I clearly remember my time in Utrecht – eating freshly cut gouda cheese by the canal, learning about Utrecht’s interesting past in the central museum, and watching the whole city from above after walking the almost 500 steps to the top of Dom Tower. We honestly have so many amazing memories from Utrecht!
During our trip, we learned that there are so many great things to do and see in Utrecht that you can easily spend days exploring the city. In fact, we extended our visit with an extra day because we loved it so much here!
And today, while writing this city guide, we hope to do Utrecht justice.
We’re going to share how to get there, where to stay, and (of course) all the best things to do and see in Utrecht. When we’re done with this guide, we hope that you can see just how amazing Utrecht is, and that you want to visit this beautiful Dutch city yourself some day.
Enough rambling, now let’s begin this guide!
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Things to know before you visit Utrecht
Before diving into all the best things to do in Utrecht, let’s take a moment to figure out how to get there and where to stay. If you already know, then skip ahead to the attractions.
How to get to Utrecht
From Amsterdam:
Utrecht is only located 45 kilometres away from Amsterdam, so it’s super easy to get there if you’re already in the capital of the Netherlands.
Just jump on the train from Amsterdam Central Station. The train only takes a small half hour and the ticket will cost around €8-9 depending on whether you buy it online or at the train station.
From Brussels:
It’s also super easy to get to Utrecht from Belgium – that’s actually the route we took! We booked a cheap flixbus from Brussels North Station to Utrecht Central Station.
The bus takes between 3-4 hours and prices start at €6, which makes it the most affordable option for those who are traveling from Belgium. Check out the bus time tables here: Flixbus.com
Where to stay in Utrecht
During our 3 nights in Utrecht, we stayed in 2 different hotels. We always use Booking.com when looking for the best hotels, and it was also here we found these 2 great hotels. We really liked both of them, so luckily we can recommend them to you:
BUNK Hotel Utrecht: This was without a doubt our favorite place to stay in Utrecht! The hotel is located in the city center, just a short stroll from Utrecht Central Station. The best part about BUNK Hotel is that it’s such a beautiful space! It’s an old church that has been converted into a modern hotel. Everything is new and up to date – and the food they serve in the restaurant is delicious! It’s also easy to meet other people here or to work from the hotel. Both private rooms and shared dorms are available – and pretty affordable as well. We cannot recommend this place enough!
Holiday Inn Express Utrecht: This was the second hotel we stayed at in Utrecht, although only for one night. It was located out of the city center and the price was higher, so in that way it wasn’t as great as BUNK Hotel. However, it’s a great option for those of you who are traveling by car since they have private parking. It’s also easy to get into the city center with public transportation from Holiday Inn, so this is not really an issue. The best things about this hotel are the big spacious rooms and the delicious breakfast!
15 best attractions & things to do in Utrecht
All right! Now that we’ve settled how to get to there and where to stay, it’s time to dive into the fun part of this blog post – all the best things to do in Utrecht!
1. Chill out by the canal
Utrecht is one of the most beautiful canal cities in Europe, so one of the best things to do is of course to enjoy the incredible waterway!
You can easily hike around the historical city center of Utrecht by following the 6-kilometer long canal that encircles it. But make sure to also walk down the “Oudegracht”, which is the old canal that runs straight through the city center. Here you’ll experience some of the city’s most incredible cityscapes!
Along Oudegracht, you’ll also find many bars and restaurants. Glenn and I ate at a Mediterranean restaurant named “Silk Road” and a German restaurant named “Kartoffel”. Both places were good and situated right by the canal!
One of the days, we also went to a cheese shop named “Zuivelhoeve Utrecht Lijnmarkt” and bought some freshly cut Gouda, a sausage, and some marmalade. So we made our own little tapas by the canal while watching the boats, kayaks, and paddle boards that went by. It was so cozy!
One of the best things is to do in Utrecht is definitely to chill by the canal.
2. Go on a canal cruise
Want to see the city from the canal while learning about it? One of the top things to do in Utrecht is to go on a guided canal tour.
You can find the canal cruise at Oudegracht 85 where the first boat leaves at 11 AM. There are two different tours: The 1 hour tour, and the 1,5 hour tour. The price ranges depending on the tour you do, and you can easily look up prices or book your canal cruise here.
Both canal tours will take you down the old Oudegracht Canal, but the difference is that the 1 hour tour will take you to the left outer canal whereas the 1,5 hour tour will take you to the east outer canal.
We unfortunately never got to do a canal tour in Utrecht, so it’s hard to recommend which tour is best. But if we were to choose one, we would go for the 1 hour tour where you supposedly get to glide under the massive shopping mall named “Hoog Catharijne”.
