Best Places to See Tulips in the Netherlands

Posted on December 7, 2020March 9, 2021 by Vicki

Imagine the most beautiful, colorful, vibrant field of flowers that you’ve ever seen in your life, and now quadruple it. This is how we spent the next day on our one-year wedding anniversary road trip through Europe. It had been on my bucket list to frolic through tulip fields in the Netherlands, and in this post we do just that, plus explain all the best places to see flowers on your trip. We make it out to a local family farm for a spectacular photo shoot, walk the gardens of Keukenhof, and even experience the historic Dutch Flower Parade. If you’re a flower enthusiast, or visiting the Netherlands in spring, then read on to ensure you experience all the best places to get your fill of flowers.

Did you know… the Netherlands is world famous for its colorful tulip fields? Around two billion tulips are exported every year, making the Netherlands the world’s largest exporter of flowers. Tulip season is around April 10th to May 5th. The exact week depends on when the last frost of winter takes place, because this affects when the bulbs can be planted. However, if you visit the Netherlands around this window of time, you are bound to see tulips. It was pure luck that our wedding anniversary falls on this exact date range! What a most perfect time of year (and excuse) to visit.

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Our last post ended in Volendam, a lovely town just north of Amsterdam. You can read about that quaint harbor town here. Our short time there was wonderful. The drive from Volendam to our next destination allowed us the opportunity to stop off at a few family cheese farms along the way and stock up on snacks for our next hotel.

Today we were headed to the towns of Lisse and Sassenheim. My best friend had recommended Lisse, as that is where the Kukenhof gardens are. Although Sassenheim wasn’t included in the list of must-see destinations that she provided us, I had done some research of my own and realized that we needed to stop in this town. While we were visiting, the Bloemencorso Bollenstreek (annual Dutch Flower Parade) was going to be taking place (what luck!), and Sassenheim was the perfect spot to view the parade.

Keukenhof Gardens

First stop was to Keukenhof Gardens. It happened to be only a 50-minute drive from Volendam and on our way to the hotel. We had left Volendam early enough in the day that we had plenty of time to spend in the garden before they closed.

Entry tickets cost €18.50 ($22.42 USD) per person. Tickets are available for purchase online or in person. I’d say it was well worth the price. You can travel all over the Netherlands and see tulips but not get close to them… however, in this park you are incredibly immersed in floral heaven. The grounds were immaculately manicured and clean, and they offered endless photo opportunities, floral installations, performances, interactive activities, and dining. Although the website says most people spend three hours in the park, I can say from experience that the park is huge, and we spent way longer than three hours on site. You could literally spend all day there if you took your time and captured pictures along the way. And trust me, you’ll take hundreds of photos. It was extremely difficult for me to narrow down the photos I have selected for you below. It kind of feels like a disservice to leave so many great pictures out, but you’ll just have to take my word for it: it’s spectacular and a must-see destination in the Netherlands.

There are plenty of photo opportunities:

There are plenty of flowers:

There are even some art installations sprinkled throughout the experience:

Such a splendid park takes a massive team of horticulturists to plant and maintain the grounds. We visited in April of 2019, and although the park was closed for most of 2020 due to COVID, they kept the flowers blooming and offered virtual visits on YouTube. Check out this behind-the-scenes video welcoming us back for 2021.

And if you’re in northern Netherlands, I’ve heard good things about the Anna Paulowna garden, which is less touristy than Keukenhof. Holland’s largest contiguous area with tulip fields blooms near this village, about 37 miles (or 60 km) north of Amsterdam.

Flower Fields

On the way to Keukenhof, we had passed fields of tulips just off the side of the road, so when we left the park, we circled back to see if we could find them again. We found it, and just across the street there were some parking spots. We pulled over, crossed the street with our camera gear, and enjoyed a magnificent photo shoot on this beautiful farm.

A word of caution would be that these farms off the sides of the roads are privately owned. We definitely weren’t the only people there taking pictures, but there was a point when it seemed there were a lot of people on the site, and the farmer eventually came out to shoo everyone away. The most important thing is to be respectful. These flowers, as spectacular as they are, are that farmer’s livelihood. Don’t walk too far into the flower paths, don’t break stems or flowers, and certainly don’t pick them as souvenirs. You can enjoy them from a distance, or be extremely careful if taking pictures just inside the pathways, and then be on your way.

Take a look at how seriously breathtaking these photos are. I still cannot believe these photos are mine. The colors were so vibrant! The rows of yellow, pink, and orange seemed to go on as far as the eye could see. Since I’d learned of tulip fields in the Netherlands, it’s been on my bucket list to see. And on this day, I was able to cross it off. We probably stayed close to 45 minutes. It was a little drizzly, the sun was beginning to set, and it was getting pretty cold outside.

In hindsight, I really did feel terrible when the farmer came out to shoo us away. In that moment, I realized the farm is probably not open for visitors. I wished I had planned better and picked a tulip field that was more commercial or an attraction, over the one that we stumbled upon that ended up being privately owned for harvest purposes. I learned after the fact that there is a commercialized flower farm just 10 minutes away (or 5 km) from Keukenhof that is called Farm De Tulperij in Voorhout. The farmer and his wife take visitors on tours through the flower fields, teach you the history of tulips and the bulb growing process, show you the greenhouse, and even offer refreshments. The farm is open from 9:30am to 5:00pm daily in season. There are also a bunch of other fields that are open to the public.

Photo Credit: Tulip Farm De Tulperij (Farmers Daan and Anja)

My best friend (from the Netherlands) sent me the below bike map and landmark suggestions, which are an alternative and fun way to experience the tulips. If you have more time than we did, rent some bikes and go explore. The landmarks below can be put into your GPS in case you get off track or just need to put in a destination to get you to guaranteed tulip spots:

In the yellow area: Landgoed Kasteel Keukenhof (Mansion on a country estate), Keukenhof Molen (Windmill)
In the orange area (Lisse, Noordwijkerhout and Hillegom): Landgoed Tespelduyn (Restaurant)
In the red area: No specific landmarks but takes you to the beach and dune area
In the purple area (supposed to have the prettiest tulip fields of Lisse and Voorhout): Bloembollenkwekerij De Tulperij (Family farm), ‘t Huys Dever (Ancient Ruins/Castle)

Our Hotel

Our hotel, the Van der Valk Hotel Sassenheim-Leiden, was only about 15 minutes away from the flower fields and Keukenhof gardens. We decided to stay the evening here because it had been one of the closest hotels to the parade grandstands (actually advertised on the map for the parade website). We planned to walk from the hotel to the parade the next morning, so this prime location was optimal.

The hotel itself is a 4.3 out of 5 star rating, beautiful, and modern. If you plan to attend the parade and visit during the tulip festival, I highly suggest booking as early as possible. As the cheaper rooms sell out early, the larger rooms can become costly. We booked early and were lucky to snag the Comfort Room which is the smallest room and runs as low as €79.00 ($95.80 USD) a night. Although it’s the smallest room, I actually found it to be huge with a great bathroom. Plenty big for two people for one evening. Highly recommend. Do keep in mind that if staying the weekend of the flower parade, prices can be inflated, but the price does include parking and wifi.

Dinner

We’d worked up a bit of an appetite walking around all day, but it was already dark out, and we didn’t want to roam too far from the hotel or be out too late as we had an early start tomorrow. We decided to drive three minutes to the nearest McDonalds for dinner. You may laugh, but hubby and I actually enjoy trying McDonalds everywhere we travel to compare the quality to home. They also have different menu offerings in each country, and even some usual menu options (like double cheeseburgers) just taste better outside of America. Dinner hit the spot.

Grocery Shopping

At dinner, we had come up with a great idea to Google if there was a local grocery store nearby. We knew we had an early start in the morning and wouldn’t have time to go out and buy breakfast, so if we could purchase that today, then it would make our morning easier. We also figured we could use a few more snacks for the parade and continuation of our road trip. Lucky for us, a Dirk van den Broek was only a four-minute drive away.

