The 15 Castles & Palaces in the Netherlands to Shortlist

1.Royal Palace Entry Ticket and Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 6,475 reviews · from $15Our pick

Enter Amsterdam’s working Royal Palace with a smartphone ticket and choose a self-guided audio tour in eight languages. See state banquet rooms, Louis Napoleon’s furniture, Golden Age paintings, and the vast Citizens’ Hall with Atlas overhead. The audio guide offers shorter and longer routes, making this a good stop for both quick visits and careful exploration.

“Amazing, a lot of history here. Just breathtakingly beautiful.”

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2.De Haar Castle & Park Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,350 reviews · from $23

Spend a full day at De Haar Castle, the Netherlands’ largest castle. Follow a self-guided route through lavish rooms, use the free app for maps and stories, then wander the Rose Garden, Roman Garden, ponds, bridges, and tree-lined paths. A €23 ticket includes the castle, exhibitions, and 17 acres of grounds.

“Could not have been happier with this. Didn't expect to need so much time here though, so plan accordingly! The grounds are stunning, and there's a little cafe inside to grab a snack. We had to skip the inside of the castle because we spent several hours just wandering the gardens. One of my favourite places in the Netherlands, so peaceful.”

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3.Escher in The Palace Museum Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 896 reviews · 365 days · from $15

Visit Escher in Het Paleis in The Hague to see more than 130 original prints, including the 7-meter Metamorphosis III, inside Queen Mother Emma’s former Winter Palace. Take your time with the audio guide, royal interiors, optical puzzles, hands-on exhibits, and a children’s treasure hunt. Entry is valid for 365 days.

“Super interesting museum! It is amazing how much can be found in this collection. There are 4 or 5 floors packed with Escher’s works. The top floor has some fun interactive exhibits. The museum is also in a beautiful area near a park. We took a day trip from Amsterdam to visit this and one other museum. There are numerous lunch spots near by and you can walk around the lake and see the Parliament buildings. Glad we selected this easy day trip.”

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4.Apeldoorn: Het Loo Palace Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 277 reviews · 1 day · from $25

Spend a full day at Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn, touring royal rooms, the House of Orange-Nassau collection, baroque gardens, carriages, and cars. Choose an audio story in Dutch, English, or German, including Willem and Mary, Wilhelmina’s Home, or At Home with the Royals. The palace roof adds a fine view over the gardens.

“Goed. Vriendelijk personeel. Vanuit Den Haag een prima verbinding met het openbaar vervoer”

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5.Entry Ticket to Muiderslot Castle

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 173 reviews · 2 hours · from $23

Spend about two hours at Muiderslot, one of the Netherlands’ oldest castles. Walk through medieval and 17th-century rooms, visit the gardens, and use an audio guide in English, Dutch, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Hebrew, Chinese, or Arabic. The castle is at Herengracht 1 in Muiden.

“A experiência foi muito boa. O castelo medieval vale a pena ser conhecido, pela história envolvida, pelo local, que é muito bonito e pela cidade, que é linda.”

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6.De Haar Castle, Park Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 153 reviews · from $9Best value

Spend a full day walking the 55-hectare grounds of De Haar Castle near Utrecht. Your ticket covers the maze, deer park, forest, Roman Garden, picnic meadow, and Rose Garden with 1,200 roses. Use the included app to choose walking routes. Castle entry, food, drinks, and parking cost extra.

“It was a great experience, thank you”

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7.Castle De Haar Small-Group Tour from Amsterdam

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 101 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $151Top rated

Travel from Amsterdam to Kasteel de Haar in a small van with a guide such as Sarah or Eva. Explore the restored Gothic castle, hear stories about its owners and famous visitors, then enjoy free time for the gardens, park, maze, gift shop, or lunch. Expect narrow stairs inside.

“This was a very interesting excursion. The castle as well as the surrounding grounds are very well maintained and not to mention absolutely beautiful. Our guide Renshe (apologies if I misspelled) was very friendly, knowledgeable and not to mention our personal photographer. This was well worth the money and time spent.”

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8.Castle De Haar Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 41 reviews · 4.5 hours · from $147

Leave central Amsterdam at 10:15 for Castle De Haar, a 45-minute drive into Utrecht Province. Your guide speaks English, German, or French and gives you about three hours for the castle, gardens, and park. Eva has led at least one highly praised outing, while room docents can add extra historical detail.

