Top landmarks to visit during a one week in Barcelona

Here is the list of  Barcelona travel tips and all landmarks I explored during one week in Barcelona and would recommend to visit. I have kept them in the order of my favorites, as they were covered in multiple days.

1. Plaza Espana
2. Sagrada Familia
3. Gothic Quarters
4. La Barceloneta
5. Tibidabo
6. La Rambla
7. Casa Vicens
8. Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau
9. Park Guell
10. Casa Batello
11. University of Catalunya

Click Here for Top Attractions List in Google Maps

1. Plaza Espana

This magnificent plaza, a circle with a fountain in the middle, has amazing city views from all angles. You enter the splendid Catalunya Arts Museum in between two giant towers on either side of the road, with a view of the old bull ring on the other side.

I visited the plaza during the evening to see the magic fountain show next to the museum. It was a warm welcome to the show with an avenue of waterfalls lining the path. The magic fountain of Montjuic is not an experience to miss, it was incredibly magical- my heart was literally dancing out there. It starts with a fantastic fountain dance welcoming you to Barcelona. It draws a large crowd and is totally free.

2. Sagrada Familia

Sagrada Familia is a modern church that is built by Barcelona’s legendary architect Antoni Gaudi, with a fresh design vision bringing elements from nature into the architecture. The details on the construction are just too intriguing and mind blowing, that two hours spent looking at it felt like seconds. I have never stared at a building like this before, that I visited it twice. This church is still under construction to fulfill the lifetime vision of Gaudi who passed away when only one out of the four towers was completed. This was one of the many gems during my one week in Barcelona, so don’t think twice to pay for the entry. For christian friends, you can attend Sunday mass here.

3. Gothic Quarters

Gothic Quarters is the old city of Barcelona, built 2000 years back. There is an olden Jewish Quarter and lots of old squares that routes back to the Spanish and Roman history.  The original old Roman settlement buried in the city called Barcino is another location not to miss to trace the history of Barcelona. This area also has many nice restaurants and street artists performing at night, which makes it a perfect hang out location.

4. La Barceloneta

Barceloneta is one of the most busy beaches with many bars, restaurants, street shops and great walkways. There is always music playing and the vibe is too good to be true. There are plenty of things to do on the beach besides swim, of which windsurfing and kite surfing are popular. You can also enjoy a refreshing drink from one of the many beach huts. La Barceloneta beach is on of the main things to do in Barcelona in summer. 

5. Tibidabo

Tibidabo is a hill overlooking Barcelona with the church Sagrat Cor stop. There is a small amusement park here with Ferris wheel and other rides that provide a stunning view of the city and coastline. There are bus rides to get there and some say you can hike it, however I would not recommend it unless you have plenty of time during your trip to Barcelona.

6. La Rambla

This is a boulevard in Barcelona forming the heart of the city center, which spans close to a mile. It has a pedestrian zone in the middle with street markets including fancy cafes and pubs. The street is filled with lots of activities that you can try during one week in Barcelona, food at its best and I would argue that the ambiance of the street at night time beats any restaurant.

The entrance to the boulevard starts from Plaça Catalunya, which is probably the central transport hub in Barcelona to the port. I visited La Rambla multiple times during my one week in Barcelona to try and retry the Tapas . A walking tour both at night and day time is recommended.

7. Casa Vicens

Casa Vicens is Gaudi’s first home in Barcelona, which was his first masterpiece. The roof and exterior is decorated with broken ceramics which is a unique style that we see in most of Gaudi’s architecture. I particularly enjoyed the room in this house that mixes many cultural designs including a Persian scripted lamp.

8. Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau

This building complex is an old hospital with each building housing a separate medical specialty. It’s fun to walk around and experience the old operating rooms and enjoy the unique architecture of the buildings.

9. Park Guell

This park was initially designed by Gaudi as a housing project, however that was not successful and is now converted to a public park. The park is a remarkable exhibition of Gaudi’s imaginative and symbolic work. Unfortunately during my one week in Barcelona was under going construction work when I visited the park and I could only visit the entrance. It is located on Carmel Hill and the walk up the hill is a great experience sights of many nice houses.

10. Casa Batllo

The modernist building Case Batllo, is another iconic masterpiece of Gaudi located in the middle of the city center. This was an old house rebuilt and redesigned by Gaudi, adding some unique features such as irregular oval windows, stone work and decorations made from broken ceramic pieces.

11. University of Catalunya

My whole week in Barcelona was spent in this university working on various problems that the semi-conductor industry and computing experts are trying to solve, especially in the areas of high performance computing with the rise of AI. One major point to note is that this university also hosts the Barcelona super computing center that has Europe’s most powerful super computers.

Final Thoughts On One Week in Barcelona

One of the most noteworthy figures of modern architecture, Gaudi stays close to everyone’s heart if they visit Barcelona. All his work that is completed and being still built, form a great asset adding a special charm to the city.

Urban planning was carefully done in the city when Barcelona was extended from the Gothic quarters. Architects who took the challenge paid attention to the way residents lived in the urban space surrounding them- fresh air, green space, modes of transport and proximity to markets were all carefully considered. As a result, Barcelona is filled with greenery everywhere with many long roads, walkways, boulevards and wide squares giving the public a vast area to gather and relax. The vibe of the subways, restaurants and just people in the public transport reminded me a lot about my favorite Indian city Mumbai. There are many giant shopping centers too.

Barcelona city is designed with a strict grid pattern and octagonal intersections keeping accessibility in mind, just like modern cities like New York do. The top view of the city from flight is very surreal for an ancient city. I tried to capture the top view of the city when I flew back, but unfortunately both my journeys were done late night and it did not come very well. A big shout to my architects friends out there apart from the football fans- this is a must visit city to explore. Because it’s not only about Camp Nou (Footbal stadium). I hope this blog showed you an idea of many more diverse experiences and  top attractions that you should not miss in Barcelona!

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Salzburg is one of the prettiest places I have ever been to and this one day in Salzburg itinerarylists all the top attractions and landmarks for how to spend a day in Salzburg. Especially for a solo travel adventure, it is a perfect destination as you can cover the entire city in a day or two. Salzburg day trips are perfect for just grabbing your camera and go for a walk, you have no idea what a great photography experience is awaiting you.

What to do in Salzburg in One Day?

Here is my list of major attractions and things to do in Salzburg that I covered during my solo trip:

• Mirabell Palace
• Salzach River
• Makartsteg Bridge
• Mozart’s Birth Place & Getreidegasse Street
• Hohensalzburg Fortress
• Old Town Square
• St. Sebastian Cathedral
• Salzburg Cemetry

Click Here for Top Attractions List in Google Maps

I traveled from Munich to Salzburg by Flixbus. The journey was rejuvenating with splendid views of mountains interspersed with occasional sights of houses and churches, which formed a great a preview to the mountain city abd the region.

I landed in Salzburg when the sun was just setting and was greeted by a marvelous modern architecture bike store, which almost felt like an UFO. The streets were very quite and empty.