This store was huge! It was such a great decision to go grocery shopping. We stocked up on all the essentials: Bread, deli meat, cheese, yogurt, fruit, and Nutella, and then we spotted the motherload of stroopwafel (a wafer cookie made from two thin layers of baked dough joined by a caramel filling). They came in a dozen flavors. We’d already had wonderful homemade from-the-farm stroopwafel on our drive from Volendam this morning… so how good could grocery stroopwafel be? For the very affordable price of around €3 ($3.65 USD) per sleeve, we were willing to take a chance, and boy are we glad that we did. This grocery store-bought stroopwafel, probably made in some factory in the Netherlands, was still way better than any store-bought stroopwafel that we have been able to find in America since this trip. Not only did we pick up a few sleeves for ourselves, but we also stocked up on a bunch more sleeves that we planned to bring to our offices when we got back to America. When buying souvenirs for our colleagues at work, we require such large quantities, that it costs us a mini fortune, so my pro tip would be to purchase food-related items from grocery stores over airport shops or boutique shops (although buying from small mom-and-pop shops is lovely too).

After an extremely successful grocery trip, we returned to the hotel, put away our small trove of yummy groceries, and then got ready for bed.

Flower Parade

One of our most highly anticipated activities that I had planned in the Netherlands was the Flower Parade. It was a happy coincidence that I stumbled upon the information online, and the parade was taking place while we were there. This parade is unique in that it’s the only parade around the world that is totally made up of spring flowers. Every float is adorned with flowers. With more than a million visitors from all over the world, it’s definitely a festive attraction for locals and tourists alike. I just knew it was meant to be that we attend. “When in ~~Rome~~ Holland,” am I right?

Though you can stand along the parade route for free, Hubby and I felt we’d rather guarantee our plans and book grandstand seating. It would allow us a little peace of mind and provide us with an excellent and comfortable view. Not to mention the website stated there was free parking, a restroom, snacks and warm beverages for purchase, and a band performance. So Hubby and I jumped on purchasing two tickets for the grandstands but ended up running into a major snag. Our American credit cards weren’t accepted by the Dutch website. We found a contact email address and sent them a kind email asking if there was any way we could purchase tickets. They were so responsive! We had a series of email exchanges over the course of three days, and on the third day, we had tickets in our email inbox. The customer service was truly wonderful. The total price was €51.50 ($62.47 USD) for tickets and service fee. That sounds a little steep when you consider you can watch the parade for free, but we had a wonderful time, and I would recommend it if you can splurge.

The parade route is a whopping total of 26 miles long (the length of a marathon!) and runs from 9:00am to 9:00pm from start to finish. For an American reference, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is only 2.65 miles, one-tenth the length of this one! With such a long route, there are dozens of places to view as a spectator. As I mentioned above, I felt Sassenheim was the perfect spot to view the parade, because I wanted to be as close to the start of the route as possible. The earlier the parade passed us, the faster we could be back on our road trip and fit in an additional activity that day. In hindsight, this was a very wise decision, and we were very happy with the outcome.

Sassenheim in particular was essential, because there are only four ticketed grandstand viewing sites along the entire route. I don’t know the next time we’ll be back in the Netherlands, or if we’ll be fortunate enough to make it during tulip season, so I figured we should purchase grandstand tickets to make the most of our experience. Grandstand locations are in Sassenheim (parade passing around 12:15pm), Lisse (passing around 3:05pm), Hillegom (passing around 5:10pm), and Heemstede (passing around 8:30pm). So if we booked the Sassenheim grandstands, we’d be done with the parade around 1:00! That sounded great to me!

On parade day, it was only a nine-minute walk from the hotel to the grandstand, and although there was free parking at the grandstands, we decided to walk over because it would be faster to walk back to our car and hop on the highway after the parade. This was a solid move, because the road was congested for the vehicles leaving the parking lot at the end of the parade.

We got there early, admittedly a bit too early (oops!), because we knew we needed a front-row seat since our camera tripod takes up space. It was maybe an hour before the front row was full, so we probably could have arrived a bit later. The view and the wait were nice though, and I still recommend the front row even though every now and then some people would walk or bike by on the sidewalk between us and the street and block your view slightly.

While we were waiting for the parade to begin, a lovely band called De Stropers De Zilk performed for us. We seriously took like 200 hundred pictures of them. They were so animated. Our favorite part was when one of them took off his wooden clogs and started clapping them together over his head. We were cracking up. Check out these great pics my hubby took. You can see the grandstands and band members in the reflections in sunglasses and instruments.

The parade itself consisted of a few marching bands, some people dressed as flowers walking the route (like clowns), cars and buses with huge floral arrangements on top, and floats that were 100% covered in fresh flowers. To me, the floats were definitely the most impressive part.

In 2021, the annual Dutch Flower Parade is slated to take place on Saturday, April 17th. Additional information on the future parade can be found here.

After the parade, we walked back to the hotel. We had already checked out and put our luggage in our rental car before we went to the parade, but we were able to use the hotel lobby restrooms before we hit the road to continue on our road trip.

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In just a 24-hour span, Hubby and I saw all the best flowers that the Netherlands had to offer. We leisurely walked through the impressive Keukenhof gardens, took the most breathtaking photoshoot at a local farm, and were spectators at the annual globally-renowned flower parade. My goal for this trip was to cross fields of tulips off my bucket list, and I definitely accomplished it!

Stay tuned for our next Amarvelous Honeymoon post covering Amsterdam!

DISCLAIMER: Any brands listed above are not sponsors.

One Day in Volendam, the Netherlands

Posted on November 16, 2020March 9, 2021 by Vicki

It’s no secret that Hubby and I love to travel. Delicious exotic foods and friendly new faces on a busy street or a calm beach, surrounded by sights, sounds, and smells that you simply can’t find at home, gorgeous architecture and nature, fascinating cultures and history—we just can’t get enough. Prior to the tragic global COVID outbreak, we had the privilege (and the paid leave accrued at work!) to take multiple trips per year—some to visit family, yes, but virtually annually we were also fortunate enough to take at least one out-of-state or international vacation, be it by plane, cruise ship, or car. I think that our record is seven trips in one year, including relaxing-albeit-brief weekend getaways with our dog.

If you’ve been following the Amarvelous Honeymoon blog, then you already know all about our epic six-week honeymoon around the world, during which we made unforgettable memories at some of the best experiences that England, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Japan have to offer. If you haven’t read our award-winning 21-part series about Hubby’s and my honeymoon yet, then you can find the posts here.

So it’s no wonder that when it came time to celebrate our first-year wedding anniversary, we had to choose a trip almost as amazing as our honeymoon—and this time, we decided on Europe. Over the course of two weeks, we took an unbelievable road trip across four countries: Spain, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The next few weeks of Amarvelous Honeymoon blog posts will commemorate the unbelievable time that we had on this particular trip, and this week we’ll be covering the charming and adorable harbor town of Volendam in Holland.

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Why Volendam

Admittedly, when I began research on the Netherlands to see where we would visit during our road trip, Volendam wasn’t on the list. Most posts I’d seen online suggested the more popular cities of Amsterdam, Delft, Utrecht, The Hague, and Rotterdam. However, my oldest and dearest friend happens to be from the Netherlands, so I picked her brain about the best places to see, activities to do, and food to eat, and she provided exceptional recommendations.

Volendam was a destination she knew well, as her aunt and uncle lived in the town, and her family had spent holidays there growing up. She coined it as her number-one recommendation for a city to visit other than Amsterdam. She noted that it is an adorable town, super close to Amsterdam, doesn’t require a lot of time to see, offers amazing seafood since it’s a fishing town, and though it’s gotten more touristy in the past few years, that hasn’t spoiled its charm.

Based on that assessment, I was in. Of course, we’d planned to also spend time in some of the more popular cities of the Netherlands, but if one of my best friends thought this small town was worthy of mentioning, then I was definitely going to find a day to fit it in.

