If you’ve spent any time on social media, you’ve probably seen pictures of the Netherlands in the spring. If you haven’t, picture this: beautiful canals, windmills, and stunning tulip fields stretching all across the horizon. In short – this is one of the most quaint, most charming, most beautiful countries on Earth! So, naturally, we had to plan a visit.
We decided we’d see the entire “Benelux” region on this trip. The “Benelux” region includes Belgium (Be), the Netherlands (Ne), and Luxembourg (Lux). While we certainly did not have enough time to explore each country fully, we were able to have a fantastic sample that is definitely going to bring us back one day.
This trip had a little bit of everything – incredible food (including 2 different walking food tours), loads of chocolate, stunning architecture and canals, and of course a bit of history. We hope this itinerary will inspire you to visit the Benelux next spring!
Table of Contents
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Day 1 – Brussels
We arrived in Brussels via train from Paris, then walked 10 minutes from the Brussels Central train station to the Brussels Marriott Hotel Grand Place. This is a beautiful hotel in a perfect location right next to Grand Place that we highly recommend staying in.
After checking in we walked around to get the lay of the land before stopping by Friterie Tabora for some fries with amazing andalouse sauce. This is a hard spot to miss due to the line that is sure to be out of the door, but it’s well worth the wait!
After enjoying our fries we made our way to Grand Place Square, the most famous landmark in Brussels and a striking square that often ranks among the most beautiful in Europe. We agreed that it was very nice, though we wouldn’t necessarily rank it quite that high. On the far end of the square from Friterie Tabora we stopped at Restaurant T. Kelderke for delicious mussels and beer directly in the square.
After our snack we made our way to Mary’s Chocolaterie, one of if not the best chocolate shops in Belgium. Mary Delluc founded the shop in 1919, quickly established herself with the quality of her chocolate, and eventually earned the Belgian Royal Warrant in 1942. If you try any chocolate in Brussels, make sure it is Mary’s!
For dinner we went to Brasserie Ommegang, a popular spot just outside of Grand Place Square. We ordered the seabass, steak, and their famous Flemish beef stew. The beef stew was slightly on the sweeter side but was very highly recommended and delicious.
After dinner we walked through Les Galeries Royales Saint Hubert, a series of 3 passageways built in the 19th Century for Belgians to have access to shops even when the weather is poor. After seeing these passages we continued on to Grand Place Square to see it all lit up in the evening.
One of the best things to do in Belgium is eating Belgian waffles, and we made sure to get one each day of our trip. This first night we went to Belgium Waffles Brunch and ordered a Brussels waffle (Classic Belgian waffle that is light and airy) with chocolate sauce, bananas and strawberry gelato. You can also order a Liege waffle that is a bit thicker, sugar coated, and chewier. Either of them are fantastic!
Here are some restaurant and food ideas for Brussels:
- Mary’s Chocolates – famous chocolate shop
- Atelier – more delicious chocolate with unique options
- Noordzee Seafood – Mer du Nord – highly rated
- Tonton Garby for baguette sandwiches – line can get long
- Delirium Bar – more than 3000 beers to try
- Bia Mara- fish and chips shop that is highly rated
- Yummy bowl- highly rated healthy bowls
- Surrealiste- Belgium brew pub
- Restaurant ‘T Kelderke – Belgian food in the heart of the Grand Place
- Fin de Siècle – A staple in Brussels with highly rated braised beef – go early!
- The Blue Restaurant- Belgium cuisine, good ratings, and open everyday
- Pasta Divina- closed Sunday
- Gaston for ice cream
- Mozart- all you can eat spare ribs
Day 2 – Walking Food Tour and Brussels
This morning we woke started with a light breakfast at our hotel before venturing out into the city for the day.
We made our way to the meeting point in front of Mary’s Chocolate in Grand Place for our Belgian beer and food tour. The tour lasted for approximately 3.5 hours and began with an overview of Belgian and Brussels history in Grand Place Square. From Grand Place Square we walked to the Manneken Pis statue to check out what he was wearing this day – he has over 1000 outfits that are changed daily!
After seeing the statue we made our way back to Mary’s in Grand Place for our first tasting of chocolates. The chocolate was incredible! We ended up going back to buy some to take home later in the trip. We also tried chocolate at Galler just down the street, which was delicious as well!
After our chocolate tasting we continued the tour by walking past Delerium Village, a Brussels staple serving over 2,000 beers! Then we continued on to the tour company’s private restaurant for a sit down meal of mussels served with a Belgian blonde and meatballs in a cherry sauce served with a local amber ale.
