Highlights of Holland review

>>> Thingstodoinamsterdam.com review: We visited Highlights of Holland ourselves and walked out genuinely impressed. It’s creative, innovative, and it has a little “Efteling vibe”: you keep moving to the next room, and the door only opens once the timer is up. That pacing makes it feel like a mini rollercoaster through Dutch history and traditions. The tech is gorgeous, it’s fun for all ages, and you’ll leave with loads of great photos. Curious about our full experience? Jump directly to our review.

Highlights of Holland is especially perfect if you’re only in the Netherlands for a few days and want a “big picture” impression of the country (without travelling to all provinces). As long as they keep updating and refreshing the rooms, we honestly think this could become an absolute must-do in Amsterdam.

About Highlights of Holland in Amsterdam

Highlights of Holland is located in Amsterdam West, inside the historic Magdalenakapel on Spaarndammerstraat — a neighbourhood that feels local, lived-in and very “real Amsterdam”. It’s also an easy one to combine with a walk (or coffee + food) at Westerpark, which is nearby and always a good idea if the weather behaves.

The concept is simple (and honestly brilliant): in one hour-ish, you experience the highlights that make the Netherlands the Netherlands. Not through long texts on walls, but through sound, design, interactive moments and clever tech. You move through ten themed rooms together, and each room feels like a fresh surprise.

What to expect at Highlights of Holland

From the moment you step inside, it’s clear this isn’t a “stand still and read” museum. It’s built like an experience: you walk, play, watch, laugh, and learn without really noticing you’re learning. Everything is designed to be intuitive, so you don’t need to be a museum expert (or even a big culture person) to have a great time.

A big part of the fun is the pacing. You enter as a group, and the rooms are timed. That means no one is rushing past you, and you’re not stuck behind a huge crowd either. When the next door opens, you step into a completely new “world”.

Rooms and highlights include:

• The Water Room (virtual canal boat), where you “sail” through Dutch history and discover how we’ve been fighting (and mastering) water for centuries.

• The Cycling & DJ Room, where you hop on bikes and literally bring the room to life with every pedal stroke (yes, it’s a workout… but a fun one).

• The Art Room (Golden Age to Van Gogh), where Dutch masterpieces “wake up” around you, it’s an immersive experience, colourful and surprisingly emotional.

• The Tulip Room + Dutch surprises, featuring a giant tulip field (the star of the show for photos) and extra rooms with playful Dutch traditions, costumes and unexpected moments.

Most visitors book a timed entry, which keeps everything smooth and relaxed. It’s fully indoors (very Amsterdam-proof), and because it’s just over an hour, it’s easy to slot into your day: before dinner, between museums, or as a fun “reset” when the weather is doing its classic grey drizzle thing.

What makes Highlights of Holland extra nice is that it’s not about “doing it perfectly”. It’s about shared moments. Families laugh together, friends take ridiculous photos, couples have cute little “wow” moments… and everyone leaves feeling like they actually learned something about the country.

What you need to know

Before you step into a one-hour crash course of Dutch culture, here are a few useful things to know.

Tickets & bookings

Highlights of Holland works with timed entry slots, so booking online is highly recommended (especially on weekends, holidays and rainy days). You can buy tickets via our trusty ticket partner by pressing the blue button on this page.

There are generally two main options:

• Standard tickets, for adults and kids (great if you’re just popping in with friends or as a couple)

• Family tickets, which can be better value if you’re visiting with children

Tip: if you’re visiting Amsterdam on a tight schedule, this is one of the easiest “big impact” activities to plan — you know exactly how long it takes and you’ll still have the rest of the day for canals, museums and food.

Tickets and timing

The experience is designed as a smooth route through ten rooms. Doors open on a timer, so you’ll never feel like you’re stuck in a crowd, and you won’t have people rushing you either.

Plan to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early, so you can check in calmly and start your time slot stress-free.

Expect to spend a little over an hour inside. It’s active (you’ll be moving around), but there are also moments to pause, watch and take it all in.

Good to know: you’re welcome to take photos and videos, and there are toilets available during the route.

If you’re sensitive to flashing lights, keep in mind that some rooms use light effects.

Getting there & parking

Highlights of Holland is located at Spaarndammerstraat 460C in Amsterdam West. Coming from Amsterdam Central Station? Public transport is easy, and cycling is even easier.

There’s no private parking at the venue. You can park in the surrounding streets (paid parking), or use a nearby parking garage and walk a few minutes.

What to wear

There’s no dress code, but wear comfortable clothes and shoes, because you’ll be walking through multiple rooms and (yes) you’ll probably want to hop on a bike at some point.

Our experience

We found Highlights of Holland genuinely creative and innovative. The best way to describe it? A bite-sized Dutch theme park for your brain, but indoors, polished, and super well-paced. You keep moving from one room to the next, and because the doors open on a timer, the whole thing feels like a series of little “reveals”.

What we loved most is that it really does what it promises: you get to know the Netherlands in about an hour. The technology is beautifully done, the sets are impressive, and the experience hits that sweet spot between fun and educational. It works for kids, adults, families, couples, friend groups, basically anyone who likes to learn by doing (and anyone who likes a good photo moment).

This is exactly the kind of activity we’d recommend to travellers who only have a few days in the Netherlands and want a quick-but-meaningful introduction to Dutch culture. It’s also a fun one for locals to take visiting friends or family to (because let’s be honest: explaining “why we put sprinkles on bread” never gets old). Our biggest tip? Combine it with a stroll through Westerpark, and keep an eye on updates — if Highlights of Holland keeps refreshing the rooms, it’s going to stay a top-tier Amsterdam experience for years.

Lastly we want to thank the creators of Highlights of Holland for having us, and sharing this amazing addition to Amsterdam. We can tell that a befriended group of people worked on this experience. That’s what we’ve been told, and was noticeable.