First Time in Netherlands! Dutch Food, Miffy, Madurodam, Tulips, Windmills | cozy travel vlog

Come spend a week with us in the Netherlands 🇳🇱! It was our first time visiting and it turned out to be a super wholesome, family-friendly trip lol. Probably 30% animals 🫣

Hope this gives you some ideas for day trips around the Netherlands or helps with planning your itinerary! We went during the first week of May; weather can be pretty hit or miss that time of year. Luckily, we had two warm days followed by some chilly ones, but no real rain, so no complaints.

Personally, I think you could skip Gouda and Utrecht if you’re short on time. That said, if you love Miffy, Utrecht is definitely worth visiting at least once! I liked The Hague and Leiden more, since they felt a bit calmer and less hectic 😛 just FYI: prices, especially for transportation, felt pretty steep.

thanks for watching, see you in the next one maybe!
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time stamps:
00:00
00:10 Day 1: Dutch apple pie, shopping, Mouse Mansion, döner
02:44 Day 2: Day trip to Gouda & Utrecht, fresh stroopwafel, Indonesian takeout
06:04 Day 3: Van Gogh Museum, Dutch cuisine at The Pantry, dinner at De Kas
08:28 Day 4: Windmills and animals at Zaanse Schans, sandwiches at De Predetariër, Rijksmuseum
11:00 Day 5: Day trip to The Hague, Miffy shopping, Madurodam (miniature park), Dutch pancakes
14:49 Day 6: French bakery in Leiden, children’s farm, Keukenhof tulip garden, FEBO

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First time in Netherlands, 3 days in Amsterdam, day trip to Gouda and Utrecht, a day in The Hague, day trip to Zaanse Schans, a week in the Netherlands. Netherlands Travel Vlog featuring things to do in the Netherlands, Keukenhof tulips, windmill, Miffy in Utrecht, Madurodam, animal farm, and a Michelin green star dining experience at De Kas.

#netherlands #amsterdam #netherlandstravel #netherlandsvlog #amsterdamvlog #amsterdamshopping #thingstodoinamsterdam #hollandtravel #dutchfood #dutchcuisine #leiden #utrecht #denhaag #thehague #zaanseschans #madurodam #nijntje #miffy #keukenhof #netherlandstulipfields #mindfultravel #netherlandsitinerary #taiwaneseamerican #荷蘭旅遊 #阿姆斯特丹 #米菲兔 #歐洲旅遊

