De Zalm
What to order: a lunch on the terrace on a market Thursday, with the Waag in front of you.
geocalia
Day itinerary · 52.01° N · 4.71° E
Gouda in a day, a Thursday of cheese an hour by train from Amsterdam.
Train to Gouda, the cheese market opposite the Waag, lunch on the Markt, the stroopwafel factory, the Sint-Jan's 72 stained-glass windows and the city museum.
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 Gouda
Add to my trip
Total time8 h
By car45 min each way
TrainA little under 1 h from Amsterdam
MarketThursdays from April to August
Siroopwafelfabriek€11.50
Waag€7.50 online
DifficultyEasy, all on foot
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
-
Leave Amsterdam 1 h by train
from Amsterdam Centraal to Gouda
- 10 min on foot · from the station to the Markt
-
1
Gouda Cheese Market, Thursdays from April to August
Thursdays from April to August, 10:00 to 12:30 · free
- 2 min on foot
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2
Goudse Waag Museum and Cheese Tasting
€7.50 online · with tasting €10
- 1 min on foot
- 3
- 3 min on foot
- 4
- 5 min on foot
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5
Sint-Janskerk and Its 72 Stained-Glass Windows
Monday to Saturday until 16:00 · free audio guide
- 2 min on foot
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6
Museum Gouda
Tuesday to Sunday until 17:00
- 5 min on foot
-
7
Walk Around the Markt, Town Hall and Canals of Gouda
the canals of the centre
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Back home 10 min on foot
to the station
- 1 h by train · you reach Amsterdam around 19:15
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
Gouda Cheese Market, Thursdays from April to August
Gouda in a day, with cheese as the star. The plan is designed for a Thursday from April to August, when the Markt fills with horse-drawn carts and cheeses in front of the Waag, and continues with a tasting in the 1668 weigh house, the factory where stroopwafels have been made since 1810, the 72 stained-glass windows of the Sint-Janskerk and the city museum.
The day, hour by hour
8:45 · Train to Gouda. A little under an hour from Amsterdam Centraal and ten minutes on foot to the Markt.
9:50 · Cheese market. From 10:00 to 12:30. Stand in front of the Waag, where the carts stop. Free.
11:30 · Goudse Waag. The weigh house museum, with a four-cheese tasting for €10 if you book it.
12:45 · Lunch at De Zalm. On the same square, with the Waag in front of you.
14:00 · Siroopwafelfabriek Kamphuisen. How syrup waffles are made, with a warm one at the end. €11.50.
15:00 · Sint-Janskerk. The 72 stained-glass windows with the free audio guide, until 16:00.
16:00 · Museum Gouda. Altarpieces, the 1562 model and Gouda ceramics.
17:00 · Canals. A short stroll through the centre before heading back.
18:00 · Return. Ten minutes to the station and train to Amsterdam.
With children or in the rain
With children, the market and the stroopwafel factory are the plan; Museum Gouda has a tablet trail. If it rains, the Waag, the factory, the church and the museum are all indoors. Outside the market season, start at the Waag at 10:00.
Time2 h 30
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
COCO, Casual Lunch at the WSHS
What to order: a midday lunch before the Sint-Jan, which is two minutes away.
Restaurant LIZZ*
What to order: the three-course introductory menu, €75, on Thursday at midday or on Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
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 Gouda
A Thursday from April to August for the cheese market; the rest of the year, any day from Tuesday to Saturday, with the Sint-Jan and the museum open.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the factory and the Waag
Both have time slots; the Waag is cheaper online.
- 2Thursday, but not Ascension Thursday
There is no market that day.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get from Amsterdam to Gouda?
A little under an hour by train, direct or with one change.
How much does the day cost?
Waag €7.50, factory €11.50, plus train and food; the church has a free audio guide.
What if I go on a Sunday?
The Sint-Jan is not open to visitors: swap the afternoon for Museum Gouda and a long walk along the canals.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/the-netherlands/gouda/itineraries/cheese-stroopwafels-and-stained-glass
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.