After our meal we continued on our tour to Les Galeries Royales Saint Hubert for our final tasting of a classic Belgian waffle served the traditional way with powdered sugar at Mokafe. Overall, this was a fantastic tour that we highly recommend!
After the tour we continued on our own walking tour of Brussels towards Saint Nicholas Church, a church that dates to 1125 and today has been adapted for modern city life with shops built onto the exterior walls. We walked further to Mont des Arts and the Royal Palace of Brussels, two beautiful sites that must be on your list to see in the city!
By this point we decided to sample some Belgian beers at Delirium Village. When we visited they were offering flights of 10 beers to try, though you can only order it on the third level. It was really fun to try so many different types of beer! Regardless of the flight, visiting Delirium is a must when in Brussels.
For dinner we went to Fin de Siecle, a very highly recommended local spot that will show up on every top restaurant list from both locals and tourists. We ordered their braised beef and short ribs, each of which was delicious.
After dinner we ordered a liege Belgian waffle, something that became a tradition each night in Belgium. We decided we liked the liege waffle more than the Brussels waffle, but each of them are incredible in their own right.
Some other top sites in Brussels that we did not see:
- St. Michaels and St. Gudula Cathedral
- European Quarter – mini Europe
Outside the City Center:
- The Atomium
- The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Koekelberg
- Parc du Cinquantenaire- triumphal arc
Day 3 – Battle of Bastogne, Luxembourg, Dinant
This was a big day of travel with a lot to see, so we started the day early. We Ubered 25 minutes from our hotel to the Brussels Airport to pick up a rental car for the day. We rented the car with Europe Car through Trip.com and it was an incredibly smooth and easy pick up process.
From the airport we drove 1 hour and 40 minutes to the Bastogne War Museum. The Bastogne War Museum is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Battle of the Bulge, where more than 600,000 US and hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers stopped the last great offensive operation by the German army in WWII. In this battle more than 19,000 Americans were killed.
We bought our ticket in advance (which we highly recommend) for an entry between 10-10:30am. The permanent exhibit was an interactive tour which took about 1.5 hours.
At the end of the museum is the Generations 45 experience, a film lasting about 30 minutes which follows the paths of American and German veterans after the war. We highly recommend not skipping this and watching the entire thing!
The museum also includes access to the Bois Jacques battlefield located just 5 minutes away. Here we were able to see the actual foxholes dug by Americans to hold off the German advance the fateful winter. It was a humbling experience to walk through part of the battlefield where so many Americans were wounded or killed.
This was a fantastic museum with several interactive experiences to give a great feel for what the soldiers went through in 1944. The highlight might be seeing the real foxholes dug in the Ardennes Forest that have survived for 80 years and are still clearly visible.
We left the Ardennes forest at 1:00pm to drive 1 more hour to Luxembourg City. There are several parking garages in the city, but we chose to park at Garage Knuedler which is in a perfect location close to the main sites and very easy to get in and out of. We were parked for about 3 hours for $6.
When we arrived we explored a bit before stopping for lunch at Brasserie Restaurant L’Hetre Beim Musee. We really liked this restaurant! It is a really fun atmosphere with excellent food, wine, and service. We tried Luxembourg’s sparkling wine, the Cremant, which we really enjoyed as well. On a nice day you can sit outside on the patio and enjoy beautiful views over Luxembourg!
After lunch we walked around to the outskirts of Old Town to see the Three Towers Gate into the city. We then made our way back into Old Town and walked into Place d’Armes, a central square surrounded by different cafes and restaurants, along with the City Palace.
We walked further and stopped by the Grand Ducal Palace, the official residence of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg – the head of state of Luxembourg. The residence is guarded by members of the Luxembourg military today. We then walked over to Notre Dame Cathedral of Luxembourg, a very beautiful church that is free to enter and shouldn’t be missed!
After seeing the church we walked past Place de la Constitution, a beautiful square that has incredible views of the capital. We continued across the Pont Adolphe Bridge, the bridge spans the Petrusse River that connects the historically fortified city center with the sprawl that built up after the Treaty of London in 1867. On the other side of the river we saw Plateau Bourbon, a neighborhood named after the old Fort Bourbon fortification that was torn down after the Treaty of London.
Luxembourg is so charming overall and we would highly recommend it as a day trip from Brussels. We easily could have spent more time exploring this city but we were tired after going to the Bastogne War Museum, so we began the long drive back to Brussels after only a few hours in the city.