landed in Amsterdam in the morning! time to fight jetlag.. surprisingly no wait! they’re famous for their apple pie [mixed berry fruitshake]
they can get busy, but you can order takeaway big chunks of apple and not as sweet as American apple pie window shopping time so many Miffy’s but holding back because it’s the first day lol tableware from Hermès, Dior, etc. worth checking out! didn’t buy chocolates because it was around 80F/27C :c the cow teapot is so cute omg they had many small animals though this place was quite $$$ found some at a market for a tenth of the cost caught my eye because birds (duh) but the shop was closed this place is probably meant for kids, but you can still enjoy the details! the entire store is a mansion of dioramas of mice living life spent a long time looking in every corner even went up to the ceiling 😮 the view from the second floor! it just kept going lol lots of fun crafts but not very suitable as gifts for friends snack/lunch: moroccan bean soup and chicken ginger soup exceeded expectations! so hearty and perfectly seasoned glad to try this place even though it was hot this is what parks should look like!! really liked all the parks here peaceful with a lot of birds not sure what this cat was going through had to make our way to dinner though vibes are immaculate lowkey wasn’t sure about this place when we got there, but it was recommended by a friend cassis flavored Fanta! lamb doner wrap chicken doner! WOW some of the best fries I’ve had (and on this trip) San Francisco has somehow made a reappearance no fridge so couldn’t buy a lot :s found this bakery near our stay melting in the sun with my strawberry danish pastry and mocha 😎 some other cafes displayed the same mocha pic so iI was confused literally ((inhaled)) it so we could get moving out of the sun HAHA today we are going to Gouda and Utrecht (Miffy’s hometown) ngl had no idea what was going on (thought it was only cheese vendors) thought it was too touristy (for me) and crowds were not my thing picked up a chunk of smoked gouda! fresh stroopwafel = life changing, seriously so warm and soft; you have to have it fresh. this was around 3 euros [photo from Albert Heijn]
if you have the chance, definitely try “stroopkoeken”
it’s like a less sweet cookie sandwich form of a stroopwafel! off to Utrecht! miffy traffic light is red for quite a while! so cute! sorry I did not capture it very clearly trying the tortilla (spanish omelette) sandwich here sobrasado sandwich I think she was heavy (90% potato, good but wouldn’t recommend tbh) the library was a great escape from the heat since I can’t read (Dutch), the children’s corner was the most fun the details on the cardigan are so cute! this reading nook had books glued onto the shelves o.o “The Shy Little Bird” “On the Farm” wooden music box shop that wasn’t open 🙁 wheeeee some more gift shopping 😝 bought a few magnets and pins but still no plushies 😛 a small garden in the church with nothing blooming (sad) totally regret getting gelato here pistachio baklava flavor but only flavor was sweet, and it melted FAST zzz parallelo in Barcelona was still the best I’ve had to date
(disclaimer: I haven’t been to Italy yet haha) [his cantaloupe cone]
then my bf dropped my cone (for better or for worse) 🫠😂 falling leaves/petals were aesthetic but our allergies were crazy 🤧 the damage from the past two days.. chocolate sprinkles (“hagelslag”) and licorice candy for friends! rose-ringed parakeets outside our hotel window :3 trying Indonesian food (lots due to colonial history :o) furiously studied the menu before ordering #socialanxiety very kind to let us try different dishes first! 🥹 yummy (+spicy!) a little heavy by the end, but would try it again! the staff (and customers) were so friendly 😆 chose cinammon bun as the lighter option heh quite delicious! oatmilk latte was great too since videos aren’t allowed in the museum.. here are some pics (the famous ones) super excited to try Dutch cuisine! good to make a res here wish I found one of these houses to buy lol.. sampler of the pea soup, pickled herring, bitterballen
LOVED the pea soup omg.. so thick, creamy, flavorful the only time I ate herring on this trip (fail planning) cannot tell the croquettes apart.. still yum I liked this! mashed potatoes + sauerkraut
smoked sausage is a lil salty as expected also went to Stedelijk Museum but don’t think it’s worth the separate ticket (our Van Gogh one was a forced combo of the two) took a nap and then it was dinner time 😛 not quite where you would expect a restaurant! restaurant is called “De Kas” which means “The Greenhouse” think they grow pretty much anything they can very pretty inside but glad we were not seated by the window 🌞 tomatillo gazpacho liked this one! I got the elderberry soda 😛 herb butter and celery root dip (still not the first course yet haha) they gave so much butter!! this cauliflower taco was one of my favorites fancy lemon juice dispenser.. first course: pink radicchio (wow), beets, raspberries, shiso leaf fried maitake and nori wrap. she was a lil hard to eat (unwieldy) asparagus.. elderflower.. something… (forgot) baby asparagus was cute tho lamb neck o_o, lamb sausage, pine nuts dessert: buttermilk ice cream, strawberry chili, canelé, sorrel we’d been there for almost 3 hours at that point 😵‍💫 surprise violet sorbet was so good! [my unnecessary commentary:
– overall interesting, worth a try
– dessert was my favorite course lol
– nothing was “wow” except dessert

