Amsterdam Day Trip from Brussels

Brussels, Belgium

Holland is only a stone's throw away from Belgium so don't miss the chance to visit Amsterdam on a comprehensive day trip from Brussels. Cross the Dutch border and enter a land of polders and dikes dotted with countless windmills before reaching the Amsterdam area. Take the opportunity to customize your itinerary with free time in Amsterdam. Soak up the vibe at Dam Square or enjoy an optional canal ride - the choice is yours!

You'll visit a craft center at a traditional farm to get familiar with everything that made Holland great: tasty cheese, traditional clogs and beautiful pottery. There's also time for lunch (optional).

In the afternoon, you may wish to join a boat tour along Amsterdam's many picturesque canals (optional). Alternatively, have a break and enjoy some free time at the Dam Square, which is famous for its Royal Palace, or simply wander through the splendid city of Amsterdam at your leisure.

USD $66.17

Traveler Reviews

Review by: Rohith G	May 2012
bit rushed with 2 hours to explore an_br/_ amsterdam including lunch.

Review by: Ellen	May 2012
It was a nice tour from Brussels to Amsterdam, and we had some free time in Amsterdam, not much surprisings. And the boat is really nice which is not included in the tour.

Review by: Emma	May 2012
The price for this tour was acceptable but unfortunately, there was so many people in this group and not much to see or do. And if you take the canal cruise (which takes at least 2 hours), you have to pay for that separately (approximately 21 Euros). There wasn't much in this tour that was educational nor exciting. Beware when they take you to a place for cheese tasting, they will have you go through there gift store where everything is over priced. Wait 'til you get to downtown Amsterdam to buy your souvenir, much cheaper! I think the best part of this tour was the 3 hours free time towards the end of the tour to roam around downtown. There, you can check the Red Light district, or shop.

Review by: Mirjana P	April 2012
I really enjoyed the tour. We had two or three hours in downtown Amsterdam which was quite enough for a day trip. I also enjoyed the canal tour.

Review by: Sian Mason	April 2012
the tour was very poorly organised, we waited almost 1 hour for a boat to take us on our tour which also cost us an extra 14euro. The tour guide kept saying 5 more minutes, 5 more minutes. After the boat tour we walked around Amsterdam but the tour guide never waited for everyone to be together before explaining what he was showing us. We ended up doing our own site seeing tour and left the group. The best thing was visiting the cheese farm. I would not recommend this tour.

Review by: orvilito b	April 2012
Very competitve but another tourist trap, especially the time before reaching Amsterdam where you have to visit a cheese factory! Not only it took out about an hour or two of my time but htr items sold are more expensive.

Review by: rebecca.scott	April 2012
excellent

Review by: Shana	April 2012
Totally recomend it!

Review by: Sandeep S	April 2012
The trip was very enjoyable. The guide was helpful and knowledgeable. We got to see the most important landmarks of Amsterdam during the lovely boat ride in the canals. The stopover at the farm selling cheese and clogs was a nice little surprise and there I bought some of the best cheese I've ever eaten. Only, the free time of almost 3 hours in Dam Square in the afternoon was a little too much and could have been better utilized by taking us to see some other places within Amsterdam.

Review by: Dr Alexander C H	March 2012
Really nice tour, well organised. Did not rate boat trip very highly. Free time was essential and appreciated.

Review by: Stacie D	March 2012
Excellent tour and tour guide made the tour very personable, and it was too bad he did not do the Bruges and Ghent tour the next day as well.

Review by: Bette P	December 2011
This trip provides a nice overview of Amsterdam but do not expect to be able to visit any museums because there isn't time. I did walk to Anne Frank's house to see the exterior, but there wasn't enough time to wait in the long line to see inside. Our tour guide walked us over to the Red Light District for "window shopping" and gave really good instructions on how to get back to the meeting location after our free time. I think the boat ride on the canal should definitely be included in the cost because it is the best way to get an overview of the city and every member of our tour was willing to spend the additional 13€ each. The Clog and Cheese side trip is very enjoyable. The owner of the farm is very personable and made an effort to involve everyone in our group. I did not feel pressure to purchase anything in the gift shop after the demonstrations. And the cheese is delicious! I will have to go back to Amsterdam someday to get a more thorough experience of the city, but this trip was an enjoyable way to spend the day.

Review by: LEEANNE K	November 2011
Boring tour guide was boring and i felt that a visit or even a drive by Anne Franks house would have been better than Red light district, which we choose not to go and see.

Review by: valeria b	November 2011
The tour was ok, so you get taken to Amsterdam they give you a 20 min walking tour and the rest is free time. Total of 2 hours. My problem was I was a solo travellor so I would have prefered a walking tour and some guidance, oh well. Overall trip was ok, my highlight was the cheese and clog factory... The tour guide was funny and made everyone feel welcomed. Loved that part of it..