Here are a couple other food options/things to try in Luxembourg:
- Rieslingspaschteit- Riesling pork pie
- Cremant -Luxembourg sparkling wine
- Jambon- cured ham- at Brasserie Guillaume
- Brasserie Restaurant L’Hetre Beim Musee
- Gromperekichelcher- potato pancakes
- Kniddelen- Luxembourg dumplings
- Wainzoossiss- sausage
- Namur – iconic patisserie in downtown
Viewpoints not to miss: Chemin de la Corniche, Great View Point, Point de Vue, and Pfaffenthal Panoramic Elevator
On our drive back home we stopped by Dinant, another beautiful looking town in Belgium that was right along the way to Brussels. From Luxembourg City it was about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
We considered getting dinner in Dinant, but we had eaten a late lunch so we decided not to. Many of the restaurants had terrible online reviews and did not look very inviting. It was nice for a quick stop to see the iconic Citadel of Dinant and La Collegiale Notre-Dame. The bridge you cross over the La Meuse River is lined with colorful saxophone statues dedicated Adolphe Sax, who invented the saxophone and was born in Dinant.
Dinant was good for a quick stop, but we think it can be skipped overall. There wasn’t much to do other than see the view and potentially go up to the citadel, so you don’t need very long in the city. After an hour or so in Dinant we made our way back to Brussels.
For dinner we just had some Belgian frites with andalouse sauce and a burger from Friterie Tabora, and of course a waffle for our quick dinner after arriving back in Brussels at 9:20pm. We know, we know – very nutritious! (But seriously very delicious!)
Day 4 – Ghent
This was our last day in Brussels, so we began the day with one last trip to check out Manneken Pis’ outfit before walking 10 minutes to Brussels Central train station for our train to Ghent. We highly recommend downloading the SNCB app to buy your train tickets!
When we arrived in Ghent we Ubered 15 minutes to the Ghent Marriott Hotel which we loved. It is a very nice hotel in a perfect location right along main Sea Canal.
We began our exploration of Ghent by walking over the Meulestede Bridge to the Saint Nicholas Church. Saint Nicholas Church is an iconic landmark in Ghent and dates all the way back to the early 13th Century. Over the centuries the church began to deteriorate, and cracks were plastered and windows bricked up to help reinforce the building. Interest in restoring and preserving the church really rose in the mid 19th Century, saving the church for the present day. The best part – it’s free to enter!
After exploring Saint Nicholas Church we made our way back to the Marriott for a light lunch and drink. The hotel has tables right along the canal, so we sat and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine, views, and surprisingly delicious food. This was an excellent way to spend an afternoon!
After lunch we walked through Graffiti Street, the local government’s way of keeping Ghent beautiful. Essentially this “rule free” zone is reserved exclusively for street art, thereby limiting graffiti in other areas. The only rule is don’t cover up someone’s work if it’s better than yours!
From Graffiti Street we continued a few minutes to Vrijdagmarkt, a square in Ghent named after the weekly market held here on Fridays. The center of the square has a statue of Jacob van Artevelde, the “Wise Man of Ghent” who aligned several key Flemish towns in an armed neutrality at the beginning of the 100 Year’s War, ensuring the vital English wool could reach Ghent and allow it to prosper.
After seeing the market square we explored some souvenir shops before stopping for dinner at Twilight Sushi. The sushi here was actually very good and we’d recommend it! One cool aspect of the restaurant is that the sushi is served in a boat if you order enough (which of course we did).
In the late evening we made our way to The Cobbler, a charming cocktail bar that can’t be missed! To get there you go up a winding flight of stairs before being treated to views of the canal, a fantastic atmosphere, and delicious cocktails. The overall vibe was extremely pleasant and it was the perfect end to our first day in Ghent.
Here are some additional restaurant ideas in Ghent:
- Carbonnade Flamande (Stoverij)- slow cooked beef stew with beer
- Waterzooi- creamy seafood stew
- Wurst- hotdog shop
- Balls & Glory
- Luv L’oeuf- breakfast
- Dulle Griet- has over 500 beers and you have to give up your shoe until you finish your beer!
- Waterhuis aan de Bierkant- beer bar with a view of the water
- Cuberdon- Belgian gummy candy
- Giuseppes for Nepalese pizza – highly recommend!
- Jacks House and Koffie 3,14 Thee stalls for Liege- sugar coated waffle
- Luc Van Hoorebeke for chocolate pralines
- Mokabon – coffee shop
- Meat Factory Ghent- French steakhouse
- The Cobbler -Cocktail bar- walk ins only
- Jigger- cocktail lounge
- Liquor store- Vine Y Vino
Day 5 – Ghent
Today we spent the entire day in Ghent, making sure we saw all the major sites! We began the morning with breakfast at our hotel before heading to a chocolate shop for our chocolate making class that we booked the day before!
