Is a week too long for Noord-Holland?

No, if you actually leave Amsterdam. A week spent only in the capital drags; a week that includes Texel and the Zuiderzee coast feels earned.

How much should I budget for a week?

Around €1,400-1,800 per person including mid-range hotels, trains, museums and meals. Double that for boutique-hotel stays; halve it for hostels and picnics.

Noord-Holland in One Week: The Full 7-Day Itinerary

Days 1-2: Amsterdam base

Two nights in Amsterdam, ideally in De Pijp or the Oosterpark area rather than the centre. Day 1: Rijksmuseum morning, Vondelpark and Museumplein afternoon, Foodhallen for dinner. Day 2: Anne Frank House (book 6 weeks ahead), the Nine Streets, Jordaan canal walk, and a Herengracht boat trip at sunset. Sleep at Hotel Okura for luxury or Conscious Hotel Vondelpark for mid-range.

Days 3-4: Haarlem and the coast

Move to Haarlem by train (15 minutes) and use it as your base. Day 3: Frans Hals Museum, Teylers Museum (the oldest museum in the Netherlands, 1784), and dinner at Restaurant Ratatouille. Day 4: train to Zandvoort for the morning, then Bloemendaal aan Zee for the beach clubs, and continue up to IJmuiden to see the North Sea locks, the largest in the world. Sleep two nights at Hotel Lion d’Or opposite Haarlem station.

Days 5-6: Waterland and West Friesland

Day 5: Zaanse Schans, then bus to Broek in Waterland, Marken and Volendam. Sleep at Hotel Spaander in Volendam. Day 6: north to Edam for the Wednesday cheese market in summer, then continue to Hoorn and Enkhuizen for the Zuiderzeemuseum. Sleep in Hoorn at Van der Valk.

Day 7: Texel

Train from Hoorn to Den Helder (1h 15min), TESO ferry to Texel (20 minutes). Rent a bicycle at the harbour (€12/day) and cycle the 25 km loop through De Koog, the Slufter nature reserve, and back via Den Burg. Sample Texelse Schapenboerderij lamb and the local Skuumkoppe beer from Texelse Bierbrouwerij. Sleep at Grand Hotel Opduin or catch the last ferry back at 21:00 for a night in Den Helder before flying home.