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If you’re looking for an easy day trip to take when staying in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, make sure you book a trip to the city of Gouda!

Gouda, pronounced <how-da> with a harsh H, is located in South Holland and super accessible by train from Amsterdam. This city is where the famous Gouda cheese originates, so you can fill all of your cheesy cravings when exploring it’s canal filled streets.

There’s lots to see in this little city, so in this blog, I’m going to give you a detailed itinerary for how to make the most of your day trip here, inspired from my recent visit when my parents came to visit me in France, with all of the activities vetted by a close friend and local that lives just a town over!

Fun fact: I first visited Gouda back in 2022 when Gouda celebrated it’s 750 years of city rights! While I didn’t get around to writing a blog about that trip, this one will more than make up for it!

Be sure to check out my blog for Your Complete Guide to Visiting Amsterdam to complement your day trip to Gouda!

At a glance:

A Brief Backstory of Gouda
Arriving to Gouda by Train
Markt Square & the Famous Cheese Markets
The Cheesiest Lunch You’ll Ever Have
Walking Tour of Gouda
Bonus: Sunset on the North Sea!

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Brief History of Gouda, The Netherlands

Gouda is a medieval city full of history and charm that dates back 1272, when the city ultimately gained it’s city rights, making it one of the Netherlands’ many historic gems.

Over the centuries, Gouda has endured as much as any other city, such as fires that destroyed homes and even war, yet it thrived thanks to its successful dairy and livestock farming, fueling trade both locally and abroad.

You’ll notice when visiting that Gouda has many canals throughout the city, looking similar to Amsterdam in that regard, as they were used as trade routes to link Rotterdam and Amsterdam early on. These canals also played an important part in managing the water levels, as flood management is a huge part of how the Netherlands is structured today.

To take a step back into Dutch history and see what it was like to live in Gouda, you can take part in their uniquely traditional cheese markets, admire the stunning Gothic and Renaissance architecture as you stroll through town, taste many Dutch delicacies like stroopwafels, and so much more.

For a full backstory on the history of this beautiful small city, check out this great blog by Visiting the Dutch Country Side!

Arriving to Gouda by Train

Gouda is located just south of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and it takes between 30 minutes and 1 hour by train, depending on which train you end up booking. Normally the prices are around $12, or 11.65 euros, so this day trip is very affordable.

I find that the easiest way to book your train tickets in other countries is by using Omio! Honestly, this is my go to app for train and bus tickets in most countries I’ve been to in Europe.

If you are coming to the Netherlands from France, Belgium, or even England, I would recommend booking through SNCF, which is France’s main train line. They have a partnership with the Eurostar that will take you straight to Amsterdam, and this is the platform we used to visit the Netherlands this past time. It was super easy and convenient!

Markt Square & the Famous Cheese Markets

My favorite part of visiting Gouda was definitely seeing their famous Cheese Market. Simply known as the Markt, here you will discover some of the best Dutch specialties at it’s core, and experience what traditional Dutch trading methods and forms that were used all the way until 1987.

Today, they keep the tradition alive every Thursday from April through the end of August, from 10am-12:30pm. You’ll be able to observe the mercantilistes and how they would bid on each product (which looks like a fancy handshake on the outside), taste many different flavors of Gouda cheese, try other Dutch specialities like my favorite Stroopwafels and Poffertjes, and even get weighed like how they used to weigh cheese back in the day!

One type of food, other than cheese, that you must try when in Gouda, especially at the Market, are the stroopwafels! This classic Dutch sweet originates from Gouda in the 1800s, and was originally a “Poor Man’s Treat” since they were made from leftover ingredients. Stroopwafels are made by slicing a fresh, thin, brown sugar waffle cookie in half, right as it comes hot off the press, and then quickly filled with a caramel-like syrup. They are best enjoyed warm, directly from the waffle iron, and even served over a cup of coffee. It’s good to note that you would pay upwards of 7 euros for a stroopwafel in Amsterdam, but in Gouda, I’ve payed as low as 50 cents!

Check out this link for more info on the Cheese Market!

The Cheesiest Lunch You’ll Ever Have

If you’re looking for a lunch that will fill all of your Dutch cheese cravings, plan to have your lunch or dinner at Gewoon Gouds, right in the heart of the market in Gouda! Our family friend had made reservations for the four of us to eat here and enjoy the fresh and local Gouda cheese, and it was such a great lunch together.

This restaurant is a large terrace, perfect for enjoying the ambiance of the market square in the warm weather, and has a beautiful interior as well. Our friend requested for us to enjoy our meal on the second floor to enjoy a better view of the town center – and she was totally right in doing so. The view was great!

We all had their taste of Gouda lunch plate called “Gouds trio – kaassoep, kaaskroket en broodje Goudse boeren belegen”, which is the first option under the section “Warme lunchgerechten” or “Hot lunches“. This meal comes with a Gouda trio cheese soup, a croquette, and a Gouda farmer’s sandwich with mature cheese.

Everything was delicious, and very cheesy, but my favorite part was actually the three-Gouda-cheese soup! There were little bits of cheese that weren’t fully melted, which gave it a pleasant texture. Even on a hot summer day like the one we had, this meal was very satisfying.

Walking Tour of Gouda

After our lunch, we walked off our cheesy food comas with a walking tour of Gouda! Our friend had made us reservations for the tour, but I imagine you can easily find a cheap and informative walking tour on Get Your Guide.

This was a great way to learn more about Dutch history and the town of Gouda! Especially since this was my second time visiting, I was able to see so much more of the city.

Fun fact: As you walk through town, you’ll see over 50 different sculptures of a woman holding a wheel of gouda cheese all throughout!

Bonus: Sunset on the North Sea!

If you still have energy after your day trip to Gouda, take a quick 18 minute train ride from Gouda Central to The Hague, Den Haag Centraal for under 8 euros.

We had all hopped on our friend’s car to reach Den Haag, but the train would be much simpler for those traveling through the Netherlands.

The specific beach we went to is called Kijkduin, which is super wide and you can literally walk for miles along the coast of the Netherlands.

Here, you’ll even find some restaurants along the beach which would be perfect for a drink or having dinner!

This was a great way to end our day trip to Gouda, ending off with a surprise sunset in Den Haag. The Netherlands has so much beauty to offer outside of Amsterdam, and it was amazing being able to explore more of it!

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If you’re thinking about what day trips to make when staying in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, I hope this blog helped you decide on Gouda! Full of rich history and tasty cheese, this city will immerse you in Dutch culture and leave you with a deeper love for the country.

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog, and found it helpful! Don’t forget to follow my blog to see where I travel to next!

Xx
– Carmela