The workshop was about 1.5 hours and was one of the most fun things we did on the trip! It was perfect. We began by peeling the cacao beans before actually grinding the beans down to make our own chocolate bar. The bowl itself is very warm to star the chocolate melting just a bit, but as you grind it you’ll also force some oil out that will eventually make the chocolate more like liquid and smooth. Making chocolate is no joke!
In addition to our own homemade chocolate, we also tried chocolate tea made from the skins of the cocoa beans and a homemade hot chocolate. To end we sampled a series of the shop’s chocolates. This was a really fun experience that you definitely can’t miss while in Ghent!
After the chocolate making class we hustled to the Belfry of Ghent for our 12:40 entry slot. Construction of the Belfry began around 1300, and through the centuries it has served as a bell tower, fortification, and the house of important municipal documents. Around 1380 the famous gilded dragon assumed its place atop the tower, though the Belfry would go through several renovations through the following centuries. We booked our tickets in advance online for $11 and we definitely think it was worth it.
After exploring the tower we went next door to St. Bavo’s Cathedral, a free to enter absolutely gorgeous cathedral. The main draw of the cathedral is the famous Ghent Altarpiece, the “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb”, one of the oldest and most beautiful oil paintings in the world. The Ghent Altarpiece is also the subject of the book/film The Monument’s Men, further adding to its fame. It costs $12 to enter the part of the cathedral where the painting is housed and while we booked this in advance, you can also purchase tickets when you arrive.
After leaving the cathedral we purchased some souvenirs and then got a light lunch by the canal with a lovely view since it was another beautiful day. We ordered the same thing as the day before – shrimp croquettes and a caesar salad.
In the late afternoon we made our way to Gravensteen Castle (Castle of the Counts), which features a humorous audio guide. Entry is $12, and it is open from 10am-6pm. We reserved the last entry time slot of 4:20-4:40pm and finished the tour in just over an hour. It was a really neat castle with interesting history, so it is definitely worth seeing.
For dinner we had reservations at 7pm at the Meat Factory, Ghent. This restaurant is absolutely delicious for excellent steaks or burgers. We each got a steak, either the filet mignon or ribeye, and each steak comes with a green salad and potatoes, croquettes, or fries. The wine selection is also very good and reasonably priced, so if you are in the mood for a steak we highly recommend the Meat Factory.
After dinner we walked around enjoying the evening atmosphere of Ghent, with all the churches and architecture fully illuminated. For dessert Emily stopped by Oyya, a nice little ice cream shop where she ordered the banana and chocolate gelato. It was really good and so smooth and creamy! Matt ordered a liege waffle from there as well that was also quite good and very affordable.
Day 6 – Bruges
Today we took a day trip to Bruges, a very popular town just a 30 minute train ride from Ghent. In order to get there we walked about 20 minutes to the Ghent Dampoort train station in order to catch the train over.
Upon arrival at the Bruges train station we walked about 20 minutes from the train station to the St. Johns Apothecarie Hospital, a 12th Century well-preserved hospital that offers an interesting glimpse back into medicine of the past. There is an interesting museum to explore if this is a topic that intrigues you!
From the hospital we continued to Grote Markt (Market Square), the heart of Bruges that is surrounded by historic buildings and cafes. This market square has been the center of life in Bruges for more than 1000 years, and we even were able to experience a typical Bruges market. The craziest part is that the market was completely cleaned up by the afternoon!
On one end of the Grote Markt is the Belfry, the nearly 300 foot tall tower that has dominated the Bruges skyline since the 13th Century. You can climb to the top for a great view over the city, though we opted not to.
After walking around for several hours we stopped at 2be Bar for a beer (of course!). The most interesting part of this bar is the beer wall that has empty beer bottles of hundreds of the different beers offered. The best part of the bar is the patio that sits right along a canal allowing you to sip beer with an incredible view. When it’s colder you can turn one of the personal heaters on for 50 cents per 20 minutes. All in all this was a great stop!
For lunch we walked just across the canal from 2be to Bistro ‘tLammetje. This restaurant was very highly rated and we could easily see why! We ordered their waterzooi (creamy fish soup) and the Flemish beef stew, each of which was delicious and a great way to experience true Flemish food. We were very happy to have stopped here and would recommend it for anyone in Bruges!
From lunch we walked down the Blind Ezelstraat (also known as Blind Donkey Street) next to Burg Square, one of the most narrow and charming streets in Bruges. It’s definitely worth at least walking by this area for beautiful pictures.
Bruges also is famous for a specific kind of lace that originated in the city in the 16th Century. This lace became so popular that lace schools popped up in Bruges to keep the thriving industry going. If you are interested, definitely check out some of the local lace shops!
