Amsterdam, Utrecht, and the North Sea
2 HOURS AGO
October 2026
This year’s fall break began in Iceland, as I shared in last week’s letter, before we headed to the Netherlands for the final 4 days of our trip. We had visited Amsterdam once before and loved it so much that we had dreamed of a return ever since. This time, we ventured into a few new places, and our love for the country grew even more.
Our Itinerary at a Glance
Monday October 12 – Arriving in Utrecht
- Fly from Reykjavik to Amsterdam
- Transfer to Utrecht
- Dinner at vandeStreek Oudegracht
Tuesday October 13 – A Day in Amsterdam
- Coffee at The Village Coffee and Music
- Train to Amsterdam
- Walk through the Nine Streets
- Brunch at Pancakehouse Upstairs
- Upside Down Amsterdam
- Browse Albert Cuyp Market
- Fries at Heertje Friet
- Anne Frank House Tour at 5:15 pm
- Train back to Utrecht
- Pizza from Pizza Beppe
Wednesday October 14 – Cycling the Dunes and North Sea Coast
- Breakfast and Coffee at Black Brew
- Train to the Hague, then tram to Scheveningen
- Rent Bikes from Hague City Bikes Scheveningen location
- Cycle along the boulevard and through Meijendel Dunes
- Lunch at Boerderij Meyendel
- Return to Scheveningen, then train back to Utrecht
- Dinner from the local grocery store
Thursday October 15 – Countryside Cycling and Kasteel de Haar
- Coffee at The Village Coffee and Music
- Uber to Haarzuilens to rent bikes from Fiets en Tandemverhuur Verhoef
- Visit Kasteel de Haar
- Cycle a countryside loop (routes 12 to 14 to 94 to 11)
- Lunch at ‘t Wapen van Haarzuylen
- Visit Geertjes Hoeve, a childrens farm
- Return bikes
- Uber back to Utrecht
- Explore Utrecht’s historic center and the Dom Tower
- Drinks at Cafe Marktzicht
- Pack up for the journey home
From Reykjavik to Amsterdam
Monday was our travel day from Iceland to the Netherlands. This time, we decided to stay in the city of Utrecht instead of Amsterdam.
Utrecht is a university town about 30 minutes by train from Amsterdam. It is smaller than Amsterdam, but shares many of the things we love about Dutch cities: beautiful canals, historic architecture, and streets full of cyclists. Its central train station also makes it an easy base for exploring the rest of the country.
One of Utrecht’s most distinctive features is the two-level canal system. The canals sit below street level in places, with wharf cellars opening directly onto the water. Some of these spaces now house restaurants and cafes with terraces along the canals.
We were really happy with our choice to stay in Utrecht. It felt lively, but a little quieter than Amsterdam, with more of a local feel. It suited us and the way we prefer to travel.
We arrived in late afternoon, dropped our bags at the house and went in search of dinner within walking distance. We found a table at vandestreek Oudegracht, a taproom and restaurant along the historic canal. We visited on a cool evening and sat indoors, but the outdoor terrace would be a lovely spot on a warm afternoon.
We ordered several small plates to share, along with drinks. The staff was welcoming, and the meal hit the spot after a day of travel.
Tuesday in Amsterdam
Traveling with teens introduced a new strategy into our travel planning – making sure everyone gets enough sleep. For this trip, we avoided early starts and allowed for slow mornings and extra sleep before heading out to explore in the afternoon.
On Tuesday, we planned a day in Amsterdam, revisiting a few places we had enjoyed on our previous trip while adding some new experiences. It happened to be a windy day with occasional drizzle, so we kept our plans flexible.
We took the train into the city and walked the Nine Streets before our 1:00 brunch reservation at Pancakehouse Upstairs. Dutch pancakes were a favorite meal during our last visit so they made the list again.
We had first heard about this restaurant when Phil Rosenthal visited it on Somebody Feed Phil. It is a teeny tiny spot tucked into an old house, reached by a very steep staircase. The dining room has just 4 tables, with the kitchen sharing the same small space. Hanging teapots cover the ceiling, adding to the restaurant’s character.
To make a reservation, you must call in advance for a table. The menu offers a long list of savory and sweet pancakes. It was a very unique and fun Dutch brunch experience.
By the time we finished eating, the rain had picked up a bit. The kids had seen an advertisement for a place called The Upside Down Amsterdam, an optical illusion museum with numerous rooms designed for playful, upside-down photo opportunities. It’s more of a photo op experience than a traditional museum, but it entertained us while we waited for the rain to ease up.
