Background information on Utrecht

Utrecht is the fourth-largest city in the Netherlands and features a city centre with a blend of ancient as well as modern elements.

The city’s origins began from the Roman empire which then evolved into a religious centre for the Netherlands. Today, the city is also home to the Utrecht University, one of the oldest and largest in the country. Because of this, the medieval city has a youthful vibrance contributed by the student population.

The city centre is small and compact, and has a main canal Oudegracht running through it. Below is a diagrammatic representation of the city centre of Utrecht, also indicating the key landmarks, attractions and train station.

Orientation of Utrecht

The city centre is very small and compact and so is easy to walk about. Its main railway station is also very conveniently located. Molen de Ster on the western side to the Dom Church on the eastern side measures around 2 kilometres, equivalent to just under 30 minutes walk.

Before reading on, you may want to take a look at the available activities in Utrecht* in case you are interested in anything else outside of this guide.

Planning considerations for a day trip to Utrecht

Getting to Utrecht

The Netherlands is incredibly well-connected by trains, and so you are always a train ride or two to Utrecht from any of the major cities. To illustrate this, all of Amsterdam, Rotterdam as well as The Hague (Den Haag) are just a direct 30-40 minute train ride to Utrecht! This therefore makes Utrecht a very easy day trip to make.

Utrecht is also just a 30-minute direct train away from the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS).

Trains from all of the above locations are fairly frequent, though you can also check the NS Dutch Railway website to help you with planning your journey.

Getting around Utrecht

The city centre is really small and compact, and so it is perfectly easy to get around by foot. In fact, I think this is the best way to explore the city. And that’s because many of the main attractions and scenic parts of the canals are within the city centre.

To make things even more convenient, the Utretcht Centraal train station is right in the city centre itself with very minimal walk needed. So you can easily begin your exploration immediately upon your arrival.

But even if you are travelling further, to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Rietveld Schröder House for example, you can easily travel on the buses and trams.

In case you need to use the public transport system, they are operated by U-OV in Utrecht and charges a base rate of €1.16 plus a variable rate of €0.201 per kilometre. You can pay by tapping using your bank card and the charges are capped at €10 per day.

How long do I need at Utrecht

Utrecht can generally be enjoyed within a day trip from one of the major cities of the Netherlands. The key attractions, the lovely canals as well as the main train station are all conveniently located within close proximity of each other.

You wouldn’t be bored even if you decide to stay longer, because you can either enjoy the cafes along the canals at your own time, or explore some of the sights further away (we’ll come to that at the end of this article).

Opening times

Compared to Amsterdam, Utrecht is a much slower-paced and laidback city. You’ll find that shops and attractions generally open around 10am or 11am, and can be even later at noon on Sundays and Mondays. This is perfect for a day trip, because they will open just about when you arrive at the city. Maybe you can even consider having breakfast at the city of your accommodation before making your way!

But if you love walking down a quiet street without the shops open, then definitely head to Utrecht early. Because I actually enjoyed strolling along the canals and the city centre, taking pictures with hardly anyone around.

Food

You can read more information in detail about the food you can find in the Netherlands at my Netherlands Travel Guide: Planning for a Unique Visit.

In summary, these are mainly the Dutch snacks such as poffertjes, pannenkoeken (pancakes), stroopwafels and bitterballen.

When it comes to winters, stews become warm and comforting food, along with soups such as Erwtensoep (a thick split pea soup).

Particularly in Utrecht, there are quite a few great places for food. A few of them are listed below:

• Kimmade Vietnamese Street Food
• Restaurant Blauw
• Anna Pancakes
• Belgisch Biercafé Olivier Utrecht
• The Seafood Bar

I have personally tried the first 3 in the list. Kimmade is extremely popular but the shop is very small and you will have to queue for quite a while if you wish to dine in. I’d suggest either ordering online and collecting, or doing a takeaway.

Blauw is a great place to try Rijsttafel (Rice Table), an Indonesian-influenced meal which consists of an elaborate spread of side dishes on the table, often served with rice. The branch in Utrecht in particular, holds the Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Finally, Anna Pancakes is a popular and trendy pancake house and numerous branches can be found all around Utrecht. They serve great pancakes served in many different fancy ways with options for both savoury and sweet. Expect large crowds during the breakfast and brunch timings. This was my family’s first meal in the Netherlands and we loved tasting each other’s pancakes!

