Why Choose Netherlands

Netherlands Tour Packages from India

Amsterdam is closer than most Indian travellers realise. KLM flies nonstop from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai, and Air India also serves Delhi around ten hours in the air, with no connection to worry about. For South India in particular, this is the easiest direct route into Europe we sell.

Two things worth planning around. If tulips are the reason you are going, Keukenhof is open for roughly eight weeks a year and the peak bloom window inside that is narrower still. And Anne Frank House tickets are online-only, timed, and gone within minutes of release which is a booking problem, not a budget one.

Below: what a Netherlands trip costs, how many days you actually need, when the tulips are out, and what the Schengen visa involves.

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Netherlands trip at a glance

Getting there: the direct flights nobody mentions

Amsterdam is unusually well connected to India, and better connected to South India than any other European capital.

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The Schengen visa

Indian passport holders need a short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) to visit the Netherlands. There is no visa-free route. It allows up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across all 29 Schengen countries.

The essentials

• Fee: €90 for adults, €45 for children aged 6–12, free under 6, plus VFS service charges. This rose from €80 in June 2024 and a lot of published guidance including, until recently, this page still quotes the old figure.

• Processing: typically 15 to 30 calendar days, counted from when the consulate receives your file rather than when VFS collects it. Apply four to six weeks ahead, and earlier for tulip season, when demand spikes.

• Insurance: travel insurance with at least €30,000 of medical cover valid across the Schengen area is mandatory for the application.

• Documents: passport valid six months with two blank pages, application form, Schengen-specification photographs, confirmed return flights, hotel bookings, three to six months of bank statements, an employer or school NOC, and a cover letter with your itinerary. We prepare the itinerary and booking documentation as part of your package.

Visiting more than one country?

You apply at the consulate of your main destination the country where you will spend the most nights. On an Amsterdam–Brussels–Paris circuit that depends entirely on the night split, and it is often France rather than the Netherlands. Applying to the wrong consulate is a common cause of refusal and refusals are recorded, so we work it out before you apply rather than assuming.

What changed at the border in 2026

The EU Entry/Exit System became fully operational across all 29 Schengen countries on 10 April 2026. Passports are no longer stamped — on your first entry you are enrolled with a facial image and fingerprints, and entries and exits are recorded automatically. Allow extra time at Schiphol on arrival, and note that your 90-in-180 days are now calculated by the system.

And a word about ETIAS

ETIAS is a pre-travel authorisation for visa-exempt nationalities US, UK, Japanese and similar passports. Indian passport holders are visa-required and still need the full Schengen visa. Anyone offering to sell you an ETIAS for an Indian passport is not helping you.

Visa rules, fees and border procedures have changed more than once recently. Confirm current requirements before booking, and see the review cadence in Step 4.

Tulip season: when to go, and what you are actually booking

This is the reason a large share of our Netherlands travellers choose their dates, so it is worth being precise rather than romantic about it.

• Keukenhof Gardens is open for roughly eight weeks a year, from around mid-March to mid-May. Outside that window it is closed — there is no partial season and no exceptions.

• Inside that window, the peak display is narrower and shifts with the weather. Mid-April is the most reliable bet in most years, but it is a bet.

• Entry is by timed online ticket and peak dates sell out. This is not somewhere you turn up.

• The gardens and the fields are different things. Keukenhof is 32 hectares of planted display with around seven million bulbs and more than 800 varieties. The commercial tulip fields are in the surrounding countryside, they bloom on their own schedule, and seeing them properly means a bike ride or a drive rather than a garden ticket.

• If your dates fall outside the season, say so early and we will build the trip around canals, museums and windmills instead — which is a very good trip, and better than a disappointing detour to a closed garden.

Ask about a tulip season trip →

How many days do you need?

Four or five nights for the Netherlands, and we would rather say that than stretch it.

• Amsterdam — three nights. The canal ring, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, the Anne Frank House, the Jordaan, and a canal cruise. Three full days covers it without rushing.

• One day out — Zaanse Schans for working windmills, clogs and cheese, twenty minutes from the city. Or Kinderdijk, the UNESCO windmill site near Rotterdam, which is about ninety minutes away and quieter. They are different places and we will tell you which suits your trip.

• One more day — Haarlem, Delft or Rotterdam, depending on whether you want old towns, pottery or modern architecture. In tulip season, this is the Keukenhof day.

• Beyond five nights, add a country. Brussels is about two hours by train and Paris about three and a half. That is why most of our longer Netherlands trips are circuits.

Choose your trip

Amsterdam Short Break - 4 to 5 Nights

Best for a first European trip, and for anyone using the direct flight

• Day 1: Arrive Schiphol, train into the city, evening walk around the canal ring and Dam Square.

