THIS IS HOLLAND Tickets
Overview
THIS IS HOLLAND Tickets buy a seat on a flight over the whole country without leaving Amsterdam Noord. The attraction straps you into a row of seats that lift, tilt and swing in front of a huge curved screen while a film shot from helicopters and drones sweeps over tulip fields, windmills, the dunes, the Delta works and the old cities, with wind, mist and scents timed to the pictures. A short pre-show on how the Dutch built their land below sea level sets it up. It sits next to the A'DAM Tower, one free ferry ride from Central Station, and takes about an hour door to door. Haqqi Tours reserves the flight time for you and puts the price in writing beforehand.
Highlights
- A flying-theatre ride over the Netherlands on a giant curved screen
- Seats that lift and tilt, with wind, mist and scent effects
- Pre-show on the country's fight with the sea and the polders
- Tulip fields, windmills, the Wadden Sea, the Delta works and the old cities from the air
- About an hour in total, ideal between the ferry and the A'DAM Lookout
- Timed tickets, so no queue at the door
- Suits children above the minimum height as well as adults
- Warm and dry: a good rainy-afternoon plan
Full Description
What THIS IS HOLLAND Actually Is
It is a flying theatre, the kind of ride found at the big theme parks, built as a stand-alone attraction on the north bank of the IJ. Rows of seats rise into the air in front of a dome-shaped screen, the floor drops away, and for several minutes you appear to be flying a few metres above the Dutch landscape while the seats bank into the turns. Wind blows in your face over the sea, mist drifts in over the polders and the scent of tulips arrives with the bulb fields. It is short, intense and made for families rather than thrill-seekers.
The Pre-Show
Before the flight a walk-through exhibition explains, in a few minutes and with good visuals, how a country that is largely below sea level came to exist: the dykes, the windmills that pumped the polders dry, the great storm and the barriers built after it. It is pitched at children and works for adults too, and it gives the film a story, so the aerial shots of the Delta works mean something when they arrive.
The Flight
The film was shot from helicopters and drones across every province. You dip over the striped bulb fields, follow a windmill line at Kinderdijk, skim the dunes and the Wadden mudflats, cross the great sea barriers and swing over the canals of Amsterdam and the cathedral towns. Because the screen wraps around, the sense of motion is strong; children shriek at the first drop and then ask to go again. The whole ride is over in well under a quarter of an hour, which is exactly right for younger passengers.
Where It Is and How to Get There
The building stands beside the A'DAM Tower in Amsterdam Noord. From the back of Central Station a free passenger ferry crosses the IJ in a few minutes and lands a short walk away; the crossing itself is a small pleasure for children. Most families do THIS IS HOLLAND and the A'DAM Lookout together and are back on the city side within two hours. There is no parking to worry about and the route is level for prams.
Timed Tickets
Entry is by time slot. Your ticket names a start time for the pre-show, after which you move through to the flight with the same group. Arrive ten minutes early; latecomers join the next slot if there is room. Haqqi Tours books the slot that fits your day, usually just before or just after the Lookout, and sends the ticket to your phone.
Height, Age and Comfort
There is a minimum height for the flight seats, set for safety, and the attraction states it at the entrance; children below it can watch from a fixed seat with a parent instead. The seats move and lift, so anyone with a back or neck condition, or who is pregnant, should sit out the flight and enjoy the pre-show. Otherwise it is gentle: no inversions, no sudden falls, and grandparents ride it happily.
Best Time of Day
Weekday mornings are the quietest; school-holiday afternoons the busiest. Because the ride is indoors it is a perfect answer to an Amsterdam rain shower, and because it is short it fits into a day of museums without tiring anyone. In summer the ferry queue is the only wait, and it moves fast.
Combining It With A'DAM Lookout
The two attractions share a square. The Lookout gives you the real view over the city from its roof deck; THIS IS HOLLAND gives you the whole country from the air on a screen. Done back to back they take about two hours, and children often prefer the flight while adults prefer the roof. We can book both slots together so they follow each other without a gap.
Practical Notes
Bags go into free lockers before the flight; loose items such as hats and glasses are stowed too, so bring a case for spectacles. Photography is not allowed during the ride, but there is a photo point afterwards. There is a small cafe on the square and toilets inside. The film's commentary is minimal and the pre-show is in English and Dutch with clear pictures, so language is not a barrier.
Booking Through Haqqi Tours
Tell our WhatsApp desk the day you plan to cross to Noord, how many adults and children are coming and their heights if any are small, and whether you want the Lookout in the same visit. We come back with the available slots and one written total in Arabic or English, and the tickets are issued after you approve. If a child turns out to be under the height on the day, tell us and we sort the difference.
Inclusions
- Timed entry
- pre-show exhibition
- 5D flight over the Netherlands
- free locker
Good to know
- Take the ferry from the pier directly behind Central Station; the one marked for Buiksloterweg lands closest to the tower.
- Do the flight before the Lookout: children are calmer on the roof once the excitement is over.
- Keep a jacket on for the ferry even in summer; the wind on the IJ is stronger than it looks.
- Put spectacles in a hard case before the ride; loose glasses are not allowed in the seats.
- Book the slot for mid-morning on a weekday if you are in Amsterdam during Dutch school holidays.
- Bring a small snack for afterwards; the cafe on the square is fine but gets crowded at lunchtime.