A Perfect One Day in Salzburg Itinerary

Starting early the next morning, I headed straight to the Mirabell Gardens (a top travel destination in Austria) to arrive at opening time (8 am). Top Tip: Start your day as early as possible, for great pictures. It is a very scenic destination, but gets over crowded by tourists by 9am. I was extremely lucky with this early morning visit as you can see I got some amazing pictures. Note that all the major attractions in Salzburg can be covered by foot.

1- Mirabell Gardens

Mirabell gardens is yet another landmark in the world built as a token of love in the 17th century by prince-archbishop Wolf Dietrich for his beloved, Salome Alt. This garden is supremely suited for a couple hangout, as well as one of the best in Salzburg to capture some amazing selfies or Instagram pictures for a traveller. It is prominently featured in the Sound of Music.

2- Salzach River

Waking along the Salzach River, that overlooks churches and mountains view from every angle, is a stunning experience. One can sit anywhere on the grass banks and enjoy the beautiful view of the fortress, churches and various bridges across the river. A must see in Salzburg, on a solo trip! There are two main bridges which connect the city with the old town.

3- Makartsteg Bridge

I crossed Makartsteg bridge on my way to the Old Town. There is a unique curve to this bridge, which adds to its photogenic quality. Love locks prettify the railings- and also brought a smile to my heart- May all those who found love be in love forever.

4- Mozart’s Birthplace and Getreidagasse

Amadé Mozart, one of the best greatest musicians of all time was born in Salzburg in 1756, on Getreidegasse street just by the river. Mozart’s family lived in the third floor of 9 Getreidegasse for over 30 years. I only saw the outside of the house but if you pay to visit the museum, during the three-storey exhibition, you can learn all the details of Mozart’s life.

If you continue walking along the Getreidegasse street, the famous shopping street in Salzburg, you will see captivating designs decorating the architectures. I would recommend this location as one of the top things to do in Salzburg. There are many interesting design elements representing the history and culture of Salzburg. The walk from here towards the Salzburg fortress leads you past a church whose view is hidden between streets and arches.

5- Hohensalzburg Fortress

The next point in my list of Salzburg activities was the Hohensalzburg Fortress stands 500m above the city offering a great panoramic view of the city, mountains, and the river. There are two ways to get there:

• Funicular
• Hiking

I chose hiking over the funicular tour, for a morning-walk adventure. Guided by Google maps I arrived at a long set of very steep stairs which which made me question whether I was going the right way. Hoping that I would reach the castle and not get lost I proceeded, as I was particularly motivated to make my solo trip to Salzburg more adventurous.

The steps lead through a forest which although felt lonely at first, I soon met with people who were running, walking and mountain biking. I thoroughly enjoyed this exercise, but would suggest those who have are not comfortable with climbing large amounts of stairs to not take this route as they are very steep. I landed near the fort after approximately a 2 mile walk Arrived at Hohensalzburg Fortress, one of the most picturesques in the country.

From the fortress, I walked downwards in the opposite direction I came from, where I saw the Funicular service that can be taken. Ten steps down from here, you will encounter one of the amazing views of you will see during the solo trip to Salzburg old town.

While I was hiking down towards the old town square, I met with a group from Taiwan carrying a cute red umbrella that resembled Kerala’s Olakkuda– mosty seen as Maveli’s Umbrella during Onam. The moment I realized it matched my jacket I requested to borrow it for a picture.

6- Old Town Square

Salzburg’s Old Town is one of the best-preserved city centres north of the Alps. The old town square is the most massive I have seen during my solo trip to Salzburg so I felt miniscule all of a sudden. The square comprises many famous squares formed by cobblestone streets, all of them dotted with historic buildings spanning the centuries. The horses and carriages riding in the square gives it a splendid royal look. Some of the open squares forming the old town square are:

• Mozartplatz  features a statue of Mozart in the center of the square.
• Residenzplatz is bordered by the Salzburg Cathedral, Panorama Museum, and the Residenz Gallery, and features a large fountain in the center of the square. This is also a Sound of Music site.
• Kapitelplatz has a prominent attraction is an art piece called “Sphaera,” a large golden sphere with a man perched on top.

After taking in the view of the Old Square and strolling for a while, I decided to treat myself with an Austrian coffee. It was a touching experience to sit at this very old cafe by myself – maybe talking to myself . Remember that some places don’t accept debit cards, so carry some Euros. I had to give my sun glass as a security deposit to go get some cash, as it turned out I had no money to pay for my coffee

The old square has many cute little shops with all kinds of handicrafts for sale. One of the best parts of European city travels for me is the market hopping, and I tend to collect something from everywhere. One special item in Salzburg is the traditional Salzburg spice bouquets and wreaths- house decorations filled with spices in them. What makes them special of-course is the strong aroma from the spices. There are some great pieces in many shops in the city, but photography is not allowed.

7- Salzburg Cathedral

Salzburg cathedral is famous for it’s domes and interiors. I did not manage to explore the interiors as there was a ceremony going on, but it is one of the beautiful architectures of this beautiful medieval town in Europe. 

By this time, I had seen all the marked places in my check list for ‘things to do in Salburg’. I walked around the river on both sides in the sun, taking the view, people watching and visited many more shopping centers. On my way back from old town, I also paid a visit to the Cemetery in which Mozart was buried. The last check mark of my solo trip to Salzburg.

8- St. Sebastian Cemetery

The Evening of the Solo Trip to Salzburg

In the evening before I left the city, I prepared myself to click a nice cityscape trying all the features on my Canon M100. Here is what I captured and edited- which is one of my favorite travel pictures. I guess the picture speaks for itself- how gorgeous this mountain city is! And now you know what to do in Salzburg in one day

“Framed by mountains, crowned by the Hohensalzburg Fortress and divided by the turquoise Salzach River, the Salzburg landscape is pure drama.”

Traveling to Salzburg from Munich

Salzburg is a pretty little city that can be easily be covered by a road or train trip from Munich in a day or from Vienna in two days. There are many excursions arranged from Munich for your solo trip to Salzburg. In my opinion, it is much easier and convenient to arrange this trip on your own.

I took a Flixbus for my Salzburg day trip from Munich which cost me 6 Euros one way which was the cheapest option as I arrived the night before. For a single day trip you can get a full day German DB train ticket that thankfully covers this part of Austria as well. I returned to Munich airport taking the DB train which you may not want to miss as the journey is amazingly picturesque and provided fantastic view of the entire little town in one frame. 

Where to Stay in Salzburg?

I chose to stay in Keep Eco Residence via Airbnb, which is very close to the central station of Salzburg. The hostel is designed on the idea of keeping the stay and living eco-friendly, which also says yes to the question ‘Is Salzburg worth visiting?’ It was this unique concept behind the hostel that attracted me in first place. This idea is radiated in every corner of the hostel, from the furniture and room setting to the food provided. If you have ever slept on an eco-friendly bed you would know what I mean- it is the most awesome bed ever to sleep on. I had a very sound sleep after a very long day in Munich. Checkin is made easier by providing you a code before you arrive for access anytime and they have a reception with a lounge that runs until late at night.