Review by: Doris B	November 2011
I loved the city. I will return some day. The tour guide was not really concerned about what we wanted to see and did not explain anything about the Red Light District which most of the passensers were curious about. When I got off the bus, the driver could not tell us on what street we were on. The tour guide did not say the street name he just said meet us on that corner. He gave us a small map with no street names on it for the Red Light District.

Review by: Judy	October 2011
This was an enjoyable trip and the boat tour was very informative. It was a nice way to see some of the highlights of Amsterdam in a very short period of time.

Review by: Gwenald Y	October 2011
The tour was OK, not anything exceptional. No personal hand-holding here....basically getting you to the destination is the main goal. You need to be alert and ask questions if you don't understand, otherwise you'll be left stranded. It made the tour a little stressful..

Review by: Estelle B	October 2011
Great tour, enjoyed the canal cruise and the cheese and clogs tour!

Review by: Lynn K	October 2011
Good trip could use some improvements. The boat tour was the best part DO NOT MISS THE BOAT TOUR. However, we had less than 2 Hrs in Amsterdam downtown area and that included eating. The bus trip home was over 3 hrs without a toilet break. Bus did not drop us at the pick up spot, so at night we had to walk there alone. I suggest the tour leave earlier to allow more actual time.

Review by: Jayanthi M	October 2011
Was a good trip considering it was just a day's trip from Brussels. The canal ride should have been part of the total trip since this was the highlight of the tour. Our guide was good and extremely decent.

Review by: BRIAN A	October 2011
Depending where you're staying this was a very long trip over 6hrs round from Brussels which only gave us 3 1/2 hrs to look around and that included lunch. Worth going to if you're nearby and actually have more time to do things on your own.

Review by: P K	October 2011
Love the city

Review by: VINEET L	September 2011
Overall the tour was nice but the tour guide was very rude and not helpfull at all.. reaching amsterdam we opted not to take the optional canal ride an wanted to go to the dam square directly and join the rest of the tour from there,,, but the guide was rude and said that was not possible. I even requested for his mobile number so that i could contact him but he refused. so had to spend 1 hr 30 minute just sitting in the bus.

Review by: GABRIEL C	September 2011
Bus ride comfy. Not long enough to see much in Amsterdam. Prior to the trip I desperately wanted to know if we will be dropped off at our hotel but no one could give me a definite answer .... I phoned several times and no one seems to know how to get the answer to this.... couldn't they simply have called the tour operator in Brussels for me and get the answer ? The trip info said select hotel pick-up and drop off but gave only a list of ones theywill not do. It will help better if there was a list of hotels that they would pick up from. Because of this lacking info (if I would get dropped off or not ) I almost cancelled the trip as I knew we would be back late in Brussels and really didn't want to find my way around in the dark in a strange place.

Review by: Tetyana S	September 2011
Loved the trip very informative! Suggesting anyone, who is staying in Brussels.

Review by: ginman	September 2011
Excellent trip. Had a great guide. We saw lots of the highlights of Amsterdam, including the infamous red light district. There is not a lot of free time (about 2 hours) as it takes about 2.5hrs to get there by bus, but certainly it gives the visitor a very quick brush over some of the highlights of this exciting city. Recommended tour and would certainly book a longer stay in Amsterdam next time.

Review by: Thaimi M	September 2011
It was a fantastic experience. The tour guide was brilliant, and the few extra Euros spent on the boat trip was fully worth it. For one day, you get to cover a lot. I would most certainly recommend this tour to another.

Review by: Harish S	September 2011
The guide was good and so was the trip. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip. pick and drop to hotel was done with care and puntually. overall great.

Review by: Ivy L	September 2011
We started the tour half an hour late. Heavy rain and slow traffic on the way to Amsterdam and we had to stop an hour at a rest place to allow driver to rest and eat lunch. Lots of time wasted on the road, so the craft tour was cancelled. No mention of any refund.Amsterdam is a very beautiful city to visit. It may be better to stay a day or two at Amsterdam instead of doing a day trip.

Review by: THANNE R	August 2011
It was a good experience. We enjoyed it. Thanks to Viator.

Review by: Arlene A	August 2011
Trip was wonderful. I had a great time and also the tour guide did a great job

Review by: SUBRAMANIAN S	August 2011
Tour was well organised and nice presentation by the guide, we had great time , approach by the guide highly appreciable!

Review by: ANDY O	August 2011
It was a delightful, picturesque coach trip to Amsterdam from Brussels, where I was staying. In Amsterdam, we first visited a farm and saw the iconic Dutch clogs being made. We then had a guided tour of Amsterdam with a most knowledgeable tour guide. This was followed by an hour long canal ride - just like you see in the brochures! The rest of the day was free for us to wander in the souvenir shops and take in the charm that is Amsterdam!

Review by: Patricia M	July 2011
To many hours spent on the bus riding on four lane highways. Cheese farm geared to selling wares to toursits, felt like yet another tourist shop.