Matt and Emily’s dad went to the Bruges Beer Museum for the beer experience while Emily and her mom went to Le Panier d’Or in Market Square for an Aperol Spritz. The beer experience was $20 for an in depth overview of beer and the brewing process, and even included 3 glasses of beer of your choice at the end. If you like beer at all, this is a can’t miss experience! They may or may not have it on tap, but the best beer we tried was definitely the Cornet.
We continued our tour of Bruges with a stroll along the picturesque canals. Because we were going to do a canal cruise in Amsterdam we did not do a boat tour of Bruges, though that is one of the top rated experiences in the city.
In the late afternoon we began making our way back to the train station, but first we stopped in St. Salvator’s Cathedral, the main church of Bruges. The church is one of the few buildings in the area to survive nearly unscathed – save a roof collapse in the 19th Century – throughout the last few centuries. We sat in the lovely interior and listened to the organist practicing for service.
Several other things to do in Bruges that we did not get to:
- Walk around the Rosary Quay – nearby is the Fish Market and Tanners Square
- On a rainy day, go to Historium Bruges – Museum that guides visitors through a virtual storytelling experience.
- Beguinage – convent garden and lace shops- a craft that has been done there for many years
- Stroll through Minnewater Park
The last thing we saw in Bruges before reaching the train station was Castillo de La Faille and Lover’s Bridge, both situated along the “Lake of Love.” The views along this lake are lovely and were the perfect way to wrap up our time in Bruges.
For your trip to Bruges, here are the top rated Chocolatiers:
- Chocolatier Dumon
- Pralinette
- The Chocolate Line
- Most famous chocolatier is Jeff de Bruges
Here are some restaurants to consider in Bruges:
- That’s Toast
- Soup
- Nomad – for trendy health options
- House of Waffles – highly rated for great waffles savory and sweet
- Lizzies Wafels
- 2be Bar – beer wall bar on the water
- ‘tBagientje – locals spot for lunch or dinner
- t’Klaverblad – French restaurant
- De Gastro
- Sanseveria Bagelsalon
- Get a drink at the oldest pub in Bruges Cafe Vlissinghe
- De Halve Maan Brewery
When we arrived back in Ghent we stopped for dinner at Giuseppe’s Pizza Forno a Legna. This is some of the best pizza we have ever had! It is Napoleon style with the most delicious woodfire crust. We highly recommend this place if you are looking for amazing pizza for very affordable prices.
We walked around Ghent in the evening one last time to see the beautiful architecture lit up before we were off to Amsterdam in the morning. We really love it here and could not recommend visiting enough! We think it’s easily one of the 17 most underrated cities in Europe and should be on your short list of places to visit.
Day 7 – Amsterdam
Today we made our way to the final stop of our trip, Amsterdam. The train from Ghent Dampoort includes a transfer in Antwerp and takes just under 2.5 hours. We paid $98 per person and booked it 1.5 months in advance as tickets sell out very quickly in the high season. We used the NS International app to book them and it was a very smooth process!
When we arrived in Amsterdam we Ubered from the train station to our hotel, The Radisson Blu Hotel Amsterdam City Center. We really enjoyed this hotel as well and once again the location was great! We would have loved to stay in the Jordaan, though there are not many hotels and it is much more expensive. If you can find a good deal that would be the best place to stay!
We then walked just around the corner to Rent-a-bike Amsterdam to pick up bikes for the next few days. It is a pay when done system, though you must leave an ID with the shop until you return the bikes. The bikes were ~$15 per day for regular which is perfect for biking around the city, or ~$34 per day for e-assist if you are going around the countryside.
We will say that biking around Amsterdam is not for the timid! You have to commit and be assertive as there are a lot of bikers and tourist pedestrians. Be confident and very vigilant as you have to look in all directions when you come to areas of crossing as there are no real rules for who has the right of way. Cars always stop for the bikers but other bikers and careless walkers certainly do not. We really enjoyed the experience of biking around Amsterdam but if you are more uncertain on a bike and want a careless leisurely ride then this is definitely not for you.
We also highly recommend that when you rent your bike that you rent the phone holder for $3.00 so you can pull up maps to see where you are biking while keeping your hands free to be able to brake properly and on a dime if needed.
Also when walking around, the sidewalks can get very congested with lots of people, but always check for bikers before stepping in the street to pass people so there are no head on collisions. You have to really pay attention and look in all directions for bikers before crossing streets.
Now back to the itinerary – we made our way to The Seafood Bar for lunch. They have a happy hour everyday from 3-5pm, which includes $1.50 oysters. We got 3 dozen oysters, grilled octopus, fish and chips, shrimp, and calamari that was all delicious. The fish and chips were very lightly fried so they were not heavy at all. This was amazing and there are multiple locations all across the city!
