# Day Trip to Utrecht from Amsterdam: Domtoren, Canals and Wharves

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.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/the-netherlands/utrecht/itineraries/domtoren-canals-and-wharves · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 09:15 · Salida: 30 min by train (intercity from Amsterdam Centraal to Utrecht Centraal)
  - 15 min on foot (through Hoog Catharijne and the centre to the Domplein)
- 10:15 · Domtoren, the Cathedral Tower with Guided Visit (book the time slot online · €13.50 · no bags)
  - 4 min on foot
- 11:30 · Museum Speelklok, Clocks and Organs That Play (the organs play during the visit)
  - 5 min on foot
- 13:00 · Stadskasteel Oudaen (house beer · open every day) · Stadskasteel Oudaen, €€
  - 3 min on foot
- 14:30 · Utrecht Canal Boat Trip with Schuttevaer (Schuttevaer, next to the Viebrug · 1 h) · Rederij Schuttevaer
  - 2 min on foot
- 15:45 · The Oudegracht and Its Water-Level Wharves (go down to the wharves by the steps at the bridges)
  - 30 min on foot
- 17:00 · Café Ledig Erf (terrace by the Tolsteegbrug · no reservations) · Café Ledig Erf, €
- 18:30 · Vuelta: 15 min on foot (to Utrecht Centraal)
  - 30 min by train (you reach Amsterdam Centraal around 19:30)

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.

## Cómo llegar

### Without a car
Train from Amsterdam Centraal, about 30 minutes, and everything on foot.

### By car
About 45 km. The centre is almost pedestrianised and expensive to park in: the train is better.

## Consejos

### Avoid Monday
Speelklok, the Centraal Museum and the Miffy museum are closed.

### Tower and Speelklok combined ticket
It is only sold at the Speelklok ticket office or at the tourist office on the Domplein.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### 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.