Utrecht to Haarlem and Amsterdam: Private day trip

Main attractions

• The Grote Kerk van Sint-Bavo dominates the Grote Markt — a soaring Gothic cathedral housing one of Europe's great baroque organs, played by both Handel and the young Mozart during their visits to the city
• The Frans Hals Museum holds the finest collection of work by the Golden Age master of portraiture, including his monumental militia company group portraits — among the most important Dutch paintings outside the Rijksmuseum
• The Grote Markt itself is one of the Netherlands' most beautiful town squares, ringed with café terraces, the ornate Renaissance Stadhuis and a flower market that has occupied the same cobbles for centuries

What to eat

• Haarlemse Moppen — small spiced ginger biscuits that are the city's traditional specialty — from any old-town bakery; lunch at a bruin café on or near the Grote Markt; Jopenkerk, a craft brewery installed in a former Gothic church, is the most atmospheric spot for an afternoon beer

Main attractions

• The canal ring (grachtengordel) — a UNESCO-listed network of 17th-century waterways lined with narrow merchant houses, humpback bridges and hidden gardens; the Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht are the three principal canals and the evening light on the water is among the most beautiful urban scenes in Europe
• The Rijksmuseum holds the greatest collection of Dutch Golden Age painting in the world — Rembrandt's Night Watch, Vermeer's The Milkmaid and a collection of 8,000 objects spanning the full arc of Dutch artistic achievement; allow at least three hours and book timed entry in advance
• The Van Gogh Museum holds the largest collection of Van Gogh's work in the world — 200 paintings and 500 drawings spanning his full career from the dark Brabant period to the luminous Saint-Rémy canvases

Things to do

• Walk the Jordaan neighborhood — the former working-class district west of the main canals is now Amsterdam's most characterful quarter; the Monday and Saturday Noordermarkt flea and organic food markets are among the best in the city

What to eat

• Bitterballen (deep-fried beef ragù croquettes served with mustard) at a traditional bruin café; raw herring (haring) with onion and gherkin from a street cart — the Hollandse Nieuwe season runs from June; stroopwafels fresh from the Albert Cuyp market; dinner in the Jordaan, where the density of good restaurants per street is higher than anywhere else in the city