After getting our fill of oysters we went to the meeting place for our small group canal cruise. The tour lasts about 2 hours and is a wonderful way to see the city. Make sure to book in advance in order to get a small group experience!
Overall we enjoyed this cruise as it was nice to get a different view of Amsterdam and see so many canals. We were served wine, cheese, stroopwafels, and bitterballen all on the cruise. Make sure you go to the bathroom beforehand as there is no bathroom on board!
After our cruise we walked to De Belhamel for our 8pm dinner reservations. De Belhamel is a nice French restaurant, though we recommend making reservations and in order to do that you have to put down a deposit of $25 per person.
The food was delicious but portion sizes were on the smaller side. We shared the Entrecote and Lobster Tagliatelle. It is a cute restaurant with a nice ambience and on a warmer evening has tables outside right on the canal.
For dessert we made our way to the extremely popular Winkel 43, recently famous for their apple pie. It was a really chilly night so we decided to get the pie to go since the restaurant was full inside, though we recommend eating it there because the pie is served hot. The pie overall was really good, but not our favorite of the trip (more on that soon) and the homemade whipped cream was delicious.
With our pie in hand we walked back to our hotel and enjoyed Amsterdam in the evening light. It is a beautiful city, especially in the Jordaan area so the walk was very pleasant.
Day 8 – Anne Frank House and Walking Food Tour
We began the day with breakfast at the hotel before biking 7 minutes to the Anne Frank House. The walk would have taken 20 minutes, so the bikes came in handy! Quick note on tickets for the Anne Frank House – they sell out extremely quickly. Tickets for an entire week are released on their website 6 weeks in advance on Tuesday morning at 10AM Central European Time (4AM EST). Popular times will be gone within ~5-10 minutes, so if you want to go make sure you plan in advance!
Our entry time was for 11:15, which allowed us to enter the house anytime between 11:15-11:30. Our self-guided tour took about an hour and included a personal audio guide which provides a very interesting and detailed overview of the Frank family’s tragic experiences and how they survived in such a small space. Unfortunately no pictures are allowed inside and it gets pretty crowded, but this is a must see on your visit to Amsterdam to understand the horrors of the Holocaust in the Netherlands.
We finished our visit of the Anne Frank House around 12:20 (so just about an hour as expected) and decided to bike over to the Amsterdam Zoo to see the famous flamingo exhibit. While the zoo itself is fairly expensive, the flamingos are visible outside the fence and visitors do not need to pay to see them.
From the flamingo exhibit we biked another 10 minutes over to the outside of the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum, though we did not go inside either. They are both worth visiting, we just did not have the time on this trip. We continued our biking tour to Vondel Park, a beautiful expanse of greenery right in the city. We decided to bike around the entire park which was a lovely experience.
After our pleasant bike ride we rode back to the hotel to drop off the bikes for the day before walking to a different The Seafood Bar because their happy hour was just too good of a deal! We again ordered the $1.50 oysters and fish and chips because they were incredible the day before. On the way to the restaurant we also saw Dam Square, the main town square and central meeting point of Amsterdam, and the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. The Royal Palace is still at the disposal of the Dutch monarch, though their main residence is in The Hague. You can do a free audio tour of the palace if you wish!
After our snack we popped into several souvenir shops including Heinen Delfts Blauw and Uniqlo along The Damrak, the main road that connects Dam Square and the Amsterdam Central Train Station. We then made the way to the meeting point of our walking food tour at 5pm.
The first stop of our walking food tour with Eating Europe was at Cafe Hegeraad for the single most delicious apple pie we’ve ever had. Winkel 43 just happened to be on the same block, but we can definitively say that Cafe Hegeraad’s pie was better (and less touristy!). We enjoyed it so much that we actually ended up going back the next 2 nights for apple pie.
The next stop on the tour was Kaasland, a local cheese shop where we were treated to a Dutch cheese tasting. In the shop we tried 3 different cheeses that were representative of the Netherlands, and each was absolutely delicious!
The third stop on the tour was Cafe De Poort, a cozy brown cafe where we sampled Dutch sashimi and lightly fried fish kibbling. The Dutch sashimi is unique to say the least, consisting of raw herring. It’s definitely something you need to try while in the Netherlands, even if it may not seem the most appetizing!
For our next course we went to Swieti Sranag for an incredible peanut chicken on a skewer that just might have been the best thing on the tour! Then we stopped at Cafe de Prins for bitterballen (perhaps the most famous dish in Amsterdam) and a choice of beer, wine, or Dutch jenever. The “most Dutch” option was the bitterballen and jenever, so most of the group opted for that and it was quite good!