Once the weather improved, we returned to the Albert Cuyp Market. We browsed the street vendors and found a couple small souvenirs to take home.
Rudi’s Original Stroopwafels had been closed on the day we visited the market last time. This time, it was open and hopping, but we were still stuffed from our brunch. And so, yet again Rudi’s remains on the list for a future visit.
We did, however, make room for a stop at Heertje Friet. We shared an order of Belgian-style fries on a street side bench with mayo and curry ketchup for dipping. It was the perfect salty bite.
Our final stop of the day was the Anne Frank House.
We had missed out on this experience previously because our trip had been planned within a couple weeks of our departure. This time, I was able to book our tickets well in advance.
I chose museum tickets that included the introductory program, which lasted about 30 minutes before our tour of the house. Although some of the information overlapped with the audio guide, I found it especially meaningful to our understanding of the family’s life before and during their period of hiding in the annex.
It is an emotional experience to visit the house and learn about Anne and her family as well as all that they endured. The museum is so well done and pays respect to the family in a sincere and authentic way.
It is remarkable that Anne’s diary survived and that her friends and family realized the importance of preserving and sharing the stories it holds. Walking through their house and seeing her writings makes the history of WWII feel so much more tangible and recent.
It was a very powerful reminder that these events did not happen in the distant, long ago past. They happened within a time that feels very similar to our own.
After the tour, we boarded the train back to Utrecht. Between a busy afternoon of walking and a large brunch, no one was particularly interested in another restaurant meal. We picked up pizzas from Pizza Beppe conveniently located along our walk home.
The place was packed with families, and the wood fired oven was blazing in the corner. We ordered a couple of pizzas to share and took them back to our rental for a quiet evening in.
Cycling the Dune Park and to the North Sea on Wednesday
Cycling was high on our list for this trip. On our previous visit, riding through the villages of Waterland had been our favorite day, and we wanted to find another route that would let us experience the Dutch countryside.
We are still not ready to tackle cycling in the cities. The sheer number of bikes navigating the urban traffic can be intimidating when you’re unfamiliar with the streets and the local cycling patterns.
So, once again, we chose to rent bikes outside of the city center.
Before making our way to the train station in Utrecht, we stopped at Black Brew for coffee and breakfast. It is an adorable small cafe serving espresso drinks, yogurt, pastries, and breakfast sandwiches. It was an easy stop on our way out of town.
From Utrecht, we caught the train to the Hague and then walked to the tram stop which took us into Scheveningen, where the bike shop was located.
We rented 4 standard bikes from Hague City Bikes, the Scheveningen location. Advance reservations are available, and are probably a good idea, although we took our chances and walked in. The process was quick and simple and we were on our bikes in no time.
I had mapped out our route that included time along the Scheveningen Boulevard, a ride through the Meijendel Dunes with a lunch stop, and a return trip along the coast before bringing the bikes back.
The Boulevard sits on the coast of the North Sea and made for a fun first stop. We walked the beach and took in a view of De Pier which has a ferris wheel and zipline. Restaurants, shops, and a large hotel line the waterfront.
It was a relatively quiet time of year to visit, but luckily it was a beautiful day to walk and be by the water.
After some time on the beach, we continued into the Meijendel Dunes. The ride was beautiful, with sandy dunes on either side of the car-free paved bike paths. There were several places to stop along the ride and follow a walking trail. One detour led us to an ocean overlook where we discovered old WWII bunkers built into the dunes. From there, we had an amazing view back toward the boulevard.
Our route eventually brought us to Boerderij Meyendel, a restaurant tucked into a peaceful, garden-like setting. It has a self-service setup, a barn next door, and plenty of outdoor seating surrounded by green space.
We enjoyed pancakes, fries, and generous breakfast plates on the patio. The setting was quiet and relaxed, making it the perfect place to rest our legs before turning around and cycling back through the dunes.
We spent a little more time along the boulevard on our way back to the bike shop. We walked out onto the pier and debated trying the zipline, but ultimately chickened out. The starting point looked awfully high, and the wind over the water wasn’t helping matters. I can’t say I regret that choice.
We had originally considered stopping in the Hague to visit Escher in the Palace, the museum dedicated to artist M.C. Escher. By the time we returned our bikes, though, we were spent from a day full of riding in the sun. We skipped the museum and headed back to Utrecht.
