Hoorn with Kids 🇳🇱
A great little family getaway near Amsterdam.
Hoorn is great destination for short family getaway close to Amsterdam. With rich history and cobbled streets, and plenty to see and do for parents and kids alike, this picturesque Dutch town is well worth a visit. We went for a long-weekend trip to Hoorn with our kids recently, and this is the best of what we found there:
📍 Getting To Hoorn
Train is best. The 'Sprinter' from Amsterdam Centraal to Hoorn only takes 32mins. Driving takes roughly 40mins.
🏡 Where To Stay in Hoorn
We stayed at a great Airbnb in Hoorn that we highly recommend. A nice big place that's set-up for kids (a family of 5 lives there), in a great location, easily walkable to everything in Hoorn:
We also came across Heavens Hotel in a converted church, right in the centre of Hoorn, which looks amazing:
👀 What To See & Do in Hoorn
⚓️ Boat Tour
Watertaxi Hoorn
Boat tour which talks a lot about Hoorn's history.
⛱ City Beach
Stadstrand Hoorn
The largest city beach in the Netherlands.
🌳 Park
Julianapark
Big slide. Deer.
🚶♀️Walk
The Old Town and harbour areas are pretty.
🏛 Museums
Museum of the 20th Century
Westfriesmuseum (temporarily closed)
🍹 Beach Bar
Strandpaviljoen Oranje Buiten
One of our highlights in Hoorn. The kids loved swimming at the little beach, while we enjoyed snacks and drink. A bit out of the city, we called a cab to get there and back.
🍽 Where To Eat
🍴 Dinner
Da Noi
By far the best food we had in Hoorn. Very high quality Italian and great service (all Italian staff), right in the centre of Hoorn. We'd consider making the trip back to Hoorn just to go to Da Noi again for dinner!
🍻 Borrel
De Kade
Nice terrace overlooking the habour for a drink and bitterballen. Popular with locals.
☕️ Coffee
🍦 Ice Cream
Vivaldi IJssalon
When your kids want to eat both their own as well as your ice cream, you know it's good.
🚗 Day Trip from Hoorn
(dedicated post coming soon)
🚂 Steam Tram
Museum Steam Tram
The only preserved light steam engine in the Netherlands is like a fun history lesson you can actually experience! We booked the Hoorn-Enkhuizen: Tram & Boat trip which was the best option in our opinion.
🏛 Zuiderzee Museum
The Zuiderzee Museum is a gem for anyone curious about Dutch history and culture. This open-air museum recreates the atmosphere of a traditional Zuiderzee fishing village, offering visitors an immersive journey through time. Good fun for the kids and interesting for parents.
Highlight: kids can dress up in traditional Dutch costumes! 🇳🇱😁
👉 We're writing a more detailed post on the Zuiderzee Museum. Make sure you're subscribed to get it!