Where to Stay in The Netherlands? 13 Best Places to Visit (2024)

Holland’s most well-known city and home to the Rijksmusuem and Anne Frank House. Here you will find some of the world’s best luxury hotels like The Hoxton, the W Hotel or the Kimpton de Witt.

There are also many 4 or 3-star hotels and budget accommodation on offer at hostels in the city, the Casa Amsterdam and A and O. Amsterdam is famous for its extensive canal system, beautiful homes and its liberal Red Light District.

Despite being smaller than most Dutch cities, this is one you wont want to miss. This is a charming and vibrant city that offers the traveller a quaint vacation destination and the chance to walk through a town that seems lost in time. Here you can still find windmills and 17th century buildings.

The city features many museums such as the Rijksmuseum for a tour focused on indigenous peoples, the Stedelijk Museum for textile trade history and the Museum Naturalis where you can view a collection of fossils and extinct species. Stay at the Van der Valk Hotel or Best Western for quality accommodation.

Holland’s oldest southern city and heavily influenced by French and Flemish history and culture. There is a distinct High End culture in the city, with many shops, restaurants and Vrijthof square. In February you can revel with costumed locals and tourists at Carnival or enjoy a cold Dutch beer or cup of hot cocoa.

For affordable accommodation you wont be disappointed by The Townhouse Design hotel or the Mabi City Centre hotel and the Bastion offers excellent value for money. When it comes to luxury hotels, the popular Wyck Residence doesn’t disappoint.

Rotterdam is Holland’s second largest city and is definitely worth visiting, for its avant-garde, modern architecture in the form of Cube Homes, Markthal, De Rotterdam, and the notable Erasmus bridge. It has a blossoming arts and food scene and you can sample different dishes to your hearts content at the Fenix Food Factory.

You can also find Holland’s China Town in Rotterdam. Stay at the Best Western, Main Port Hotel in the city or Citizen M Hotel. There are also luxury and boutique hotels, and many hotels offer free parking.

This gorgeous city is located 30 minutes from Amsterdam and is home to pretty canals, churches, stunning architecture and sidewalk cafes. There are numerous 5-star hotels in the city, including The Grand Hotel, the Van der Valk Hotel and the Park Plaza.

3 and 4 star hotels in the city include the well-loved Hotel Mitland and Canal Garden apartments. Dutch food is on offer everywhere in the city and bike trails provide a great opportunity for the more adventurous traveller.

The city has a youthful vibe due to the many students that attend the university there. The medieval town centre boasts the world famous Dom Church and Tower.

More famous for its namesake cheese, the South Holland city of Gouda is a secret gem when it comes to touring the Netherlands. Despite a fairly small population for a city, Gouda is home to an impressive number of museums as well as historic landmarks such as the Gothic City Hall found in Markt Square and the longest church in the Netherlands, Sint Janskerk.

Be sure to visit the obligatory, but very tasty, Cheese Market.

The northern region of Freisland manages at once to be quintessentially Dutch, whilst also having its own strong identity and even language. Life is more laidback in Freisland than the busier areas to the south of the country, making it ideal for those seeking solitude and tranquility.

Quiet, dune-flanked beaches cover the coastline whilst even the largest city Leeuwarden is a laidback destination, as well as a 2018 European City of Culture.

Practically car-free, this village in the northwest of the Netherlands is the Dutch answer to the Norfolk Broads, but with far fewer crowds.

Canals provide the thoroughfares as you hire a boat and sail past rows of thatched cottages, this magical destination is a welcome break from everyday life.

The original Haarlem is a quieter and more refined option than Amsterdam, but is so close that you can stay here and still enjoy day trips to ‘Dam.

The city wears its historic badge with pride which can be seen through its excellent architectural conservation and a plethora of fascinating museums. Haarlem is also the home of the tulip.

This once hugely significant city is the birthplace of both painter Johannes Vermeer and of Delftware, the beautiful blue and white pottery which has come to epitomize traditional Dutch style.

Today café culture and student life centres around the Markt Square, home of the stunning Renaissance-style Delft City Hall and the New Church.

De Hoge Veluwe is one of Netherlands’ oldest and most celebrated National Parks. With a landscape which incorporates sand dunes, forest, heaths and grassland and home to red deer, wild boar and mouflon it’s a great option for ramblers, cyclists and wildlife enthusiasts alike.

The Wadden Islands, an archipelago of five islands located between the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, are all worth a visit. Luckily they are close enough to one another to do all five via ferries in a few days. The rustic (and car free) Schiermonnikoog is considered one of the prettiest places in the country whilst the historic Ameland is the place to learn more about the islands’ past.

Base yourself on Texel, the largest island where you’ll find plenty to do all year round as well as the best selection of budget friendly hotels in the whole of the Wadden Islands.

This seaside resort is actually a district of The Hague. It’s a wonderful option for those that want to combine a beach holiday with a city break and offers a great selection of accommodation for every budget.

With a pristine beach, a long parade and plenty of family friendly activities, this well-facilitated resort puts most UK equivalents to shame.