Netherlands · GELDERLAND TOURS
The good gelderland tours go weeks ahead and the best go sooner. Below: 15 to book early, what each covers and where they differ.
Spend 75 minutes aboard the Pannenkoekenboot Nijmegen, sailing past Nijmegen’s bridges, skyline, and the Ooijpolder nature reserve. You can eat unlimited plain, apple, and bacon pancakes with cheese, ham, fruit, jam, and eggs. Dutch, English, and German-speaking staff help make this a relaxed family outing.
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”
Spend a full day at the Kröller-Müller Museum in Gelderland, viewing the world’s second largest Van Gogh collection and major works by Monet, Renoir, Picasso, and Mondriaan. Your ticket covers the museum and sculpture garden, but you must buy separate Hoge Veluwe National Park admission in Otterlo or Hoenderloo.
Spend a full day exploring De Hoge Veluwe National Park in Gelderland. Admission includes free use of the park’s white bicycles and access to Museonder. Ride paved paths through forests, heath and sand, watch for wildlife, and add the Kröller-Müller Museum or Jachthuis Sint Hubertus for an extra fee.
Burgers’ Zoo gives you up to eight hours to explore 45 hectares of recreated habitats in Arnhem. Walk through humid jungle, a Mexican-American desert, coral reef displays, savannah plains, Malay rainforest, and a Belize-inspired indoor mangrove. Admission is about $33 per person, with wheelchair access and skip-the-ticket-line entry.
“Nuostabus zoologijos sodas, daugybė įvairių guvūnų, akvariumas ir botanikos kupolai su paukščiais ir drugeliais buvo kažkas wow”
Visit Villa Hartenstein, the former British headquarters during the Battle of Arnhem. Follow the story through British, Polish, German, and civilian viewpoints, then enter the underground Airborne Experience. Audio tours are available in Dutch, English, German, and Polish, with an interactive Soldier Tommy mission for children.
“heel indrukwekkend, je eigen tempo bepalen mbv audio-tour. Schrijnende verhalen van overlevenden, ooggetuigen. De extra tentoonstelling (kelder) over de BIDKL : zeer goed werk doen deze mensen”
Pick up an e-chopper near Nijmegen’s Waalkade and spend two hours following suggested routes or making your own. You’ll pass through the Ooijpolder nature reserve, ride along dikes, watch for horses, buffalo, and birds, then cross Nijmegen’s lower town. The scooters are beginner-friendly, reach about 32 kph, and return to the same meeting point.
“The e-chopper rental place is located near the riverfront, on a little alley at the bottom of the stairs from the main town. We were on a river cruise, so it was super convenient for us to get to.”
This self-guided Nijmegen city trail uses a smartphone app to lead groups of two to six through squares, monuments, museums, and river views. Solve riddles, complete search tasks, and pause for lunch or a drink whenever you like. Allow about three hours, bring mobile data, and expect a few hills and some independent navigation.
“It was wet cold but very nice to do with friends”
Walk through Amsterdam’s story in detailed sand sculptures at De Beeldentuin Garderen. See scenes from the city’s fishing-village beginnings, Golden Age, canals, wartime years, and modern life. Your ticket also includes the full garden, which is wheelchair friendly. Dutch, English, and German assistance is available.
“It was great that we were welcomed as a group with music playing.”
You’ll follow Qula’s Arnhem City Trail from Sonsbeekweg, using your own smartphone to solve riddles and complete assignments at nine city stops. Start any time, pause when needed, and finish at the meeting point. The private game suits groups of up to six, runs in several languages, and takes roughly two to three hours.
“Een leuke manier om Arnhem te leren kennen. Zo kom je op plekken die je anders misschien overslaat of niet opmerkt.”
You’ll explore Nijmegen with a smartphone-led mystery about a floodwave racing down the Waal. Solve puzzles at river views, the Besiendershuis, Stevenskerk, Valkhof Museum, and Valkhof Park. The private game takes about two hours, covers 2.5 kilometers, and suits groups of up to six people aged 15 and older.
“Everything was well described and doable. It was very hot weather, but fine to do. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to discover a city in a different way.Auto-translated”
Follow the Arnhem battle route on a 2.5-hour private walking tour in English. Guides such as Sander, David van Buggenum, Ruud, Arnold, and Sandam bring Operation Market Garden to life with wartime photographs, maps, unit details, and stories. The tour starts near Arnhem Centraal and ends at the John Frost Bridge.
“I took the 2.5 hour Battle of Arnhem walking tour with David van Buggenum. As a military history enthusiast, the Battle of Arnhem was my primary reason for visiting. David did an absolutely fantastic job. His depth of expertise on the battle, the context surrounding it, and the anecdotes from those who fought in it made it a truly memorable experience. He has literally written books on the subject and you can see his passion and knowledge coming through, whether it’s discussing small unit tactics or the personalities involved in the battle. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone seeking to learn more about battle.”
Spend eight hours driving yourself through the Veluwe, stopping at waterfalls, wildlife viewpoints, Veluwezoom, the Posbank, a sheepfold, a vineyard, and a castle. Your food stops include coffee and a sweet treat, lunch, local wine, and a final appetiser platter. Bring a car, phone, drinks, and GPS.
“zonder app was t niet altijd gemakkelijk de adressen te vinden en uiteindelijk hebben we ook niet alle onderdelen bezocht. Te veel adressen of te weinig tijd?”
Spend a full day at Arnhem’s Dutch Open Air Museum, where more than 100 historic buildings, farms, windmills, workshops, and homes show how people lived across the Netherlands. Ride the nostalgic tram, meet craftspeople, visit the Canon of the Netherlands, and join optional workshops for an added fee. English and Dutch support is available.
“Just wonderful. A fun experience and beautiful history, and I recognize it from the stories of my parents and grandparents and even my teacher. Keep up the good work. I'll be back soon to enjoy it again.”
Ride a stylish E-chopper through the Veluwe with a helmet and interactive route app included. Follow a fixed path through villages, forests, heathlands, and sand drifts, stopping at food and drink spots along the way. Choose local facts and stories or a playful fungame mode. A valid scooter certificate or driver’s license is required.
“Fantastic service, great bikes, great way to get a taste of the Veluwe”
Pick a canal, a gallery or a polder.