Things to do on your day trip to Utrecht

The activities suggested below can generally be covered within a single day trip, and if you do have more time on your hands, you can further explore the other options in the next section.

Also, if you can time your day trip to fall on a Saturday, you will be able to take advantage of the opening of the Molen de Ster, Markt Vredenburg and Bloemenmarkt.

1. Enjoy Dutch snacks and fresh produce at Markt Vredenburg

Located right at the doorstep of the Utrecht Centraal Station, Markt Vredenburg is an open street market selling a variety of food and goods, from Dutch cheeses to fresh produces as well as electronics and clothing.

Here, you can also try a range of Dutch snacks such as poffertjes, pickled herring and fried kibbeling. Take note though, that the market only opens on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and selected Sundays.

2. Chase Miffy

Then, a short distance away from Market Vredenburg is the Miffy Traffic Light. Miffy is a female rabbit character of a children book series, created by Dutch artist Dick Bruna in 1955. And yes, as you might have guessed, Utrecht is indeed the birthplace of Miffy (or known as nijntje in Dutch).

And this traffic light features the Miffy character instead of the usual walking man. This is one of the few landmarks around Utrecht commemorating its birth of the character in the city.

And in case you are a big Miffy fan, you can also head to Miffy’s Little Square (450m further north from the traffic light) to see a sculpture of Miffy done by Dick Bruna’s son, or visit the Nijntje Museum designed for children.

3. Stroll along the Oudegracht and have a beer

The main canal running through the city centre is the Oudegracht (Old Canal), featuring a unique double-tier design. The lower tier, or also the water level, is lined with cafes and restaurants using spaces previously occupied by wharf cellars. Then there is the upper tier, or the street level where cobbled streets run parallel to the canals. In addition, a total of 16 bridges cross the entire 2km stretch of the canal.

While enjoying a walk down the canals, why not also stop by one of the beer houses such as Beers & Barrels or Stadskasteel Oudaen?

4. Visit Dom Church and Tower (Domkerk and Domtoren)

The Dom Church, or also known as St Martin’s Cathedral, is a Gothic cathedral that could have been the Netherland’s largest cathedral if not for an unfinished nave that was destroyed in a storm.

As a result of the storm, the Dom Church and Dom Tower stood independent of each other and separated by Dom Square (Domplein). That has remained this way since. Despite so, Dom Tower still remains as the Netherland’s tallest church tower.

Today, you can visit and climb the 465-step Dom Tower on a guided tour (for €14.50), as well as visit the Dom Church and its courtyard for free. And in case you are there on a Saturday, you can also enjoy a free concert in the church at 3.30pm.

Additionally, you can also go on a DomUnder discovery tour (for €14.50) to explore the underground Roman remains of the city.

5. See the St Willibrord’s Church (Sint Willibrordkerk)

Then, a short distance away from Dom Church is the St Willibrord’s Church, a 19th century Roman Catholic church. Its entrance is unassuming, and its exterior is almost entirely hidden by its surrounding buildings, but its interior is definitely nothing like it.

Unfortunately, the church is only open half the time, so check the website for its opening days and times.

6. Enjoy the flowers of Janskerkhof Bloemenmarkt (Sat only)

The Netherlands is the world’s leader in flower international trade, making up over 50% of the world’s fresh flower exports. And so you can expect them in abundance and in great quality. Especially so for the tulips during the spring season! And so if you are in Utrecht on a Saturday, make sure not to miss the Janskerkhof Bloemenmarkt, located outside the Janskerk (or St John’s Church).

Even if you are not a huge flower fan, it’s a nice place for some pictures and atmosphere.

And round the corner of the market is also an Anne Frank statue, the first in the world at that time (until it had to be replicated after being destroyed by vandalism). It was gifted to the city council in 1959, the year when Anne Frank would have turned 30.

7. Visit Molen de Ster

Molen de Ster (or ‘Star Mill’), is an operational 18th century sawmill that is also the last surviving one in the area. Today, it functions as a working museum housing a cafe, as well as a playground and petting zoo on its grounds.