Again, no one was up for dinner out, so we made a grocery run to Albert Heijn, the local supermarket, and brought food back to the house.
We all slept very well that night and woke up ready to get back on our bikes the next morning.
Thursday in Haarzuilens and Kasteel de Haar
For our final full day in the Netherlands, we planned another countryside cycling adventure. We took an Uber into Haarzuilens, a small village outside Utrecht, where we rented bikes from Fiets en Tandemverhuur Verhoef.
The shop is run by sweet older couple who were happy to help us map our route. We set off for Kasteel de Haar, just a short ride away.
The castle dates back to the 14th century, although it was left in ruins before being extensively rebuilt in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Our tour took us through the common rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchens offering a glimpse into the history of the property and the family who restored it.
We moved through the castle fairly quickly, then spent some time in the gardens and grabbing a snack from the cafe on site.
Fortunately, we had another sunny day for cycling. After the castle, we followed a route through the surrounding countryside, passing farmland, riding along canals, and crossing over train tracks before looping back toward Haarzuilens.
We stopped for lunch at ‘t Wapen de Haarzuylen, a neighborhood restaurant overlooking a small green space. We ate on the patio and enjoyed traditional Dutch and European dishes in a relaxed space.
After lunch, we debated what to do next. Since it was our last day and the weather was nearly perfect, we decided to spend a little more time on the bikes.
We spotted a children’s farm on the map, not too far from where we were. We rode past orchards and farms before arriving at Geertjes Hoeve.
Geertjes Hoeve has a restaurant, a shop and a variety of farm animals. Since we were visiting in the fall, the property was full of families carving pumpkins, and the barn was decorated for the season. We got a kick out of seeing the piglets, baby goats, and ponies. It was an enjoyable and unexpected addition to our day.
Eventually, we made our way back to the bike shop, returned our bikes, and caught a ride back into Utrecht.
We arrived in the city with a little daylight left, so we walked to the historic center. We found the Dom Tower, the city’s famous medieval church tower, but decided against climbing it. After two days of cycling, our legs had had enough.
Instead, we wandered through the beautiful historic center, passing canals, medieval architecture, shops, restaurant terraces, and cafes.
In one of the squares, we came across a cart selling oliebollen, a traditional seasonal dutch dessert similar to a donut. These are especially popular from late fall through the New Year, and we couldn’t resist trying one filled with fried apple and dusted with powdered sugar.
I have always loved donuts, so it’s probably no surprise that I loved oliebollen, too.
We made our way back to the house. The kids were ready to turn in and start packing for our departure the next day. Tyler and I got them situated and then slipped next door for a drink on a terrace and one last chance to soak up Utrecht.
It was a fitting end to our time in the Netherlands: a full day outdoors on bikes, wandering through Utrecht, and relaxing on a terrace during sunset.
What We Would Do Again
- Stay in Utrecht
- We loved Utrecht as a home base. It is well connected via the train station but far enough from Amsterdam that we felt more at home.
- Tackle the Self Guided Cycling Routes
- The Netherlands has amazing infrastructure for biking. Between google maps and the numbered cycling-route signs, we were able to piece together two memorable days of biking through the countryside and along the North Sea.
- Tour the Anne Frank House
- I am so grateful we made this visit a priority. It was a profoundly moving experience that gave us a deeper connection to history and her family.
What We Would Do Differently
- Skip The Upside Down Amsterdam
- It helped us through a rainy afternoon and provided some entertainment but, if it is your first time in Amsterdam, there are many other museums and sights to prioritize.
- Spend more time in Utrecht
- I’m glad we returned to Amsterdam to experience the Anne Frank House, if we had a redo, I would spend the morning before our museum tour in Utrecht. The city had more to offer than we were able to fit into our short stay.
Twice was Nice
Having now visited the Netherlands twice, I can definitively say that it is one of our favorite places to be.
The people are kind, the cities and villages are beautiful and welcoming, public transportation is easy to navigate, and the biking infrastructure is incredible. It’s a country that makes exploring feel approachable, whether you’re riding trams through the city or pedaling along a country bike lane.
There are still so many places we’d like to see. From fishing villages and coastal towns to modern cities and rural landscapes, each region offers something a little different.
I like to think that one day we will make it back for a Dutch cycling holiday to spend several days biking our way through the country.
You never know. It’s possible.
Plan the Trip
Until then, if you have been hoping for your own Dutch getaway, with a little room to amble and roam, send me a message. I’d be happy to help you plan it.
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