Best Time to Visit the Netherlands

The best time to visit the Netherlands is from June to August. From lazing in the dales of tulips to exploring castles and palaces, the Netherlands is a dream destination for nature lovers and foodies. Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, is a paradise for art lovers hosting hundreds of museums.

Each season in the Netherlands is a new world engaging tourists with its season-specific activities. If you are planning to explore this beautiful European country, you will want to pick the best time to visit the Netherlands for a unique experience.

Read to know the various seasons when you can visit the Netherlands.

Netherlands majorly experiences four seasons throughout the year. They are summer, autumn, spring and winter. Out of them, the following three seasons offer a perfect vacation for tourists.

Summer Season

• Period: June to August
• Temperature Range: 13-22 degrees Celsius
• Average Rainfall: Around 64 mm

The summer season sets from June as the days start getting warm. The perfect European weather makes summer the best season to visit in Netherlands.

Tourists and locals throng Dutch beaches to relax under the pleasant sun. You can go bar hopping on these beaches or explore museums and palaces open for tourists. While on your summer getaway in Netherlands, do not forget to try local delicacies from roadside cafes.

Here are a few things you can go for during your summer trip to Netherlands.

1. Tour the nearby castles and small islands

2. Visit the Venice of the North

3. Enjoy afternoon parties on Dutch beaches

4. Let music festivals and carnivals mesmerise you

5. Explore the city on a bike

6. Take a kayak stroll across the city

7. Live in a beach house

Spring Season

• Period: March to May
• Temperature Range: 5-19 degrees Celsius
• Average Rainfall: Around 50.8 mm

The spring season brings with it colourful tulips to mesmerise you. As winter ends in January or February, new leaves grow to mark the arrival of spring.

Fields covered with bright and colourful tulips and spring festivities will welcome you from March to May. As winter bids farewell, people start flocking to Dutch beaches for a basking getaway under the sun.

Below are a few activities to indulge in during your stay in Netherlands in spring.

1. Gaze at fields of brightly blooming and colourful tulips

2. Enjoy partying on Kings’ day

3. Relax on a Dutch Beach

4. Experience a mudflat walk in the Waden sea

5. Explore the various Dutch Islands

6. Ride a cycle down the Netherland Lanes

7. Take a look at the flora in Hortus Botanicus

Autumn Season

• Period: September to November
  
• Temperature Range: 8-14 degrees Celsius
• Average Rainfall: Around 76.2 mm

The Autumn season sets in from September and lasts till November. The temperature starts to drop from mid-September, and there is an increase in rainfall. Daylight in Netherlands gradually falls from 12 to 5 hours a day or even lower by autumn.

Below are some activities and beautiful places to visit in Netherlands during autumn.

1. Visit a pumpkin farm

2. Take a night errand to museums

3. Go for pear and apple picking

4. Let the blooming Dutch moorlands mesmerise you

5. Relish the taste of stamppot, erwtensoep, and pepernoten

6. Gulp down a pint of Bokbier

7. Feed your tastebuds some Dutch festive treats like Speculas

8. Vist Kasteel de Haar, the largest castle in Netherlands

Winter

• Period: December to February
  
• Temperature Range: -1 to 7 degrees Celsius
• Average Rainfall: 76.2 mm

Netherlands experiences the coldest weather from December to February. As the country drapes itself in snow, fog and mist, travelling becomes tough. The streets are usually quiet and lonely in winter, with few tourists.

Winters in Netherlands are usually dark and cold as the country receives less than 2 hours of sunlight. The December sky is overcast with dark clouds and can bring continuous rainfall for up to 10 days straight. January is the coldest month of the year, with a temperature falling below freezing.

Many tourist attractions in Amsterdam close during winter and reopen again in summer as tourism grows. Therefore, if you are planning to travel to Netherlands from India, avoid the winter season.

As summer departs, the lively parties slow down and leaves change their colours to orange marking the arrival of winter.

Like every European country, summer is the peak season in Netherlands too. Thus, attracting tourists worldwide during this period. As Netherlands floods with tourists during summer, you must book advance reservations for shows. Netherlands tour packages from India are also high during the peak season.