Apart from the stay, you will also fall in love with the amazing organic food they serve as meals and snacks. Breakfast had many options including fresh fruit juice, flapjacks and cakes, all super healthy and delicious. Their unique policy for payment is pay as much as you can, which was a new experience for me.

Pin This Salzburg Itinerary to Plan Your Next Trip

Being an ultimate Norway fan, Tromso was my obvious city of choice to chase Northern lights or Aurora and I spent 3 days in Tromso in winter in January.  At the same time, I also wanted to explore the picturesque villages and fjords outside the city, as well as experience some of the arctic adventures like whale watching, dog sledding, and many more. during my visit. Keeping all this in mind, I planned a one-week road trip for my Arctic expedition with 3 days in Tromso. While venturing out on multiple Northern Lights chases in around Tromso, we experienced nothing short of epic Norwegian landscape on the neighbouring islands and fjords.

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, I receive a small commission. There is no additional cost to you. I would appreciate the support.

Chasing Northern Lights in Tromso

If watching Northern Lights is big on your travel bucket list, DONT MISS our Ultimate Guide to Chasing Northern Lights Guide I have written from my first hand experience of a one week road trip around Arctic including Tromso. The guide shares top tips including top locations in a list of best places to see Northern lights in the Arctic and the smart phone applications to use for maximizing your chances of seeing the lights.

READ: Ultimate Guide to Chasing Northern Lights

Best Time to Visit Tromso

The best time to visit Tromso/Arctic for seeing the Northern Lights is in winter- starting from mid-September until mid-April. I visited  Tromso during peak wintertime in January to also enjoy other winter adventures like whale watching, dog sledding, reindeer sledding etc. Personally, I would recommend aiming for the “Peak Winter” period, between November and February. But, if you hate brutal winter, try October/November or February/March.

Driving in Tromso in Winter

If you are visiting internationally flying into Tromso or other Arctic cities in Sweden, you could opt for rental car option if you would like to drive around and chase Auroras yourself. Remember that you drive on the right side of the road in Europe same as in the USA. Your international driving license is valid if you feel comfortable driving. Rental cars come fully equipped for a winter drive. If you are wondering if it is safe to drive in Tromso in winter, the answer is it is a bit tricky to drive in extreme winter here. We encountered icy roads many times and some of us who had prior experience driving in snow hard. So my suggestion is to only go for it if you have advanced driving experience- Safety First! 

Find Best Rental Car Deals Here

Where to to stay in Tromso?

Tromso and other Arctic cities around give you the opportunity to experience Scandinavian living. There are many Airbnbs and cottages that are worth a stay. I would particularly recommend staying in the colorful cabins of Tromso. We stayed in multiple Airbnbs, both modern Scandinavian as well as in remote cottages- they were all amazing diverse experiences. One top tip is to check accommodation reviews with the possibility to see Northern Lights from the stay itself. If you don’t have a car, just stay in the Tromso city itself, as it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and I recommend the bridge view.

Waking up to Tromso was like waking up in a dream, the Airbnb where we stayed was just behind a lake with a great view. I really love the houses painted in teal, green, grey, etc.

What to Pack for Tromso in Winter

There are many different things to pack for your trip depending on what activities or events will best suit you during your stay. Your packing list must include:

• Snow boots
• Merino wool socks/underwear
• Thermal layers
• Fleeces
• Ski pants
• Waterproof jackets
• Gloves
• Scarf
• Beanies/Winter Hat

These are really important and remember it is not about having one thick jacket but many layers in cold climates. Another top tip is if you care to have good pictures get a coloured jacket, as it is just 1 or 2 hours of sunlight during this season.

Tromso Road Trip Planner

Planning a road trip in Tromso was one of the most exciting things ever. Our main goal for a road trip was to go on a northern light chasing trip all around the North Arctic countries covering Norway, Sweden, Finland. We made a list of things to do in winter in these regions and planned a route to cover the major destinations while planning winter outdoor activities during the dark day time.

Within Tromso, our route mainly involved the famous locations for Northern lights as listed below, apart from all the major attractions in the city itself.

• Kvaloya
• Ersfjordbon
• Tromvik
• Sommaroy and
• Camp Tamok

We visited Camp Tamok for the dog sledding tour and also went on a whale watching tour from the Tromso harbour. Arrival in Tromso was a magical experience as we landed while it was snowing heavily and our first moments there were already so fascinating and much of a contrast to what we’d left behind in UK.

Things to Do in Tromso in Winter

Best way to spend your Tromso days in winter is to visit some of the top landmarks and nearby villages and spend the night hunting for a longer Aurora experience. Here are the top activities to explore Tromso in Winter.

1- Stay at a cozy wooden cabin in Tromso Mountains or Coast

One of the best ways to experience Tromso magic is to stay in a cozy cabin surrounded by the snowy landscape of the season. The Airbnb we stayed at offered a stunning view of the city and sea and if the skies were clear, would have been a great location to see the Northern lights from but we weren’t so lucky.

2- Explore the Snowy Fjords and the Sea by taking a walk

Norwegian snowy landscape is a visual treat in this season and taking a walk around the coast is highly recommended for stunning views. When we went for a walk, I fondly recall how everyone walked in different directions to explore this calm and silent world as opposed tothe usual city trips where we are all constantly chatting along with the usual hustle and bustle.

3- Visit the Arctic Cathedral

The Arctic Cathedral (Tromsdalen Church) in Tromso has a unique triangle shape with colourful stained glass windows, and is a popular landmark to visit in this area. You will see it often when you drive across the Tromso bridge, a stunning white architecture standing tall. While the exterior is super pretty (check out Google for some stunning aerial shots.) the interior leaves something to be desired. I would not recommend going in unless you love to visit churches or want to support the locals by paying for the entry fee.

4- Ride the Tromso Funicular/Cable Car

Tromso also has a cabel car or funicular service to take you up the snowy mountains. If you go up the funicular you land on the snowy mountain to get one of the best views of this city, which easily ranks as my most favourite city view so far. There is a glorious shape to the city from the top, showcasing the islands, bridges, and mountains. It was a lot to digest how pretty a city and parts of the planet can be sometimes. We did not manage to capture stunning shots really as it was always a battle between getting the light settings just right and still being able to feel your fingers, but trust me this was breath taking.

READ: Ultimate Guide to Chasing Northern Lights

Note that this is a prime location to see the Auroras on a clear sky day. As you can see there were clouds for us and although we waited as long as we could, we did not see the lights here. either (: bad luck:) The sky did get slightly clearer at some point so that we could see this oval shape of light surrounding the moon. This is a very common view in the Arctic sky and is a treat to the eyes, while we pondered about the magnificent universe and galaxy we are revolving in for every moment we spend on the planet.

