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Things to do in Alkmaar

Our most recommended things to do in Alkmaar

Alkmaar: 2-Hour Tour and Cheese Market Visit

1. Alkmaar: 2-Hour Tour and Cheese Market Visit

Get to know the town of Alkmaar, located in North Holland, on a 2-hour guided tour of the city and visit to the cheese market. After meeting your guide at the train station, enjoy a stroll through one of the oldest medieval cities in the Netherlands. Walk through the city center, which has remained the same for 400 years. Listen and learn important facts and small tidbits of information about Alkmaar, a town that's oozing with Dutch charm. Then make your way to the traditional cheese market, one of only 4 left in the Netherlands. Learn about the market's founding and growth, and find a favorite cheese to take home with you.

Small Group Alkmaar Cheese Market and City Tour

2. Small Group Alkmaar Cheese Market and City Tour

Visit Alkmaar's traditional Cheese Market - the oldest in the Netherlands! On this 2.5-hour small group walking tour, you will learn all about Alkmaar's most well known attraction: the Cheese Market! Also wander through Alkmaar's medieval center and along pretty cobbled streets and picturesque canals. Watch the traditional way of trading cheese how it was done centuries ago. Spend approximately 45 minutes at the Cheese Market which is ample time to see everything. While you are there, learn all about the market's history and listen to your guide explaining what is happening in front of you! If you feel like it, you can try a variety of Dutch cheeses and even buy some to bring home with you. Then, walk through the cobbled streets of Alkmaar and along its picturesque canals. Stop at the Molen van Piet (Piet's Windmill) for the perfect Dutch photo opportunity! See some of Alkmaar's most famous buildings such as the Grote Sint Laurenskerk (Great St Lawrence Church), the Stadhuis (City Hall) and the Waag (the Weigh House). On this tour you will get an insight into Dutch culture and way of life through the eyes of a foreigner living in Alkmaar, as your tour guide originally stems from Canada.

Alkmaar: Sherlock Holmes Smartphone App City Game

3. Alkmaar: Sherlock Holmes Smartphone App City Game

Immerse yourself in the exciting world of Sherlock Holmes by collecting clues as part of a fun smartphone game. Solve the murder of a fictional character with your colleagues, friends, or family, and explore the highlights of Alkmaar, including St. Lawrence Church. After downloading the app and entering the code, embark on a unique adventure full of brain teasers, puzzles, and lots of British humor. Become a high-class detective for a day and work alongside Sherlock Holmes. Take as long as you need to tackle this criminal case, stopping to explore Alkmaar whenever you wish. Restart the game when you're ready and have a blast while you discover iconic sites, such as the Waagplein. Whilst this game does not focus on interacting with your surroundings nor informing you about it, it is the perfect activity to explore this amazing city in a fun and interactive way. Get ready for a walk through the most beautiful places in the city.

Alkmaar: Escape Tour - Self-Guided Citygame

4. Alkmaar: Escape Tour - Self-Guided Citygame

Escape from 17th-century Alkmaar during this exhilirating tour. Get to know Willem Blaeu and help him find Alkmaars's secret passages. The Spanish army just settled in Alkmaar and Blaeu heard a rumour that they were searching for him. Concerned by this rumour, Willem Blaeu starts looking for the secret escape from the city. Choose your starting time with your teammates, beginning at anytime day or night. Make your way across the city, checking off tasks to find all the clues you need to reach the secret passage. As you search for clues, marvel at the beautiful sights of the town. Start on the Voordam and keep your eye out for the many beautiful buildings in the city center. Work quickly, and you and your team could set the record for the fastest tour. Good luck!

Alkmaar: Small Group City Walking Tour

5. Alkmaar: Small Group City Walking Tour

The charming town of Alkmaar is compact, walkable and historically rich, with a beautiful medieval center. On this small group tour, enjoy walking through the cobbled streets and along picturesque canals as your guide tells you all about the town's history. Walk 3-4 km through the medieval center and see some of Alkmaar's most important and historic monuments such as the Grote Sint Laurenskerk (the Great St. Lawrence Church), the Stadhuis (City Hall) and the Waag (Weigh House). Learn all about the history of Alkmaar and how the strength and the determination of the townspeople managed to defeat the Spanish forces in 1573. Stop at the Molen van Piet (Piet's Windmill) for the perfect Dutch photo opportunity. You will also get an insight into Dutch culture and way of life from a foreigner's perspective. You will not only see some of Alkmaar's most iconic monuments, but you will also wander off the beaten path and see the real Alkmaar.   Join a small group tour and enjoy a more personalized experience.

Alkmaar: Tulip and Spring Flower Fields Bike Tour

6. Alkmaar: Tulip and Spring Flower Fields Bike Tour

Tick another item off your bucket list and experience the beauty of Spring in the Netherlands! What could be more Dutch than cycling along fields of tulips? You can expect to cycle approximately 20km on this small group tour (through mainly flat countryside), depending on the weather and the field conditions.  You will have ample opportunities to stop and take photos of the flowers before heading back to Alkmaar. Being in a small group tour ensures that you can cycle at a pace that is comfortable and guarantees a much more personalized experience!

Alkmaar: Outside Escape - Self-Guided City Tour

7. Alkmaar: Outside Escape - Self-Guided City Tour

Explore the city of Alkmaar while solving the riddles. Even locals say they discovered new places while doing the Outside Escape. Start at any time you wish, you will receive all information on your mobile phone after ordering. Play in a team of two to five people, or by yourself. This Outside Escape will take you about two hours. The start location is at about a 10 minute walk from the central station. The finish is also 10 minutes walking distance from the central station, where you can find lots of bars and restaurants.

Haarlem: Outside Escape - Self-Guided City Tour

8. Haarlem: Outside Escape - Self-Guided City Tour

Explore the city of Haarlem while solving the riddles. Even locals say they discovered new places while doing the Outside Escape. Start at any time you wish, you will receive all information on your mobile phone after ordering. Play in a team of two to five people, or by yourself. This Outside Escape will take you about two hours. The start location is at the central station. The finish is 10 minutes walking distance from the central station, where you can find lots of bars and restaurants.

Frequently asked questions about Alkmaar

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What people are saying about Alkmaar

Overall rating

4.9 / 5

based on 26 reviews

I had little known of Alkmaar, what I only know is cheese market. But the guide is very gentle and knowledgeable and enthusiastic to let us show the gem of Alkmaar. We had a fruitful time with her. As a matter of fact, the cheese market itself hires MC who speaks Dutch, Germany and English so English speakers can get information about cheese market. But without GetYourGuide guide, I must have missed lots of things to see, for example other market, mother is 1001 children, Hofje, and the victory. Thank you for making my day much more worthy!!

My partner & I had a wonderful tour of Alkmaar and its cheese market with Jennifer. She was a super guide, so knowledgeable and friendly that we felt we'd known her for ages. Because of the cold weather she took us to a cosy cafe which was like entering someone's home, for super coffees and homemade apple pie. For a fun time in Alkmaar Jennifer is the best.

Very nice city walk, very enthusiastic positive guide. Who, if not Dutch, could tell very passionately about Alkmaar. We enjoyed her enthusiasm so much that the drizzly weather had no effect.

A very interesting tour. With just enough details, not too much and not too little.

Worth knowing and interesting guided tour of Alkmaar with a dedicated guide!