Key Dutch Cities
Start with the essentials: five cities that show what the Netherlands does best. Explore Amsterdam for compact canalways, museum visits and easy cycling; head to Rotterdam for bold architecture, harbour routes and contemporary dining; visit The Hague for coastal promenades, national institutions and gallery-hopping; spend time in Utrecht to wander medieval wharves and café-lined canals; and include Eindhoven when you want design labs, tech-driven museums and a lively local scene. Each city is a short train ride from the next—plan 1–3 days per place depending on your interests, book tickets in advance for major museums, and favour walking or cycling to get the clearest sense of neighbourhood character.
Getting around by bike is straightforward: the Netherlands maintains roughly 153,000 km of bike‑friendly paths and roads, and nearly 70% are lit after dark—handy for early starts and late returns.