Our Top 10 Global Family Favorites in the Netherlands
(And the Bargains to Get You There)
To truly feel at home in the Netherlands, you need to master a vital cultural ritual: the hunt for a korting (discount). The Dutch absolutely love a good bargain, and honestly, why shouldn’t they? Exploring this beautiful country with your family is incredible, but doing it while keeping your wallet happy is an elite feeling. If you plan your trips like a local, you can easily unlock the best of the country without breaking the bank. Grab your agenda, because here are my top ten family-approved days out, complete with the insider tips to get you there for less.
1. Efteling Theme Park (Kaatsheuvel)
Categories: Kids, Nature
Forget commercialized theme parks; Efteling is pure magic. It seamlessly blends a nostalgic, sprawling Fairytale Forest with world-class, adrenaline-pumping rollercoasters. Because standard tickets can add up quickly for a family, the ultimate local secret is to never pay full price. Keep your eye on the digital Albert Heijn grocery app for their seasonal stamp campaigns, which give the best discount on Efteling tickets and can score you up to €14 off per ticket.
2. Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Leiden)
Categories: Kids, Nature, Art & Design
Featuring towering, authentic T-Rex skeletons, beautifully interactive science halls, and an award-winning architectural design, Naturalis is educational, chaotic fun at its absolute best. This massive crowd-pleaser is an exceptional day out for children of all ages. You can save your family a bundle here by purchasing an annual Museumkaart, a golden pass that grants you unlimited entry to over 500 Dutch museums for a flat annual fee. Naturalis is entirely free to enter with the card, meaning it pays for itself after just a few museum visits.
3. National Park De Hoge Veluwe & The Kröller-Müller Museum (Otterlo)
Categories: Nature, Art, Kids
This destination is a gorgeous two-in-one masterpiece. You can spend the morning biking through sweeping sand dunes and purple heathlands spotting wild deer across the Hoge Veluwe National Park, then roll right up to the Kröller-Müller Museum to view a world-class Vincent van Gogh collection tucked inside one of Europe’s largest outdoor sculpture gardens. While the museum is free with a Museumkaart, you do still have to pay an entry fee for the national park. You can easily keep costs down by parking at the main gates and hopping onto the park’s iconic, free communal white bicycles rather than paying extra driving fees to bring your car inside.
4. The “Kringloopwinkel” (Everywhere!)
Categories: History, Kids, Art
The Kringloopwinkel is the quintessential Dutch thrift store, and you can find a massive one in almost every single town and city across the country. They are giant treasure troves for cheap children’s books, vintage Dutch home decor, toys, and second-hand bikes. Treat this as a full-circle expat experience; it is the ultimate place to source cheap essentials when you first arrive in the country, and the perfect place to donate your goods when your global family journey in the Netherlands eventually comes to an end.
5. National Park De Biesbosch
Categories: Nature, Kids
A gorgeous labyrinth of rivers and dense willow forests, De Biesbosch is an outdoor paradise. Renting a quiet, electric whisper-boat (fluisterboot) to navigate the calm waterways is pure peace, and my family loves this spot so much that we spend many of our weekends camping nearby. To keep this day out remarkably budget-friendly, skip the expensive commercial tour boats. Instead, pack a massive picnic box, rent a self-drive whisper boat yourself, and split the cost among the family for an affordable, full-day water adventure.
6. NEMO Science Museum (Amsterdam)
Categories: Kids, Art
Boasting five floors of hands-on, energetic green science experiments, NEMO is a space where your kids are actively encouraged to touch, pull, and test everything in sight. This is another premier attraction that is fully covered by the annual Museumkaart, saving a family of four over €70 in a single afternoon. For a brilliant bonus hack, note that accessing the museum’s stepped roof deck is entirely free to the public. It features fantastic interactive summer water features for kids and offers sweeping, panoramic views of Amsterdam’s historic harbor.
7. Texel Island via the Ferry
Categories: Nature, Kids
If you are looking for a true island escape, take the short boat ride over to Texel to find massive sandy beaches, sheep farms, and crisp sea air. For a memorable accommodation choice, look for a stay near the local grass airfield at Texel International Airport. The kids will be absolutely thrilled watching small propeller planes land and skydivers drift past right from their bedroom windows. When booking your transit, make sure to sail midweek; if you take the TESO ferry on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, the ticket prices are heavily discounted compared to weekend crossings.
8. The Beaches of Scheveningen & Simonis aan de Haven
Categories: Nature, Kids
Bracing sea walks, historic piers, and massive sandcastles make Scheveningen a classic Dutch beach day. However, you should step away from the overpriced, touristy beach boulevard pavilions when hunger strikes. Instead, walk down into the harbor area and head straight to Simonis aan de Haven. If you order their legendary Fruits de Mer platter, you will get a towering, spectacular feast of ultra-fresh seafood that offers incredible, unmatched value for money compared to anywhere else on the coast.
9. Muiderslot Castle (Muiden)
Categories: History, Kids
Dating back to the 13th century, Muiderslot is a real-life, textbook medieval castle complete with a deep moat, a working drawbridge, real knight’s armor, and beautifully manicured historic vegetable gardens. Admission to the entire fortress is 100% free with the Museumkaart. This includes access to their brilliant, seasonal kid-friendly “Knight Days,” making it an incredibly cheap way to bring history to life for the little ones.
10. Neeltje Jans Island (Zeeland)
Categories: History, Nature, Kids
Neeltje Jans is a brilliant full-day island adventure that perfectly combines engineered history, wild nature, and great local food. You can spend your day exploring Deltapark Neeltje Jans, an educational center and water park built right onto the colossal storm surge barriers that hold back the North Sea. Afterward, explore the island’s local culinary pride by stopping to eat fresh, locally caught oysters and mussels. Before you buy your park tickets, log into your annual Dutch public library membership portal. The Voordeel met je Bieb program regularly features rotating 2-for-1 or heavy percentage discounts for educational family parks exactly like this one.
Are you looking to feel more at home in the Netherlands?
Our team of Global Family Experts is happy to assist you and your family. Whether you are looking to find your ground, seek reliable information about family life in the Netherlands, or feel challenged by hurdles or obstacles in the Dutch education, healthcare, or other systems – we can help! You can book a Family Support Discovery Call here to learn what we can do for you, or explore our different Guidance Plans here.
« Back