Is Amsterdam worth a day trip?

Yes: 9.4 hours in Amsterdam, £142 for the whole day, 17 min into town each way. Enough for the main sights and a proper lunch without rushing.

How long do you actually get in Amsterdam?

About 9.4 hours in Amsterdam. Landing to take-off is 12.2 hours; the trip into town and back, passport checks and the time at the airport come off that.

How do you get from Amsterdam airport into town?

Train 17 min, €6. A day ticket on local transport is GVB day ticket €9.

What does a day in Amsterdam cost, not counting the flight?

About £51 a person for the day: local transport, lunch, dinner and a drink. Paid attractions are listed separately because most people do one or none, and an average that includes them is a number nobody actually pays.

Is the flight price on this page the one I will pay?

The fare shown was checked 4 October against Google Flights for this exact date and these exact flights. Fares move, so it can change before you book, and the price is not held for you.

How early do I need to be back at the airport?

Leave the city by 19:33. That allows 17 min to get back to the airport and 100 min there, including 10 min for passport checks on the way out, before the 21:30 flight home.

Will passport checks eat my day?

We allow 30 min on landing for the EU Entry/Exit System (fingerprints and a photo on your first trip) and 10 min extra on the way out. That is already taken off the 9.4 hours shown. These are estimates; queues run longer on busy days.

Day trip to Amsterdam.
From Manchester, back by 21:50.

Netherlands·Tue 17 Nov · 9.4 hours in the city

£142

the whole day

9.4 hours

in the city

21:50

back in Manchester

Day Trip Flight Details

Time in the city

9.4 hours

after transfersAfter transfers and airport time

Airport distance

15km

to the centreFrom Amsterdam centre (AMS)

Daylight

8.7 hours

08:03 to 16:48Sunrise 08:03, sunset 16:48

10:0719:33time in the city

FlightAirport, immigration and transportIn the city

07:00
Leave Manchester
1h 20min
10:07
In the city
Lands 09:20, 30min immigration, 17min from the airport
19:33
Leave the city
17min back, 100min at the airport incl. immigration
21:50
Back in Manchester
Flies 21:30

Leave Manchester07:00
Land in Amsterdam1h 20min09:20
In the city30min immigration, 17min from the airport10:07
Leave the city17min back, 100min at the airport incl. immigration19:33
Fly home1h 20min21:30
Back in Manchester21:50

Typical weather for this date

10°C

average high

5°C

average low

5 in 10

years it rained

This date is too far out to forecast. These are Amsterdam's actual figures for the same date across the last 10 years.

Also on in Amsterdam

Coming up in Amsterdam: Amsterdam Light Festival, 26 Nov to 17 Jan

Things to do in AmsterdamShow

Amsterdam Canal CruisesTickets on Tiqets →Affiliate link
Stedelijk Museum AmsterdamTickets on Tiqets →Affiliate link
Moco Museum AmsterdamTickets on Tiqets →Affiliate link
ARTIS Amsterdam Royal ZooTickets on Tiqets →Affiliate link

All things to do in Amsterdam → · Tiqets, affiliate link

With kids in AmsterdamShow

What a day in Amsterdam costs

Flights and on-the-ground spend, per person.

£142/ all in, per person

Train to city centre and back£10

Local transport£8

Lunch£18

Dinner£15

Beer calculator× 0£0

Entry fees, on top (optional)

Rijksmuseum£21 (€25)

Van Gogh Museum£21 (€25)

Anne Frank House£14 (€16.50)

Vondelpark, Begijnhof, Albert Cuypmarkt, GVB ferries from behind Centraal Station to Amsterdam-Noord, BloemenmarktFree

On the ground£51

Prices checked 3 Oct 2026

Return flight from£91

Google Flights price. Checked 19 hours ago.

Getting to Manchesterfrom free

All in, per person£142

Book on Google Flights

Compare fares on Aviasales · Affiliate link

Estimated cost. Fares last checked 4 Oct, 01:31. Prices and availability change and are set by the airline or agent when you book.