For dessert and our last stop of the evening we went to Pats Poffertjes Oude Leliestraat for mini pancakes. These pancakes were absolutley delicious and while we only had them the traditional way with powdered sugar, they also offer them with chocolate or other sauces. This was the perfect way to end the tour. We highly recommend the walking food tour and think it was the perfect way to experience delicious local eateries and food!
After the tour we strolled around the Jordaan neighborhood for a bit admiring the beautiful architecture and canals. Later in the evening we were still a little hungry due to the smaller portion sizes on the walking food tour, so we went to Tokyo Ramen Takeichi and got their soy sauce chicken broth ramen. The service was fantastic and quick, and the food was delicious. W highly recommend it if you are looking for great ramen!
Day 9 – Utrecht and Wine Tasting
Today we decided to spend the majority of the day outside of Amsterdam exploring another lovely Dutch town – Utrecht. But first we returned the rental bikes before walking to the Begijnhof, the oldest inner courtyard in Amsterdam. Constructed in 1574, the Begijnhof is still a community with active residents, so the courtyard closes to tourists at 6pm each evening and visitors are advised to keep as quiet as possible while visiting. It is a gorgeous community and it is easy to see why people live here despite the tourism.
On the way to the train station we stopped by Oude Kirk, the oldest church in Amsterdam. In fact, Oude Kirk is the oldest building in Amsterdam, dating back 1306 when it officially opened. You can pay to go inside, however we decided not to. Also on the way we passed the St. Nicholas Church just before the train station.
Trains to Utrecht run very frequently, and it’s only a short 26 minute ride over. When we exited the train station in Utrecht there is a huge mall that you immediately exit into. The mall is incredibly clean and modern, and it actually spans over a canal which was a really interesting feature.
After exiting the mall we walked directly to the flower market in order to see the famous Anne Frank statue. Though she was not from Utrecht, the youth of the city presented the statue to the municipality in 1960 as a way of thanking them for their support of various youth organizations. The statue is credited with being the first statue of Anne Frank anywhere in the world.
From there we explored some of the streets, specifically along the beautiful canals before heading to St. Martin’s Cathedral. At one time the largest church in the Netherlands, it suffered a major collapse of the nave in 1674. This left the tower isolated from the rest of the church which presents a really fascinating cityscape today.
For lunch we went to Dogma, a specialty hotdog restaurant that could not have been more highly rated. You might be thinking, “really, a hot dog restaurant? In the Netherlands? No way.” But these are no ordinary hotdogs, and this just might be the best hotdog we’ve ever had. There are 12 special options, we ordered the number 2 and number 6, shared a fry and a Dogma salad – all absolutely delicious! We highly recommend this restaurant.
We walked to It’s a Present, a shop that is famous for having a swing over one of the canals. Unfortunately for us the swing was down when we visited, but it may be back up at some point in the future! Instead we went to Het Ijsdomein for gelato and we loved it! In fact it was so good that we went back later for another serving.
When we visited the city was having a rowing competition, so we stumbled upon that and watched for a bit before continuing our exploration down the canal for a place to grab a drink. Eventually we found one and sat for about an hour before beginning the trek back to Amsterdam.
We took the 5pm train back to Amsterdam and arrived at 5:31. From the train station we walked 17 minutes to Design and Wijn for our Dutch Wine Tasting in a Speakeasy at 6pm.
The tasting experience lasts about 1.5 hours and includes snacks of bread and olive oil. For an additional $20 you can also book a cheese plate that looked pretty good. We absolutely loved getting to try Dutch wines as very, very few are exported to the US and it is unlikely you’ll ever find one back home. We really liked 3 out of the 5 wines we tried and made sure to buy a few bottles to take home!
After the wine tasting we went to Linguini Trattoria for our 8:30pm reservation. The restaurant was delicious! We started with the burrata and prosciutto and shared a bottle of Montepulciano. The pasta here was so good, and we even ordered an extra ravioli with lemon ricotta to share because we wanted to try it. Each dish was so, so good and this is a great option for when you’re in Amsterdam!
For dessert we returned to Cafe Hegeraad for another slice of their apple pie with whipped cream because it was so amazing. We told you before it was the best apple pie we’ve ever had! Seriously, go here and you won’t regret it!
Day 10 – Keukenhof
For our last full day in the Netherlands we took a trip to Keukenhof to see the main event – the beautiful tulip fields that the Netherlands is known for! We booked a tour that took us not only to the tulip fields, but also to Zaanse Schans for the famous Dutch windmills.
The meeting point for the tour was next to the train station, and from there it was a 45 minute drive to the Keukenhof Tulip Gardens. Not every tour will start with Keukenhof – it all depends on when the tour is able to secure tickets. Once in Keukenhof we had 2.5 hours of free time to wander around and grab some lunch.