5- Go on a Northern Lights Tour

As we didn’t manage to see lights from our own attempts of chasing Northern lights driving around Tromso, we decided to seek expert help. We booked our trip with the company Tromso Safari (Read details in my Aurora hunting blog, why we chose the company etc.). We boarded their bus from the city hoping to see the lights that night and praying to the weather god to bless us.

The snow mountain camp we were taken to was amazing with little huts organized to welcome the guests. You get all essential gear here including ski jackets, tripods, etc. We were also served some delicious Norwegian cheese dessert and tea as we sat waiting for the sky to get clearer. The fireplace really added extra warmth to this whole experience.

Click here for an Aurora Chasing Tour in Tromso

While we waited for the Auroras, we had some fun there playing with some photography tricks. I tried to showcase my handwriting skills with the torch on my phone while the fellow photographers clicked. I am super jealous of these folks now as I don’t have this Norway-printed picture. Gotta do this againnnnnn.

6- Aurora Hunting in Tromso Island: Kvaloya

Road tripping around Tromso at night chasing Northern lights is one of the unique experiences here, which was the primary goal of this trip. We drove around Kvaloya, Tromvik, and Ersfjordbotn but were not successful to see the lights, but some of our friends who visited after a week did see the lights in this area. Having favourable weather is such an important factor in seeing Auroras.

7- Go on a Whale Watching Tour

Tromso is one of the best places for whale watching in Europe, with lot of whale watching tours organized during the season. The cruise takes almost 4-5 hours as they take you to the ocean where the whales live, but the tour is incredibly worth it for the fjord views throughout which is dramatic and breath-taking.

If you get sea sick, don’t forget to grab the sea sickness tablets which do work like a charm. Most of the tours provide appropriate clothing and refreshments. This is a fantastic opportunity to see the wildlife very close.

8- Go on a Dog Sledding Tour or Reindeer Sledding Tour

Another great Arctic winter experience is to go on a dog sledding tour or a reindeer sledding tour in the fjords. This is a fun family friendly activity that lets you discover the mountains while sledding with some cute huskies or reindeers. There are many organized tours for this both during the day time or night time. The night time sledding can be combined as a northern light tour, as the sledding company takes you through locations where you can watch Aurora Borealis on a clear night sky.

READ: Dog Sledding in Tromso, Norway

Final Thoughts: 3 Days in Tromso

Tromso is a great place to visit in winter. There are many things you can do here to keep yourself entertained, including visiting museums and taking tours of the city. If you’re looking for a winter vacation destination that’s completely different than the rest, Tromso is worth considering. With its snowy mountains and Scandinavian charm, this Norwegian town has something to offer every traveller in one way or another.

• Book a Dog Sledding Experience
• Book whale watching in the fjords

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Norway is a great location to try Dog Sledding. I got a chance to visit Northern Norway during which I experience this adventure when I visited Tromso as part of a ten day Arctic Road Trip in winter with Arctic adventures in mind. I can easily say that Dog Sledding in Tromso Norway was one of the major highlights of the trip. We thoroughly enjoyed the drive to the dog sledding camp the country side, the ultimate husky ride experience in the snow wilderness and the camp site experience with Norwegian dishes to finish the day off. 

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, I receive a small commission. There is no additional cost to you. I would  appreciate the support.

Budget Friendly Dog Sledding Tours from Tromso

There are so many winter tour companies offering day trips to reindeer/ dog sledding adventures and snowmobiling in remote camp sites from Tromso. Almost all of them will pick you up from the city center. Make sure you check whether they provide the required clothing for the experience. We went with Lyngsford Adventure, a famous winter tours company that organizes dog sledding trips, who drove us to the beautiful Camp Site Tamok along a breath taking route. 

Most of these winter tours are usually fully booked and we struggled to find a spot at the last moment and had to get help from our Airbnb host, so I recommend BOOKING IN ADVANCE. You could choose Get Your Guide Tours for getting a full refund if you can’t make it. I have added a few links from Get Your Guide below that I think are the best value for money. 

• Husky Sledding in Tromso
• Husky Sledding with LunchTromso
• Husky Sledding + Aurora Chase, Tromso

Dog Sledding Tour in Camp Tamok

Camp Tamok is an hour and a half southward drive from Tromso near to the Swedish border and also very close to Lyngen Alps, where we spent a day during our road trip on our way back from Sweden to Norway. The Lyngsford Adventures tour bus picked us up from the Tromso city centre early in morning and this scenic bus ride reminded me of my childhood journeys to visit my grand parents at the Wayanad hill station in Kerala. The scenery contrast was a stark contrast from the green rain forest view to white frozen snow view.

The scenic bus ride was spectacular and no matter how hard we tried to take pictures from the moving bus they didn’t do it justice so we settled for just admiring the view as we went. This was one of the most beautiful bus rides I have ever taken. Our first encounter with Camp Tamok was the barking of the sled dogs (huskies)  in small sheds in a snow filled forest. The camp is absolutely stunning consisting of amazing snow huts and a backdrop of Norwegian fjords.

Camp Tamok Experience

Upon arrival, we were greeted by welcoming staff and were taken to a changing room where the team explained  about the activity and the gear they provide (they had a wide selection of sizes). All of us were kitted up in a snow suite, boots, gloves and the classic viking leather hats. Once we were fully equipped to go out in the snow, we were divided into groups and introduced to our sled guide  who took us on a dog tour introducing us to the huskies that were going to take us forward in the snow. Our guide was a husky trainer from Poland who spends the winter in Norway. He is a winter adventure fan who loves country skiing and dog sledding. My friends and I and formed our own team and I got to ride with the guide.

READ: Ultimate Guide to Chasing Northern Lights

Dog Sledding Adventure: Preparation and Logistics

The sledding is done in pairs with one person sitting and the other one controlling the movements. The driver is responsible for activating the snow break on the sledge, essentially an anchor that you could stand on, to maintain the correct speed and give the dogs a helping hand on steep inclines. 

Once we were all comfortable, we began our sledding journey through the trails in the snow forest in the Norwegian fjords. With no prior experience around huskies or skiing, I decided to sit back and be sledded I know so lame, but my friends loved it so don’t be like me. Go for it!

We started off the 12 km trail with plenty of stops at first while we got use to it however once everyone got a hang of things learning the basic techniques, , we started moving ahead fast and it felt thrilling just like being a roller coaster. Sometimes when we encountered a narrow section steering presented more of a challenge, however overall the pace was good and made for a very enjoyable ride.

After a while we got to the open snow field with majestic mountains all around us making for a splendid view. Folks also go on a dog sledding northern lights tour in the evening to try chasing northern lights and I could imagine how that would have been a rewarding experience. 

Break time during the dog sledding adventure

We were out for 1.5 hours sledding but we did stop for a quarter of an hour break in the middle of the mountains. Here you can switch the roles as driver and sitter as well as the opportunity to chat with the guide as well as getting to to know the dogs better.

Is Dog Sledding Cruel?

