How to Spend 2 Days in Rotterdam

A 2-day trip to Rotterdam offers the chance to fully explore the sights of this innovative Dutch city, from its contemporary architecture to its port. With just two days, you’ll want to see as much as possible. Here’s how to do it. 

Day 1: Explore the City

**Morning:**Spend your first hours in Rotterdam getting your bearings. Guided walking tours can take you to architectural landmarks such as Piet Blom’s Cube Houses and provide insight into the city’s history. Another option is to zip around the city by bike, seeing the top sights in less time.

**Afternoon:**Continue exploring at your own pace on a hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tour. Stay aboard as the bus makes its loop around the city or hop on and off as you like to visit attractions such as Erasmus Bridge and Museumpark. Tickets typically are valid for 24 or 48 hours, meaning you can board the bus anytime you like within that time frame.

**Night:**Take a private food-themed walking tour that visits neighborhoods such as Kruiskade and Chinatown. Tours provide insight into Rotterdam’s best restaurants, street food, and culinary scene, and include samples of local delicacies such as herring, Stroopwafel, and krokets.

Day 2: Dive into the Harbor

**Morning:**Begin your second day with a laid-back walking and boat tour of Rotterdam’s coolest neighborhood—the hip Katendrecht district on the south bank of the Nieuwe Maas, once the city’s Chinatown and largely populated by sailors. Small-group tours typically include a boat ride and visit to the former cruise ship Rotterdam.

**Afternoon:**Explore Rotterdam’s port with a ferry or bus tour of FutureLand Massvlakte. Learn what the port means for shipping and commerce in Europe and take in views of the container areas and massive cranes. Alternatively, take a glass elevator rider up the Euromast observation tower, and, if you’re hungry, visit one of the on-site eateries.

**Night:**Armed with the insider’s tips you sourced on yesterday’s food tour, spend your final evening in one of the city’s best restaurants. With people from more than 170 different countries calling Rotterdam home, the city boasts a wide array of restaurants serving a diverse food and flavors.