Gouda: A Great Day Trip from Amsterdam!

We previously resided in Amsterdam for over three years and saw much of the country during that time. Holland may be flat, but its countryside is particularly picturesque, especially in spring. During tulip season, the flower fields brighten the terrain alongside numerous cattle farms, green houses and windmills. And being one of the western world’s most densely populated countries, there’s so many beautiful Dutch towns within an hour train ride from Amsterdam like Utrecht, Haarlem, Delft, Alkmaar and Gouda to name a few.

If you’re looking for a miniature version of Amsterdam for half a day, you can’t go wrong with any of these towns. We recently re-visited the Netherlands for business and Alex had the opportunity to visit Gouda for the first time, so we’ll highlight why this is among the great day trips from Amsterdam.

Gouda cheese wheel sign

Gouda Cheese

Many of us have seen and enjoyed Gouda cheese in grocery stores around the world, and it’s indeed delicious, especially the high quality varieties you can purchase in Holland, ranging from young to mature. The town of Gouda gained city rights in 1272, but the first mention of Gouda cheese came in 1184, so in reality the town was named after the cheese!

Every Thursday morning from April-August, Gouda holds a cheese market which draws throngs of tourists to witness giant cheese wheels being weighed and inspected for quality by commercial cheese traders. As I visited in early September, the cheese market had just finished for the season, so I instead visited the cheese museum, De Goudse Waag which is small, but has some cool antique cheese making equipment.

I should have popped into this Subway sandwich shop to inspect their cheese.
Gouda, Netherlands gained city rights in 1272. The town is synonymous with the Dutch cheese, whose origin dates to 1184.

Grote Markt

Gouda itself is gorgeous, with a wonderful town square (grote markt), several canals and two gigantic old windmills. The town square has numerous cafes and restaurants with lots of outdoor seating to enjoy a meal or drinks while admiring the gorgeous 16th century Saint John Church and City Hall. I loved the laid back feel of Gouda, and if you visit when the cheese market isn’t happening, it’s relatively de-void of tourists. On the sunny September day I visited, there wasn’t many other people strolling around snapping photos.

Gouda Grote Markt, City Hall
Gouda City Hall in the Grote Markt

Train Travel from Amsterdam to Gouda

What’s the best way to get to Gouda from Amsterdam? It’s super easy with the Netherlands fast and efficient NS international train service, which makes us miss living in that country. Boston just doesn’t stack up in the public transport department compared to Holland! I caught the train to Gouda from The Hague (Den Haag) Centraal Station, which takes only 15 minutes and the trains run super regularly!

From Amsterdam you can either catch a direct train or you’ll typical connect via Utrecht and the trip will take you just under 1 hour each way. Again the trains are super frequent, leaving every 15 minutes or so! You can check the website 9292 for not just the Dutch rail schedule but also planning your trip door to door while in the Netherlands.

Where to Stay in Gouda?

Families and groups of friends will find the best value booking short term apartments in Gouda. They can also be found on websites like booking, in addition to apartment booking sites. Book accommodation with consistently good reviews for the best experience.

Gouda Cafe on the Canal
Gouda windmill on the canal

OV Chip Card for Train Travel

If you visit Gouda on a day trip from Amsterdam, consider stopping in Utrecht as well. You can visit both towns in a day, especially in spring and summer when the daylight hours are long. Just purchase an OV chip card from a Dutch rail station and be sure to swipe your card in and out at the train stations before entering and after exiting the trains. If you’ll be hopping around several Dutch towns this will save you a lot of hassle over purchasing individual round-trip tickets, especially since the ticket machines don’t accept cash and typically don’t take foreign bank cards.

Gouda Cheese Market

Thinking to visit the Gouda cheese market in summer? The Gouda Cheese Market takes place between and September each year. Arrive early as people complain it’s difficult to see the proceedings otherwise!

Weekly on Thursday, starting from Apr 4, 2024, until Aug 29, 2024.
Not on 9 May
Start time: 10:00 – End time: 12:30

What’s your favorite Dutch town to visit on a day trip from Amsterdam? Have questions about visiting the Netherlands or other European Union travels? Leave a comment or email me at [email protected] and I can assist you!

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Author

  • Alex Kallimanis is an award winning travel journalist who has visited 67+ different countries, including all 27 European Union countries, across all continents except Antarctica. He has resided around the world, living in countries like Australia, the Netherlands and Ireland for over 7 years combined. Currently residing in the Tampa, Florida, area with his wife Bell, he still spends much of his time in Europe as he also holds Greek citizenship, thanks to his father. Alex is a graduate of the University of Central Florida with a bachelor of arts degree in history, and was the president of Phi Alpha Theta (Honors History Society) during his senior year there. He was working on an MBA at UCF, before leaving it to reside in Australia on a one year working holiday visa, many moons ago. Alex enjoys covering wellness, gastronomy, outdoor adventures, craft beverages, history, sports and culture during his travels.

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18 thoughts on “Gouda: A Great Day Trip from Amsterdam!

  1. So glad I found this post! We just moved to Amsterdam, and although we love this city, we are from the country and can’t wait to explore the rest of Holland and the Netherlands! Thanks for getting us started!

    1. Hi Jessica, thanks for the comment! Reading what you wrote makes us nostalgic for when we first moved to Amsterdam. We loved the city and it was fascinating and inspiring to discover it in more detail over a few years. We miss that memory. Enjoy, savour and have fun with all the wonderful nearby day trips!

    1. Thank you for the compliment! Gouda is a wonderful town to stroll and photograph, like so much of the Netherlands. And yes, so much great cheese everywhere!

  2. I had no idea Gouda was so easy to get to from Amsterdam – I’ve never been to the Netherlands and really want to visit Amsterdam and now that I know this is so nearby, I’d love to visit (and am always keen on a bit of Gouda cheese!)

    1. Hi Shikha! Thanks for swinging by and commenting! Awesome, we highly recommend Amsterdam. It’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world and we both fell in love with it when we were backpacking just after college (when we met). And after living there for 3 and 1/2 years and just returning for a visit, we still love it. But it’s great to see more of the Netherlands and luckily it’s really easy when you’re there. We highly recommend Delft too. Let us know if you have more questions about your trip! 🙂

  3. I love visiting towns named after cheese…or is it actually towns that cheeses are named after? 😉 We’ve been to Edam but will have to check out Gouda next time we’re in the Netherlands.

    1. Cool, did you enjoy Edam? We’d love to visit Edam someday- we meant to and somehow never did. There’s too many cute Dutch towns to see and also so many great places outside the Netherlands. I only visited Gouda on a recent trip- after we’d previously resided in the country for a few years 🙂

    1. Yes, it’s truly a beautiful town! There’s quite a few very pretty Dutch towns but Gouda is a little gem near the top!

  4. Maybe it´s strange but with my love to cheeses, l didn’t know about Gouda history. It was so interesting to read. Thank you for sharing your story and tip about this city!

    1. Hey Maria! We love cheese too. So glad you enjoyed this article on Gouda! All the best and happy travels to you! 🙂

  5. I spent 2 weeks in Amsterdam visiting my sister. She advised me to visit and drive through the south of France, since I am already in Europe. That’s why I flew to Marseille and now I’m renting a car. So, I plan to visit Une Table au Sud and several other interesting establishments.
    https://rental24.co.uk/france/marseille-airport

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