• Day 2: Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, then the Jordaan and an evening canal cruise.

• Day 3: Anne Frank House at your booked slot, then Albert Cuyp Market and the Nine Streets.

• Day 4: Zaanse Schans or Kinderdijk for windmills — or Keukenhof, in season.

• Day 5: Free morning, then Schiphol.

Quoted on request. Ask us to cost this for your dates →

Amsterdam, Brussels & Paris 7 Days / 6 Nights

Best for a first Europe trip that wants more than one country

The classic low-countries circuit and Bayard’s most-booked route through the Netherlands: Amsterdam for the canals and museums, Brussels and Bruges in the middle, Paris to finish, with fast trains linking all three and no internal flights. Note the visa point above on this itinerary your main destination is usually France, and we will confirm which consulate to apply to.

From ₹1,44,999 per person.

Netherlands & Belgium — 7 to 8 Days

Best for travellers who want two countries at an easier pace

Amsterdam and a windmill day, then Brussels, Bruges and Ghent. Shorter travel days than the Paris circuit and a gentler trip overall, which suits families and older travellers. Ask us to build it for your dates.

Plan a European circuit →

When to go

 An honest note on the weather: the Netherlands is grey and wet for a good part of the year, including much of tulip season, and no amount of marketing changes that. It matters less than you would expect on a trip built around museums, cafés and canal cruises but pack for rain in any month.

Amsterdam

The seventeenth-century canal ring is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the reason the city looks the way it does. The Rijksmuseum holds Rembrandt’s Night Watch and Vermeer; the Van Gogh Museum has the largest collection of his work anywhere, including Sunflowers, The Bedroom and Almond Blossom. The Anne Frank House is in the Jordaan, and the Jordaan itself is the best part of the city to wander without a plan.

Zaanse Schans and Kinderdijk

Two different windmill experiences, often confused. Zaanse Schans is a collected village of working mills about twenty minutes from Amsterdam, with clog-making and cheese demonstrations — easy, family-friendly and busy. Kinderdijk is a UNESCO site of nineteen eighteenth-century mills in the polder landscape near Rotterdam, about ninety minutes away, quieter and more atmospheric. If you have one windmill day, Zaanse Schans is the practical choice; if you want the real thing, Kinderdijk.

Keukenhof and the bulb fields

Thirty-two hectares of planted gardens with around seven million bulbs, open only from mid-March to mid-May, about forty minutes from Amsterdam. Book a timed ticket. The commercial fields around it are a separate experience and best seen by bike.

Haarlem, Delft and Rotterdam

Haarlem is fifteen minutes from Amsterdam and gives you a Dutch old town without the crowds. Delft is where the blue and white pottery comes from and where Vermeer painted. Rotterdam was rebuilt after the war and is the opposite of the rest of the country — the Cube Houses, the Markthal and modern architecture throughout.

Practical notes for Indian travellers

Booking the museums

The Anne Frank House is the difficult one. Tickets are online only, in timed slots, released on a rolling advance window, and they go within minutes. There is no ticket desk. The Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum are easier but still worth booking ahead in season. We book all three when you confirm your package, which is genuinely most of the value of booking a short Amsterdam trip through an operator.

Getting around

Amsterdam is small enough to walk and flat enough to cycle, and the trams are straightforward. Trains between cities are frequent and short Haarlem fifteen minutes, Rotterdam forty, Brussels about two hours. If you cycle, take it seriously: the bike lanes are used at speed by people going to work, and stepping into one is the most common way visitors get into trouble.

Money and costs

Euros, and the Netherlands is largely cashless many places do not take cash at all, and some do not take foreign credit cards, so carry a card that works on Maestro or check with your bank. Amsterdam charges a tourist tax as a percentage of your room rate, which is added at the hotel and is higher than in most European cities. We will tell you what it comes to for your stay.

Food

Amsterdam is excellent for vegetarians and has a large Indian and Surinamese-Indian food scene Surinamese roti in particular is worth seeking out and will feel oddly familiar. Tell us about Jain or strict vegetarian requirements at booking.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming you can buy Anne Frank House tickets on arrival. You cannot.

• Booking tulip season without checking the Keukenhof dates for that specific year.

• Confusing Kinderdijk with Zaanse Schans — they are ninety minutes apart and quite different.

• Budgeting €80 for the Schengen visa. It has been €90 since June 2024.

• Paying a third-party site for an ETIAS. It does not apply to Indian passports.

• Forgetting Amsterdam’s tourist tax, which is a percentage of the room rate rather than a small nightly fee.

• Trying to stretch the Netherlands to ten days. Add Belgium instead.

• Walking in a bike lane.

What’s included in a Bayard Netherlands package

 Why book the Netherlands with Bayard Vacations

• We book the Anne Frank House when the window opens, which is the difference between going and not going.