 I know what you are thinking, is it easy for the dogs to carry you? You can see they do struggle a little bit on steep uphill stretches, but they are well trained for this and the number of dogs chosen is based upon the weight they have to carry. All of us enjoyed spending some time with the huskies, and learning their names which I have now forgetton. Kishore on the left particularly enjoyed playing with the dogs. And of course we clicked lot of pictures as usual.

This was the first time I actually decided to be close to a dog, as I’d had a bad childhood experience being chased by a dog and I am still scared of them. I really loved seeing the energy and excitement of these huskies and tried to hug them, with a little hidden fear of course. I guess the padded winter suit helped elevate my confidence :).

Camping Experience at the Camp Tamok

After the 1.5-hour dog sledding adventure we were back at the camp which was beautifully lit up welcoming us for a hot drink in one of the Lavvos (tent like structures).

The Lavvo entrance reminded me of  the Vikings and their boats from outside. This camp tent was very intriguing and a traditional Norwegian experience was waiting for us inside.

Inside was a complete contrast to the outside, with an amazing campfire and seating making this cosy experience just perfect after our freezing adventure. We were all seated on chairs with reindeer skin and were served some reindeer soup. The soup was unlimited and my friends manged 8 or so rounds as they had worked up quite an appetite sledding.  What is even better? Gluten free bread was available for Marc who often has to skip  these delicious food items, now you know who had the 8 rounds. At the same time, poor Kishore, being a vegan, found this experience a bit daunting with the animal skin and soup. So if you are sensitive to this you may want to skip this part. I personally found this heart and body warming and it was perfect moment to think a bit about the Vikings history.

Want to book dog sledding in Tromso Norway?

Here are some top options from Get Your Guide, which is a great safe booking option as they fully refund you if you don’t make it.

1. Husky Sledding in Tromso
2. Husky Sledding with Lunch in Tromso Norway
3. Husky Sledding + Aurora or Northern Lights Chasing in Tromso Norway

What to Wear/Carry during Arctic Adventures?

1. Warm woolen underwear or thermals – Merino wools
2. Cap or bands to keep your ears warm
3. Fleece
4. Circle Neck Scarf
5. Winter boots
6. Ski pants- if you have not tried these before, skiing pants make your arctic adventure much more comfortable
7. Action Camera
8. Water bottle

My circular faux fur scarf from Accessorize was a life saver for me during my trip to the Arctic. It helped a lot with keeping my head, neck and face warm when needed and I found it just perfect. I lent the scarf to another friend when she visited Tromso and she  thought the scarf was a life saver too. I fully recommend it as it is one of my most important winter possessions, suiting any cold environment which I later tested out in Toronto Canada during winter as well.

Final Thoughts on the Dog Sledding Experience in Tromso Norway

I thought dog sledding was a very memorable adventure and fully worth the money we paid for it. It was a perfect Arctic day to remember, getting to experience the huskies and to sled in the ultimate cold weather. The whole team in Campo Tamok made this dog sledding experience very welcoming, comfortable and enjoyable.

It was such a fantastic memory, I bought myself a husky soft toy to act as my  virtual guard dog, complete with a motion sensor attached to him. 

Other Things to do in Tromso in Winter

This dog sledding adventure was done as part of my road trip to Arctic for ten days, including three days in Tromso in winter.

We mostly spent our nights Aurora chasing and exploring Tromso during the day time as we were on a road trip and rented car. If you don’t have a car I would advise going on an Aurora chase tour to try and maximise your chances. Also I think it is well worth taking the Funicular for a top view of Tromso and going for a  whale watching experience as I mention in my guide.

READ: 3 Days in Tromso in Winter

Pin This Post for Planning Your Dog Sledding Adventure

Guide To Chasing Northern Lights: Key Information

I spent a week road tripping in the north of Norway, Sweden and Finland, in January 2019, and had my first Aurora Borealis experience in Abisko National Park, Sweden. I will also share the Aurora experience from a group of my friends who visited Tromso one week after my trip, as well as tips and tricks to see them in Alaska, Finland and Scotland shared by other travellers. 

Why am I writing this guide?

Before we jump into the practical tips, let us first look into what causes the Northern Lights as a phenomenon we all die to experience and which are the top countries to see them in based on their location. If you know all this feel free to jump to the practical tips section.

What Causes Northern Lights or Aurora?

The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis, is a renowned magical light show in the night sky caused by solar particles/wind entering the Earth’s atmosphere in the north/south poles. When interacting with the magnetic field of earth, they get ionized creating shades of dancing light in the night sky- the usual color is green, but sometimes you can also see shades of purple, pink, orange and blue. I do not want to talk about the science of Aurora, which is fascinating by the way and can be watched shortly here. The focus of this blog is on identifying the best places to see the northern lights phenomenon in real life.  Let us get started (:waves:) 

There are four major questions to find answers for when planning a trip to see the Auroras- where to see the Northern Lights, the best time to see the Northern lights, how long to go for and how to increase your chances of seeing the Northern lights. Keep in mind that Aurora Borealis is a very unpredictable natural phenomenon and it is a good idea to be prepared as best you can to maximise your chance of seeing them, especially if you are travelling a long distance to fulfil this dream.

• You can see the Aurora only near the poles, so either the Antarctic Circle in the South or the Arctic Circle in the North. This is due to the earth’s magnetic field interaction in these places. The lights in the Arctic Circle are called the Northern Lights and the lights in the Antarctic Circle are called the Southern Lights.
• A clear night sky is must to see the Northern or Southern Lights with your naked eyes. If the sun is still up or there is cloud coverage then they won’t be visible. Additionally rural areas are best compared to cities as they don’t suffer from light pollution as much.
• The intensity of the lights you observe depends on the solar activity in the area, which is the acceleration of solar particles hitting earth’s atmosphere. This means, it is not guaranteed that you will see the dancing lights we ll love to see in all those cool videos. There will always be an element of luck to see them on any particular day.

Where to See Northern Lights?

Now that we know we can only see the Lights only near the poles, let us look at the  major countries on the planet which are close to the poles and gives you that best chance to see the lights. Let’s take a quick look at the countries that are closest to the poles: 

National Geographic lists the countries close to the poles as the top destinations for Aurora viewing, which matches the geography details above. Please don’t plan a trip aiming to see the Northern Lights by seeing pictures of Switzerland or other places with the lights photoshopped in.  So if you are chasing Auroras, countries in the Arctic circle are your best bet.

Top Countries to see Northern Lights

• Iceland
• North Sweden (Abisko, Kiruna)
• North Finland
• Northern Canada
• Alaska, USA
• Greenland
• Scotland, UK

Top Countries to see Southern Lights

• Antartica
• New Zealand
• Tasmania, Australia

Arctic Scandinavia Road Trip Planner

Doing the above studies, I planned a one week road trip to the north of Scandinavia to see the Northern lights aiming to cover Norway, Sweden and Finland, staying in their major cities, Tromso, Abisko and Lyngen. I chose some of the best places to see the Northern lights in Scandinavia,  not just to chase the auroras, but also to explore other Arctic adventures like dog sledding and whale watching during this time. We were so lucky to see the Northern Lights in Abisko National Park, Sweden. It was pretty cool to drive around in the twilight watching the stunning snow scenery throughout.  Here is the road trip route I took during my trip.

