22 Things To Do In The Netherlands for 2022

*Please check any 2022 covid restrictions and follow all the rules before visiting or doing one of these mentioned below. Keep in mind some of these will likely not be open until Spring 2022 when restrictions are lifted and it’s more safe for the public.

Things To Do In The Netherlands for 2022

1. Visit The Efteling Theme Park 

A day at the Efteling is something everyone needs to experience once in their life. Whether this is on a hot long summers day or during the cold wintery season – the park is beautiful all year round. The excitement of many rollercoasters combined with a unique fairytales theme is a fun day for every age. This is a fun one for our Things To Do In The Netherlands for 2022 list – for couples, friends and family groups!

2. Try Something Dutch

Why not try eating like the Dutch for a day, choosing specific treats and snacks that is well known to the Dutch population. This could be from a few cooked bitterball (delicious with mustard) or a freshly caught herring. There are also many Dutch treats in the supermarkets to be found, such as Gouda or Edam cheese, Chocomel chocolate drink, chocolate sprinkles to eat with bread and butter, or liquorish drop sweets.

Our full list of Dutch traditional dishes and treats can be found here!

3. Explore Strijp-S In Eindhoven

Eindhoven is a top place for industrial photographers and local artists, with the hip location of Strijp-S being the place to be. Strijp-S is the neighbourhood North West of the central station and easily reachable with a 15minute walk. Think delicious restaurants, local boutiques and cute cafes; Strijp-S in Eindhoven has this and more. There is also a lot of space and nature for enjoying the sunshine with a picnic.

4. Visit The Keukenhof Gardens In Spring

What better to enjoy a sunny Spring day than at the gorgeous Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse, Netherlands. The Keukenhof gardens are a spectacular site among tourists and locals to enjoy. You can find an unlimited amount of types of flowers here, specialising in of course the famously known tulip. They already started planting the bulbs for 2022 in October 2021 with a ray of patterns and colours to be shown once they bloom in Spring.

It’s easily reachable with public transportation, else to join a tour who can take you and bring you back from specific locations. Top tips include to arrive when they open if you can, take your own snacks/drinks and make sure your camera is fully charged for taking lots of pretty photos!

Fingers crossed the Keukenhof Gardens can open for 2022!

5. Take A Hike At A Dutch National Park

There are 21 National Parks in the Netherlands, all beautiful and unique to the local landscape. Some have lakes with swamps, or sandy dunes, or even thick forests to walk through – something for everyone to enjoy in nature. There are also many parks you can rent a bike for the day to explore more by two wheels.

For inspiration on each one, check out a more detailed post here!

6. Get Lost At The Rijksmuseum In Amsterdam

As soon as the museums are open safely again, take a day or two exploring Amsterdam with a stop at the beautiful Rijksmuseum. Here you can ultimately get lost all day with so much to see. If you don’t have all day to wander and explore, plan in advance some of the exhibitions by checking out their website.

7. Become A Foodie At The Markthal In Rotterdam

Want to try lots of new food from places you’ve never heard of? Or simply want to have a fun day out with lots of treats? Head to Rotterdam and visit the well-known Markthal located at Blaak, Rotterdam. There are over 40 stands with drinks, food options and even some shops with local produce for sell. You can try before you buy, else to sit and relax at the little stands while you admire the colourful ceiling.

It’s easy to reach with public transportation or by foot in the city center, so you really can’t miss it as its huge and horseshoe shaped with a gorgeous colourful ceiling inside. 

This one is not to be missed from our Things To Do In The Netherlands for 2022 list if you are a true foodie!

8. Enjoy A Beach Walk At The Maasvlakte

One thing to truly enjoy is the wind or sunshine on your face, walking along an open empty beach while hearing only local birds or playful dogs along the waters edge. The Maasvlakte is a beautiful place to be for this! Since there are hardly any restaurants, it’s perfect for connecting back with yourself while relaxing.

Else find yourself exploring the Maasvlakte for the interesting 27/4 busy harbour. There are boats arriving and leaving daily, all shapes and sizes – from cruise ships that leave Rotterdam, standard cargo/container ships and some unique one-of-a-kind ships! You can even get up close with the World’s largest wind turbine!

Else if the Maasvlakte is a bit far away for you to visit, we can also recommend a day at Hoek van Holland. It’s one of my personal favourites for a place to walk on the beach followed by dinner at a local beach restaurant.

9. Go Shopping In Maastricht

Maastricht is a beautiful place for a day trip for shopping as the main goal. With all the car-free streets and cute cobblestone alleyways, it’s quite unique compared to the rest of the Netherlands. There are lots of local boutiques to the top brands found everywhere, so you can shop till you drop! There are also some local 2nd hand thrift stores in the city and surrounding areas, perfect for those looking for something a little more vintage and unique!

Maastricht is my current home location and it truly has a lot on offer when everything is open, such as what you can find on this list of Free and Cheap Things To Do In Maastricht!

10. Visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Netherlands has currently 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in total, which is quite nice for such a small country. One beautiful location to visit nearby Rotterdam is the 19 windmills at Kinderdijk. These are all dotted along the waters that you can walk along. During Spring and Summer there are often also boat tours along, allowing you to relax while learning about the history and local life.

11. Enjoy A Weekend Away At This Cosy Location

For a fun weekend with friends or loved ones, or even alone for some relaxation, find yourself visiting the beautiful Parc Buitengewoon. This cute location in the province of Limburg is home to a few panoramic domes, tipi’s, tiny houses and hot tubs! They have also new types of accommodations for 2022 so you could even visit a few times and try them all out.

12. Photograph A Unique City View With RenTheView

For photographers looking for a unique view for shooting from, Rent The View is the website to check in the Netherlands. They have top, beautiful city skyline locations that you can rent from the host for a minimum of an hour. This gives you plenty of time to take some idyllic time lapses and photography. They have hosts in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Nijmegen and Eindhoven mostly, but already also expanding to other cities like London in the UK!.

13. Visit A Festival Or City Event

Bigger cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam have lots of events all year round, and they are slowly all coming back to the public now that restrictions are being lifted.

For something unique, check for example the World Haven Days in Rotterdam. This is a weekend long event for the public to walk along the promenade and visit the boats, watch helicopter shows and more. They also finish the weekend usually with some big fireworks at the famous Erasmusbrug. More information can also be found here!

Another event worth highlighting is the Open Monument Day, which many cities also participate in. Monuments are opened for a day or weekend that are usually closed, allowing you as the public to explore just once a year these unique spots. There are often tours to visit, but many are also free to walk around. One tour I personally also did was the rooftop tour of Rotterdam Central Station – which is really unique!

And for those who love to learn more about architecture should visit Rotterdam for the Day Of Architecture event.

Fun fact: There is also a local Red Hair festival in the Netherlands, located previously in Breda but now in Tilburg each year!

14. Eat Cake At This Cute Cat Cafe

Located in Rotterdam, you can find the Pebbles Cat Cafe as one of the cat cafes in the Netherlands. This cute cafe is home to quite a few cats who all have different breeds. You can book a time slot and enjoy a slice of cake and a cuppa tea while you relax among these four legged animals. There are some rules of course to follow to keep you and the cats comfortable, but they are freely roaming around and will totally sit on your coat or lap if they feel like it!

15. Wear Pink At The Cherry Blossom Park In Amstelveen

Want to be surrounded by beautiful pink Japanese blossom cherry trees? It’s totally possible in Spring time in Amstelveen. This gorgeous location can get busy, so keep in mind to time your visit for an early morning or dusk visit for the best photography times. Else to bring a picnic and enjoy the park with friends and loved ones, making sure you take your rubbish with you afterwards. More information and the history of the park can be found here.

16. Enjoy A Canal Boat Tour At Giethoorn

This well known Dutch ‘Venice of the North’ location is home to the cutest village of houses surrounded by water ways. This car free village is enjoyable by boat, bikes or walking past all the centuries-old thatched-roof houses. Combine a boat tour with a visit to Museum Giethoorn to learn about the local history. It’s great also to combine for visiting the Weerribben-Wieden National Park nearby. Definitely a cute day out for our Things To Do In The Netherlands for 2022 list.

17. Have A Street Art Day!

Follow some amazing walking routes to see local Street Art. All the big cities have of course many areas with local graffiti and street art, some in specific areas while others being dotted around the city. For example you have the NDSM-werf location in Amsterdam, Witte de Wit straat and surrounding area in Rotterdam and The Bear Pit in Eindhoven.

18.  Get Lost Surrounded By Plants

When visiting Amsterdam, head to the Hortus Botanicus to get lost in a jungle. With a beautiful building and design, the Hortus Botanicus is one of oldest botanical gardens in the World. They have a famous collection for some of its trees and plants, some of which are endangered.

If you are not able to visit Amsterdam, Rotterdam has also the beautiful Trompenburg Gardens just east of the city center. It’s easy to reach by bike or tram, open daily with a little cafe, shop, outdoor gardens and an indoor cactus house.

19. Take A Boat To One Of The Dutch Islands!

The Netherlands 5 beautiful islands in the North of the country. The most popular one to visit is Texel, which is easily reachable with a boat from Den Helder. The island is perfect for those wanting to get away for a long weekend. You can rent bikes, hike in the nature or enjoy a long walk along at the surrounding beaches.

20. Visit A The Lowest Point In The Netherlands: Gouda!

This is a fun one with things to do in the Netherlands for 2022, since most of the Netherlands is actually under sea level. Officially, the lowest point is 6.78 m (22.2 ft) below sea level and located in a polder near Gouda. As well as technically being underwater, Gouda is known for its Cheese markets in Summer held on the medieval market square. If you love cheese (who doesn’t!?) visit the Gouda Cheese Museum for more history of the city and local cheese making process.

Thank you for reading our Fun Things To Do In The Netherlands for 2022 post!