3. Walk up the Dom Tower
The Dom Tower is the tallest church tower in all of the Netherlands, and it’s the ultimate landmark of Utrecht.
It’s more than 700 years old, and it stands 112 meters tall! You really cannot miss this historical building on your trip to Utrecht.
There is currently a scaffolding surrounding the tower, which is going to stay until the restoration is done some time in 2024. However, it didn’t stop us from visiting the marvellous building. We learned all about the tower by visiting all the rooms in it, and we walked a total of 495 steps up to a 100 meter viewpoint. We actually got to see a higher viewpoint than usual because of the scaffolding!
So in a way, visiting the building while it’s under restoration is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Or maybe it’s just me trying to put a positive spin on the fact that Utrecht’s landmark is covered in metal?
Anyways, we highly recommend a visit to the Dom Tower since it’s clearly one of the best things you can do in Utrecht! Plus, we really just loved to experience Utrecht from above.
Related blog post: How to Visit the Dom Tower
4. Visit the Dom Church
Another historical building you can visit is the Dom Church.
The iconic church was built on top of a Roman church, which burnt down in 1253, and the construction lasted nearly 3 centuries from 1254-1520. And funnily enough, the Dom Church actually wasn’t completely finished in 1520. At this point there was just no money or energy left for the project.
The Dom Church used to be attached directly to the Dom Tower. But in 1674, a tornado ravaged through the city and caused the nave of the church to collapse. It was never rebuilt – instead you have the Dom Square today.
You can easily visit the Dom Church on your trip to Utrecht. The church is open between 10 AM – 5 PM in the summer season (May to September) and between 11 AM – 4 PM during winter season (October to April). Notice there are different opening hours in the weekend.
Visiting the church is definitely one of the best free things to do in Utrecht. It’s a beautiful building that’s full of history, and right next to it you’ll find “Pandhof van de Dom”, which is the wonderful church garden you just can’t miss!
5. Explore Utrecht from below at DOMunder
One of the most unique things to do in Utrecht is visiting DOMunder. Here you basically go on a tour below the Dom Square and explore archaeological remains that are up to 2000 years old!
It honestly sounds like one of the coolest things to do in Utrecht! Unfortunately, we never got to experience DOMunder. The day we decided to visit, all of the tickets were sold out. But hopefully, we’ll visit Utrecht in the future and can update this blog post with more information!
Please feel free to share your story of DOMunder in the comment section below, we’d love to hear about it.
6. Don’t miss Utrecht Centraal Museum
One of the best things we did in Utrecht was visiting the Centraal Museum. We were lucky to visit the museum while an exhibition named “The Healthy City” was on display, which was one of the most interesting museum exhibitions we’d seen in a long time.
However, since museum exhibitions constantly change, we’ve no clue what’s on display today. But you can always be sure to find the more than 1000-year-old Utrecht Ship in the basement, and the Atelier of Dick Bruna (creator of Miffy/Nijntje) in the attic.
You can easily get your tickets here – notice that museums in Utrecht are closed on Mondays.
7. Other popular museums in Utrecht
Maybe the Centraal Museum doesn’t sound like your cup of tea – or maybe you’ve already been there? Not to worry, Utrecht has many other interesting museums you can visit. Check out the list below:
- National Railway Museum: Want to visit the highest-rated museum in Utrecht? Apparently, one of the most popular museums in Utrecht is the National Railway Museum. Here you can learn about how trains changed the world – after reading up on it, it honestly looks like a really cool museum! Get your tickets here.
- Miffy Museum: Are you traveling with small children? Then make sure to check out the Miffy Museum. In the museum, you will go through 10 different rooms that are fun and full of valuable learning experiences. Get your tickets here.
- Catharijneconvent Museum: Want to dive into medieval Utrecht? Then consider the Catharijneconvent Museum. Walk through the hallways of a medieval convent while admiring medieval art from the Netherlands – it’s even said to have a Rembrandt painting in there! Get your tickets here.
- Speelklok Museum: Want to try something different? Check out the Speelklok Museum where you are going to discover a world of self-playing instruments. This truly sounds like a unique museum experience. Get your tickets here.
8. Walk to Utrecht’s historical saw mill
Only a short 10-minute walk from Utrecht city center, you’ll find “Molen De Ster”.
Molen De Ster is a wood saw mill that dates back to 1739. The windmill in the picture below was placed on top of a saw barn and helped to efficiently saw wood with the wind power it yielded.
Today, you can visit Molen De Ster on Saturdays for a free guided tour between 1 PM and 4 PM. There is also a café on site, which is open from Wednesdays to Sundays. Either way, you should go and check out this old mill because it’s beautifully situated right next to a cozy canal, which is full of houseboats. We honestly loved our little walk to Molen De Ster.