“We loved it. Thank you the Castle was amazing 🤩”

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9.Hoensbroek: Entry Ticket to Hoensbroek Castle

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 37 reviews · 1 day · from $17

Visit Hoensbroek Castle at your own pace with an entry ticket, booklet, and access to more than 40 decorated rooms. See the 18th-century ballroom, climb the medieval watchtower, enter the eerie dungeon, and let children aged 7 to 12 follow a stamp-collecting castle tour. The experience is self-guided, flexible, and wheelchair accessible.

“Wspaniale miejsce gdzie mozna dowiedzieć sie jak zyli ludzie wczesniej -multimedialne przewodniki ciekawie przedstawiaja to historyczne miejsce”

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10.Amsterdam Castle & Utrecht City – Private Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · 7 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $354

Leave Amsterdam at 10:00 for a private day with guide Steve, visiting 700-year-old Muiderslot Castle and Utrecht’s medieval canals and Dom Tower. Admission to the castle, private air-conditioned transport, and pickup from selected hotels are included. Lunch is extra, and scenic detours may depend on your guide and timing.

“Our tour guide, Steve, was knowledgeable and very organized. We all enjoyed the excursion. Highly recommend.”

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11.Loevestein Castle Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 16 reviews · 1 day · from $20

Spend a full day at Slot Loevestein, a 14th-century fortress in Gelderland. Explore castle rooms, ramparts, exhibitions, and the old soldiers’ village with a map, audio tours, and guide stories. Families can try musket activities, secret stairs, rising-water challenges, and a climbing course. Comfortable shoes are essential.

“Het kasteel is sowieso het bezoeken waard, echter was er een evenement gaande wat zich ook in het kasteel afspeelde. Dat was jammer, genoeg ruimtes buiten het kasteel om die daarvoor te gebruiken. Nu hadden we dit kunnen weten omdat het op de site stond maar niet dat de beleving in het kasteel daardoor minder zou worden. Wel leuk voor de geïnteresseerden denk ik.”

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12.Full-Day Private Historic Royal Tour around Palaces and Castles

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · 6 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $444

Travel from Amsterdam in a private, air-conditioned vehicle with guide Gopi to Paleis Het Loo and Muiderslot. See royal rooms, formal gardens, stables, historic carriages, and a moated medieval castle. Hotel pickup, parking, water, and admissions are included. Plan 6 to 8 hours, with lunch and drinks extra.

“Well rounded tour. Very easy going. He had excellent areas to visit he still however always tried his best to get to spots you requested time dependent”

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13.Muiderslot and De Haar Castle Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · 6 hours · from $397

Leave Amsterdam by private car for two very different Dutch castles. Explore 13th-century Muiderslot at your own pace, then visit grand De Haar and its 55-hectare park. Your English-speaking driver provides hotel pickup, bottled water, WiFi, and both entry tickets. Food is not included.

“Absolutely wonderful!!!!! Beautiful car, safe driver, castles are gorgeous with more than an enough time to tour each without feeling rushed. I recommend eating at the de Haar castle… very nice outdoor seating and good food and drink. Also recommend booking this toward the end of your trip when you need a break from walking all over. This felt luxurious and relaxing.”

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14.Amsterdam Castle Muiderslot Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 9 reviews · 3 hours · from $238

Travel by private car from your Amsterdam hotel to Muiderslot, a 13th-century castle near Muiden. Your professional driver handles the transfer while you explore independently, using the available audio guide to understand the castle’s past. The three-hour outing includes admission, Wi-Fi, water, and return transport.

“About 30 minutes or so from downtown Amsterdam, the castle was lots of fun, especially for history lovers and young people. We were able to climb all around the castle, and we found that using the audio portion that was offered really helped us llearn details about the early days and the castle itself. Walking the castle grounds afterwards was quite beautiful and great for taking photos! If we had booked a little bit more time, I think I would’ve liked to have walked around the village And had lunch and done a little shopping, I would recommend extending it for an extra hour.”

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15.Drive-it-Yourself History and Castle Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 9 reviews · 3 hours · from $52

Take a 41-kilometer self-drive route from Lisse in a compact electric Renault Twizy. GPS navigation leads you to castles, estates, churches, and a historic tower, while an audio guide explains the area in English, German, or Dutch, depending on the selected tour setup. Plan for narrow roads, open-air driving, and several short stops.

“The cars are not too good. You can feel any bumper, every stone. I didnt feel safe at all!”

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