The 7 Best Castle & Palace Tours in the Netherlands

1.Royal Palace Entry Ticket and Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 6,475 reviews · from $15Our pick

Walk through Amsterdam’s working Royal Palace at your own pace with an audio guide in eight languages. See the Citizens’ Hall, Atlas statue, Golden Age paintings, Empire furniture, chandeliers, and rooms still used for royal receptions. Choose a shorter or longer route, enter through the priority lane, and visit for about $15 per adult.

“The museum was good-I did self guided as I do not have the bandwidth to wait on others and listen to areas of the museum with less interest to myself, I feel museums have certain points of interest to many. This museum could take 1 1/2 - 2 hrs or as much as entire afternoon. Not really a place for small kids or elderly who have issues with walking in my opinion. This is a very busy museum with little places to sit down and rest-please don’t be the dumb father and son who decided to sit on the stairs and impede people walking up and down the stairs which…”

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2.De Haar Castle & Park Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,350 reviews · from $23

Visit De Haar Castle and its 17 acres of gardens for one day at your own pace. Walk through towers, ramparts, moats, grand rooms, the Rose Garden, and Roman Garden. A free app offers maps, walking routes, and a virtual tour. Entry costs $23, with a required timeslot and no private guide included.

“The castle is amazing, 1 of the best I have visited. The architecture is wonderful & the route is well laid out. Most rooms had a guide to answer any questions. All the information was in both Dutch & English. Took about an hour to make a leisurely circuit. Unfortunately that day there was a business convention so the cafe was closed. However we were offered a free tea/coffee in the entrance lobby from a thermos flask. The grounds were very colourful with lots of benches so you could sit & enjoy the scene. It was well worth the walk to the deer park to see the magnificently antlered males…”

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3.Escher in The Palace Museum Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 896 reviews · 365 days · from $15

Visit Escher in Het Paleis in The Hague with admission valid for 365 days. See more than 130 original prints, including the 7-meter Metamorphosis III, in Queen Mother Emma’s former Winter Palace. Explore interactive puzzles, optical illusions, palace details, and a family treasure hunt. Audio guides are available in eight languages.

“Great experience! So interesting, both the history of Escher and of the building where his art is housed.”

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4.Apeldoorn: Het Loo Palace Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 277 reviews · 1 day · from $25

Spend a full day at Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn, exploring royal rooms, the House of Orange-Nassau collection, historic carriages and cars, and formal baroque gardens. Use the palace app or a €2.50 audio device in Dutch, English, or German, then climb to the roof for Queen Mary’s view.

“Goed. Vriendelijk personeel. Vanuit Den Haag een prima verbinding met het openbaar vervoer”

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5.Castle De Haar Small-Group Tour from Amsterdam

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 101 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $151Top rated

Travel by air-conditioned minivan from central Amsterdam to Castle De Haar with a guide such as Sarah, Eva, or Renske. Spend about three hours touring the castle, gardens, park, maze, and restaurant. Expect a personal castle tour, free time to explore, snacks, and a soft drink or bottled water.

“This was a very interesting excursion. The castle as well as the surrounding grounds are very well maintained and not to mention absolutely beautiful. Our guide Renshe (apologies if I misspelled) was very friendly, knowledgeable and not to mention our personal photographer. This was well worth the money and time spent.”

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6.Amsterdam Castle & Utrecht City – Private Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · 7 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $354

Leave Amsterdam with a private driver-guide, visit 700-year-old Muiderslot Castle, then spend four hours exploring Utrecht’s canals, medieval cellars, Dom Tower, and old streets. Steve or Steven often adds scenic countryside roads and local stops. Pickup is available from select Amsterdam accommodations, with admission to the castle included.

“Steve was amazing! Lots of information about the history of the Netherlands, great recommendations, and a great day!!”

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7.Full-Day Private Historic Royal Tour around Palaces and Castles

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · 6 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $444

Travel from your Amsterdam hotel with private guide Gopi to Paleis Het Loo and Muiderslot Castle. Expect a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle, bottled water, entrance fees, royal gardens, historic rooms, castle towers, and time to explore. The 6 to 8-hour outing is offered in English and suits anyone wanting an easy day beyond Amsterdam.

“This was an excellent tour, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to see sites outside of Amsterdam. Our guide, Gopi, was very knowledgeable, polite and professional. He gave us lots of information about the sites we visited along the way. His car was clean and he's and excellent driver. Paleis Het Loo was very impressive and is comparable to other top palaces in Europe. Despite its massive size, it wasn't overly busy with tourists, unlike most of the sites in Amsterdam. Castle Muiderslot was a much older, more rustic castle that was also neat to see. This tour made it possible to visit wonderful sites outside Amsterdam…”

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