Stadskasteel Oudaen
What to order: a beer from their own brewery with something from the day's menu.
geocalia
Day itinerary · 52.09° N · 5.12° E
Utrecht in a day from Amsterdam, the tallest tower and a two-level canal half an hour away.
Half an hour by train, the guided climb up the Domtoren, organs at Speelklok, lunch in a tower house, a canal boat and the Oudegracht wharves at dusk.
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 Utrecht
Add to my trip
Total time9 h
By car45 min each way
Train30 min from Amsterdam Centraal
Domtoren€13.50 · with guide
Boat1 h · daily
Best timeApril – October
DifficultyEasy; the tower has many stairs
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
-
Leave Amsterdam 30 min by train
intercity from Amsterdam Centraal to Utrecht Centraal
- 15 min on foot · through Hoog Catharijne and the centre to the Domplein
-
1
Domtoren, the Cathedral Tower with Guided Visit
book the time slot online · €13.50 · no bags
- 4 min on foot
-
2
Museum Speelklok, Clocks and Organs That Play
the organs play during the visit
- 5 min on foot
-
3
Stadskasteel Oudaen
house beer · open every day
Oudegracht 99, 3511 AE Utrecht · +31 30 231 18 64
Restaurant €€Book - 3 min on foot
- 4
- 2 min on foot
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5
The Oudegracht and Its Water-Level Wharves
go down to the wharves by the steps at the bridges
- 30 min on foot
- 6
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Back home 15 min on foot
to Utrecht Centraal
- 30 min by train · you reach Amsterdam Centraal around 19:30
Approximate cost
About €30–55 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Domtoren, the Cathedral Tower with Guided Visit
Utrecht is half an hour from Amsterdam and is a completely different city: younger, less touristy and with a unique canal, the Oudegracht, which has the street above and the wharves at water level. This plan climbs the tallest church tower in the country, listens to organs at Speelklok, eats in a medieval tower house, sails the canals and ends on a terrace by the water.
The day, hour by hour
9:15 · Train to Utrecht. About 30 minutes. From the station, a quarter of an hour on foot to the Domplein.
10:15 · Domtoren. Guided climb, always in groups. Book the time slot online; you cannot go up with bags, there are free lockers. €13.50.
11:30 · Museum Speelklok. Music boxes, clocks and organs that the guides set playing.
13:00 · Lunch at Stadskasteel Oudaen. In a tower house on the Oudegracht with its own brewery.
14:30 · Canal boat. An hour with Schuttevaer from the Viebrug, every day of the year.
15:45 · Walk along the wharves. Go down to water level and walk the Oudegracht southwards.
17:00 · Ledig Erf. A beer on the terrace at the Tolsteegbrug, at the end of the canal.
18:30 · Return. Twenty minutes on foot to the station and train to Amsterdam.
With children or in the rain
With young children, swap Speelklok for the Miffy museum (time slot compulsory) and skip the tower if they are under six: there are lots of stairs. If it rains, the Centraal Museum is five minutes from Ledig Erf.
Time1 h
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Café Ledig Erf
What to order: ask about the day's draught beers and sit on the terrace by the bridge.
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 Utrecht
Tuesday to Sunday all year (Speelklok closes on Mondays); from April to October, with the wharf terraces open.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Avoid Monday
Speelklok, the Centraal Museum and the Miffy museum are closed.
- 2Tower and Speelklok combined ticket
It is only sold at the Speelklok ticket office or at the tourist office on the Domplein.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get from Amsterdam to Utrecht?
About 30 minutes by intercity.
Do I need to book the Domtoren?
Yes, it is advisable: the climb is always guided and in groups.
How much does the day cost?
Domtoren €13.50, Speelklok and the boat extra, plus the train and food.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/the-netherlands/utrecht/itineraries/domtoren-canals-and-wharves
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.