The Best Time to Visit

Did you know… the Netherlands is world famous for its colorful tulip fields? Around two billion tulips are exported every year, making the Netherlands the world’s largest exporter of flowers. Tulip season is around April 10th to May 5th. The exact week depends on when the last frost of winter takes place, because this affects when the bulbs can be planted. However, if you visit the Netherlands around this window of time, you are bound to see tulips. It was a dream of mine to frolic through tulip fields (stay tuned for our next post haha), but it was pure luck that our wedding anniversary falls on this exact date range!

How To Get There

Flying into the Netherlands is amazing. If you fly in during daylight, definitely snag the window seat because you’ll be in for a treat. There are green rectangles of farmland, water systems, wind turbines, and you’re in the Netherlands, so you’ll have the pleasure of flying over fields of colorful flowers. The bird’s-eye view of these strips of colors was really astonishing.

Volendam is only a 40-minute drive north of the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Hubby and I flew into Amsterdam and rented our car right from the airport. We immediately hit the road for Volendam. If by chance you wanted to visit Volendam and did not plan on renting a car, there are public transportation options that take about an hour and can bring you from either the airport to Volendam or Amsterdam to Volendam.

It was a quick and scenic drive. Most of the view was greenery or water in the form of channels and canals. Along the way, we spotted tulip fields, several windmills, and local farms that produced cheese and wooden clogs. As we got closer to Volendam, there were more waterfront canal homes with small boats to get around instead of cars. Very neat way of life.

One thing I wish we would have considered was time of arrival in Volendam. We usually like to go with overnight flights, so you arrive in the correct time zone and aren’t jet lagged, and it also saves you on a hotel cost for that night. However, arriving in Amsterdam, we landed in the late afternoon. By the time we rented the car and drove to Volendam, it was starting to get dark out, and everything in this small town was closing.

Where to Stay

We booked the Art Hotel Spaander. It was right on the water, which allowed a view from our room. I figured if we were staying in a harbor town then we might as well stay along the water. In reality, it was super cold that April evening and way too chilly to spend time on our balcony anyway, but it was a nice view when we woke up in the morning.

The hotel itself was adorable. Super beach cottage vibes and loads of cool art hanging on the walls—hence the name Art Hotel Spaander. There was an indoor pool, but we didn’t take advantage of it as it was a chilly April in Europe, and we didn’t pack bathing suits. Upon arrival, we checked in and dropped off our bags upstairs. The room was great with a king size bed and balcony overlooking the water. Above the bed hung a print of two young Dutch children from the town. The bathroom was small but had all the essentials.

This hotel was right off the main road, called Haven, where there are plenty of restaurants and kiosks lining the seaside street literally steps outside the door of the hotel. It was excellent proximity to everything. Once we parked our car, we didn’t need it again until we left. The walk along this street was gorgeous. The architecture of the buildings and chimney-lined houses was beautiful. Then you turn around and you’re looking at a small marina with docked sailboats and the sea behind it. Just so picturesque.

Where and What to Eat

After checking out the room, we went to eat dinner in the downstairs pub. It was quiet as we were one of the only tables. The hubbs ordered a salmon dinner, and I ordered a grilled pork chop. The food was yummy. We were grateful we had arrived before the kitchen closed, because we’d have really been out of luck since everything closes early in this sleepy harbor town. We took a stroll down the street after dinner and confirmed that everything was indeed closed. But that walk helped us map out the area and get a look at the shops so we could plan our day out for tomorrow.

We had decided that since we’d only have half a day to explore the town, it would be nice to get as early of a start as possible. The next morning, we started our day by waking up super early to eat breakfast in the hotel restaurant right when they opened. The room was lovely and bright, with windows overlooking the sea. Breakfast was served buffet style and was quite a spread. They really had everything you could want. I highly recommend it. We love buffets as they are great bang for your buck and fill you up for a good portion of the day. We found some funny Dutch foods at breakfast, such as boxes of rainbow or chocolate sprinkles. Growing up, my Dutch friend would eat sprinkles and butter on bread (like a sandwich). I always thought it was just because she had a sweet tooth, but after being in the Netherlands, I see now that it’s simply an offering that many eat.

My friend had recommended that we could find the best gerookte paling (smoked eel) and kibbeling (fried cod) of our lives in this town. Eel (outside of a sushi restaurant) may sound a little strange, but it’s served on a soft roll and is amazing.

You may hear people recommend Netherlands stroopwafel as a must-try desert. Do not be confused (like I initially was) by the Belgium-looking waffles. Although these were also tasty, they are NOT the Dutch syrupy treat my friend told us about. We learned later when we were at a farm that made fresh stroopwafels that we had had the wrong dish in Volendam. Real stroopwafel is more like a chewy wafer cookie made from two thin layers of dough pressed with a thin lining of filling in the middle. Most commonly, you will find a caramel or honey-like substance in the middle, but you can also find fancy stroopwafel with other filling flavors, or dipped in chocolate, or even with additional toppings. This is a MUST EAT in the Netherlands. We actually went to a grocery store and stocked up on a bunch of different flavors and brought them home for coworkers. This was way more affordable than the farms or boutique shops. Although those are super tasty treats for a single serving, it would be too expensive to buy them in bulk.

Photo Credit: discoverholland.com (Real Stroopwafel)

Attractions

Something I’d like to note separate from all of the attractions is that a bunch of the stores in Volendam have free or very cheap (a few Euros) experiences. For example, we saw how cheese and clogs are made, walked through a life-size diorama of a traditional Dutch home, and watched a video on the history of Volendam, all for either free or a couple Euros. Keep an eye out for signs that invite you upstairs or downstairs for an interactive experience. Very cool to find so many educational activities, and especially the free ones. Loved this part of Volendam.

Cheese Factory Volendam: This store had a bunch of tasty cheese!! My favorite part is that you can taste everything. There were tons of samples for us to try and find our favorite cheeses. There was a demonstration where you could watch how the cheese is made and how they wax the wheels. Very cool seeing behind the scenes.

Foto de Boer: This is a place where you can take cheesy (pun intended) pictures in traditional Volendam clothing. This activity is fun for the whole family. There are a couple of stores that offer these fun photos, so I’d suggest you swing by the few shops, see which clothing, props, or price you like best, and then go with that one. And Volendam is the perfect place to take these costumed photos, because many people consider the traditional Volendam dress the most iconic traditional Dutch outfit, as Volendam is the region of the Netherlands whose outfit became the most recognized internationally.

Museum Mondial: This museum features microminiature art made by Mykola Syadristy. The tiny objects of art are barely perceptible to the naked eye but discoverable under a microscope. The example below is a pyramid, palm tree and camels inside of a sewing needle hole. It’s incredible! I found this museum online and added it to our list of fun attractions, but because we didn’t have an itinerary for our day, and we were just strolling along the main street going into every shop, I thought I had seen everything and it wasn’t until we left that I remembered we didn’t go here. It’s actually on Havendijkje and not Haven, which is why we missed it. Literally steps away, and I just forgot.

Souvenir shopping: There is an abundance of souvenir shopping off Haven. We started our Netherlands trip in Volendam and were able to find affordable and unique souvenirs for most everyone back home. The best part was that we had a car, so we weren’t worried that we began our trip with this big haul of gifts. One of our best finds were these delft (blue and white pottery originating from the town of Delft Netherlands) house number tiles that we gifted to my in-laws, who ended up hanging them on their mailbox back home. We also found a bunch of small ceramic clogs that we gifted to all of our coworkers and even turned into a Christmas ornament for ourselves. I found a great pair of polarized sunglasses, and we also got socks, lighters, dish rags, and more. So many goodies can be found on this street.

Wooden Shoe Factory: This shop is a place where you can get sized and buy your own pair of wooden clogs in so many patterns and colors. Upstairs there is a video screen and some stumps where you can take a break, sit down, and watch a video on how these traditional wooden shoes are made.

If you have more than a day, then I would also suggest the following activities:

Bicycle rentals: This waterfront town is just beautiful. I would have loved to have rented bicycles and ridden around for a few hours to explore the area.

