The ultimate Rotterdam bucket list!
This Rotterdam Bucket list is a fun way to explore the Dutch city, checking off the things you have seen! Rotterdam has a vast amount of things to do and see, so depending on the time you have to visit, you need to pick the most enjoyable things based on your interest.
Apart from its natural ability to amaze, Rotterdam has stunning skyscrapers, a beautiful skyline, trendy clubs, cool food markets, great festivals, and lots of fun tourist attractions. The next two days I will be visiting Rotterdam and will let you know if I found any more interesting must see’s and do’s. Can you tick them all off? Make sure to save this list for your trip to Rotterdam!
Photo by Flori & Almi Weit.Gereist 
Photo by Nick Vernij
Rotterdam Bucket List – Attractions
Rotterdam has lots of attractions to choose from. I have listed what I think are the top attractions to see if you are short on time, as these are all perfect to do within a 2 or 3 days visit.
✔ Enjoy 360° views at the Euromast Observation Tower
– Visit ‘Kralingse Bos’, perfect for a picnic overlooking the skyline or just to clear your head
✔ Fan of street art? Go for a Rotterdam street art tour
– Climb the Sint-Laurenskerk Church Tower
– Join a Spido Boat Tour to see the 24/7 open working port of Rotterdam
✔ Visit the SS Rotterdam, whether you fancy a tour through the ship or have a drink on their terras, the SS Rotterdam is great to visit
✔ Photograph the Cubic Houses (tips on sleeping in the Cubic Houses)
✔ Visit the landmark of Rotterdam: the Erasmusbrug (also called the Swan). If you are lucky, you can also join a tour to go into the basement of the bridge and learn how it works from below. Bonus points if you catch the Erasmusbrug open, as it usually opens only once a day and not always at the same time (depends on the boats passing)
✔ Enjoy the river Maas views at Hotel New York
✔ Try some local food at the Markthal (touristic) or the Fenix Food Factory (less touristic)
✔ See the City Hall, located on the famous Coolsingel street and built in 1914. Inside, be surprised by the beautiful courtyard garden. An oasis of calm in the middle of the busy Coolsingel
✔ See the skytower ‘De Rotterdam’, with a height of 149.1 meters and 44 floors, this is a must see building in Rotterdam. You can walk right under it, and even visit the cafe/restaurant for the view of the Erasmusbrug and city skyline
✔ Ride in a water taxi and enjoy an exciting 60-minute tour
– Get personal with Rotterdam’s Delfshaven
– Visit the ‘Trompenburg Gardens’. This pretty paradise should be on everyone’s list. They have a lovely walkway through all the plants, a cactus greenhouse and a lovely little cafe to enjoy a drink
– Explore the historical garden ‘Schoonoord’, cute gardens to explore and relax in, for free!
– Photograph the ‘Maastunnel’
Rotterdam Museums – Can you tick them all off?
The city of Rotterdam has at least 20 museums that all have something different to explore. Here are my favorites:
– Kunsthal Rotterdam
– Nederlands Fotomuseum
– Dutch Pinball Museum, the name is already a giveaway of what this museum includes, your visit will allow you to play on all the traditional pinball machines
– Rewriters Street Art. Exlporing all the street art is for sure worth your walking time
– Maritime Museum, learn all about maritime past and present, in their fun interactive rooms and permanent exhibitions
– Museum Rotterdam
Food Bucket List Rotterdam
If you are a bit of a foodie, Rotterdam is the place to be. But which Rotterdam specialties should you really not miss?
– For meat lovers: eat a meatball from the ‘ballentent’
– Enjoy an ice cream from ‘de IJssalon’, won multiple times the award for the best ice cream of the Netherlands
✔ Try a piece of apple pie from ‘Dudok’
– Enjoy homemade saoto soup from ‘Warung Mini’
– Eat mussels at ‘Kaat mossel’
✔ Buy local food at the ‘Markthal’ or the ‘Fenix food Factory’
✔ Enjoy a drink at ‘The Nhow’, one of the great places to enjoy a refreshment with the city skyline as your view
– Visit the ‘Nieuwe Binnenweg’, on the Nieuwe Binnenweg you will find many small entrepreneurs and nice lunch shops. Jordy’s Bakery has the best bread in Rotterdam and Lilith is the place to be for American pancakes
– Eat a vegan colorful flowerburger
– Drink some coffee at ‘Heilige boontjes’, here young people with a criminal past work on a new future. Fun fact: this coffee shop is located in the former police station on Eendrachtsplein
– Visit ‘LaBru’ for a drink. Expect retro furniture, jazz in the background and a casual atmosphere
I have a full Dutch food post here.
Make sure you read also our extensive Rotterdam city guide!
As you can see, the city of Rotterdam has a vast list of things to see and do. Do you know any other fun Rotterdam things to see or do that I should include in this list? Let me know!
Author: Daphne
This article is part of the GPSmyCity iOS app. You can download it, read this article offline and obtain travel directions (by foot, car or bicycle) to the places mentioned in this article. Click here to download it.
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