Everything to Know about Visiting Utrecht: How to Get There and More!
If you are headed to Amsterdam, I highly suggest adding Utrecht to your itinerary! Utrecht is a smaller, but equally as charming Dutch town compared to Amsterdam. Here is everything you will need to know about visiting Utrecht!
- Why is utrecht Worth Visiting? A little about Utrecht and why you should visit!
- Should you Day trip to Utrecht or Stay over night?
- Getting to Utrecht from Amsterdam
- How to Get Around Utrecht
- Where to Stay when visiting Utrecht
- What do do in Utrecht:
- How many days do you need when visiting Utrecht?
- Recap of everything to know when visiting Utrecht!
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Why is utrecht Worth Visiting? A little about Utrecht and why you should visit!
Utrecht is a Dutch town about 30 minutes southeast of Amsterdam via train. As you can see from the photo above, Utrecht boasts lots of similarities to Amsterdam: canals, tall, slender architecture, bicycles galore. So, if it is so similar to Amsterdam, is Utrecht worth visiting?
- The thing is, compared to Amsterdam, Utrecht has a much more quaint, smaller town vibe. If you loved the beauty and accessibility of Amsterdam, but weren’t a big fan of the crowds, Utrecht may be the perfect spot for you!
Utrecht is home to the Netherlands largest university, bringing in a younger crowd seeking education. However, it is also home to many art, cultural and historical museums as well as home to the children’s world-famous rabbit, Miffy (or Nijntje in Dutch), making it a city great for all ages!
Between the cleanliness and beauty of the city, great accessibility by foot or bicycle, vast amounts of local cafes and restaurants and generally good, relaxing vibes, there really is no reason to skip out on Utrecht 😉
Should you Day trip to Utrecht or Stay over night?
This was something I debated when planning our trip to Amsterdam: should we day trip or stay in Utrecht? We opted to stay in Utrecht and I highly recommend you do the same!
One of my favorite things about Amsterdam is that there are loads of smaller towns that are within a short train ride away. However, among these, Utrecht is one of the larger towns and really is worth more than just a day trip! A day trip is better than no trip, but I think you will find plenty to do and see to justify at least one overnight stay.
Also, (a big reason I suggest staying in Utrecht) if you plan to visit Kasteel de Haar on your trip to Amsterdam, you will train through Utrecht to get to it. Therefore, Utrecht is an easier home base than Amsterdam for the day trip to Kasteel de Haar.
Book a ticket to Kasteel de Haar here!
Getting to Utrecht from Amsterdam
The easiest way to get to Utrecht from Amsterdam is to train either from the Amsterdam airport or from Amsterdam Central station.
- From the airport, the train ride to Utrecht is about 30 minutes and costs about 10.20 euros one way.
- From Amsterdam Central Station, the train ride is about 25 minutes long and about 8.80 euros one way
The BEST APP to use when navigating the Netherlands train system is “NS” App. We tried to follow Google Maps (which has worked for other train systems in the past), but it was very unclear and we took the wrong train a time or two. So, before you go to the Netherlands, download the NS app to make your life easier!
How to Get Around Utrecht
Another perk to visiting Utrecht is that it is a very walkable city! You can also opt to bike; similar to Amsterdam there are bikes everywhere and the city of Utrecht is well-equipped and laid out to accommodate cyclists.
From Utrecht Central train station, it is only about a 10-15 minute walk to Utrecht’s city center!
Utrecht also has a bus system and smaller system of trams that go within the city and the outskirts of Utrecht. We personally did not use them due to the walkability of the city, but if you are interested in navigating Utrecht via public transportation, click here for a good read on how to use and pay for public transportation.
Where to Stay when visiting Utrecht
Due to Utrecht being smaller and easily walkable, I recommend staying near Utrecht Central train station to keep you from having to drag luggage across the city of Utrecht!
- We stayed in Hotel NH Utrecht, located just a 3 minute walk (if that) from the Central Station. It provides luggage storage, so it is easy to drop off your bags and then walk to Utrecht’s city center without dragging rolling suitcases throughout the city.
- From NH Utrecht, it is about a 15 minute walk to the very center of Utrecht, but there are shops and charming streets along the walk!
If you aren’t up for walking the ~15 minute walk to/from the hotel, there are several hotel options within Utrecht’s City Center.
What do do in Utrecht:
Again, Utrecht is a charming, smaller town, so part of the appeal of it is that you can wander down picturesque streets and soak in the charm without spending a lot of money. Here are some great options for things to do when visiting Utrecht!
Take a free waking tour
A free walking tour is a GREAT way to get to know the layout of a city and learn more about the history of a city. I always have a better appreciation for a city when I take a tour that provides history of the city!
You can book through Free Walking Tour Utrecht (not an affiliate link), which lasts about 2 hours.
