The best activities in Rotterdam

Diergaarde Blijdorp

Blijdorp Zoo Rotterdam Zoo is one of the most beautiful zoos in Europe, where you can have special encounters with fascinating animals that feel completely at home in specially recreated natural landscapes.

Discover the beautiful butterflies in Amazonica and come face to face with polar bears in the Ice Cave.

Location: Blijdorplaan 8 (Google Maps)
Info: www.diergaardeblijdorp.nl

Kinderdijk

Kinderdijk is a small village 15 km east of Rotterdam with the largest concentration of old windmills in the world! It is located at the point where the Lek and the Noord rivers come together. The current windmills were built around 1738 with the aim of improving the drainage of the Alblasserwaard. Since 1997, the Kinderdijk polder area with its dikes and windmills has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Location: Kinderdijk (Google Maps)
Info: www.kinderdijk.com

De Pannenkoekenboot

Experience a relax 75-minute boat trip on the IJ while enjoying stunning views of the impressive new buildings.

While cruising, you can enjoy unlimited delicious pancakes! It is a great experience for the whole family. De Pannenkoekenboot in Rotterdam is highly recommended.

Location: Parkhaven 13 (Google Maps)
Info: www.rotterdam.pannenkoekenboot.nl

Movie evening Kino

KINO is a cinema, bar, and restaurant in the center of Rotterdam. Here you can watch high-quality Hollywood productions, arthouse films, and classics; a selection that will certainly appeal to film buffs.

Be sure to visit the excellent restaurant, where the menu is inspired by French cuisine with an international twist. Or just enjoy a drink at the bar. KINO serves a wide variety of local beers, a fine selection of whiskeys, and cocktails.

Location: Gouvernestraat 129-133 (Google Maps)
Info: www.kinorotterdam.nl

Fenix Food Factory

It is a place where real beer is brewed, coffee beans are roasted, and sausage is made. And those are just a few of the many artisanal products you can find here. There is so much to see, smell, and taste. Their love of food and craftsmanship has brought these unique culinary entrepreneurs together in the streets of Rotterdam.

Under the name Fenix Food Factory, these artisanal entrepreneurs offer Rotterdam a culinary hotspot: a market where you can shop, learn how regional products are made, and taste artisanal flavors.

Location: Nico Koomanskade 1025 (Google Maps)
Info: www.fenixfoodfactory.nl

ss Rotterdam

As the former fl agship of the Holland-Amerika Lijn, the ss Rotterdam has sailed many of the world’s seas. Discover all the stories of “La Grande Dame” and experience the authentic atmosphere while you come to eat and drink, spend the night, party, get married, have a meeting or work.

Take a tour to fi nd out all about the ship, from the soaring upper decks to the engine room deep in the ship. Or you can try to unravel the secrets of the captain in the exciting escape room. The ss Rotterdam is permanently docked in Rotterdam and is easily accessible.

Location: 3e Katendrechtse Hoofd 25 (Google Maps)

Info: www.ssrotterdam.nl

Spido

Amidst the busy traffic of sea and inland vessels, you will experience a unique cruise through one of Europe’s largest ports. You will see the impressive skyline with its imposing buildings glide by, followed by a unique view of shipyards, docks, and the ultra-modern shipping of thousands of containers.

Finally, you will sail past the steamship Rotterdam, the former flagship of the Holland America Line (duration: 75 minutes).

Location: Willemsplein 85 (Google Maps)
Info: www.spido.nl

Mooie Boules

This jeu de boules bar, located in an old metal factory in the Zomerhofkwartier (ZOHO), is reminiscent of the traditional sheds in New York where locals play skittles.

Mooie Boules is the perfect place for jeu de boules and also serves as a covered food hall, ideal for sheltering from the rain.

Location: Vijverhofstraat 45 (Google Maps)
Info: www.mooieboules.nl