Volendam Museum: Just a few blocks inland from Haven sits the Volendam Museum with life size dioramas showcasing traditional clothing, artifacts, art, and lifestyle. It truly gives a good sense of the history of the city.

Rederji Volendam Marken Express Ferry: If you have a full day, or two days, then you can take a ride on the ferry that will bring you to a small island off the coast called Marken. People walk around in traditional garb there, and it’s a cool experience. We didn’t get to take part in this activity, as we only had half a day and filled it with the rest of what the waterfront town had to offer.

Departing

When leaving Volendam, we had more of an open schedule and it was only afternoon, so we decided to stop into some of the farms and shops we had passed along the way into town the day before. We first stopped into Alida Hoeve Cheese Farm and Wooden Shoe Factory. They had sheep outside that were friendly and came up close for photos. Inside they had loads of cheese samples. We tasted everything and bought some cheese which we snacked on in our next hotel. This is where we had learned what real stroopwafel was. They had stacks of twelve prepackaged stroopwafel and also samples to try. They also made wooden clogs here, but we had spotted another place along the highway that we planned to stop into next to check out the clogs.

After that farm, we stopped into Irene Hoeve Clogs and Cheese Shop. The painted rooftop advertisement had caught our eye on the way in yesterday, and it did not disappoint. We got a real education and in-person demo of someone making clogs. Super cool. I loved the fun photo opportunities as well. Nothing like sitting in a HUGE yellow clog.

All of the farms along the main roads that sell cheese and clogs have ample room for tour buses and do indeed get buses full of people. It can get crowded, so just keep that in mind if you’re on a tight schedule and don’t have time for cheese sampling or register lines.

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We had the most splendid time in Volendam. I am so glad we listened to my friend’s advice. We could have stayed in any town but driving just over a half hour to this cutie harbor town and spending half a day walking around exploring the culture was really a special memory and one of my favorite days of the trip. I’d highly recommend Volendam if you want something a little different out of your own Netherlands trip.

Stay tuned for our next Amarvelous Honeymoon post where we continue our time in the Netherlands and discuss the tulips! Hup Holland!

DISCLAIMER: Any brands listed above are not sponsors.

9 Days in Japan: Part 8 – Last Day in Tokyo

Posted on November 2, 2020March 9, 2021 by Vicki

My husband and I got married and went on an incredible six-week honeymoon around the world to England, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, a cruise through Asia, and Japan. I’ve shared our unforgettable journey through a series of 20 blog posts. Today marks post number 21, the final post in the series. It’s been surreal reliving the memories of the most epic trip of our lives and being able to share them with all of you. Thanks for going through the journey with us!

This was our final day in Japan, and although some of our other days included fully jam-packed itineraries, we only had a few items left to tick off of our must-see list. Today, we planned to experience those and then see where the rest of the day took us. We enjoyed yummy foods, Tsukiji Nippon Fish Market, Tokyo Tower, Zojoji Temple, Tokyo Japan Dome City, souvenir shopping, and traveling back home to America. Read on to complete our six-week around-the-world honeymoon journey ending with day nine of Japan: Tokyo!

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Day 9 in Japan

We began our day with the most Instagram-worthy breakfast spot: A Happy Pancake Ginza. I found this breakfast spot online, and when I saw the pictures I just knew that we had to have breakfast here one day. First off, I LOVE pancakes. I admittedly am not a pancake cook though, because they always burn and look misshapen. In our house, the Hubbs is on pancake duty.

Upon arrival at the restaurant, the elevator doors opened to a lobby full of people. So I guess everyone else had the same idea as me for a pancake breakfast that day haha! Actually, I had half expected this; I read reviews online about how the wait is long, but it’s so worth it. We weren’t looking forward to killing one of our last daylight hours sitting in a crowded lobby. Fortunately, the restaurant took our name and allowed us to leave and come back in an hour to be seated. This was perfect!

We did a quick google search of what was in the area and came across a Kit Kat Chocolatory and Café that was just a six-minute walk away. My husband explained to me that Kit Kat is the most popular chocolate brand in Japan. The name sounds very similar to “Kitto Katsu,” a Japanese phrase meaning “You will surely win.” Therefore, Kit Kat chocolate bars are often given as gifts particularly among students ahead of exams, or to someone who needs a boost of luck. Who knew?! I had been seeing Kit Kats all over Japan but hadn’t pieced together until this point that they were special.

Since we already had breakfast booked, we knew we didn’t want to dine in their café and spoil our appetites (although the pictures online looked heavenly and were nearly convincing). We figured this could be a fun souvenir opportunity, and we were right. The shop itself is on the small side, but they had all the essentials: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, and a new glorious pink chocolate that they refer to as ruby. This was the first time both of us had ever even heard of ruby chocolate. How unique! The picture below explains some facts about this new species of cocoa. It’s a bit sweet and sour flavor characterized by its acidity. Super special. Since this was something we’d never seen before, we purchased several individually boxed sticks as souvenirs for friends and family back home. The shop was a bit pricey, but the packaging makes them more special than if you purchase at a grocery store. There are actually over 300 flavor combinations of Kit Kat in Japan. With its wide availability and flavor options, Kit Kats are a fantastic and affordable treat to bring home for family, friends, and coworkers.

After spending some time and money at Kit Kat, we headed back over to A Happy Pancake Ginza. We’d worked up an appetite! The restaurant was still very full with a wait in the lobby. Shortly after we arrived, we were escorted in, past the kitchen which was visible to the diners through windows in the center of the restaurant. It’s so cool that the kitchen is open and you can see the chefs at work. Each pancake is super fluffy at an inch thick and nearly perfectly round (without using a mold)! It’s a pancake dream come true. We were seated at a little two-top half booth table. Everything on the menu looked so great. We ended up picking the tiramisu pancakes for my Hubby which were ¥1,390 (JPY), or $13.28 (USD), and the berries and cream pancakes for me which were ¥1,300 (JPY), or $12.42 (USD).

Each plate arrives with three fluffy pancakes and loads of cream and toppings. The tiramisu dish even included a mini creamer pitcher filled with hot espresso that you pour over your pancakes as extra dipping sauce. Just wow. It was so filling, I couldn’t even finish my plate. If you love breakfast or pancakes, this place is for you. We’ve actually tried to replicate these pancakes back in the states and have not mastered anything quite so thick. I’ve even gifted the Hubbs a Christmas stocking-stuffer of Japanese tall silicone pancake molds. They honestly help your pancakes get thicker, but the batter is just off, so they aren’t the same. We’ll just have to visit Tokyo again to get our fill of fluffy tasty pancakes.

After we had full bellies, we headed over to the Tsukiji Nippon Fish Port Market, just an eight-minute walk away. If you love seafood and fish, I’d recommend you pass through here a little later for lunch so you can fully experience the dining aspect. Each kiosk had something a little more special than the next. They literally sold every type of seafood imaginable. Everything looked so fresh, like it was caught just the night before. There are proper indoor sit-down restaurants mixed between outdoor grill kiosks where you can grab seafood and eat while you walk, plus raw fish kiosks where you buy the fish and take it home to cook/prepare. We took so many cool pictures in this area and bought a few souvenirs of cute cartoony fish cookies for our coworkers. My favorites are below: flying fish, shark, humongous crabs, lobster, scallops, grilled squid, giant tuna head, and thick sliced nigiri. The streets are narrow, crowded, and smell of fish—it’s an awesome time!