In case you are in Utrecht on a Saturday, the mill offers free guided tours from 1pm to 4pm, allowing you a glimpse into its interior, see the mill in operation, and understand how tree trunks are transformed to wooden planks. Otherwise, the interior of the mill is closed to visitors on other days.

But even if you are there outside of a Saturday afternoon, you can still enjoy a visit to the petting zoo. This will be great especially for families with children.

Even though I was there on a Saturday, I was unfortunately there too late and missed the 4pm cut off to the tours. Nevertheless, the windmill was an impressive sight and the petting zoo was a nice bonus to the visit.

If you have more time in Utrecht

While the above activities are probably sufficient to occupy you for a single day trip to Utrecht, you can also consider the following activities if you are a quick explorer, have more time on hand, or even swap in any of them accordingly based on your interests.

a. Visit Museum Speelklok

Museum Speelklok (or loosely translated to English as Museum Musical Clock), is a museum dedicated to self-playing musical instruments and clocks. It is therefore also nicknamed the ‘Music Box Museum‘.

Many of the exhibits are over hundreds of years old but still in great working order. A visit to the museum is not only for your eyes, but also for your ears, to listen to the music boxes many of which are from the 16th century. Exhibits are also interactive, and you can try arranging your own music.

Entry to the museum costs €17 and the price also includes a guided tour. It generally takes around 2 hours to visit the museum, including taking the 60-minute guided tour. If you also intend to climb the Dom Tower, then you can purchase a combination ticket for €24. (As mentioned earlier, the climb up Dom Tower costs €14.50). However, the combination ticket can only be purchased either at the Dom Tower or Museum Speelklok.

b. Visit Rietveld Schröder House

The Rietveld Schröder House was built in 1924 and is an icon of modern architecture, featuring advanced designs and features by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld. For example, the house has a system of sliding and pivoting panels instead of walls, to create a dynamic interior. Furthermore, its use of techniques such as corner windows help to blend the outside with the interior.

Impressively, the house is also recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tickets cost €19 each and reservations are highly recommended prior to your visit. If you have a temporary Museumkaart, you can also use that for visiting the house. A visit generally takes around 1-2 hours and you can reach the house from Utrecht Centraal station in 15 minutes by bus service 8 followed by a short walk.

c. Visit DomUnder

As mentioned earlier (in point 4 above together with Dom Church and Dom Tower), you can also go on a DomUnder discovery tour (for €14.50) to explore the underground Roman remains of the city.

d. Walk the Trajectum Lumen Utrecht trail

The Trajectum Lumen trail is a self-guided night walk through the city centre of Utrecht and features numerous light installations and artwork all across the city. The lights come on from sunset until midnight, so it may be difficult to do so unless you are staying in the city for the night. Well, maybe it’s possible during the winter when sunsets are early!

The lights illuminate some of the landmarks and icons of the city, thus giving you a different look and feel at night.

You can either pick up a map of the trail at the visitor centre, or make use of a digital map, one of which can be found here.

e. Do a city walking tour

If you’d like to understand more about the city, then you can browse some of the walking tours available for Utrecht on Get Your Guide*.

What I did in Utrecht

I have been to Utrecht just once in March 2023. And I did what I have listed above in the core list of things to do in Utrecht, except that I didn’t go all the way out for Miffy (I just went to see the traffic lights), I didn’t have a beer (because I don’t enjoy them), I didn’t climb Dom Tower (because I was with elderlies) and I missed the 4pm cut off for the guided tours at Molen de Ster.

My thoughts on Utrecht

Utrecht is a lovely place to be in if you enjoy a slow-paced city with authenticity and also being away from the usual tourist crowds. Especially if you love sipping a drink along a scenic canal without having to bother about long queues. It is also very small and walkable, making a quick visit really possible.

Having said that, Utrecht is one to visit as an add-on day trip. It shouldn’t be a visit instead of Amsterdam. While Utrecht is very much enjoyable, Amsterdam has got much more to offer in terms of things to do and see. Utrecht is one for you to experience a quieter, more upclose and personal Dutch city, which is something Amsterdam cannot match.

So definitely, visit Utrecht, but not instead of Amsterdam.