If you fancy witnessing the calm ambience of Netherlands, which is also pocket friendly, plan your Netherlands trip in autumn. You can take long tranquil strolls in forests covered with orange leaves. Apple and pear picking and pumpkin farm visits are some popular autumn activities here in Netherlands.

Autumn months range from September to November in Netherlands, allowing tourists to enjoy Halloween parties in some of the best places to visit in Amsterdam. Even though some places to see in Netherlands close post-summer, you can still cherish Netherlands beauty in the woods and dales.

A successful trip requires a lot of planning. From researching about the place and its people to knowing what to pack, the list goes on. So, before you start planning your voyage to Netherlands, here are a few things you need to know.

• Shops in Netherlands usually stay open from 10-6 PM. Therefore, you need to get done with your shopping quite early. 
  
• Public urinals in Netherlands are free for men. Women have to pay in cash. However, women can use free urinals in restaurants.
  
• Rain in Netherlands is quite unpredictable. Therefore, always carry a light raincoat with you.
  
• Always carry cash along with your credit and debit cards.
• The tulip period is as short as 6 to 8 weeks in Netherlands. It also varies from one year to another. Therefore, before planning to visit during the tulip season, do your research on when flowers will start blooming.
• If you are visiting Netherlands during the peak months, make sure bookings are made in advance. Monuments like Anne Frank's house require prior bookings as they have limited seats for their shows.
• Cannabis is legal in Netherlands coffee shops only. Purchasing cannabis is illegal outside coffee shops in cities like Amsterdam. However, towns near the borders of Germany and Belgium may not allow foreigners to purchase cannabis, even in coffee shops.

As you pack your backpack to visit the best places in Netherlands, here are a few tips for a safe and memorable trip:

• Residents of Netherlands are frank and straightforward people. Although they are pretty warm and hospitable, you need to respect their “no’’ and other boundaries.
• Although tipping is not mandatory, it is in fashion. So, you can opt for tipping 5-10% when visiting restaurants and cafes.
• De Pure Markt is one of the best places to visit in Amsterdam for a foodie. At the same time, during your stay in Amsterdam, do try street foods and local delicacies from the De Pure Markt.
• Check for sturdy locks while renting bikes from shops. Also, while parking, lock them twice to avoid bike thefts.
• Avoid whispers like, “want a free bike?” or calls for bikes in low rent by random people walking down the streets. 
• Abide by Netherlands’ travel guidelines that prohibit clicking pictures of women in red light areas.
• Netherlands is a country of art and encourages art enthusiasts with various offers. You can purchase a museum card or Amsterdam city card as you enter here. With these, you can visit 400 museums and 70 places to visit in Amsterdam. These cards also allow you access to public transport and a unique boat ride over the canals of Amsterdam.

Most of Netherlands' residents are bilingual and therefore fluent in English. However, as a courtesy, it would be great for travellers to know some Dutch phrases. These will help you communicate better with locals while increasing your linguistic skills.

Here are some Dutch words and phrases you should know while visiting tourist places in Netherlands:

• Mister - Meneer
• Hello - Hoi
• 10 - Tien
• 100 - Hondred
• Brand! - Fire
• Good morning - Goedemorgen
• Bus Stop - Bushalte
• Good evening - Goedenavond
• Can I pay by card? - Kan ik met de PIN betalen?
• Please - Alstublieft
• Do you speak English? - Spreekt u Engels
•  This is delicious - Dit is heerlijk
•  This is delicious - Sla linksaf: turn left
• Straight ahead - Retchdoor
• Where is the toilet? - Waar is het toilet
•  Train Station - Treinstation
• Yes - Ja
• Beer - Bier
• Thank you very much - Dank u wel
• Pardon - Pardon 
• Entrance - Ingang
• Mrs/miss - Mevrouw
• No - Nee
• Very Good - Heel Goed
• My name is - Ik heet
• Airport - Luchthaven/ Vleigveld

As you see, Netherlands is a year-round travel destination for tourists. However, spring and summer are the liveliest seasons. Summer festivities, street art, and Dutch beaches mark summer as the best time to visit Netherlands for a splendid European vacation. For lovers of solace and nature, autumn in Netherlands woods is bliss. As you plan your trip, make sure to get travel insurance for a safe European vacation.