Review by: Judy C	July 2011
Minus the rain, this would have been a wonderful tour. Our guide spoke three languages fluently and was very informative.

Review by: Vivek P I	July 2011
the tour was good but the bus wasnt air conditioned and not suitable for travelling on a sunny day. When we were travelling the temperature was around 26 degree and the bus didnt have enough ventilation or air conditioning. But otherwise the guide and tour was good.

Review by: Harvey H	July 2011
The trip includes long hours in bus (might not be suitable for kids), but very rewarding after all. Managed to take a few photos outside the Anne Frank house, also went to the famous red light street, which is very close to the Dam square. The tour guide, fluent in 3 languages, introduced something which we couldn't get from a guide book e.g. the local apartment/house prices. Highly recommended.

Review by: Heather R	July 2011
Enjoyed the day trip. Avoid Saturday if possible as it is really busy with weekend tourists.

Review by: Bruce S, United States of America	July 2010
Amsterdam was a fabulous place to visit and the tour guide was very knowledgeable...great tour....loved the cheese shop and the demonstrations that the delightful and adorable shop owner put on for us....very fun!

Review by: Brian S, United States of America	April 2010
Great trip! Brussels City Tours was well organized and friendly. The tour guide was very friendly and well educated on the history of the different sights. We started a little late and only had time to go to the Cheeseclogs store and not to see the demonstrations. Would not recommend this trip for people with children as bus ride is a little long and the atmosphere in Amsterdam was not something that I would want my children around. The boat trip in Amsterdam was well worth the extra 13 euros per person. Overall this tour was a great value...

Review by: Alicia Elena G, Spain	April 2010
The city was not as beautiful as I remebered it, but the tour was perfect

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	December 2009
Seeing the Netherlands and Amsterdam in one day is a stretch of course, but this tour did a good job of using the time well. We saw really a lot without having a feeling of being too rushed. And we had a very friendly and knowledgable guide. I can really recommend this tour.

Review by: Bachar M, United Arab Emirates	October 2009
Thank you very much the trip was very nice, but transport by bus consuming lots of time, I suggest the travel to be done by train and in Amsterdam by a local bus well that will cost more but will have more time to go around in the city

Review by: Annalisa O, United States of America	October 2009
I think this trip was worth the money. You have to understand that it is very fast, and you only have about two hours free time in Amsterdam, but the tour guide does a good job. When you arrive, you are basically forced to pay for a boat tour through the canals. This is optional, but there is not really anything else to do at that part of town, except the Heineken Museum. After that you go to Dam Square and have some free time. I wish the boat tour was not the first stop, but it was a good way to see the city. I would have rather had more free time though. When you leave Amsterdam you stop at a Cheese Farm and Windmill outside the city. I personally would have rather had more time in Amsterdam, but this portion was also nice. If you are brave enough to take a train from Brussels to Amsterdam, then you will have more time to see the city, but this tour is good for someone who wants a direct drop off and guided tour of the Netherlands- you don't have to worry about finding your way around. Please note that meals are not included. There are no breaks for meals, so you are expected to eat during your free time in Amsterdam. This is sort of weird and rushed, but I suppose they are just trying to get the most out of the day trip. I would recommend bringing a sandwhich and snacks. You are not allowed to eat on the bus though so hide it and eat outside. Again, it would be better to go to Amsterdam for 2-3 days, but if you only have one day, like me, then you might as well do this tour.

Review by: Kerri W, Australia	September 2009
My husband Peter and I had a fantastic time on this tour. I saw all the things I wanted to see in Amsterdam and was so thrilled to get to see Ann Frank's house. The canal cruise was great and our tour guide was fabulous. Well worth the money.

Review by: Ee Him O, Singapore	August 2009
Amsterdam is a much more lively place to visit and see. As it's a long journey to Amsterdam, it would be good if this is were a 2-day trip. I think it's worthwhile spending a night in Amsterdam.

Review by: Nena M, United States of America	July 2009
Nice short trip to see and enjoy Amsterdam even for just few hours. I recommend taking the canal cruise as it allows you to see the city and the neighborhoods while sitting relaxed in a boat! The stop at the cheese factory was really great, and we brought lots of the cheese both for our own consumption and gifts for our friends. Never tasted that kind of cheese before! This trip is a must for every traveller if you happen to be in Brussels and do not include Amsterdam in the itinerary.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	May 2009
A really wonderful tour with an exceptional tour guide.

Review by: Yan Ki T, Turkey	October 2008
We went on the trip due to lack of time, and this one-day trip is very OK for people like us, who are on mission in Brussels and only have the weekend free and would like to have a bit of sightseeing around Brussels. The day tour provide just "enough" of Amsterdam, you do not feel that you haven't seen anything at all. We didn't have much time for shopping, which actually I think is not really that theatric for Amsterdam. The main attraction is the canals and farms' beauty, which the tour covered pretty well.

Review by: Laurie D, United States of America	September 2008
Great--just the right amount of time.