separated, kind of a hostel vibe. We loved this experience and would for sure book it again. It is low budget and for this kind of trips when you spend the whole day outside and come back just to sleep, it's ideal.
Before we went to sleep, we went for a stroll around the neighbourhood and the port. The city really has its unique international and vibrant vibe. We barely met a dutch person in this area. What we love about the Netherlands in general is their kindness and openminded attitude against non-dutch people, tourists and languages. Even the older people usually speak very good English and do not expect you to understand Dutch (like Germans do with their language).
1. Day - Rotterdam and Hague
On Saturday, we started with a breakfast at Baker & Moore (included in our accommodation price from the City Hub) and set out to explore the city!
Rotterdam is the biggest port in Europe and the second largest city in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam. It is best known for unique modern architecture, design and vibrant culture. It's a favourite place to live for many immigrants of non-dutch origin.
Markthal
The first stop is the big Market Hall, located in the city centre, not far from the Town Hall or train station Bahnhof Blaak. This construction combining consumer and residential purposes is for sure one one the coolest buildings in Rotterdam, although it's quite new as it was built in 2014. You will find here 100 international food stalls, restaurants and cafés. Inside of the arc structure, there are apartments for living - which we found interesting and kind of cool. In the underground, there is also a parking garage.
Also the architecture of the surrounding buildings is quite interesting. It gives the city a futuristic vibe.
The Cube Houses
Also called Kijk-Kubus, this structure became popular for its design and colours, as it is unique and pretty photogenic. The innovative set of houses was designed as a new concept of living with the purpose to optimise the indoor area and room distribution. The cubes are actual apartments, one works as a hostel, and one of them is open for tourists to see it furnished.
When we were done admiring this part of Rotterdam, we went to the train station which is only few steps away and took a train to The Hague (line E). It was around 12 AM and the ride takes 35 minutes.
The Hague
The third largest city of the Netherlands and the seat of government. It is best known for political peace conferences (that's why it is also called the city of peace and justice) and for the beach, as it lays by the North Sea.
Madurodam
Right from the train station, we were headed to Madurodam, a miniature city showing the best sights of all Netherlands. It is like walking through the country in one afternoon. This park or open-air museum is full of beautiful replicas of dutch houses, churches, parks, canals and more. There are also many attractions and interactive areas, not only for children. We had so much fun here, especially at the interactive exhibitions where you throw a coin and everything starts moving, miniature cars and people start working and in the end you get a souvenir from them. I can tell you, we had probably more fun here than in Disneyland!
To get there, we rented a scooter, one of those for sharing, that you can unlock with the app through your phone. We love using those anywhere when we do not have a car and want to get from A to B quickly. It is quite cheap as well. Nowadays, there are various brands. In Hague, we used Check. Our first experience was with Emmy and Felix in Hamburg and we had so much fun with it.
And finally, after exploring the smallest city of Holland, we drove to the beach!
Scheveningen beach
No less than 11 km long, this golden sandy beach stretches on the most-western coast of the city at the North Sea. Reaching the dunes, you do not feel like in the Netherlands anymore. It has a really cosy vacation vibe. As we were starving, we first stopped for late lunch at a fish restaurant nearby and came to the beach after that.
At that time, it was not hot enough to swim (not for us at least, there were some people swimming though), but we walked barefoot all the way to the Pier and enjoyed the fresh air and warm sun. The pier is home to the first ferris wheel above the sea in the Netherlands and various restaurants and bars.
On our way back, we walked through the street and bought some drinks to enjoy later at the beach while watching the sun set.
Back in Rotterdam, we dined at the Dutch Dukes right next to the City Hub.
2. Day - Keukenhof and tulip fields
Before leaving Rotterdam, we had a breakfast at Nieuw Rotterdams Café which is in the same street (again, included in our accommodation package) and then walked to one more place to visit here.
Euromast
This tower is the highest "building" in Rotterdam and the highest lookout tower in the Netherlands, so you would only hardly search for a better viewpoint! In the height of almost 100 metres, you'll find the observation deck and a restaurant. But don't worry, there is an elevator that takes you all the way up.
Keukenhof
Only 45 minutes away from Rotterdam, near the Lisse village, there is a tulip paradise called Keukenhof. Also known as The Garden of Europe, it is the largest flower park in the Netherlands and in Europe!
Yearly, more than 4 million bulbs of 100 different types of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are planted by hand! Be ready to walk a lot, the 32-hectare park is spanned by 15 kilometres of walking paths through gardens and pavilions. It opens daily between March and May, during the tulip season.
We visited in mid-May and some tulips were already burned from the sun. That year, it was really hot for May. So it always depends on the season, according to the weather conditions etc. Also, different types of tulips and flowers are blooming in slightly different times, so every week you visit, the garden can always look a little different. In March, it might be still early for some of them but perfect time for another type, and in May might be too late for one but ideal for the other!
After the whole afternoon in Keukenhof, we decided to find a tulip field outside of the park, an area that is more open and without the crowds, to make some more pictures, because in the park it was not so easy. We found the Tulip Barn, only around the corner behind the park! We went by car though.
You'll find large colourful tulip fields with a few prompts for taking pictures as well. You can also buy tickets online, we saw the price around 8 Euros this year, which surprised us, because as we got there in 2022, we did not have to pay anything. It was maybe because we were "late", in the end of the tulip season, or they just started the entrance fee later. If you're visiting in a good time, you will for sure find many tulip fields in open areas all over Holland! 🌷
Let us know, if this itinerary inspired you or helped you plan your trip and what did you like the most! ❤️
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