De Nachtegaal restaurant
What to order: a lunch from the menu with local produce; much of it can be ordered gluten-free or lactose-free.
geocalia
Day itinerary · 52.63° N · 4.75° E
The Alkmaar cheese market, a spring Friday 35 minutes from Amsterdam.
Thirty-five minutes by train, the cheese market on the Waagplein, the museum in the weigh house, a boat under twenty bridges, lunch opposite the town hall and the cannonball house.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Ámsterdam fromBarcelona 2 h 15Bilbao 2 h 15Madrid 2 h 30Palma de Mallorca 2 h 30Alicante 2 h 45Ibiza 2 h 45Valencia 2 h 45Málaga 3 h 15Sevilla 3 h 15Fuerteventura 4 h 45
Part of Alkmaar
Add to my trip
Total time9 h
By car45 min each way
Train35 min from Amsterdam Centraal
MarketFriday 10:00–13:00 · free
Cheese Museum€7
Boat€10.50 · 45 min
DifficultyEasy, all on foot
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
-
Leave Amsterdam 30 min by train
from Amsterdam Centraal to Alkmaar
- 15 min on foot · signposted route to the Waagplein
-
1
Alkmaar cheese market on the Waagplein
take your place at the barriers before 10:00 · free
- 2 min on foot
-
2
Cheese Museum, in the Waag
in the Waag · €7
- 2 min on foot
-
3
Alkmaar canal boat, under 20 bridges
every 20 minutes on market Fridays · €10.50 · no credit cards
+31 6 53714608
- 6 min on foot
-
4
De Nachtegaal restaurant
lunch opposite the old town hall
Langestraat 100, 1811 JK Alkmaar · +31 6 81365202
Restaurant €€Book - 5 min on foot
-
5
Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar
Tuesday to Sunday
- 2 min on foot
-
6
Grote Sint-Laurenskerk
check the visiting hours
- 10 min on foot
-
7
Walk along the canals and the Huis met de Kogel
Verdronkenoord, Luttik Oudorp and the cannonball house
-
Back home 15 min on foot
to the station
- 30 min by train · you reach Amsterdam Centraal around 18:45
Approximate cost
About €30–45 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Alkmaar cheese market on the Waagplein
Alkmaar's cheese market is only held on Friday mornings from late March to September, so the day must be planned around it. This plan arrives at the Waagplein before 10:00 to watch the carriers from the barriers, then goes into the Cheese Museum, sails under the low bridges, eats opposite the old town hall and devotes the afternoon to the church, the museum and the canals.
The day, hour by hour
8:45 · Train to Alkmaar. About 35 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal and fifteen on foot along the signposted route.
9:40 · Cheese market. Take your place at the barriers before 10:00. Weighing at the Waag, carriers and cheeses thrown onto the carts. Free.
11:15 · Cheese Museum. In the same Waag, with a treasure hunt for children. €7.
12:15 · Canal boat. On market Fridays it leaves every 20 minutes from the Mient. 45 minutes under twenty bridges. €10.50, cash or debit card.
13:15 · Lunch at De Nachtegaal. In a building of 1903 opposite the old town hall, with meat, fish or vegan.
14:30 · Stedelijk Museum. The history and art of Alkmaar, with the Bergen school.
16:00 · Grote Sint-Laurenskerk. The great Gothic church, next to the museum.
16:45 · Walk along the canals. Verdronkenoord, Luttik Oudorp and the house with the cannonball.
17:45 · Return. On foot to the station and train to Amsterdam.
With children or in the rain
The market, the boat and the cheese museum make a rounded plan for children; the Stedelijk can be skipped. If it rains, the cheese museum and the Stedelijk are indoors, and the boat runs just the same. Outside the market season, this day loses its reason for being: choose another destination.
Time3 h
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Wolf Kitchen & Bar
What to order: dinner with the wine pairing, or a lunch on the terrace opposite the Waag.
t Fnidsen
What to order: the five-course menu, and swap the dessert for the cheese selection.
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Alkmaar
A Friday from late March to late September, for the cheese market from 10:00 to 13:00; in July and August also on Tuesday evenings.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Only on a Friday
The market is on Fridays from 10:00 to 13:00; in July and August, also on Tuesdays from 19:00 to 21:00.
- 2Bring cash
The boat does not accept credit cards.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get from Amsterdam to Alkmaar?
About 35 minutes by train and 15 on foot to the square.
How much does the day cost?
The market is free; museum €7, boat €10.50, plus the train and food.
Can it be combined with Zaanse Schans?
Yes, it is on the same train line towards Amsterdam; with the market in the morning, go in the afternoon instead of the Stedelijk.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/the-netherlands/alkmaar/itineraries/friday-of-cheese-and-canals
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.