Walk Down Oudegracht street
I think visiting Utrecht without walking down Oudegracht Street is quite impossible; it is the THE street in Utrecht and anywhere you decide to go will likely take you down this street at some point.
Unlike Amsterdam, Utrecht is only home to a couple of canals. One of which (and the most popular) is Oudegracht which runs through Utrecht’s city center.
- Oudegracht Street follows along this canal and is home to loads of shops and stores. Along the canal, you will notice stairs that lead down to a path that follows right alongside the canal. Here, you will find many restaurants and patios for enjoying a beverage!
Visit St. Martin’s Cathedral and Pandof Domkerk
St. Martin’s Cathedral is a Gothic-style cathedral that was once the largest in the country. Beside St. Martin’s Cathedral is Dom Tower, which used to be connected by a central nave. However, this section of the church was destroyed in a storm and now is a square where you can see colored stones that mark where the church used to stand.
Just on the backside of St. Martin’s Cathedral you can enter a picturesque gardens of Pandof Domkerk which is surrounded by beautiful Gothic-style cloisters.
- If you wish, there is a DomCafe with glass windows that overlook the courtyard where you can stop for coffee, tea or food.
Both of these are free to enter and is open daily. Hours vary depending on what time of year you visit.
Climb Dom Tower
Dom Tower is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands, providing a great birds-eye view of Utrecht. However, to enter the tower, you are required to take a guided tour.
- The tour meets at the Tourist Information Centre located at Domplein 9, Utrecht
- Open from 10am to 5pm
- Cost: 13.50 euros per person
- Plan for the tour to last about an hour
- Be PREPARED: the tour takes you to the top of the tower, which includes 465 steps to the top!
- Within the tower, you will be able to get up close to the still-working church bells.
- There are 14 swinging bells that are still operated by hand each Sunday, requiring 26 people to ring the bells simultaneously!
FYI: The Dom Tower (as of 2024) is still under renovations. With these renovations, you will notice the tower is wrapped in a significant amount of scaffolding and the scaffolding REALLY blocks the views at the top of the tower. In my humble opinion, the price to climb the tower is not worth it IF the tower is still under renovations when you visit. It would 100% be worth it, though, when the scaffolding is removed!
Book a guided tour of Dom Tower!
See the City from the Canal
Canal Cruise:
Like Amsterdam, you can take canal cruises in Utrecht. The cruise lasts about an hour where you can take in the architecture and learn more of the history of Utrecht from the Oudegracht canal.
Kayak, Canoe or Paddle Board the Canal:
In the warmer months, it is popular to rent one of the above and do a self-guided tour along the canals of Utrecht!
Book a Canal Cruise through Utrecht!
Shop ’til you drop
Utrecht is home to some great shopping! Utrecht not only has a great mall and outlets, it also has shops ranging from high-end shopping on Oudkerkhof street, local boutiques and chain stores on Oudegracht street plus a a great selection of thrift stores!
Visit A botanical Garden
Utrecht has two botanical gardens, the Oude Hortus and the Utrecht Botanic Gardens.
- Oude Hortus
- Oude Hortus is a smaller garden located in central Utrecht at the University Museum
- Cost: 5 Euros (or you are interested in the University Museum Utrecht, then a 14 euro ticket to it will get you into the gardens as well)
- Also home to a cafe
- About an 11 minute walk from Utrecht’s city center
- Utrecht Botanic Gardens
- Another garden ran by the Utrecht University, but larger than the Oude Hortus
- Cost: 10 euros per person
- However, this garden is located at the university, 4.3 km from the city center
- Take bus 28 to this garden unlike the Oude Hortus
Day Trip to Kasteel de Haar
Kasteel de Haar is the largest castle in the Netherlands and has STUNNING architecture. In addition, it is surrounded by a moat and the grounds are gorgeous making it one of the most picturesque castles I have visited!
The easiest way to take a day trip to the castle is to start in Utrecht. From Utrecht, it requires a short train ride, bus ride and walk, but it is all worth it!
For EVERYTHING you need to know about a trip to Kasteel de Haar, click here!
How many days do you need when visiting Utrecht?
I recommend staying at least two nights in Utrecht. This will give you one full day of exploring Utrecht and another day to take a day trip to Kasteel de Haar.
- You can expect the day trip to Kasteel de Haar to take a little over half a day, which will give you some time in the afternoon to finish exploring Utrecht as well!
However, if you are someone who isn’t a fan of the crowds in Amsterdam, Utrecht is definitely a great alternative to spend the majority of your trip to the Netherlands rather than splitting your time with Amsterdam or other cities.
Recap of everything to know when visiting Utrecht!
Utrecht is without a doubt worthy of a stop on an Amsterdam itinerary! It has the charming canals and architecture of Amsterdam with less of the people. But, the more I visit the Netherlands, the more I realize it is filled with amazing, small Dutch towns that are worth visiting!
Click here for a full 5-day itinerary of Amsterdam and the surrounding area!
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