One of the final attractions on our list was the Tokyo Tower, so we headed in that direction and stopped at the 600-year-old Zojoji Temple along the way, about a 36-minute walk. The temple is actually right next to Tokyo Tower, so from multiple vantage points on the property you can see both structures. Breathtaking mix of modern and ancient. We went indoors for a little prayer and then outside to walk through the gardens. A standout feature of this site is the garden for unborn children. The rows and rows of jizo statues represent the souls of children who died before birth (pregnancy loss, stillborn, or perinatal loss). The statues are believed to be protectors of children and unborn babies in traditional Japanese Buddhist teachings. Once a month, there is a ceremony for parents to use the statues as a way to say farewell and ease the child’s passage into the afterlife. Red garments are created and donated to dress the statues, and then gifts such as incense, flowers, and wind spinners are placed in remembrance. These babies never had the opportunity to experience this world, but their place of remembrance is colorful just as their life should have been. And though a somber place of prayer and loss, I found the garden to be beautiful and serene. As a newlywed, I said a little prayer for these babies to look over us in our future fertility.

Side note: In doing some additional post-trip research on Tokyo, I learned of the 200-year-old Suitengu Shrine, just an 11-minute drive from the Zojoji Temple. This shrine is also for babies and specifically devoted to conception and safe childbirth. This is a place for pregnant couples to visit after doctor’s appointments, new parents to bring their infants, and non-pregnant people to provide fertility well wishes. The statue of a dog and its pup on the grounds is a popular photo spot. Had we known this temple existed, we probably would have stopped here for a little prayer too.

Following the Zojoji Temple, we walked next door to the Tokyo Tower. One could call it the Eiffel Towel of Japan. There are two different levels you can gain access to with tickets: The Main Deck is ¥1,200 (JPY), or $11.47 (USD) per person and the Top Deck is ¥3,000 (JPY), or $28.67 (USD) per person. Advance sales are available at a discounted rate, and I do indeed recommend you purchase advance tickets. Unfortunately, at the time of our arrival, all tickets for that window of time were sold. We’d have had to wait around in the area for hours before the next available tickets would open. Since this was the last attraction on our list, and we’d already seen the rest of this area of town, we just took a selfie from below and didn’t actually go into the tower.

That was a huge bummer. After such an absolutely unforgettable six-week honeymoon around the world, we should have planned a more climactic ending for our final day. I know, tall order to fill to find something that would have felt like a proper ending of the trip… maybe we were always setting ourselves up for disappointment? How could it be that we would end our day not actually seeing our final attraction all because of poor planning and not booking the tickets in advance? I was really sad. We took out our phones to see if there was anything else to do in the area (just look at how serious my face is below while I’m searching haha). I had started to think that we’d just end up at our hotel room early for a good night’s sleep before the flight. When nearly all my hope was lost for a fun ending to the day, the Hubbs delivered and found something super fun for us to do!

Next stop was the Tokyo Japan Dome City. We took the train over, since this wasn’t exactly in close walking proximity. We’d passed the dome at other times on the trip but never got close enough to see all the attractions it had to offer. By the time we arrived, we were hungry for dinner. We found two of my American favorites: Shake Shack and Taco Bell! Just look at my face and how happy I was haha! What a 180 from the failed attempt of Tokyo Tower. We ended up grabbing a bite from Shake Shack, because it had literally been weeks since we’d had a proper burger. Shake Shack actually originated in Madison Square Park, New York City, so this was a taste of home that ended up turning into a sentimental dinner as we watched the digital picture wall show Shake Shack stores from around the world. When it finally displayed the New York location, I nearly cried. After our once-in-a-lifetime trip, it was time to return to reality. We were headed home—and, honestly, we were a little homesick.

We decided to ride the rollercoaster which winds through the footprint of the site, even going through the walls of the mall at one point. We absolutely love rollercoasters, so this was the perfect high-adrenaline thing to do to cap off the excitement of our epic trip, and it was honestly so fun.

After the coaster, we strolled through the mall. There was a lot to see inside, being multi-levels, and Hubby geeked out and found a store for Shonen Jump, the magazine brand that popularized the mega-hit animes Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Dragon Ball, Death Note, Yu-Gi-Oh, and so many more. If you’re an anime fan or know someone who is, then this is a great spot to stop for a little shopping. There were traditional souvenir shops where you could buy things like Japan-themed passport holders, and also some home goods shops with affordable but cute items for sale. We also found some quirky “Japanglish” souvenirs (we got a kick out of the hat in the pics below).

We didn’t end up buying anything though, so we crossed the street and found a store called Don Quijote which sold a wide assortment of goods at very reasonable prices, which was truly awesome! We bought bags of individually-wrapped bulk Kit Kats in unique flavors for both our offices, and we bought Sake bottles in nice boxes that we could gift our parents and siblings. The Hubbs even bought a cable for his headphones that had broken on the trip. They had everything! If I had one pro tip for souvenir shopping, it would be to shop where the locals shop. No one really wants a useless trinket that says “Tokyo” or “Japan” on it. But if you bring them a unique food or beverage to consume, or a practical houseware item, it’s something they can use and they will appreciate. Check out some of the silly goods we found (and did not buy haha).

After shopping, we made our way (via train) back to the hotel with goodies in tow. We had a long night of packing ahead. Luckily, we had accounted for the space we’d need, and it all fit fine. We got a little sleep, then headed to the airport super early for our flight back to America (get a load of my early morning grumpy airport mug below). We flew from Tokyo Japan to Beijing China to New York City, which took about 20 straight hours of travel. I definitely require a day of recovery after crossing the globe like this. The jet lag is serious.

Packing Pro Tips:

If you’re going on an extended trip, leave half of your suitcase empty. You’ll need that space to fill with goodies from your travels. It costs a fortune to ship items home or buy an additional luggage and pay for a second luggage on the plane. Especially for our multi flight trip – the latter was definitely not an option for us.
Wear your bulkiest or heaviest clothing and shoe items at the airport and onto the plane. Why use up that weight in your luggage when you can wear it? This will save you luggage space and weight for more souvenirs.
Always keep your heaviest items in your carryon so long as your airline isn’t weighing your carry on (which actually happened to us in China on this six-week trip).
Pockets! The only time your bags are weighed is at the ticket counter. On another trip, we had these crystal candleholders that weighted a ton, and we were already overweight. We ended up putting them in our jacket pocket while our bags were weighed, and then put them in our carryon once we passed through security.
Paper takes up a lot of space and weight while traveling. Just look at how much paper products we collected over 6 weeks!! Had we been overweight at the airport, this would have been the first stuff I would have dumped. We weren’t overweight, so I could keep it. Most of this was from our cruise (daily itineraries and origami), tickets we purchased, programs/brochures we collected from activities we did, and maps of cities. You don’t really NEED this stuff, and if you have to part with it, just take a picture of the papers (like we did for our rollercoaster tickets above), and then recycle the paper to save weight.

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So there you have it! This post completed our eight-part series in Japan and our six-week honeymoon around the world. Tokyo was fantastic. Even on a day like this, where we hardly had activities planned, we ended up having a killer time and stumbling upon unique attractions. Morals of the story are…

If you’re a type A person like myself, it’s ok to not have your day planned out in 15-minute increments (I’ll do a future blog post on my itineraries one day haha).
Do SOME research so you can ensure if it’s a timed entry or ticketed, that you can claim your spot. Also, there’s nothing worse than getting home and seeing a BuzzFeed article about the cool things to do in the city you visited, that you missed.
Go with the flow, and if something planned doesn’t work out, there is always going to be something else that’s fun to do. No need to ever go to bed early out of boredom when you’re in a new city.
Google Maps can literally save your days open itinerary. On this particular day, we didn’t plan the Kit Kat store, the temple, or the Tokyo Dome. All of that came from Google searching along the way.

Thanks again for joining me on this truly memorable 21-post journey. Now onto blogging about our next adventures! Stay tuned for future posts about our One Year Wedding Anniversary Trip to The Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Spain!

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9 Days in Japan: Part 7 – Tokyo Continued

Posted on October 19, 2020March 9, 2021 by Vicki

My husband and I got married and went on an incredible six-week honeymoon around the world. All of the posts on England, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, a cruise through Asia, and Japan can be found on our Amarvelous Honeymoon page. The final country we visited on our trip was Japan, and we’re in the midst of an eight-part series highlighting this amazing country.

