If you actually find yourself with some free time as the year draws to a close, here’s some of the highlights of the Dutch Christmas season.

Christmas and winter markets

While they’re not quite on the level of what you’ll find in Germany, the Netherlands has several popular Christmas markets and there seem to be more every year.

The best we know of include the Royal Christmas Fair in The Hague, which is in full swing until the 23rd. The caves of Valkenburg near Maastricht are also stuffed full of holiday stalls and more. Check out their Christmas events website for all the details. Groningen’s Grote Markt has also been transformed for the festive season.

Amsterdam’s Museumplein also has a Christmas market along with an oft-photographed ice rink in front of the Rijksmuseum, which will remain open to December 28.

Embrace the darkness 

Located on the outskirts of Utrecht, Castle de Haar is once again getting lit up for its annual wintertime event, which continues until January 4 and features an all new storyline that mixes fantasy with historical facts. Expect plenty of enchanting light projections and installations accompanied by a symphonic soundtrack.

The canals of the nation’s capital have once again been illuminated by the annual Amsterdam Light Festival. ‘Legacy’ is the theme for its fourteenth edition, which features the vibrant works of 20 international artists. The artworks will remain lit up until January 18.

The Beekse Bergen wildlife park is reactivating its Light Safari and will keep the juice flowing until March 1. This winter, visitors can go on a journey through fourteen different eras beginning with Earth’s primordial past and concluding with a trek into the distant future. 

Wintertime at the zoos 

Donker in Artis is a night-time event taking place over the course of several evenings now up to the first weekend in January at Amsterdam’s Artis zoo.

Each visit includes a performance in the Planetarium, educational activities, and the opportunity to put on night vision goggles and find out what the animals are up to this holiday season.

The Blijdorp zoo in Rotterdam is also hosting a wintertime event until January 18.

Meanwhile, at the theme parks  

While it won’t be a white Christmas this year, you can typically count on snow at the Efteling. A mysterious batch of winter weather always seems to cover the buildings down there in fresh powder well into January. The theme park also has a winter garden along with an ice skating rink, special holiday entertainment, and more. ‘Winter Efteling’ is scheduled to thaw out no earlier than December 31.

Over at Walibi Holland, its annual Bright Lights event will continue up to January 4. This one features wintertime entertainment and activities, interactive light displays, and several roller coasters and other attractions all decked out with lasers and dazzling decor. 

And Toverland has its own winter wonderland that’s set to stay in place through 18 January. The park’s Port Laguna has been turned into ‘Winter Laguna’ and currently boasts an ice rink, various holiday food and beverage specialities, and thousands of twinkling lights.

Retreat to the couch  

If trying to find a holiday movie on one of the streamers is too much of a bother, switch over to RTL 8. Believe it or not, the network’s annual cheesy Christmas rom-com melee kicked off during the first week of November this year!

They’re now in the middle of rolling out an epic batch of 200 films this holiday season, 80 of which are Dutch TV premieres. The madness truly begins on the 24th when the station’s programmers will push the play button on a nonstop marathon of these festive flicks for 48 hours.

Magical memories in Maastricht 

The holidays have taken over the centre of Maastricht. Set sail for the Vrijthof where you’ll find a Christmas market, a new 45 metre-tall Ferris wheel complete with enclosed glass gondolas, and one of the nation’s largest ice rinks. This is all part of the city’s annual Magisch Maastricht Vrijthof, which will wrap up on December 29.

Christmas World 2025  

We think Intratuin remains pretty much the best place to head for Christmas decorations. The average location has everything from ice cycle lights to wintry cocoa stands that would look perfect in a miniature winter display.

But the chain’s crème de la crème is Christmas World at its Duiven branch, which has been described as the country’s biggest ‘Christmas village.’ It even has its own trailer. This time around, Christmas World will close up shop on January 4.

Christmas with the Toppers

If you’re unfamiliar with this Dutch supergroup, they’re perhaps best described as ‘nostalgia pop.’ They’re like Tom Jones, but there’s several of them. They’ve also been filling arenas around the country for over a decade with a shifting line-up and attracting scores of fans who love to sing along as they roll through set lists comprised of beloved originals and covers.

They’re taking up residency at Rotterdam Ahoy this holiday season for a series of Christmas concerts between December 18 and 24. If this sounds like your sort of thing, click here for the details. 

Wrap up with 2025 with a bang

If you haven’t heard, the Dutch government will be ringing in the New Year with a nationwide fireworks ban in 2026 so this is the last year that consumers will be able to buy all but the gentlest of fireworks – legally at least.

In the meantime, there are more organised shows, the biggest of which is the annual Rotterdam fireworks show on the Erasmus Bridge. There are a few changes this year. The music will kick off earlier than usual at 22:30 and there will be more video screens. 

In Amsterdam, the Electric Fireworks event will once again invade the Museumplein. That one kicks off at 10 pm, but it’s popular and space is limited, even if the display itself last year was disappointing.

Looking for more ways to get out and about this holiday season? If so, have a look at our monthly round up of great things to do for the month of December.