15 Reasons to Visit the Netherlands Over Fall

Vondelpark
Vondelpark | © Guilhem Vellut / Flickr
Tom Coggins

There’s never a dull moment in the Netherlands and even during colder, wetter weather there are always plenty of awesome reasons to visit the country. In fact there are countless incredible experiences on offer in the Netherlands over fall, including the following 15 listicle entries.

Everywhere looks amazing

Fall really suits the Netherlands and certain parts of the country become even more stunning from September through to December. Amsterdam’s iconic canal belt, for example, is framed by dozens of leaf-bearing trees that take on beautiful, autumnal colours at the start of the season.

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CentralAmerica

GORGEOUS GUATEMALA

Gorgeous Guatemala

5 days . Mini
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1. Guatemala

An express adventure for those with limited time off. Prepare yourself incredible experiences. You will hike a volcano, visit mayan temples and witness a ceremony and take in beautiful colonial Antigua.

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CentralAmerica

BEACHY BELIZE

Beachy Belize

5 days . Mini
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2. Belize

A quick trip not too far away for those seeking a relaxing mini break. You will have plenty of free time to relax but also some awesome activities to experience the rainforest and the caribbean sea.
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CentralAmerica

COLONIAL MEXICO

Colonial Mexico

5 days . Mini
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3. Mexico

An exciting mini trip exploring the lesser known colonial towns of central Mexico. This is hte perfect trip for someone with limited time off and still wants to turn on explorer mode and do something different.
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SouthAmerica

ADVENTUROUS ECUADOR

Adventurous Ecuador

8 days . Epic
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1. Ecuador

A remarkable 8 days adventure through the Andes and the Amazon rainforest. The best choice for adventure seekers wishing to visit the 2 most iconic areas of South America, in only 1 week and no flights.

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SouthAmerica

ANCIENT PERU

Ancient Peru

9 days . Epic
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2. Peru

An alternative itinerary to classic Peru, from Cusco to Arequipa. This itinerary is great combination of highlights Cusco and Machu Picchu with the lesser known Arequipa and Colca Canyon.
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Europe

SEDUCTIVE SOUTHERN ITALY

Seductive Southern Italy

10 days . Epic
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1. Italy

The ultimate Italian experience from the vibrant streets of Naples to the breathtaking sceneries of the Amalfi Coast followed by Matera and down to Puglia with its golden beaches, intense flavours and fascinating destinations.

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Europe

EDINBURGH AND THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS BY TRAIN

Edinburgh And The Scottish Highlands By Train

7 days . Culture
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2. Scotland

Embark on this great adventure starting from London all the way to Scotland with a true Scottish experience made of breathtaking sceneries, whisky tasting and ..lots of fun! Ideal for train lovers and explorers.
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Europe

COMPLETE PORTUGAL BY TRAIN

Complete Portugal By Train

8 days . Culture
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3. Portugal

A wonderful train journey around Portugal, from the romantic city of Porto to the Douro Valley, to the beautiful Aveiro all the way to Lisbon and Sintra. The perfect trip to train, culinary and culture lovers.
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Asia

SOULFUL SOUTH KOREA

Soulful South Korea

10 days . Epic
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1. South Korea

Discover incredible temples, mountains and modern cities on this 10 day adventure. This trip is perfect for those seeking immersion in the cuisine, culture and natural wonders of South Korea.

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Asia

THAILAND, CAMBODIA & VIETNAM

Thailand, Cambodia & Vietnam

11 days . Epic
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2. Thailand

From Bankgok to Angkor Wat to Ho Chi Minh City and everything in between - adventure through the heart of South-East Asia. Taste the delights, see history brought to life and unwind on a Mekong River cruise.
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Asia

SECRETS OF SRI LANKA BY TRAIN

Secrets Of Sri Lanka By Train

10 days . Culture
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3. Sri Lanka

A fantastic adventure that showcases Sri Lanka's fantastic landscapes, wildlife and flavours. With 3 epic rail journeys, 3 UNESCO heritage sites and time to relax, this trip has loads to offer at a great price
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Africa

EPIC MOROCCO

Epic Morocco

11 days . Epic
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1. Morocco

An epic journey across Morocco: from Casablanca to Marrakech, through the blue city of Chefchaouen to the wonders of the desert and deep to the High Atlas Mountains - this trip has it all! Ideal for true explorers!