This was our penultimate day in Japan, and we had a jam-packed itinerary as we attempted to squeeze in our final Tokyo activities. Today, we planned to spend most of the day in the Shibuya neighborhood. We experienced ramen, conveyor-belt sushi, Starbucks with a view, multiple street performers, the incredible Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, the Meiji Jingu shrine, shopping at Takeshita Street, and the world’s busiest intersection. Read on to learn what makes Shibuya a necessary addition to your next Tokyo itinerary.

Day 8 in Japan

We were staying at the APA Hotel Iidabashi-Ekiminami in the Tokyo suburb of Chiyoda. The two previous days had been spent at Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. I didn’t think we had such a late start, but we must have been exhausted and slept in a bit. Our first meal of the day was actually two bowls of ramen from a nearby restaurant that was already serving early lunch. The restaurant, which as of this writing has permanently closed, was called Tsujita Okunoin. It was a three-minute walk from our hotel and on the way to the train station. It was a long and narrow restaurant with an open kitchen against the long wall and a bar top with chairs along the kitchen. We found two chairs together and sat to dine. Our favorite ramen from Japan was actually in Osaka (at a restaurant called Ramen Makotoya Shinsaibashi, if you’re ever in Osaka). Although not as good as Makotoya’s, we found these bowls to be tasty and very filling to start our day off.

We decided to quickly begin our day in the Shinjuku neighborhood, which is a popular city district famed for its narrow, winding alleys and numerous snug taverns. We took the train six stops from Iidabashi Station to Shinjuku Station. It only costs ¥160 (JPY), or $1.52 (USD). After the train, we walked over to the Shinjuku Golden Gai. I would actually suggest you flip flop our itinerary and visit this area in the evening, as it was totally closed up and desolate when we were there. I bet it would be a cool nightlife area with bar hopping in the evenings. Wish we could have gone into a pub and enjoyed a beverage, but although it wasn’t too early for ramen, it was too early for drinks.

Along the walk from this neighborhood, we passed several different street activations and performers. There was a small children’s parade, a solo singer busking, a small trio of female singers on a mobile stage, and this random lottery activation where you are supposed to stick your hand inside a giant horse’s mouth and see if you won a prize (we didn’t win haha!). As a New Yorker, I found all these performances and activations to have the same lively vibe as when we walk through Times Square.

Next stop was the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, which was only a 19-minute walk from the previous neighborhood and led us into Shibuya neighborhood for the remainder of the day. The entrance fee was ¥500 (JPY), or $4.74 (USD). So far on the honeymoon, we’d seen some immaculate and very impressive gardens in Beijing China, but the roses and trees at this garden were really special. My favorite parts were the beautiful greenhouse with tropical plants and an indoor waterfall, a foot bridge over a koi pond shaded by a weeping willow tree (my favorite), a lush lawn for lounging surrounded by humongous shade trees including a blooming magnolia with flowers the size of my head, and a French-inspired formal rose garden. I think we spent the most time today in the rose garden. They probably had hundreds of varieties. I really enjoyed reading the name plaques for each one and took photos of the ones I found most beautiful. Hopefully one day I can find their seeds or saplings and plant them at my home. My absolute favorite flower was the hot pink Lavender Lassie Rose.

After the garden, we continued our walk to the Yoyogi Pony Park. This was totally spontaneous, but we saw it on the map and were intrigued, so we decided to walk over and check it out. It was only a 22-minute walk and not out of our way. Upon arrival, we learned that the rink and ponies were mostly for children to ride, not adults. They were attractive horses, and I did enjoy seeing them though. So if you too are a horse fan, then check it out. Otherwise, you can probably skip this unless you’re traveling with children.

We followed the ponies with a minute-long walk over to the Meiji Jingu shrine. We passed by the main sanctuary, torri-gate, and Ema (tablets conveying visitors’ gratitude and wished). As it’s a sacred place for prayer, we didn’t take too many pictures in this area.

Just a 10-minute walk up the road, we were at Takeshita Street, which is a road closed to vehicular traffic. It’s designed so the heavy flow of pedestrians can meander down the street and shop or dine in the colorful and trendy shops and restaurants. I thought the bright colors and kitschy characters on this street were adorable. Not to mention the great and unique shopping. I found a pair of fancy earrings for a pretty reasonable price. That was a score for Japan, as I found the pricing mostly similar to my hometown, New York City.

After shopping, we needed a pick me up, so we walked down the block to the Tokyo Plaza Omotesando Harajuku shopping mall to a rooftop Starbucks with a garden and great view of the city. Once again, we ordered our favorite drink in Japan, the affogato Frappuccino. Yum!! Then we took a break and sat to enjoy our drinks on the rooftop terrace.

We were walking down the Fire-dori Street and stumbled upon Shibuya Nitori, basically a home goods store. Think HomeGoods or Ikea of Japan. I can hardly resist a home store in America, and I wasn’t about to pass up my opportunity in Japan. First off, it was HUGE, and that had me all the more excited. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I am so glad we went in! It really was set up more as a shop for locals, as opposed to tourists. We found some really excellent and useful souvenirs for ourselves and family back home. The best part is that it was affordable, being that it wasn’t really stuff you would think to buy and fly home with. We got this incredibly delicate clear glass tea pot. It was packaged in a nice box, so it held up well on the flight (as a carry-on), and we use it all the time. Had we found something similar in a more touristy shop, we easily would have spent double.

Just up the road was our main attraction of the evening, the Shibuya Crossing. I know what you’re thinking… a crosswalk, this was the highlight of my day?! Well… this is the world’s busiest crosswalk and totally puts other busy crosswalks around the world to shame. They call Times Square of New York City “the crossroads of the world,” but after experiencing Shibuya crossing, I beg to differ. It’s basically five crosswalks at one intersection where vehicular traffic halts in all directions and then (depending on the time of year) hundreds (or thousands) of people cross at the same time. A literal sea of people. There is a great high-up vantage point from a Starbucks in the intersection if you wanted to experience it in person and then from a bird’s-eye view. It was really cool. While waiting at our crosswalk, we even saw this awesome experiential Super Mario street go-cart group race past us. I mean… seriously, how cool is that?! Had I known this existed, I totally would have booked the experience.

Video Credit: Domanation Travels

Dog lovers: There is a dog statue in the Shibuya Crossing intersection called Hachiko Memorial Statue. This bronze statue honors a loyal Akita dog. The story goes that the dog would meet his owner at the train station every day after work to escort him home. When the owner passed away, the dog continued to walk to the train station every day and wait for the owner to arrive. This continued for almost 10 years until Hachiko’s passing. To honor the dog’s loyalty and fidelity to his owner, a statue was placed at his waiting place. Hachiko the dog was cremated, and his ashes were buried in the cemetery with his beloved master, and his furs were stuffed and are on display in the National Museum of Nature and Sciences in Ueno Japan. Every year on his death day, there is a ceremony in the dog’s memory. Additionally, he is remembered with pop culture references in statues, movies, books, and other various media forms in Japanese culture. What a special pup.

We finished our evening with the best conveyor belt sushi at Katsumidori Seibu Shibuya. The restaurant was just next to the Shibuya Crossing in an upstairs floor. We actually got there right before they were stopping to take customers. We had to wait for a few minutes to sit down because they were so busy but it was 100% worth it. Conveyor belt sushi is drink and food items that go around on the belt in front of you. Depending on the color plate that you select, that determines price. It’s an adventurous kind of dining experience, because although you have a choice to select what you want from the belt, you are limited to what they are serving. You don’t really order special things as you would at a regular sit-down restaurant. My husband still raves over the rice-to-fish ratio in the nigiri. As you can see from the picture below of our finished plates, we obviously enjoyed the meal!

And that closes out another day on our six-week honeymoon around the world. This seventh day in Japan was jam-packed with an array of activities including dining, shopping, shrines, gardens, and monuments. We had such a great time exploring without a strict itinerary for the day. Some of the best finds were just stumbled upon as we strolled hand-in-hand through the city.