We explored all the grounds of the tulip gardens, making sure to enjoy all the beautiful flower fields. At one point we stopped for a delicious burger from a food truck, then for dessert we found a hot Belgian waffle. The gardens also have a few souvenir shops, so leave time to explore those as well! Just be prepared – the gardens in peak season will likely be very busy, but it is still worth it to see the gorgeous gardens.
Unfortunately at Keukenhof you don’t have the opportunity to walk through fields of tulips like you see on social media. We learned that those pictures are usually taken with biking tours where you bike around the countryside and can stop along the way. Our driver did pull over to the side of the road for us to take a quick picture by a field before hopping back in for the ride to Zaandam.
We continued on the 30 minute drive to Zaanse Schans, a traditional Dutch town featuring beautiful wooden green houses. Many of the houses were relocated from other parts of the Netherlands to create the look and feel of an 18/19th Century Dutch town. The government created the town to preserve their history and people still live in the homes today.
Our guide led us on a walking tour of the village, delving into the entire history of the homes and the town. He took us directly up to the (still functional) windmills, and we were able to to go inside one that used to be used for grinding. When we went inside we were able to actually see the windmills in action which was a really cool experience. We also were able to climb to the top by means of a steep ladder.
After our tour of the windmills we were able to go to Catharina Hoeve Cheese Farm for a Dutch gouda making tutorial and after we were able to taste various cheeses. After sampling the cheeses we bought several small wheels to take home and they have excellent gifts to bring back including (obviously) the cheese, special cheese slicers they use, mini mustard, and a wooden painted tulip and white and blue clog ornament.
After the cheese taking we walked over to Koojman Souvenirs and Clogs Wooden Workshop where we were given a live clog making demonstration. It was fascinating watching how they were made and learning all about why they wear them. It turns out they are extremely practical!
We were then left with 30 minutes of free time before heading home, so we stopped and ordered a stroopwafel which was absolutely delicious. After time was up we drove the 30 minutes back to Amsterdam and returned right at 5pm. For our last evening in Amsterdam we wanted to soak in the Jordaan area since it was the best part of the city. We just loved the quiet, peace, and charm of the area and highly recommend that you spend a lot of time there wandering the streets and canals.
For dinner we went to an Argentinian Steakhouse called Luna. We did not have reservations so we went early enough to make sure we didn’t need them. A lot more people started showing up by 7:00pm. The Argentinian steak and salad was delicious, as was a fantastic bottle of Malbec. Just a note – the steaks are slightly undercooked compared to US standards so just keep that in mind.
Once again we just had to end the trip with another slice of amazing apple pie with whipped cream at Cafe Hegeraad. Afterwards we walked around a bit for the evening to enjoy the city in the evening light. We popped into Adonis & Venus for a glass of wine at their bar to end an incredible evening. It was a nice ambience with good wine.
If you want to add another fun thing to do after the tour you can book a time online to go to A’Dam Lookout– highest swing in Europe. Walk to Central Station and take the free ferry over to it.
Here are some additional restaurant ideas in Amsterdam:
- Kaasbar – Cheese Bar
- Cheesecake Project – Basque style cheesecake
- Lucky House Amsterdam – For dumplings
- Canela – Tons of cinnamon rolls
- Fabel for Paremsean fries
- Chun for Korean sandwiches
- Louren – known for pistachio everything!
- Hans Egstorf for stroopwafels- oldest bakery in Amsterdam
- Van Wonderen – Stroopwafel
- Cafe Papeneiland and Cafe de Poort for apple pie
- Proeflokaal Arendsnest- cool looking bar
- De Reiger- gastro pub highly rated- by the Anne frank House
- Monty’s Toasties and zero zero for sandwiches
- Bar Bellini for dinner
- Brasserie De Lewte
- Linguini for Pasta
- De Belhamel- French cuisine
- Pomorosso pizza
- Toki- cafe for coffee and banana bread
- Lolo- Italian- pretty interior
- Fiona- Mexican
- Sotto Pizza
- Yusu Cafe for matcha and fig pie
- Seafood bar- $1.50 oysters from 3-5pm
- Rudi’s Original Stroopwaffles in Albert Cuyp Market
Some wine/cocktail bars
- Flying Dutchman Cocktails
- Door 74 – Speakeasy Bar
- Glou Glou Wine Bar – highly rated
- Kikkie Van De Prnsensluis – great for getting wine right along a canal
There you have it! That is our incredible 10 day trip through Belgium and the Netherlands. We hope that this will help you plan your next amazing vacation!