We’re taking a break from the picturesque Dutch city content to bring you one of our most recommended Dutch day trip options– the Hoge Veluwe National Park.
This expansive national park is a haven for nature lovers, with vast heathlands, dense forests, and tranquil lakes, all accessible via the parks 3 entrances. Whether you’re exploring on foot, by bike, or with the park’s iconic white bicycles (more on that later), the Hoge Veluwe is totally unique in the Netherlands and, in our opinion, something most tourists sadly miss when they come to visit.
Within the park, don’t miss the chance to visit the Kröller-Müller Museum, which is home to an impressive collection of Van Gogh paintings (the 2nd-largest in the world!) and cool rotating modern art exhibits, and a beautiful sculpture garden, making your trip a perfect blend of nature and culture. We adore visiting this park, and wish we were able to go more often. While it’s a bit more challenging to access than many of the cities we often write about, it’s really worth it!
The Hoge Veluwe National Park, located in the province of Gelderland, is one of the largest and most beloved nature reserves in the Netherlands. The park’s history is deeply intertwined with the vision and legacy of its founders, Anton and Helene Kröller-Müller. In the early 20th century, the Kröller-Müllers, a wealthy and influential couple, purchased large tracts of land in the Veluwe region with the aim of creating a private hunting estate and nature reserve.
The Kröller-Müllers were passionate about both art and nature conservation. They envisioned a place where the natural beauty of the Veluwe could be preserved and enjoyed by future generations. The park was officially established in 1935, and the Kröller-Müllers played a crucial role in shaping its development. They introduced various wildlife species, planted forests, and created scenic landscapes that would become iconic features of the park.
The Kröller-Müller Museum, situated within the Hoge Veluwe National Park, is a testament to the couple’s love for art and their commitment to making it accessible to the public. Helene Kröller-Müller was an avid art collector and one of the earliest patrons of Vincent van Gogh. She amassed an impressive collection of modern art, including works by Van Gogh, Piet Mondrian, and other notable artists, sometimes paying way more than their suggested retail value at the time.
The museum was inaugurated in 1938 and houses the 2nd-largest collection of Van Gogh paintings (outside of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam), including “Terrasse du café le soir, Place du forum, Arles”, Tegan’s absolute favorite van Gogh (to the point that we have a print of it hanging in our entryway!) It’s such a treat to see these artworks in person and learn more about van Gogh through prints that aren’t quite as well-known, and we’d argue that this may be the best museum in the Netherlands! In addition to the art, we thought the museum was particularly cool due to its unique architecture, which integrates beguilingly with the natural surroundings. Even when you’re indoors, you still feel like you’re outside.
Today, the Hoge Veluwe National Park and the Kröller-Müller Museum continue to thrive as a harmonious blend of nature and culture. While it’s a bit challenging to get there from Amsterdam without a car, we can’t recommend this place enough and really urge you to visit.
Getting to the Hoge Veluwe National Park from Amsterdam is a bit more challenging than other day trips we’ve written about. Similar to what we said for the Kasteel de Haar, we recommend doing this day trip by car. It’s easy to rent a car for the day near where you’re staying, and this will give you the most freedom for getting to the park and enjoying your day. That said, it’s technically possible to get there a few different ways, so we went ahead and compiled these for you below.
By Car
- Duration: Approximately 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on traffic and which park entrance you choose. Please note that some entrances may be closed, so be sure you check the park’s website for the most up to date information! For example, when we visited, the Otterlo entrance was closed, which ended up being a pretty considerable detour for us.
- Route: Take the A1 highway east from Amsterdam towards Apeldoorn. Follow the signs for the park and choose the entrance that makes the most sense for you.
- Tips: It’s ideal to book your parking and park entrance in advance via their website. As of 2025, it’s 13€ per person for a day pass, and 4,25€ to park outside the park entrance. To exit the parking lot, you scan the QR code you receive in the
By Train and Bus
- Duration: Approximately 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes, depending on transfers.
- Route: Take a train from Amsterdam Centraal Station to Ede-Wageningen Station. Trains run frequently, and the journey takes about 1 hour. From Ede-Wageningen Station, take bus 108 towards Otterlo. Get off at the “Hoge Veluwe” stop, which is right near the park entrance.
- Tips: This is a bit challenging to time, depending on the transfers, and 2.5 hours each way is a bit daunting for a day trip. While doable, this is why we’d recommend renting a car.
By Train and Bike or Ride-Share
- Duration: Approximately 2 hours.