READ: Dog Sledding in Tromso Norway

In the world, there are only few places where you can really enjoy the northern lights. To see them, you have to be in a country or region that is near Arctic Circle- Norway, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, Scotland, Alaska and some parts of Canada. In this section we have a comprehensive list of all the top locations to plan a Northern lights viewing trip across major countries along with a overview of the highlights for that location.

For every top countries to visit to see Northern Lights I will cover best places to see Northern lights within Norway, Sweden, Finland, Alaska and Scotland. If you are going to Iceland, best time to see the Northern lights in Iceland is very similar to the locations covered below.

Best places to see Northern Lights in Norway

Norway is one of the top countries to see the Northern lights and below are the top locations situated in the North of Norway.

1. Lofoten Islands
2. Svalbard
3. North Cape
4. Kirkenes
5. Tromso
6. Geirangerfjord
7. Longyearbyen
8. Nordkapp (North Cape)
9. Andalsnes

The Lofoten Islands is a famous fishing village with some amazing mountains and houses, it is a very famous touristic destination in Norway during all seasons. Svalbard is the Northern most city and the hardest to get to, but that is where the polar bear lives- so one can go there to see the lights and the bears together North Cape is great for a wildlife adventure, again in the North close to Svalbard. Kirkenes is a little town close to Russia which is famous for northern lights viewing. Tromso, also known as the Arctic Capital, is a charming city and is very accessible and cheap compared to the others, with so many flight options to the international airport located here.  I decided to go to Tromso since I saw some videos of this pretty town in some travel blogs and I can easily say that the three days I spent in Tromso during the winter is easily one of the most charming winter wonderlands city experiences ever. 

Best Time to see Northern Lights in Norway

The best time to see Northern Lights in Norway is between the months of September and March when it’s dark all day and night long. Northern lights can be seen in Norway as early as September and as late as April. There’s a good chance to see northern lights in the sky at night from October, November and December. 

Chasing Northern Light Tromso Norway

In Tromso city, if you climb up the funicular you will get a great view of the city (best city view I have ever seen in my life so far, don’t miss it if you go) and the Northern lights view from here on a clear sky is unbeatable. I was not lucky during my visit, but I have seen plenty of dreamy pictures taken from here. 

READ: Road Trip in Tromso in Winter

There are so many Northern Lights chasing tours from Tromso from various tour operators. If you have a car and would like to try chasing the northern lights yourself, here are some of the top locations around Tromso to drive into. 

• Tromso City
• Kvaloya
• Ersfjordbotn
• Lyngen

The Lyngen Alps area is located a bit out of Tromso and is a very nice location in the country side to hunt auroras. This area is filled with Fjords and there are many activities here including dog sledding and snowmobiling. There are multiple day excursions from Tromso for all of these if you don’t want to travel to Lyngen yourself. You could also take part in winter adventures like dog sledding and whale watching combined with Northern Lights viewing. I have done both of these activities separately and I can only imagine how awesome it must be to see the lights in the midst of the Norwegian fjords.

• Whale Watching Tours in the Fjords
• Dog Sledding Northern Lights Tour, Tromso

 I was not lucky to see the lights in Tromso, but my friends saw them during their trip with the company Tromso Safari. I am sharing some of their best shots. They saw the lights around the Fjords, how cool! 

We both went with the company Tromso Safari as their Facebook page shows lot of pictures everyday. I would recommend taking an orgainsed trip by an agency as they know exactly where to go and have agents everywhere to try and maximise your chance to see the lights and conveniently you can board the Tromso Safari bus directly from the Tromso city center which is great, especiallyif you don’t have your own transport.

Best places to see Northern Lights in Sweden

Northern Sweden has one of the most magical locations and centers for Aurora viewing with a dedicated Aurora Sky Station in Abisko. The top cities in Sweden to see the Aurora include:

1. Kiruna
2. Abisko
3. Jukkasjarvi
4. Laponia
5. Karesuando
6.  Pajala

I visited Abisko and Kiruna during my trip, staying in Abisko National Park for two days where I had my first Northern Lights viewing experience. This national park is just amazing in winter.

Best Time to see Northern Lights in Sweden

Best time to see Northern Lights in Sweden is between December and March. Northern lights appear best at North Sweden during the winter months, from December through March. In Kiruna, you can see it as early as September too.

Chasing Northern Lights in Abisko, Sweden

Abisko is a very worthwhile location to target for Northern Lights viewing with the opportunity to see the lights as well as explore a completely frozen national park and lakes in winter. We saw the lights from the Aurora View point in the Kappas Cabin Village, near Abisko National Park.

 My first Aurora experience was in Abisko, Sweden on the second day of our ten day long road trip. My friends and I waited for over 4 hours before we had this experience as it was very cloudy initially and took a while for the skies to clear. I had attempted to capture pictures from when the sky started to clear to when the lights appeared and created a short video out of it to try and give you a feeling of the experience.

Best Places to See Northern Lights in Finland

Some of the most popular locations for northern lights in Finland are:

1. Rovaniemi – where Santa Claus resides
2. Ruka
3. Levi
4. Sariselka
5. Ivalo
6. Kevo, Finnish Lapland
7. Sörnäinen, Helsinki
8. Inari, Finnish Lapland (Enontekiö)

Finland is one of the best places in the world to see the northern lights. Considering the country’s extent, your chances of seeing this natural phenomenon increases significantly if you head north to Lapland. Although the northern lights are visible on numerous nights even from the capital, Helsinki, if you have a couple of extra days to travel more, you won’t regret it. The Lappish landscape is magical, especially in winter. You can observe the sky surrounded by gorgeous snow-covered trees, hike to the fells or see reindeer passing by.

The more north, the better. In case you try your own luck, dress warm and preferably stay close to parking lots not to get lost in the wilderness. The best is to choose a southern edge of a lake, so the horizon is well visible towards the northern pole. Although most of these settlements are relatively small, go outside of them to reduce light pollution. Numerous companies offer northern lights tours, for example, by snowmobiles, so if you don’t fancy winter driving or are concerned with orientation, pick one with an experienced guide. The best months to observe the lights are early fall or late winter to spring when the sky is less likely to be covered with thick clouds.

Best Time to See Northern Lights in Finland

Best Time to See Northern Lights in Finland is from September to early March

Best Places to See Northern Lights in Scotland

Some of the top locations to see Northern lights in Scotland are:

1. John O’Groats
2. Orkney Islands
3. Shetland
4. Lerwick, Shetland Islands (Hollingsworth Bay)
5. Elgol, Isle of Skye

While Scotland isn’t an Arctic country it is far enough north that it is possible to see the northern lights from various locations.  In the south of Scotland the light pollution from Edinburgh, Glasgow and some of the larger towns can make seeing the lights difficult, but the further north you travel the more remote the landscape becomes and the more likely it is to have a proper dark sky.  

