The Perfect Itinerary for a Day in Rotterdam and Kinderdijk

The Netherlands’ second city doesn’t get nearly the amount of attention it deserves – which makes it a great day-trip destination. The city’s industrial and young, cool vibe provides an alternate view of the Dutch – one you might miss if you only stay in Amsterdam. Yet, its proximity to Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage site, also provides tourists with the traditional windmill experience they’ve come so far to see. If you’ve got the time, Rotterdam is worth a few nights’ stay. If not, you can easily pop into the city for the day, as we recently did, and still experience so much:

ROTTERDAM FOOD + DRINK

Noc Noc

Noc Noc | Now Closed

Noc Noc (now closed) stands for No Ordinary Coffee, Not Only Coffee, and frankly seems to be one of a handful of decent places to grab coffee south of the Centraal Station. It’s achingly hip, and they serve all of the caffeinated classics, along with a small food menu as well. The food options looked fresh and healthy, and if we didn’t have another food destination in mind, we might have ordered something to eat here.

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Koekela

Koekela | Nieuwe Binnenweg 79A, 3014 GE Rotterdam, Netherlands

Apple pie isn’t as American as the phrase would have you believe, and Koekela does an incredible one. We stopped in for a caffeine pick-me-up before visiting the museum, and couldn’t resist ordering two of their sweets (though somehow we resisted ordering more than two). The apple crumble and the date cheesecake were both stunning and if any of the other desserts in the case were as good as they looked, you’d be just fine placing an order for anything on the menu.

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Markthal

Markthal | Dominee Jan Scharpstraat 298, 3011 GZ Rotterdam, Netherlands

The Markthal opened in 2014 to appease the strengthening regulations against open-air food service in Rotterdam. In addition to restaurants and food vendors, the Markthal also holds retail space and apartments. Inside you’ll find the largest painting in the world, which covers the full ceiling. If you wish, you can head downstairs to learn about the artifacts that were discovered during construction. We were just there for the food though, and shared a very delicious and spicy roti from Surinamese restaurant De Palmboom (“The Palm Tree” – no longer in Markthal) and poffertjes (puffy pancakes) from Churros & Sweets. I highly recommend both!

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Ballroom

Ballroom | Witte de Withstraat 88b, 3012 BT Rotterdam, Netherlands

We learned the easy way that Gin + Tonics are huge in this part of the world, and the best place in Rotterdam to get acquainted with them is at Ballroom. They currently offer 162 gins, and more tonic options than I even knew existed. There’s no shame in asking for help with your order, promise.

ROTTERDAM SIGHTS + ATTRACTIONS

Cube Houses and Cube House Museum (Kijk-Kubus)

Cube Houses and Cube House Museum (Kijk-Kubus) | Overblaak 70, 3011 MH Rotterdam, Netherlands

All of the guides we read prior to our visit stated that it was not possible to enter any of the Cube Houses, which is why we were so surprised to stumble on the Cube House Museum. Admission was a paltry €3, and though we were only inside for ten minutes or so, it was worth it. The cube houses have three floors: the bottom floor holds the kitchen and living room area; the middle floor serves as the bedroom, bathroom, and office space; and the top floor could be used in whatever manner you choose (a spare bedroom, a hang-out space with friends, etc.). We were impressed with the efficiency of the space, though the angles created by the cube shape make it feel a bit cramped in some areas. If you are appreciative of functional design, it’s well worth the price of a coffee to visit.

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Museum Boijmans van Beuningen

Museum Boijmans van Beuningen | Museumpark 18, 3015 CX Rotterdam, Netherlands

It’s a bit of a struggle to accurately describe Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, as it contains many styles of art within. With both classic artists (there was a large exhibition of Rubens’ works during our visit) and contemporary art and design, the museum holds something for everyone. Even the Instagram generation will be appeased with the Infinity Mirror Room. A word to the wise – watch out for the robot on display. It was a little too lifelike for my comfort.

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Outdoor Markets

Outdoor Markets | Various Locations

Rotterdam’s City Centre Market takes place six days a week, and it claims to be Europe’s longest market (in my Amsterdam post I mentioned that Amsterdam’s Albert Cuyp Market claims to be the largest day market in Europe – guess there must be some competition going!). Everything from clothing, food, and housewares can be found here – bring a full wallet and empty arms.

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Rotterdam’s Architecture

Rotterdam's Architecture | Various Locations

Due to heavy bombing during World War II, most of the buildings you see in Rotterdam today are highly modern. Strolling through the city, taking note of the different building styles and unique structures is a lovely way to spend part of the afternoon. Don’t forget to walk down to the harbor to visit the Erasmusbrug, the swan-shaped bridge, and to see the first skyscraper in Europe, Het Witte Huis.

VISIT TO KINDERDIJK

Rotterdam is not the only city from where you can reach the famous Kinderdijk windmills, but we felt it was the easiest. During high season, ferry line 202 departs from Rotterdam’s harbor and reaches Kinderdijk in about half an hour. The ride itself is seamless – simply buy your tickets on board (alternatively you can pay with an OV-Chipkaart and save a little) and enjoy the scenery. What adds a bit of challenge to this route is the Waterbus timetable. Before you go, check out the best route option for your time of travel from Erasmusbrug to Kinderdijk, and then make a plan based on the provided timetables. Be sure to arrive at the ferry stop a few minutes early; missing your ferry can result in a wait of two hours for the following to arrive.

Once you’ve arrived at Kinderdijk, set off to explore by bike (rented near the ferry stop) or on foot. You’ll have the option to purchase tickets to enter the two windmill museums if you wish. Instead of doing these things, we instead simply walked through the polders, enjoying the beautiful scenery and weather until it was time to board the ferry back to Rotterdam. One good thing to know, though – it sure gets windy by the windmills (who would have thought?)! Our visit fell during September, and though it was still shoulder season, the crowds were very thin, which made for a truly lovely visit.

ROTTERDAM TRAVEL TIPS

Trains frequently travel between Rotterdam Centraal and Amsterdam Centraal. Try to purchase and print your tickets in advance if you can, as day-of tickets can get quite costly. The core of Rotterdam is quite walkable, but if you’d prefer to take public transit, it might be worth looking into the Tourist Day Ticket. With more time, there are plenty of other things to do in Rotterdam as well, such as a meal at the Euromast, a visit to Miniworld, a stop-in at the Maritime Museum, or a captivating tour of the Fotomuseum.

OUTFIT DETAILS

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Rotterdam Outfit — | Tee* | Dress | Sneakers* | Leather Jacket* | Necklace* | Bag* | Earrings | Watch* | Sunglasses |

While this outfit was ideal for exploring hip Rotterdam, it was possibly the worst thing I could have chosen for visiting the windmills. In the city I felt right at home – this outfit is equal parts pretty and edgy, kind of like the architecture. The sneakers were comfortable for lots of walking through the city streets, and the tee underneath this dress kept the shape of the silhouette without feeling too exposed. The temperature was chilly at the start and end of the day, so I appreciated having my leather jacket with me and added and removed that extra layer throughout the day. Once we arrived at the windmills, I regretted wearing both a wrap dress and swingy earrings, as the wind whipped furiously at points and it was a bit of a struggle to stay composed. For visiting the windmills, perhaps jeans and a sweater might have been a better combination – lesson learned! For more packing and style inspiration, check out my carry-on packing list for this trip.

*this item is no longer available and a similar product is linked

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Do you have any tips to share about visiting Rotterdam? Are you planning a trip to the Netherlands anytime soon? Let me know!

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Rotterdam Day Trip + Visit to Kinderdijk