Join us in exactly two weeks when we post our final part of the nine days in Japan itinerary, which also marks the end of our honeymoon. Can’t wait to share it with you!

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9 Days in Japan: Part 6 – Tokyo DisneySea

Posted on October 5, 2020March 9, 2021 by Vicki

Hi everyone! Welcome back to my blog. As our world heals from this terrible pandemic, I hope you and your loved ones are in lifted spirits and staying healthy. Especially for those that have experienced loss, I am deeply sorry for the difficulties you are experiencing.

Before we jump into the post, I wanted to explain our recent absence. Due to the global outbreak of Covid-19 back in February, and the significant global travel bans, the Amarvelous Honeymoon Blog had decided to postpone any travel-related blog posts. We continued to share Amarvelous Wedding Blog posts and theme those around Covid-19 event guidance. Then we decided to take a full third quarter hiatus from all posts as the world was learning more about the virus and beginning the long road to recovering and reopening.

And here we are today! I am incredibly grateful for your readership, and I hope I can spread just a little cheer in your life by sharing my travels, stories, and pictures.

So let’s pick up where we left off and recap our most recent travel posts! My husband and I got married and went on an incredible six-week honeymoon around the world. All of the posts on England, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and a cruise through Asia can be found on our Amarvelous Honeymoon page.

The final country we visited was Japan, and we’re in the midst of an eight-part series. If you’re a Disney fan (assuming you are because you’re here with us today), the last post was on Tokyo Disneyland, and today we’re going to discuss my favorite theme park in the world: Tokyo DisneySea!!

I don’t even know how to put into words how much I loved Tokyo DisneySea. It is a must-visit destination for literally anyone visiting Japan and anyone who loves Disney. It was pure magic and so well done. I share my love of this park with anyone who will hear it, and I can’t wait to make you a believer as well.

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Day 7 in Japan

We began our day arriving at the park an hour before gates opened. I had read online in other blogs that arriving at least an hour in advance was the normal protocol for serious ride-goers as lines only got longer as the day progresses. Since we didn’t want to miss a single ride, it was an early (and long) day for us. I’ll note that we didn’t stay at the DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta due to the cost, but if you can splurge, you are allowed an early park entrance, which does help get ahead of the lines.

We arrived an hour early and were still rows of people back from the main gate. We sat on the floor like everyone else, laid out the map of the park, and began to mark out our game plan. I like to pack a marker and cross out rides and shows we know to be closed (for example, Journey to the Center of the Earth was under construction while we visited), and then smaller kid rides that we definitely wouldn’t be partaking in. We’ll marvel at their beauty as we pass, but if it’s not on our ride list, it’ll get crossed off. This helps us to keep organized and ensure we hit every attraction we wanted to see before the end of the night. I also number the rides in the order we want to try and experience them, and I recommend that you do the same, whether your list consists of the thrill rides, the kid rides, the shows, or everything.

The park is nestled into the most perfect piece of land in all of Tokyo. As its name suggests, DisneySea is located on the sea! Similar to other theme parks around the world, there is a central water system that the attractions surround. However, this park has more than one central lake. The center of the park is actually an island floating in the middle of a moat, and then there are more rides on the outer perimeter of the moat. Everywhere you look, there is water. The most special part is that from multiple vantage points in the park, you can see the retaining wall and the open sea beyond it. Truly beautiful. It reminded me of The Little Mermaid 2, when Ariel’s daughter Melody was in the castle looking out beyond the wall to the sea (except this wall isn’t quite as towering).

DisneySea is split up into seven ports-of-call (themed lands). Below I have provided a brief description of each port, our favorite attractions, and some photos. (NOTE: FP=FastPass and SR=Single Rider)

Mediterranean Harbor: This romantic Italian-themed port town includes mostly shops and restaurants, but also a couple of cool rides.
- Venetian Gondolas: This attraction can take out as many as 16 guests while two gondoliers ride you around and serenade you as you go.
- Soaring: Fantastic Flight: This ride actually opened in 2019 after our trip but it’s pretty great so I wanted to add it in. It’s similar to the Orlando Florida Epcot and Shanghai China counterparts, except the aircraft is a Renaissance-era Dream Flyer and some of the landscapes you fly over are replaced by Japanese landmarks such as Mt. Fuji and Tokyo DisneySea.

American Waterfront: As a New Yorker myself, I felt all the New England charm while walking through the New York Harbor area and old Cape Cod fishing village. There were a bunch of fun small details that made us feel like we were back at home.
- Tower of Terror (FP): Japan takes a really unique look at this familiar ride. Since The Twilight Zone is not well known in Japan, the ride is just called Tower of Terror and creators developed a full storyline for the drop ride that is very different from all other versions of this ride around the world.
- Toy Story Mania! (FP): This was such a fun 3D ride which includes individual cannons that fire simulated projectiles as you compete in five mini-games while you ride through the full experience. They keep score as you go, so you can gloat to your friends if you’re the winner. Lines can get extremely long as it’s probably the second-most popular ride in the park. It’s modeled after the California Disneyland Toy Story ride.

Port Discovery: Going from old world ports to this futuristic marina was a trip! It had the most modern vibe in the park.
- Aquatopia: This was one of the most unique rides in the park. The ride includes 36 personal (two person) hovercrafts which moves around on wheels on a trackless system in shallow water for the illusion of floating on water. The trackless system provides a surprise route, as you don’t know where the hovercraft will take you next.
- Nemo & Friends SeaRider: A simulated experience where you shrink down and go on a Dory-guided tour through the ocean. Check out this awesome 360° video from Adventures in VR, and don’t forget to swipe the screen around to see the full perspective.

Lost River Delta: This port is farthest in the back of the park and is depicted as a remote Central American jungle inclusive of ruins of an ancient civilization.
- Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull (FP) (SR): This enhanced motion vehicle is nearly identical to the California Disneyland Temple of the Forbidden Eye. What a fun ride, and we hardly waited at all to get on due to single rider.
- Raging Spirits (FP) (SR): A thrilling roller coaster attraction taking you through ruins of an ancient Peruvian Incan civilization. This ride was inspired by Disneyland Paris’s Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril. This is the only ride in Tokyo Disney Resort (both Disneyland and DisneySea) to have an inversion.

Mermaid Lagoon: This one is for the Ariel fans. Mermaid Lagoon features the Palace of King Triton and seashell-inspired architecture. You will experience under the sea adventures with Ariel and all her friends in this mostly indoor port giving you a true under the sea vibe. This is also the perfect area to visit if it starts to rain, since it’s almost entirely indoors.
- Mermaid Lagoon Theatre: King Triton’s Concert (FP): This show was really fantastic!! I could have watched it again and again. It included a beautiful display of live actors suspended by cables and floating through the air, puppetry, robotics, and display screens. This is definitely a must-see in my book.
- Surprisingly, Hubby and I spent two to three hours here. There were lots of smaller rides in this area geared toward children, but Hubby and I rode all of them and enjoyed every single one. There was also a fun area with rope bridges and other obstacles.

Arabian Coast: A step into this port feels a bit like you’re in a waterfront Agrabah with architectural influences inspired by the Middle-East and India.
- The Magic Lamp Theatre (FP): An indoor 3D pre-show and show featuring the Genie and friends was entertaining and a retreat from the heat.
- Caravan Carousel: This isn’t just any carousel. This is a two-story carousel including famous Disney characters such as the Genie. A beautiful and unique take on a traditional ride. We rode at night, and it was magical. The pictures don’t do it justice.
- Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage: This was my hubby’s favorite non-thrill ride in the park. It has a similar feel to It’s a Small World. You sit in a boat and ride around while the characters (which are even similar size and look to It’s a Small World) tell you the story of Sinbad. It had a nice song called “Compass of Your Heart” composed by Alan Menken playing in the background.

