Are you planning to spend 4 days in Amsterdam and are looking for a program to visit Amsterdam, enjoy its relaxed atmosphere but also to discover nearby villages and see the tulip fields? So here is a tour guide and my itineraries to make the most of Amsterdam in 4 full days.
This program combines culture, relaxation, gastronomy and countryside and can be done on foot, by bus or by train from Amsterdam.
What program to make the most of Amsterdam in 4 days?
To make the most of the most beautiful attractions, gastronomy and typical small villages close to Amsterdam, here is the program and itinerary that will allow you to get the most out of your stay:
- Day 1 : Visit the must-see sites of Amsterdam following my self-guided walking tour (downloadable for free below).
- Day 2 : Canal tour, flower market and visit to the Jewish quarter following my self-guided walking tour (downloadable for free below).
- Day 3 : Visit to typical villages near Amsterdam: Zaanse Schans and its mills, Volendam et Brands with its wooden houses and its pretty white lighthouse.
- Day 4 : Tulip fields and/or visit to museums and shopping in Amsterdam
DAY 1 – Self-guided walking tour of Amsterdam
For your first day in Amsterdam, you can follow the route of my walking tour which allows you to discover the most emblematic sites of the city. For more details on the tours, see: Amsterdam walking route
DAY 2 - City tour Amsterdam continued
For the second day of your 4-day Amsterdam tour, you will find on city tour itinerary DAY 2 the complete program of your day.
DAY 3 – Villages and mills near Amsterdam
Here is the program for the 3rd day which consists of visiting the postcard villages near Amsterdam: Zaanse Schans and its windmills, Volendam and Marken with its wooden houses and its pretty white lighthouse. Booking on Civitatis
All the details, routes and info for visit these villages in the day from Amsterdam can be found on my article: Amsterdam - Zaanse Schans - Marken in 3 days
DAY 4 - Tulip fields by train
To end your 4-day stay in Amsterdam, you have the choice between going to see (if it is the right flowering time) the fields of tulips of all colors or otherwise enjoying a last cultural visit to the city of Amsterdam. Amsterdam.
Where to see tulip fields near Amsterdam?
To see tulip fields very close to Amsterdam (20-30 km from the city), you have to go to the Bollenstreek triangle, a region located between Haarlem and Leiden, south of Amsterdam. It is a region where there are many bulb flower farms because the sand and clay soil is conducive to this culture.
What is the flowering period of tulips?
If you have to choose a date to visit Amsterdam and see fields of blooming tulips, April is the time to plan your trip. In fact, it is from April 15 to the very beginning of May that the tulips are most open.
How to go see the tulips from Amsterdam?
The best thing is to leave for the day by train from Amsterdam to reach the famous Keukenhof Flower Park. Famous for its hundreds of species of tulips, it is one of the largest flower parks in the world. The park is only open during the flowering season.
By going there by train, you can also admire during the journey the fields of tulips which create a magnificent multicolored landscape.
How to get to Keukenhof from Amsterdam?
To get to Keukenhof Park, the easiest way will be to take the train from Amsterdam Central Station to Schiphol Airport where you will have to get off. There, you have to take a bus which leaves every 15 minutes and goes directly to Keukenhof Park.
Please note that you can order a ticket that combines a round trip from Amsterdam + entry to the park (€32,50) on the official Keukenhof website:
https://keukenhof.nl/fr/billets/
Amsterdam in 4 days – Museums and shopping option
If you don't have the chance to admire the fields of tulips in bloom, here is the other program option for the 4th day:
- Rembrandt House
- Gassan diamond cutter
- Museum of Jewish History
- Portuguese Synagogue
- Nieuwe Herengracht
- Hortus Botanicus (the Botanical Garden)
- Blauwbrug Bridge
- Return Hotel International.
Cheap hotel for your 4 days in Amsterdam
Finding a good, well-placed hotel with top-of-the-range amenities and services is fairly easy in Amsterdam, but very very expensive!
Personally, with my small budget, I had to look for a cheap hotel but well located in the center of Amsterdam (priority criterion), and that was not an easy thing! Here is the very small and simple hotel that I booked for my 4 days in Amsterdam: the Hotel Internationaal.
Right next to the station, it is very practical for doing everything on foot, even for trips by train or bus.
Do you want to go to Venice? Here is my itinerary for a city tour of Venice
Or why not a week in the south of Spain: Road trip in Andalusia