- Route: Take a train from Amsterdam Centraal Station to Ede-Wageningen Station. From Ede-Wageningen Station, use a ride-sharing service to the Hoge Veluwe National Park. The drive from the station to the park takes about 20-25 minutes. You can also get an OV-fiets at the Ede station and bike to the park, but we have not done this ourselves so we don’t have specific advice. We did, however, see people doing this while we were there.
Recommended Reading
Visiting the Hoge Veluwe National Park is an incredible experience and one of our most-recommended day trips from Amsterdam. However, it does entail a bit more planning than visiting a town by train. Here are some practical tips and things we wish we’d known to ensure a smooth visit:
Before You Go
- Check the weather: The park is beautiful in all seasons, but the weather in the Netherlands is majorly variable and can change on a dime. Dress in layers, even in the summertime, and bring rain gear just in case, and of course, lots and lots of sunscreen. The park is quite exposed and veryyyyy windy, so there’s a good chance you’ll be colder than you think. For context, we were wearing light coats on a May visit.
- Plan your route: Decide on the activities you want to do and plan your route accordingly. The park is large, so it’s not a great idea to just go in willy-nilly. If you don’t have a lot of time, we’d say the Jachthuis and the Kröller-Müller Museum are the must-sees.
- Book tickets in advance: We really recommend booking your tickets online in advance to avoid long queues at the park entrances and at the museum. This is really easy to do and will save you a lot of time. Note that it’s not possible to visit the Kröller-Müller Museum without a day pass to the park!
- Check park entrances: As mentioned above, the Otterlo entrance was closed when we visited, which led us to a pretty big loop around to find the Hoenderloo entrance. It’s a good idea to map exactly to which entrance you’d like. There are White Bikes at all entrances.
Getting around and exploring the park
- Grab a White Bike: Also as mentioned above, we really recommend taking advantage of the free white bicycles available at the park entrances and at the museum! The bikes are so fun to use and are a really easy way to explore the park.
- Bring water and snacks: While there are cafes and restaurants within the park, it’s better to have your own supplies. We brought a picnic lunch and big bottles of water in a backpack.
- Start Early: The park opens at 9:00 AM, and starting early will give you more time to explore and avoid crowds or long lines to get into the park. The bike lanes are also a bit narrow, so it’s better to explore when there aren’t quite so many people around!
Top Things to Do in the Hoge Veluwe
The Hoge Veluwe National Park offers a wide range of activities that cater to nature lovers, art enthusiasts, birdwatchers, and those seeking to get out of the city hustle and bustle alike. Here are some of the highlights:
The White Bikes: One of the park’s most iconic features is its fleet of free-to-use white bicycles. These bikes are available at various entry points, and you can pick them up and drop them off as you please. We were really impressed with how smooth and well-maintained the bikes are, with easily-adjustable seats. You can also rent e-bikes if the wind is a bit too much, but the White Bikes were a highlight of the visit for us.
Walking: If you’d prefer to enjoy via foot, the park has loads of well-marked walking trails that wind through heathlands, forests, and sand dunes.
Wildlife Spotting: The Hoge Veluwe is home to a variety of wildlife, including red deer, wild boar, and numerous bird species. We regrettably did not see any, and recommend bringing your binoculars for a closer look.
Visiting the Kröller-Müller Museum: As mentioned above, no visit is complete without a visit to the incredible museum located inside the park.
Jachthuis Sint Hubertus: This historic hunting lodge, designed by the renowned architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage, is another must-see attraction within the park. When we visited, you could only take a peek from the outside, but the lodge offers guided tours that can be booked in advance, if you’re so inclined.
Picnicking: It goes without saying, but packing a picnic to enjoy a meal amidst the park’s stunning natural surroundings is an absolute must here! And surely you’ve worked up an appetite from all that biking anyhow. We were really pleased with the amount of picnic tables available for exactly this purpose, but make sure to take your trash with you to a designated bin.
While a bit more challenging of a day trip from Amsterdam if you don’t have a car, we really urge the nature-lovers among you to check out the Hoge Veluwe. It’s a truly unique place in the country (and likely in Europe as well)– and an absolutely lovely way to spend the day. Where else can you visit the 2nd-largest collection of van Gogh paintings and bike around a gorgeous national park at the same time? We absolutely loved visiting the Hoge Veluwe, and are eager to go back soon.
Keep an eye out for the next few Amsterdam day trips coming your way soon– we’ve got Delft, Gouda, Utrecht, and more queued up! In the meantime, you can pin this guide for later on Pinterest here or by clicking on the photos below.
Don’t miss our other day trip guides to places like Amersfoort, Den Bosch, Kasteel de Haar, are more– all great options for taking a break from Amsterdam life while you visit.
