De Ballentent
What to order: the bal, the meatball that gives the place its name, with bread or chips.
geocalia
Day itinerary · 51.92° N · 4.48° E
Kinderdijk and Rotterdam in a day, windmills in the morning and the harbour in the afternoon.
Fast train to Rotterdam, a boat to the Kinderdijk windmills, back along the river, the harbour with Spido and dinner at the Hotel New York, opposite the Erasmus Bridge.
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 Rotterdam
Add to my trip
Total time11 h
By car1 h 15 each way
Train40 min to Rotterdam by Intercity Direct
WaterShuttle30 min · €32.50 with entry
Harbour boat€18.75 · 75 min
Best timeApril – October
DifficultyEasy, on foot and by boat
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Amsterdam 45 min by train
Intercity Direct from Amsterdam Centraal to Rotterdam Centraal, with supplement
- 30 min on foot · from the station to the Erasmus Bridge through the centre
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1
WaterShuttle from Rotterdam to Kinderdijk In Kinderdijk
buy the combined ticket with entry · €32.50
+31 85 040 73 33
- 30 min by boat
- 2
- 5 min on foot
- 3
- 5 min on foot
- 4
- 10 min on foot
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5
Kinderdijk Café, at the visitor centre In Kinderdijk
terrace over the water
Nederwaard 1b, 2961 AS Kinderdijk
Café €Book - 30 min by boat
- 6
- 5 min on foot
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7
Walk Across the Erasmus Bridge to Kop van Zuid
walk across the bridge
- 15 min on foot
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8
Hotel New York Café-Restaurant
kitchen open from 12:00 to 22:00
Koninginnenhoofd 1, 3072 AD Rotterdam · +31 10 439 05 25
Restaurant €€€Book -
Back home 10 min by metro
metro from Wilhelminaplein to Rotterdam Centraal
- 45 min by train · you reach Amsterdam Centraal around 20:00
Approximate cost
About €95–130 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
WaterShuttle from Rotterdam to Kinderdijk
The windmills of Kinderdijk are the image of Holland that everyone wants to see, but from Amsterdam there is no direct way to get there. The key is Rotterdam: in 40 minutes by train you are at the Erasmus Bridge, and from there the WaterShuttle drops you at the gate of the windmills in half an hour. This plan does the windmills in the morning, when there are fewer people, and devotes the afternoon to Rotterdam's harbour and its architecture.
The day, hour by hour
8:00 · Train to Rotterdam. Intercity Direct, about 40 minutes, with a small supplement. From Rotterdam Centraal, half an hour on foot through the centre to the Erasmus Bridge.
9:30 · WaterShuttle to Kinderdijk. Buy the combined ticket with entry (€32.50; €15 for ages 4 to 12): it does not force you to choose a time.
10:15 · De Fabriek and Wisboom. Start with the wordless film that explains the polder and continue with the Wisboom steam pumps.
11:00 · Boat among the windmills. The De Hopper boat goes along the canal and lets you get off beside the windmills.
11:30 · Nederwaard museum windmill. The miller's house, with the gears in motion.
12:30 · Lunch at the Kinderdijk café. Sandwiches on the terrace over the water.
14:00 · Harbour with Spido. WaterShuttle back to the Erasmus Bridge and, right next to it, the 75-minute harbour tour. €18.75.
15:30 · Erasmus Bridge and Kop van Zuid. Walk across the bridge to the Wilhelminapier, among skyscrapers.
17:00 · Dinner at the Hotel New York. In the former Holland America Line headquarters, with the river in front.
19:00 · Return. Metro from Wilhelminaplein to Rotterdam Centraal and Intercity Direct to Amsterdam.
With children or in the rain
With children, the windmills with the boat and the WaterShuttle are the best of the day, and under-4s do not pay. If it rains, the film and the pumping station are under cover, and in Rotterdam you can swap the bridge walk for the Markthal. If you go in winter on a weekday, the WaterShuttle does not run: go to Kinderdijk by metro to Kralingse Zoom and bus 489.
Time30 min
Change the route
If you have time, with its cats and rabbits, more out of the way:
Blokweer museum windmill, with its cats and rabbits
If the WaterShuttle is not sailing that day: morning in Rotterdam and Kinderdijk by bus 489:
Markthal, the Market Under the Arch
By bike, which goes free on the WaterShuttle:
Walking and cycling the dykes among the windmills
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Hotel New York Café-Restaurant
What to order: fish or seafood of the day at midday; or the breakfast buffet if you are staying nearby.
Takeaway and markets
Markthal Food Stalls, Rotterdam
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 Rotterdam
From April to October, with the WaterShuttle daily. In winter the boat to Kinderdijk only sails Friday to Sunday and Kinderdijk closes for a few weeks in January.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Don't cut it fine for the last boat
On peak days the last WaterShuttle to Rotterdam fills up.
- 2Spido in winter
From November to March, Monday to Wednesday it only departs at 14:00.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do you get from Amsterdam to Kinderdijk?
By train to Rotterdam and from there on the WaterShuttle from the Erasmus Bridge, or by metro and bus 489. In total, about an hour and three quarters.
How much does the day cost?
WaterShuttle with entry €32.50, Spido €18.75, plus the train and meals.
Can you do it in winter?
Yes, Friday to Sunday with the WaterShuttle, or any day with bus 489. Kinderdijk closes for a few weeks in January.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/the-netherlands/rotterdam/itineraries/kinderdijk-windmills-boat-and-harbour
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.