The main button opens the airline or Google Flights; Compare fares goes to Aviasales, who pay us a small commission.

Report a problem

First 1,000 members

Become a founder

Half the price, kept for good, for the first 1,000 members.

£19a year, locked for life

Day Trips is live.

Try it for 14 days. Full refund if it's not for you.

Built by Josh and Samar

£19 today for your first year, then £19 a year for as long as you stay.

What you get

Unlimited searches
Save unlimited trips and places
Ask about any city, unlimited
Live fare for your exact date
All your saved places on one map
Your preferences: airports, days, flight length
Themes: 8 looks and your own colour
Every UK airport

Only for founders

£19 a year instead of £39.99, a saving of £20.99 every year
Your price never goes up, even if everyone else's does
Full refund within 14 days, no questions asked.

Getting to the airportShow

Getting to Manchester

Per person. Not in the total above. Prices checked 25 Sept 2026.

Free

Free drop-off areaFree
24/7 shuttle bus to the terminals. Source

Train

From Manchester Piccadilly£2.90 each way13-20 min
Advance single. last train 01:34 Source
From Leeds£6.90 each way83-96 min
Advance single Source
From Liverpool (Lime Street)£3.60 each way46-73 min
Advance single. First train 05:00, last train 00:18 Source
First train too late for this flight: it gets you to Manchester less than 90 min before take-off.

Coach

National Express from Manchester / Leeds / Liverpool£5.90 each way
Cheapest advertised single. Runs round the clock. Source

Taxi

From Manchester city centre£25-£35 one way~10 miles
Estimate, not a quote. Uber or Bolt usually £15-£25.
From Leeds£90-£120 one way~45 miles
Estimate, not a quote. Uber or Bolt usually £60-£90.
From Liverpool£75-£100 one way~35 miles
Estimate, not a quote. Uber or Bolt usually £50-£75.

Parking at the airport

Paid drop-off, Terminal 2from £5.50
5 min £5.50, 10 min £6.50, up to 30 min £25. Source

More parking

Short StayNo same-day price
From £65 (4-day stay). Source
JetParksNo same-day price
From £54.99 (8-day stay). Source
Mid StayNo same-day price
From £79 (8-day stay). Source
Drop & GoNo same-day price
From £69.99 (8-day stay). Source
Meet & GreetNo same-day price
From £85.99 (8-day stay). Source
Multi StoreyNo same-day price
From £65 (4-day stay). Source

Parking nearby

No same-day price published. See multi-day prices

Maple Parking Park & Ride (5.8 mi from airport)£49.99
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 15-20 min. Source
APH Park & Ride (2.7 mi from airport)£69.95
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 7-15 min. Source

Costs people forgetShow

Costs people forget

Not in the total above. Worth a minute before you go.

Phone data. EE, Vodafone and Three charge about £2.75 a day to use your allowance in Europe. O2, Tesco Mobile and giffgaff include it free.
Card fees. Many cards add a foreign-exchange fee to every payment abroad. Check yours before you go, or take one that doesn't charge it.

Not ready to commit?

The cheapest day trips of the week, free, every Sunday. No spam, unsubscribe any time.

Ask about Amsterdam

Your hours, your budget, what you like. Answered from real costs and tips from people who have been.

Tips from day trippers

Nobody has left a tip for Amsterdam yet. Tap a place on the map to be the first.

Day trip to Amsterdam.
From Manchester, back by 21:50.

Day Trip Flight Details

Become a founder

Related reading

Things to Do in Amsterdam in November: A Sunday with Ajax at Home

Related reading

Things to Do in Amsterdam in November: A Sunday with Ajax at Home

Day trip to Amsterdam.From Manchester, back by 21:50.

Day Trip Flight Details

Become a founder

Related reading

Things to Do in Amsterdam in November: A Sunday with Ajax at Home

Related reading

Things to Do in Amsterdam in November: A Sunday with Ajax at Home

Day trip to Amsterdam.
From Manchester, back by 21:50.