Amsterdam With a Toddler in Winter: A Low-Key 3-Day Trip

By Ellen (Apr 2026)

⏱️ 7 min

We visited Amsterdam in December with our 16-month-old daughter and based ourselves in the nearby city of Haarlem for three nights. This time we planned a slow paced trip, considering various factors like: cold weather, a newly walking toddler, and a visit that was partly about catching up with some of my friends from the U.S.

Visiting Amsterdam with a toddler in winter didn’t end up to be the classic Dutch trip most people imagine. As our baby Lara says “no, no, no” – there were no bike rides along the canals, no museum hopping, and definitely no packed sightseeing itinerary for us… The trip was less about checking off all the must-dos and sees, and more about enjoying the experience at a toddler-friendly pace. If you are searching for advice about traveling to Amsterdam with a toddler, especially in winter, then this post is for you! 😊

Here, I share what our low-key 3-day trip looked like with a toddler, what worked well, and what we’d do differently next time.

Table of Contents

Why We Chose to Stay in Haarlem Instead of Amsterdam

If you’re planning a trip to Amsterdam, one thing top of your mind must be “where to stay?” For us, Haarlem was the perfect home base.

Haarlem is a city west of Amsterdam. Some people say it’s like a mini Amsterdam as it has its own canals and Amsterdam-style buildings throughout. The old city center is very charming and walkable. The best appeal for me is that it is quieter and less crowded than Amsterdam – something perfect when traveling with a baby or toddler. It has a charming historic center and is overall more relaxed than Amsterdam.

Staying in Haarlem doesn’t mean that you miss out on Amsterdam though – it’s got super easy transportation to Amsterdam! It’s just about a 15 minute train from Haarlem station to Amsterdam Central.

Getting to Haarlem from Schipol Airport with a baby

I researched before going on our trip, and you can get to Haarlem from the airport by train or bus. The train may be just slightly faster, but it requires a transfer. I think the bus is the easiest option. It is a direct bus to Haarlem station with no transfers from the Airport. This makes it easy with your luggage and stroller – you don’t have to mess with transferring. I personally loved this practical logistic and I’m sure many other parents would feel the same.

Traveling during the Newly Walking Toddler Stage

One thing we quickly realized on this trip is that 16 months can be a tricky age for travel. Our daughter had just started walking confidently in the months prior, which meant she wanted to explore everything. She was past the stage where babies are happy to sit in a stroller or carrier all day while parents sightsee. At the same time, she wasn’t quite old enough to enjoy many Amsterdam attractions designed for kids yet.

Museums like NEMO Science Museum, which we’d seen recommended for families while planning this trip, are fantastic for children. But, many of the hands-on exhibits are really designed for kids around 3–4 years old and up.

Instead of museum hopping or doing lots of structured activities, we focused on things that worked well for this age.

What Actually Worked with a toddler

Wandering Amsterdam neighborhoods like Jordaan
Outdoor markets and open spaces
Free walking tour with a stroller
Short train rides between Haarlem and Amsterdam
Staying in Haarlem as a quieter home base

What Didn’t Work As Well with a toddler

Cold December weather
Museums not ideal at 16 months

Overall, we leaned toward slower, outdoor (even in winter), and flexible activities.

Our low-key Amsterdam & Haarlem Itinerary

Traveling with a 16-month-old meant keeping our plans flexible and simple. Instead of trying to fit in every major attraction, we focused on walking around neighborhoods, meeting friends, and enjoying the atmosphere.

Here’s what our trip looked like.

Day 1: Arrival + Dinner in Haarlem

Evening arrival at Schipol Airport
Direct bus to Haarlem (as previously mentioned, it is super easy and convenient with luggage and a stroller)
Checked into our Airbnb
Indonesian food for dinner with friends and their 5-month old baby in Haarlem’s historic center
- Fun fact: Haarlem and across the Netherlands has a ton of options for Indonesian food. Indonesia was colonized by the Dutch for over 300 years. Because of that, Indonesian food is deeply embedded in the Netherlands with many generations of Dutch people growing up with it. The cuisine has also been adapted to something that is unique to the Netherlands.

Day 2: Amsterdam Christmas Market

15-min train from Haarlem station to Amsterdam Central
We walked around the Christmas Market in Museumplein, which is supposedly Amsterdam’s largest Christmas market. It was fun but not amazing in scale. I enjoyed mulled wine, walking around and seeing the artisan stalls, while Lara stayed entertained while people watching.
Lunch at a sandwich shop with friends.
Walk through the city centre and stores.
Returned to Haarlem early and grabbed takeaway for dinner as I had gotten a bit sick!

Day 3: Walking Tour of Amsterdam

Day 3 was mostly dedicated to a Free Walking Tour, which I booked last minute the night before. I’ll reiterate the importance of staying flexible with plans when traveling with a baby or toddler. We had left space in our itinerary so we could make last-minute choices like this.

Headed into Amsterdam again, and had a quick photo stop at iconic Damrak.
Free Walking Tour: Free walking tours are always something we love to do in cities, and you’ll see us mention it throughout our blog posts. It is a great way to learn a bit of history about the place you are visiting. We always gain a deeper appreciation for a place, knowing some of the history.
Snacks and beers with friends.
Easy dinner in Haarlem back at the Airbnb.

Day 4: Breakfast in Haarlem + Departure

Breakfast in Haarlem’s center with friends.
Stopped at Haarlem’s best-known market under the Bavo Cathedral: Grote Markt
- Side Note: Haarlem supposedly has one of the best Christmas Markets in the Netherlands but it only takes place over one weekend so we could not make it
Ate fresh Stroopwaffles at Grote Markt – YUM – definitely recommended while you’re in the Netherlands
Train back to the airport and home!

Who Amsterdam works best for with kids

Upon reflection, I think that Amsterdam can definitely be a great destination for families but timing and age of the kids matter. My opinion is…

Recommended for:

Families with kids 3+
Couples with young babies who are still chill in carriers and sleep well on-the-go
Families visiting in warmer months

Challenging for:

Families with newly walking toddlers and cold weather trips (like us, haha)

What we would love to do next time

Because we were traveling with a newly walking toddler in winter, we skipped a few classic Amsterdam experiences. If we go back someday, these are the things that are high on our list:

Museums like NEMO Science Museum
Canal Cruise
Biking around the city
Vondelpark

Final Thoughts

I believe Amsterdam can still be great with kids depending on the age and the time of the year. You can follow our foot-steps and visit the city with a newly walking toddler, but just adjust your expectations and plans accordingly. Something we have been learning by continuing to travel with our baby Lara is that slower travel with a toddler can still be wonderful. 😊 Thanks for reading! Until next post ✌️