Unlike Norway, Sweden and Iceland, Scotland needs solar activity to be slightly higher for the northern lights to be visible.  A lot of the displays are lower intensity with low arcs and pillars being more common than the more intense displays.

One of the best places to see the northern lights is along the coast near to John O’Groats.  The low sea cliffs and views to the horizon across the sea maker for the perfect landscape. This gives a clear sky although Orkney can obscure lower intensity displays.  

Heading to Orkney or Shetland can provide the perfect conditions for hunting down the northern lights.  In Orkney the main island has a number of clear horizons that are perfect for viewing the northern lights safely.  Similarly, Shetland has some good viewing locations and given its latitude being similar to Bergen it needs a lower level of activity to see the northern lights.

Best Time to See Northern Lights in Scotland

Best Time to See Northern Lights in Scotland is from  October to March

Best Places to See Northern Lights in Alaska, North America

Best places to see Northern lights in Alaska include:

1. Fairbanks
2. Ester
3. Haystack Mountain
4. Murphy Domes
5. Wickersham.
6. Utqiagvik

Alaska is one of the major North American destinations to see Northern lights from and one of the places where the lights are visible for almost 7 months in a year.  

I witnessed Alaska’s outstanding northern lights display when visiting in late August on an Alaskan Cruise. While sailing the open seas off the western coast of Alaska, I stood in awe, staring up at the magnificent light show in the sky. In 2017 I returned to Alaska to the city of Fairbanks. While the northern lights I saw on the cruise were inspiring, nothing compared to what I saw in Fairbanks. The famous gold rush boomtown of Fairbanks is well-known as the best place for aurora viewing in Alaska. From here, I drove around 15 miles to Cleary Summit—an ideal spot offering a scenic view of the horizon. 

If you are planning on chasing the northern lights in Alaska, my top recommendation is Fairbanks. Countless tour companies in the area offer in-depth knowledge and once-in-a-lifetime experiences that will increase your chances of seeing the northern lights. The city of  Utqiagvik, Alaska is also home to the Top of the World Hotel which hosts excellent aurora tours and outdoor adventures.

The best time to see northern lights is during winter when northern state experiences long nights. While you may be able to catch glimpses of this breath taking phenomenon throughout the state, sticking between 65° N and 70° N latitude will maximize your chances. 

Best Time to See Northern Lights in Alaska, North America

Best Time to See Northern Lights in Alaska is from mid September to late April.

Best time to see Northern Lights

The best time to see the Northern Lights in all the countries is during winter time which is usually between the months of September and March in the Arctic Circle North. Winter is when the night skies are darkest and for the longest duration which maximizes your chances. I personally picked to go in extreme winter, January, when the Arctic North region only had about one hour of sun light per day.

Guide to Chasing Northern Lights: Top 3 Practical Tips

We have shortlisted the countries to go for and know the best time to plan our trip, let us now look into what are the best tips to see the Northern lights including how to maximize our chances of seeing the lights and which are the target top locations in a country. 

Northern Lights are very unpredictable. You can hardly predict when and where they will appear. They usually appear in the winter but it still depends on weather conditions such as cloudiness, rain or snow storms causing darkness at night. The temperature should also be low below -25 C for them to shine brightly!

1- Monitoring the Weather

From points 2 and 3 in the section What Causes Northern Lights?, it is obvious that this is a natural and unpredictable phenomenon and the Weather is the key determining factor for your experience- it can really be your angel or devil. There are two major players:

Solar Activity: (Your turn to be an Astronomer)

You can only see the Northern lights when there is solar activity in your area, which means when the solar particles hit the atmosphere and cause the light effects. For tracking this, scientists create something called an Ovation Map using real time data about the solar winds and forecast it regularly (thanks to advancements in technology). With this map, you can monitor locations from where the Aurora may be visible during a time period. The model also tells us the strength of the predicted Aurora with a metric marked by Kp.  Kp> 2 means there is high solar activity in a given area and you will likely see Auroras if the sky is clear.

Cloud Cover: (Your turn to be a Weather Expert)

We need a clear sky, as non-cloudy as possible to see the lights with naked eye as lights are far above the clouds. Clouds will block your view even if there is high solar activity (Kp>2 :wink:) so you will also need some Cloud-God blessing

I hope I have not scared you away with all these details, but don’t worry about all the science and details about being an astronomer or a weather expert, there are apps for everything these days

2- Use an Aurora Forecast Application

Keep Calm and download the Aurora app which gives you all the weather information in one place. My favourite application that I found handy is the My Aurora Forecast. The interface is easy and shown below. You can choose your location and it shows you the cloud coverage and solar activity in selected area. It shows the Kp value, cloud coverage and even the viewing probability. 

3- Stay for a Week

Try to stay in these places for a week to maximize your chances and rule out bad-weather days. Typically a week is good with at least 3 days dedicated to see the lights themselves.

4- Practical Tips to Find Top Northern Lights Locations

We now know where to book our flights to and also have the application installed and learned how the weather chasing works.  You still need to know which parts of the city should you choose to watch the Auroras. This was the biggest part of my research as I already knew I would go to Arctic Scandinavia. I found the following method the best during my own research.

1- Chase Hashtags and Pictures from Reliable sources

I spent some time looking at the top Aurora pictures posted on Facebook by travel companies that offer Northern Lights viewing tours and traced the location of their pictures. You can also check the Instagram hashtags #aurora or #northernlights, but note that many times they only have the main city name. What worked for me the best to spot locations was by  tracking pictures uploaded by top photographers in 500pix.com. Believe it or not, this was an epic idea, as many photographers had tagged locations and I pinned them all to check out. In my case, I was going to drive around Tromso, Abisko and through Finland and by doing this activity, I created a list of all the locations that I would try driving through to chase the Auroras (shared below).

2- Trust the Travel Agencies

The best advice for someone who does want to go on road trip by yourself is really to pay for the agencies if you can afford to. These agencies have so many different aurora viewing camps in different regions around a city and they have their agents constantly watching the sky. This network makes it easy for them to communicate if the Northern Lights are seen in one location and they will quickly take you to the right places. It is a bit expensive, approximately €100 or so per person, so if you can’t afford it you can try chasing the northern lights yourself by going to right locations.

Having said that, northern Arctic cities are very famous for Aurora and if there is a clear sky you can see them anywhere. Weather is really the key player.

Guide to Chasing Northern Lights: Final Thoughts

Northern lights viewing is definitely a once in a lifetime experience for those who are not lucky enough to live in the above destinations. If you have this on your bucket list and want to plan your dream trip, I hope this guide helps.