9. Visit the Rietveld Schröder House
Are you into art and architecture? Then visiting the Rietveld Schröder House is a must thing to do in Utrecht!
Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, this particular house has been a significant landmark for the Dutch artistic movement named “De Stijl”.
The house was built in 1924 and remained the private residence of Truus Schr̦der until her death in 1985. Today, the fascinating house is open for visits Рbut make sure to get your tickets beforehand on the official Rietveld-Schr̦derhuis website.
10. Go shopping in Hoog Catharijne Mall
One of the best things to do in Utrecht, for those who like to shop, is to visit the Hoog Catharijne Shopping Center. The mall is situated right between Utrecht’s Central Train Station and the old historical city center – you can’t miss it.
It’s a big shopping center where you’ll find everything from clothing stores, to cafés, to (my favorite) the Amazing Oriental Asian Supermarket – love it!
It’s a great place to go if you’re looking for new additions to your wardrobe or if you just need to escape the summer heat or winter cold for a while. The mall is open daily from 10 AM – 8 PM except for Monday and Sunday when the opening hours differ a bit.
11. Go for a swim in a nearby canal
Are you visiting Utrecht during a summer trip to the Netherlands? Then one of the best things to do is to go for a swim!
We saw some people swim in the outer canals, but we don’t know if this is legal, so we won’t recommend that. Remember there are a ton of boats in the canal that could hit you. So please don’t jump in the city canals unless a designated swimming spot is clearly marked.
However, we found this really cool online guide about how to escape the summer heat in Utrecht – read it here: Spots to cool down in Utrecht.
12. Find the murals around Utrecht
One of the coolest things to do in Utrecht is to see the murals. Scattered all over the city, you’ll find several pieces of street art that cover whole facades.
So make sure to keep your eyes open when you’re walking around the streets of Utrecht! We fell over a lot of impressive pieces during our trip – most of them by accident.
Check out the list and locations of these incredible murals here: Street art in Utrecht.
13. Discover Utrecht on a guided walking tour
Want to dive deeper into the history and hidden gems of Utrecht? Then you should consider doing a guided walking tour.
While we didn’t go for this option, it’s a great thing to do for those who wants to learn more about Utrecht. I mean, the knowledge you get from this city guide goes as far as what we learned during our trip.
So if you really want to get to know Utrecht, then you should consider teaming up with a local guide: Book a guided walking tour.
14. Visit Utrecht’s botanical gardens
The Botanical Gardens of Utrecht is located a 4-kilometer walk out of the city center, but you can easily take a public bus there. Just jump on the bus towards “Science Park” or ask at the bus station.
You’ll find the botanical garden is situated around an old fort that dates back to the late 19th century. The gardens are full of plants from all over the world, you can visit tropical greenhouses, and you can walk in one of Europe’s largest rock gardens.
Due to unlimited time, we never made it to the beautiful Botanical Gardens of Utrecht – but it’s always good to have something saved for next visit. The garden is open every day between 10 AM to 4:30 PM from March 1 to November 30. Ticket prices (2023) for adults are €8,5 and children up to 12 years old have free entry.
15. Take a trip to the nearby De Haar Castle
One of the most spectacular things you can do close to Utrecht is visiting De Haar Castle.
De Haar is the largest castle in all of the Netherlands, and it’s luckily located very close to Utrecht. So you can either get in a car and drive, jump on a local bus, or rent a bike and ride there.
The castle is a historical, beautiful building that dates back to the 13th century. However, the castle you see today is rebuilt between 1892 and 1912 for baron Etienne van Zuylen van Nijevelt van de Haar – a man with an extraordinary long name.
The castle is beautiful in itself, but its surroundings make it even more so. De Haar is surrounded by a park with several gardens that cover more than 135 acres of land. In the park, you’ll find ponds, bridges, flower gardens, forests, a maze, a lake, and even deer.
There are two types of tickets to De Haar: 1) Only the Castle Park, or 2) Castle Park and Castle Entrance. So you can either choose to just have a stroll in the lush park, or you can go visit the magnificent castle.
By now, I hope you’re ready to visit Utrecht during your trip to the Netherlands! It’s such a picturesque city with so many great attractions and things to see. Luckily for us, we haven’t seen it all yet, and we cannot wait to be back for more in the future.
If you have any questions about things to do, how to get there, where to stay, or general wonderings about visiting Utrecht, then please leave a comment below.
Thank you for reading and happy travels!
Is it your first time in the Netherlands? Then check out: 25 things the Netherlands is famous for