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Africa

ULTIMATE EGYPT

Ultimate Egypt

9 days . Epic
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2. Egypt

From Cairo to Aswan, this trip brings the land of the pharaohs to life. You'll visit the Pyramids, Valley of the Kings and Luxor Temple and cruise down the Nile in style. This is the perfect way to explore Egypt.
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Africa

IMMERSIVE KENYA

Immersive Kenya

8 days . Epic
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3. Kenya

An immersive blend of culture and wildlife for first time travelers to Africa. Learn about Nairobi, sample local coffee in the Aberdares and finish up with a fantastic safari stay in the Masai Mara.
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It’s especially beautiful near the sea

Even though the rugged Dutch coastline always looks incredible, visiting these regions over Autumn is particularly rewarding. Places like the island of Texel off the coast of North Holland become ridiculously photogenic during fall while other coastal areas, such as Scheveningen, endure crashing waves, high sea-winds and other harsh yet captivating weather patterns.

Texel’s Eirland lighthouse

The national parks are incredible

For obvious reasons, forests and other wooded areas are among the best places to experience fall in the Netherlands. There are plenty of noteworthy autumnal getaways spread throughout the country, including de Hoge Veluwe in Gelderland or Zuid-Kennemerland National Park which lies around thirty kilometres due west of Amsterdam.

The Hoge Veluwe National Park

And places like Vondelpark look awesome too

Much like other green areas around the Netherlands, urban parks like Vondelpark in Amsterdam, Museumpark in Rotterdam or Scheveningse Bosje in the Hague are absolutely stunning during fall.

Vondelpark

There are loads of film festivals

The Dutch cultural calendar keeps rolling throughout the colder months of the year, and many film festivals take place around the country during Autumn, including several major industry events such as International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam or the Netherlands Film Festival in Utrecht.

Pathé Tuschinski hosts International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam

And indoor music festivals

Many of the most important and popular music festivals happen in the Netherlands during fall, such as Le Guess Who? in Utrecht, which revolves around alternative, experimental and avant-garde genres, or ADE in Amsterdam — one of the largest EDM events in the world.

Savages and Bo Ningen playing at Le Guess Who? 2014

Halloween is always a blast

Even though Halloween isn’t really a Dutch tradition it has taken hold over larger cities in the Netherlands and it is common for bars, clubs and cinemas to host special, spooky events around October 31.

There are open-air ice rinks everywhere

By mid-November dozens of outdoor ice rinks appear throughout the Netherlands. These al fresco facilities include a particularly famous rink that runs alongside the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

The ice-rink outside the Rijksmuseum

Sometimes people skate on the canals

Every now and then, the temperature drops low enough for canals and other bodies of water in the Netherlands to completely freeze over. As ice skating is among the national sports in the Netherlands, people tend to immediately jump onto these frozen waterways and use them as improvised ice rinks.

People ice-skating on Amsterdam’s canals

Sinterklaasavond falls just before winter

Although he bears a striking resembles to Santa Claus or Father Christmas, the traditions surrounding Sinterklaas are pretty much unique to the Netherlands. Unlike his anglophone counterparts, Sinterklaas is said to deliver gifts on December 5; this date tends to serve as the main gift-giving day in the Netherlands.

Festive Dutch cakes and pastries are delicious

From September until early January, Dutch stores sell a wide variety of candies, cakes and cookies associated with the festive seasons. These delicious treats include crunchy spiced cookies called speculaas and greasy, sugar-coated doughnuts called oliebollen, both of which are available from seasonal food trucks.

An oliebollen stand

Dutch cuisine really suits Autumn

Cold, wet weather in the Netherlands calls for hearty, traditional meals like delicious stammpot, which revolves around massive servings of mashed potatoes, topped with several types of meat, or warming soups such as erwtensoep.

Stamppot

The Breweries roll out their bokbiers

Bokbier is a dark, seasonal beer which tastes particularly delicious alongside autumnal food like stammpot. Almost every Dutch brewery makes its own version of bokbier, and the beer is available at basically every pub in the Netherlands.

Several bokbiers

The country becomes super-gezellig

Gezellig is a special Dutch word which represents many feelings commonly associated with traditional autumnal activities, like drinking bokbier with friends, eating hearty meals or reading a book while next to a log fire. Basically, everything in the Netherlands is geared toward prompting gezellig situations during fall,. It is exceptionally easy to relax, hang out and settle into an easier, super-gezellig rhythm.

Toasty log fires are definitely gezellig

And there’s plenty going on inside

There are always plenty of interesting, fun and important events happening indoors in the Netherlands during fall. Most museums, for example, launch their winter exhibitions around September or October, whilst clubs and bars continue to organise parties throughout the season.

The Rijksmuseum
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