9 of the Best Weekend Getaways from Amsterdam

Accessible by a journey of just 3.5 hours by train, Paris is an ideal romantic weekend getaway from Amsterdam. While slightly too far to visit on a day trip, the easy journey makes France’s capital perfect for a short getaway, especially when you don’t have to tackle the traffic. With limited time, Paris day tours can be a great way to maximize your sightseeing opportunities in the city. Many tours combine all the essential sights—think of the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Élysées, and Notre-Dame Cathedral—after which you can sit back and wine and dine by evening.

When most people think of weekend getaways from Amsterdam, London may not be the first place to spring to mind. However, thanks to the Eurostar, you can get straight to the center of London in a little over four hours.

Although the UK’s bustling capital makes Amsterdam’s cobbled streets and canal houses look cute and quaint by comparison, there are many similarities between the two, including the incredible museums. You could even visit the Rijksmuseum and the British Museum in one day, and still have time left to swing by Buckingham Palace and Big Ben—although you’ll probably want to prebook your tickets and passes for seamless sightseeing.

Sure, you could take a quick jaunt over to Brussels on a day trip from Amsterdam, but you’d miss out on so much. Far more than just the capital of Belgium—and the de facto capital of Europe—this historic city is known for its Royal Palace, Grote Markt, cuisine (waffles and fries, anyone?), and of course, the Atomium. Once the centerpiece of the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair, the Atomium is considered the city’s most popular tourist attraction, though the 17th-century Manneken Pis sculpture—yes, it’s pretty much what it says on the tin—is up there, too. Join a tour of Brussels to take in the highlights.

Luxembourg may be small, but it’s perfectly proportioned—and positioned—for weekend breaks from Amsterdam. Just over four hours by road, the UNESCO–listed capital, Luxembourg City, is worth a weekend alone. Fill your itinerary exploring the Old Town, the Walls of the Corniche, and Casemates du Bock. Art lovers and architecture fans won’t want to miss the Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art—rising out of an 18th-century fortress, this architectural marvel was the brainchild of I.M. Pei, who also designed the Louvre Pyramid.

Given Luxembourg’s size, a day tour is a great way to see the country beyond the capital, too. Popular highlights include Schiessentumpel Waterfall, Vianden Castle, and Beaufort Castle.

Like Amsterdam, Cologne in Germany is known for its mishmash of culture, arts, and history. Just 2.5 hours south of Amsterdam by train, Cologne is as famed for the Gothic Cologne Cathedral as it is for its LGBTQ+–friendly nightlife, and of course, its cologne.

City sightseeing tours are a great way for first-time visitors to squeeze in the sights, which include the Farina Fragrance Museum (where Giovanni Maria Farina created the first eau de cologne in 1709), the Cologne Chocolate Museum, Museum Ludwig—known for its massive Picasso collection—and the Roman-Germanic Museum.

You don’t have to spend long in Bruges to realize why this UNESCO World Heritage–listed city is one of the most popular weekend destinations near Amsterdam. While you can squeeze some of the highlights of the Historic Centre of Bruges into a day tour—including Market Square and Minnewater—a weekend gives you more time to visit spots such as Choco-Story and the De Halve Maan Brewery. And if all that still isn’t enough, travelers wanting to make the most of their weekend away can even add stops to visit Ghent, Gravensteen Castle, Antwerp, and Brussels, too.

Efteling Theme Park is an award-winning fantasy-themed wonderland inspired by European mythology, fairytales, and folklore. It’s the perfect destination for families with kids—or big kids—looking for short trips from Amsterdam. Efteling is just over an hour by road from the Dutch capital, but has plenty to keep everyone entertained for a whole weekend.

Efteling is also ideal for those looking for countryside getaways from Amsterdam; the resort features hotels, a theater, a golf course, two holiday villages, and is surrounded by forest and fields. Tech-lovers also won’t be disappointed: Eindhoven, the Dutch design capital, is just 40 minutes away.

Technically, the Hague is small enough and close enough to Amsterdam to squeeze all the sights into a day tour. But, the longer you spend here, the deeper you get to dive into its palaces—Peace Palace and Noordeinde Palace—its paintings at Mauritshuis, and its past at the 13th-century Inner Court and Hall of Knights and the Prison Gate Museum.

If that isn’t enough, the Hague is also a great base for weekend trips to nearby cities from Amsterdam. With Delft, Rotterdam, and the seaside resort town of Scheveningen all mere minutes away, you can spend the weekend flitting between coast, culture, politics, and porcelain.

Now a popular student city known for its World War II history and funky festivals, Nijmegen has come a long way from its Roman origins over the past 2,000 years. The oldest city in the Netherlands, Nijmegen is much more laid-back and local than its more touristy northern counterparts.

A weekend in Nijmegen is ample time to experience its main sights, including the Grote Markt, Kronenburger Park, Valkhof Museum, and the nearby Vrijheids Museum. Add Valkhof Park to your schedule to see centuries-old castles alongside a WWII bunker. If time allows, you can also pop over to Germany to see the Kröller-Müller Museum in De Hoge Veluwe National Park.