• Direct-flight routings from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai, so you are not connecting through a hub for a ten-hour journey.

• Straight advice on tulip season — the actual dates for your year, and what to do instead if your dates fall outside it.

• Current Schengen guidance, including which consulate to apply to if your trip covers more than one country.

• Honest advice on length. The Netherlands is four or five days, and we will tell you what to add rather than padding the itinerary.

• Full costs upfront, including Amsterdam’s tourist tax, which is higher than most travellers expect.

Talk to a Netherlands specialist →

Netherlands package FAQs

Are there direct flights from India to Amsterdam?

Yes, from four cities. KLM flies nonstop from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai to Amsterdam Schiphol, and Air India also serves Delhi nonstop around ten hours in the air. From Chennai, Kochi and Kolkata the routing is one stop, roughly 13 to 16 hours in total.

Do Indians need a visa for the Netherlands?

Yes. The Netherlands is in the Schengen Area and Indian passport holders need a short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) arranged before travel. There is no visa-free route. It allows up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across all 29 Schengen countries.

How much does the Schengen visa cost?

€90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6–12, free for under-6s, plus VFS service charges. The fee rose from €80 in June 2024, so a lot of published guidance still quotes the old figure.

Which country should I apply to if I am visiting more than one?

The country where you will spend the most nights. On an Amsterdam–Brussels–Paris circuit that is often France rather than the Netherlands, depending on the split. Applying to the wrong consulate is a common cause of refusal and refusals are recorded, so we work it out before you apply.

When is tulip season?

Keukenhof is open for roughly eight weeks from around mid-March to mid-May, with mid-April usually the peak. The exact dates are published annually and the strongest bloom shifts with the weather. Ask us for the confirmed dates for your year before you fix your flights.

Do I need to book Keukenhof in advance?

Yes. Entry is by timed online ticket and peak dates sell out. It is about forty minutes from Amsterdam. Note also that the gardens and the commercial tulip fields around them are different experiences — the fields are best seen by bike or car.

How do I get Anne Frank House tickets?

Online only, in timed slots, released on a rolling advance window — and they go within minutes. There is no ticket desk and no same-day option. This is the hardest booking in Amsterdam, and we book it for you when the window opens.

How many days do I need in the Netherlands?

Four or five nights. Three in Amsterdam for the canals, the museums and the Anne Frank House, plus a windmill day and one more for Haarlem, Delft or Keukenhof in season. Beyond that, add Belgium or Paris rather than more Dutch days.

Kinderdijk or Zaanse Schans?

They are different places, ninety minutes apart. Zaanse Schans is twenty minutes from Amsterdam, has working mills plus clog-making and cheese, and is easy and busy. Kinderdijk is a UNESCO site of nineteen eighteenth-century mills near Rotterdam quieter and more atmospheric but a longer day. Tell us which appeals and we will build accordingly.

How much does an Amsterdam trip cost from India?

Our Amsterdam-inclusive circuit products start at ₹1,44,999 per person for the seven-day Amsterdam–Brussels–Paris route. Short Amsterdam breaks are quoted on request — ask us for your dates and we will cost it, including the tourist tax.

What is the Amsterdam tourist tax?

Amsterdam charges its tourist tax as a percentage of your room rate rather than a flat nightly fee, which makes it higher than in most European cities and noticeable over four or five nights. The hotel adds it to your bill. We tell you the figure before you book.

What is the best time to visit if I am not going for the tulips?

September and October are underrated mild, much quieter than summer, and better value. June to August has the longest days and the best cycling but is the busiest and most expensive. December has Christmas markets and empty museums.

Is the Netherlands good for vegetarians?

Very. Amsterdam has an excellent vegetarian scene and a large Indian and Surinamese-Indian food culture — Surinamese roti in particular is worth trying. Tell us about Jain requirements at booking and we will plan restaurants around them.

Should I add Belgium or Paris?

Both work and they are different trips. Belgium adds Bruges and Brussels with short train hops and a gentler pace. Paris makes it a three-country circuit with more transit and a higher budget. The Netherlands alone is four or five days, so if you have more time, adding a country is the right instinct.

What is included in a Bayard Netherlands package?

Centrally located hotels, daily breakfast, airport transfers, rail tickets between cities as listed, museum and attraction tickets as specified and booked in advance, a canal cruise and windmill day where included, and on-trip support. International flights, the Schengen visa fee, insurance, Amsterdam tourist tax and personal expenses are separate.

Planning a Netherlands trip? 
Tell us your city, your dates and who’s travelling. We’ll send back a costed itinerary, book the tickets that need booking the moment they open, and tell you honestly whether your dates work for the tulips.

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