Both of the weather elements are not in our control and hence you can only hope for the weather to be in your favour for your visit. Given this, you still can maximize your chances if you stay in these places for a longer period of time to try and find some good  weather days. I did my trip for a week and unfortunately/fortunately only saw Aurora on one day as it was cloudy almost every other day (:unlucky:). However when my friends visited just after a week we did, they saw the lights beautifully with high solar activity in Tromso. Keep exploring!

Pin this Guide for Future Reference!

Spring in the Netherlands

Book your Keukenhof Tulip Garden Ticket 

Book a Day Trip to Keukenhof and Giethoorn

Netherlands Spring Road Trip Itinerary

Our plan was a budget-friendly road trip in the Netherlands to explore the Giethoorn village highlights and hunt free tulip fields while traveling to the north of Holland, where the Dutch dikes are located. Rather than visiting the typical touristic destinations to see the Holland flowers, we decided to just explore Flevoland in Lelystad, a beautiful place with open tulip fields. For a better view of spring flower beds in Holland, check this out. I would recommend visiting Keukenhof Gardens, which is known as the most beautiful spring garden in the world. 

The itinerary we followed was a very simple day road trip. 

I lived in the Netherlands for two years while I did my masters, and was lucky to have friends who took me on a spring road trip in the Netherlands – a day trip to the iconic Giethoorn village and to the open tulip fields in Flevoland near Lelystad in the north of Holland for my birthday.  This trip checks off multiple bucket list items- self-driven boat tour in canal only village, open tulip fields, and seeing the dutch dikes. Here is a guide to organizing a spring day trip in the Netherlands from Amsterdam or any other popular city.

Start: Eindhoven/Amsterdam- you can start this from anywhere near Amsterdam

• Giethoorn Village
• Flevoland Flower Route
• Lelystad

End: Back home in Eindhoven

As we were locals we just took our car. In case, you cannot afford a rental car, the public transport system is pretty easy to follow. You could take a train or bus to the Giethoorn village.

Getting to Giethoorn from Amsterdam by Public Transport

Take a train to Steenwijk from Amsterdam Central and buy bus tickets to the stop called Dominee Hylkemaweg stop. The bus number is 70 and the ticket costs 4 Euro. Then you walk for 10 minutes following Google maps and you will reach the Giethoorn village.

Stop 1: Giethoorn Village

The Netherlands, as you may know, is a very small but densely populated country, known for its biking culture, tulip fields, canals, and multiple UNESCO world heritage objects. Giethoorn is an idyllic Dutch town in the northernmost tip of Overijssel, which is entirely canal-operated and there are no roads or cars, making it only accessible by boats. 

It feels like a fairy tale village consisting of 55 miles of canals connecting the water-side homes, eateries, and museums in this little town center. There are over 180 wooden arch bridges over the canals for pedestrians and cyclists to get around, but many houses are only accessible by boat.

Giethoorn village with its many waterways and bridges is well-known as the Dutch Venice or the Venice of the Netherlands or Little Venice making it a splendid destination for a road trip in the Netherlands.

As the unique experience here is to travel by boat, we booked a private tour to ride an electric boat online before we arrived, as during this time of the year it can get pretty busy with both tourists and locals. Note that there are also guided tours available for the canal cruise if you would like a guide. The private boat tour was a fun and unique experience driving the boat even in the midst of a huge boat traffic jam.

During the journey, we passed many cute wooden bridges and unique thatch-roof cottages that keep you indulged by the charming scenery throughout. As we were busy driving the boat, I am regretful that we didn’t manage to take as many pictures as we should have from my road trip in the Netherlands. Check out this video of Giethoorn Netherlands on Youtube, for a detailed view.

The boat journey across the village was a fresh and fulfilling experience, with sights of nature, pretty houses, and ducks paddling in the water. My friends captured a picture of me driving the boat at the same time there were bikers passing by, which I think is a clear depiction of the spirit of Holland and one of my favorite pictures of Giethoorn  

Giethoorn is an excellent day trip from Amsterdam, providing a unique experience of navigating a super cute village completely operated by water transport. The village has shops and restaurants to cater to the many visitors, including Airbnb stays as I discovered later. Houses in this village reminded me of the scenery pictures that were popularly used as backdrops in photos, greeting cards, and picture frames, while I was growing up.

Book a budget-friendly day trip to Giethoorn, Volendam, and Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam

Stop 2: Hunting Free Tulip Fields in Flevoland

Being students on a shoestring budget, we wanted to see the tulips and avoid going to expensive touristic places like Keukenhof filled with people during the tulip season mainly during April and May. My friend Avi had a good idea that tulips are grown in bulk in the northern province of Flevoland where the dikes are also located. Therefore, we decided to drive northwards from Giethoorn to the route Flevoland and hunt some open tulip flower fields that can be seen for free.  

Flevoland Tulip Fields

Flevoland is famous for its long stretched Flower Area and flower festivals. After a long ride along the anticipated tulip route in the direction of the towns of Emmeloord and Dronten, we started to spot the tell-tale colors.

These Holland flower fields are a striking sight of a never-ending carpet of flower bulbs in various colors, a true flower parade, which is as spectacular as usually portrayed in pictures. 

Picking Tulips: Honesty-Box System

One interesting thing I came across here was an honesty box left for anyone who wishes to pick a flower to pay for it. I was awe-struck by this system that trusts society to be honest and considerate. Later, a Dutch friend told me this is a practice that farmers also use for vegetables and other crops. Isn’t that a super ideal society and how we all would wish the world to be like?

Stop 3: Dikes in Netherlands (Lelystad)

We continued our journey to Lelystad, which is a large municipality surrounded by two lakes, Markermeer and IJsselmeer. All of the land here has been claimed from the sea with the help of dikes. There is a famous saying that “God created the world, but the Dutch created The Netherlands”, which is based upon how this country is engineered to exist even when half of the land area is below sea level. Dikes are the fundamental water management infrastructure used to keep the land from flooding. To learn more about how dikes help with this, you can visit the museum Nieuw Land (‘New Land’).

There is a famous statue of a giant man crouching and overlooking the IJsselmeer lake, near the dike road between Lelystad and Enkhuizen. It is known as Exposure and due to the sitting position locals call him the “pooping/shitting man”. The statue is 25 meters high and made of iron pylon structures which took 6 years of work to complete.

Other Top Spring Break Destinations in Netherlands

Some of the other places to enjoy spring in the Netherlands include:

• Lisse
• Bollenstreek

Apart from tulip fields, there are also daffodils fields and hyacinth fields to see in Holland during the spring season.

Book a Drive it Yourself Tulip Trip in Lisse

Final Thoughts on the Spring Road Trip in Netherlands

This blog covers some major sightseeing that can be done in the Netherlands in a day around the north of Amsterdam. Cities such as Amsterdam, Den Hague, and Utrecht are also super pretty during this season and are popular among tourists. Apart from the boat ride which was possible in Giethoorn village, another activity is to go biking in cities and countryside by renting a classic dutch bike.

Pin Spring Break Road Trip Ideas for Netherlands