not used to european dining standards of fine dining, where it takes like 20-30 minutes b/t each dish. I was very impatient by the end oops!] seeing windmills today did not film bus ride to Zaanse Schans 😛 highly recommend taking 800/801 lines on the weekends (1 stop only) nice day to see the windmills! alas my camera footage was shaky so here’s a frame from the clip.. did she come here for the windmills or for the animals… (this duck is real) should have just used my phone to film smh if I don’t move my hands the footage is acceptable 🤣 [“it’s loud” / “wow must be mating”]
this cute frog was so loud haha [“it’s fishing” / “it’s like it missed”]
I think it’s a Great crested grebe I didn’t plan this leg of the trip so I didn’t expect so many animals 🤣 these ring-necked pheasants were doing this for > 20 minutes.. clog museum and shop! they demonstrate the carving process after watching more animals than windmills, back to Amsterdam! raspberries here were cheaper than at the grocery (1.5 euros) at an interesting sandwich and wild meat deli! [pine nuts, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes]
I was so curious about the wild goos carpaccio. Super yummy sandwich some might find it gamey but I love gamey meats 😭 time for more culture and art history… this installation was near the entrance and emulates ballet dancers 🤨 this was the only part of the quiet llibrary we could stand in lol it’s on the 2nd floor near 2.15-2.17 past the glass door I must say the sparkling water here is GREAT, second to Wilkinson (🇯🇵) wiped after 3 hours at the museum.. hips always hurt from slow walking 👵🏻 anyone else 👵🏻 casual wine bar nearby similar to crab rangoons but think it was shrimp! carpaccio (fish this time) and chicken in chickpea/peppercorn sauce it was quite spicy 😆 had a good meal! early bakery run since we’re headed to Leiden and The Hague today! raspberry pistachio cake and chocolate cake nom nom (framboos ⬆️) made it on the train! raining a bit but cleared quickly at this point I needed to buy more souvenirs and some for myself lol [I had to buy it…]
it’s way cheaper here! tourist tax is real.. and this Delft box!! passed through this poppin market! for 2.5 euros I had to buy it.. and it had pheasants+pomegranates 😝 if it weren’t for the KLM baggage limits I would have let myself go here but then I started wondering whether these had lead.. 🤔 there are a lot of useless cute things 🤭 really liking the vibes in the Hague more indonesian food 😀 chicken salad indonesian chicken noodle soup much needed in the cold. one of the most memorable dishes! this street looked cute in person lol this is a mini Dutch buildings park/museum lots of interactive stuff for kids (and adults) trains run along the entire park at first I was shocked at the ticket price (~$28 USD) but it’s 100% worth!! Schiphol Airport (I think) the planes on this side don’t move but the KLM ones do a few places where you can pay for a small souvenir this one gives you a chocolate bar the shrubbery upkeep must be a lot of work Rijksmuseum one is impressive [“uh what was that one? The Night Watch” (by Rembrandt)]
they even have paintings inside the “windows” there were fish in the canals. the small trees are all real! not mini animals enjoying the mini buildings someone paid to run the amusement park (thank you stranger 🙏) it looked more impressive irl and I was shocked at how fast it went! influenced by everyone getting soft serve with choco balls (so good) finished off with a visit to the Miffy playground and restroom upstairs 😂 back in Leiden! pancakes for dinner since I liked the pea soup so much, I ordered the mustard soup (questionable logic) it tastes like mustard in hot water (idk what I was expecting LOL) bleh.. ham, cheese, pineapple! Portion sizes are CRAZY – 1 order enough for 2!! you can roll it up and eat it! yummy with the classic syrup and powdered sugar too~ Leiden is beautiful! This was near Morspoort ended the day with a peaceful dusk time walk busy last full day! also got a canelé for breakfast at the airport tomorrow [seriously best pastries on this trip]
“apricotine” apricot+pastry cream and croissant were wow.. France level! this vlog is indeed 30% animals anyone can walk in! It’s more like a park than a farm (?) [ow.. / excuse me?] zen bun (think the kid was saying it’s a bunny [konijntje] lol) [“are they aggressive should we step away” / “yeah we can step away”]
there were two peacocks XD this one was farther away 😛 🦆🦆🦆🦆, 🦆🦆🦆 waiting for you to pay (like me at Madurodam) it started raining so back in the bunny hut this bunny was nesting or had a false pregnancy.. it just kept pulling fur the entire time we were there :c could watch this forever 🥺 chilled a bit waiting for our laundry to finish lolol Egyption goslings (?) were huddled facing each other 🥹 three geese were fighting earlier I think he won over his mate.. or something #birddrama street markets + live band was so lovely (blurred for privacy) first time trying apricot juice (theme of the day = apricot) gnocchi with meatballs, pretty darn good pistachio cream from shop across the restaurant (tossed by airport 😍) pistachio chocolate (safe) [oops some parts pretty barren]
quick trip to the tulip fields!! last week they’re open for the season it’s really large so more than enough to see still! [“it’s walking away” / “ahh…”]
birds keep running away from me… [french 😃]
pasta / cheese tulips? XD heard a european robin 😮 so blurry but I GOT IT ON CAMERA!! happy I found a new lifer 🐦 [sudden club night at the tulip garden xD]
expect to spend 2-3 hours, even longer if you come during peak season was so fun seeing these people happily dance 😛 back to scheduled content (this was still at the tulip garden hehe) definitely wanted to try the fast food vending machine! pressed 5 times only to realize you have to wait a bit lol yum! tasted like dumpling/bao filling? LOL looked like no one was inside but they were seated in the back haha sampler of shrimp croquette, smoked salmon, trout dip(?) – really good! thought “sukade” was candied orange peel, but it’s also a cut of beef xP the celery root it came with was interesting! fries were crispy and thick thank you for watching especially if you’ve made it up to here! life’s been busy but still trying to share much of my travels! I know I said things were crazy last time but it’s gotten even crazier xD take care and see you in the next one!