Mysterious Island: Based off of Jules Verne’s novel The Mysterious Island, this island is Captain Nemo’s lair. The center of the island is a volcano (Mount Prometheus), and it’s in this port where you will experience the depths of the Earth and sea.
- Journey to the Center of the Earth (FP): This ride was regrettably closed while we visited, so although I don’t have a firsthand perspective, I had done my homework in anticipation of going to the park that day. It has similar technology to Epcot’s Test Track and is the most popular ride in the whole park. That is partly because this ride is exclusive to Tokyo DisneySea and you won’t find it anywhere else in the world.
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (FP): After you board a small submarine, you go on a sea journey with some unexpected turns. Although you are not actually underwater, the special effects in and around the submarine are really convincing. This ride is similar to other rides at Disney parks around the world such as California Disneyland’s Submarine Voyage and the Orlando Florida Magic Kingdom 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride (which retired in 1994).

Pro Tips:

FastPass: Maximizing FastPass while at the park will help you to see everything in one day. Disney app now allows you to do FastPass directly from your smart phone. It’s so convenient, because you used to have to go back to the ride to scan your ticket. Now you can sign up for FastPass from anywhere in the park. Don’t forget to keep an eye on time and ensure you don’t miss the ride window. Once you are allowed to reserve another FastPass, do it! All rides that offer FastPass are listed above as “FP”. As you can see, there are plenty of options.
Single Rider: There are two rides in the park that offer single rider options: Indiana Jones Adventure and Raging Spirits. Single rider allows you to go through an entrance separate from the main line which will save you a bunch of time (similar to FastPass). Although my husband and I were in a new country, we didn’t mind splitting up for a few minutes of the ride to save the hour wait time. We made a game plan of where to meet when the ride ended, and basically walked onto both of these rides without lines. If you are trying to accomplish every ride in a single day, plus some shows and dining, then this is an awesome option for you to take advantage of.

Snacks

Disney is well known for creating inventive treats that are new concoctions, as well as serving familiar treats in the shapes of our beloved Disney characters. While in this park, we enjoyed several treats that were sometimes really yummy, and sometimes not.

First things first, a MAJOR shout out to the staff in the show lottery kiosk (more info on that process below) that truly made our entire day of snacks possible. Hubby and I had been wearing Disney celebratory pins for our wedding and did not win lottery tickets for the show. The staff recognized our pins, and the fact that we were not granted tickets, and asked us to hold a minute. They came back and presented us with two lanyards and a small piece of paper. This gift allowed us to consume UNLIMITED popcorn all day long from popcorn kiosks. It was incredible. Popcorn is nothing new. We have it in America and all over the world, but Japan Disney does it right. They offer the most variety of, and in some cases inventive, flavors that we’d never seen. On that particular day, they were offering seven flavors (an example of this can be seen on the bottom left hand corner of the park map above). As we went through the park, we tried every flavor, some more than once. It was wonderful. I think I liked all the flavors except the seaweed flavor which was too fishy for me. What a generous gift. We have never received any type of kindness like this from theme park staff. It truly made our day. We actually filled up on so much popcorn that we hardly ate anything else, but it was worth it.
I ordered a really tasty seashell-shaped sea salt (wow say that three times fast) ice cream in Mermaid Lagoon.
From the not-so-great side, we had a pasta dish from a restaurant inside the Mediterranean Harbor that was actually really awful. As an Italian myself, I’m a very tough critic and shouldn’t have ordered a pasta dish in a Disney Park in Japan. Mistake number one and I really blame myself for that. But word to the wise, just because it looks like you’re strolling down a Venice street, does not mean the food will taste authentic.

Pro Tip:

As I noted above in our popcorn gift section, we had been granted that gift because the staff recognized we were celebrating. If you aren’t aware, at most Disney Parks around the world, you can ask at Guest Services if they offer free celebratory pins. These are FREE SOUVENIRS, people! Disney usually offers a few kinds. Sometimes a generic “celebrating” or “birthday” or sometimes “just married.” It’s a long story, but we actually traveled on our honeymoon WITH “just married” pins from Orlando Florida Disney because we wanted to wear pins in the park and weren’t sure if they offered them. We had visited Hong Kong Disney ^^^^LINK: https://amarvelousevent.com/blog/two-days-in-hong-kong/ ^^^^^ a few weeks before Japan, and wore our Orlando pins to that park. At guest services we were provided new Hong Kong “just married” pins! Score!! Now in Japan, we asked at guest services if they gave pins, and unfortunately they didn’t (don’t let that stop you from still asking for the pins, as perhaps they changed the offering since 2018). So we wore our Hong Kong pins around the park, and I’m sure that had we not been wearing the pins, we never would have received the popcorn gift because those two ladies wouldn’t have known it was our honeymoon. To make a very long story short: get your free souvenir and wear them to the parks.

Land Shows

There are several land-based stage shows that are ticketed or walk-up. For the ticketed shows, tickets can be reserved in two ways: a computer-generated lottery system to win assigned seats, or a standby line. The lottery machines are located at Biglietteria in the Mediterranean Harbor just before the gondola bridge (or from the park app on your smart phone once you have entered the park), and I recommend you try lottery first before standby. Simply hold up your ticket barcode for everyone in your group, choose your show time, and then the screen tells you if you win or miss out on tickets. We tried our hand at the lottery and did not get tickets. And the standby lines were always a madhouse, so we missed the show I really wanted to see. Such a bummer as I am a theatre enthusiast and would have loved to have seen the production (even though it was probably in Japanese).

Big Band Beat (Lottery): A large production swing jazz show and known as one of the best shows in the park. This is the most coveted lottery ticket.
Hello, New York!: Presented in the New York area of American Waterfront and shows Mickey and friends enjoying the Big Apple.
A Table is Waiting: An outdoor show that follows a catchy tune and takes you through different cuisines from around the world. Seating is available on a first-come first-served basis.
My Friend Duffy: Presented at the Cape Cop Cook-Off, order a meal and sit back to watch the show while you dine.
Song of Mirage (Lottery): Brand new. In the Lost River Delta, Mickey and friends go on an adventure in search of the Rio Dorado.

Sea Shows

There are several sea shows in the Mediterranean Harbor ranging from a single barge to full-on productions. Many people claim a viewing spot as early as two hours in advance of the show. So if you are serious about having an unobstructed view, pick your spot, grab a snack to munch on, and park yourself there for a good deal of time. A few coveted spots to watch from are in Mickey Square (right in front of the harbor), Lido Isle (a small island to the left of Mickey Square), the bridge between American Waterfront and Mysterious Island, and the stage area in front of Zambini Brothers to the right in the harbor.

Mickey & Friends Harbor Greetings: Single decorated barge with Mickey and all his friends parading through the harbor to say hello. We saw this during our visit.
Transit Steamer Greeting: Brand new. Similar to above with Mickey and friends saying hello, except this time on an antique steamer boat.
To end the night, we grabbed a spot around the lagoon to watch the nighttime parade on the water that was called Fantasmic! It was absolutely magical. Such a creative display of moving boats, characters, water, lights, and pyrotechnics. Really impressive. Disney retired this show in March of 2020 and released a new show called Disney Light the Night, which is a fireworks and music display that can be seen and heard from all over the park and not just along on the water. You’re in for a real treat to end your night, because Disney knows how to say goodbye and thanks for visiting! The video below will give you a glimpse of the Fantasmic! show we experienced in 2018.

Video credit: TokyoDisneyResortOfficial

Pro Tips:

Sometimes if the park isn’t too crowded, shows will be on a first-come first-served basis, and you won’t need the lottery system.
Sometimes the first show of the day is first-come first-served and it’s just a 30-minute wait in line to gain entry. So if you’re at the entry gate early, you are almost guaranteed to see the show if you head straight to the theatre.

Decor

Easter in 2018 was April 1st, and we visited the park at the end of May while they were still decorated . Look at all these cool eggs!

We had the most incredible day at DisneySea. It was both of our first times there, we experienced a new park and new rides, were spoiled by the park staff, and just had the most magical time. Of our six-week honeymoon around the world, DisneySea is definitely the thing I rave about most. Whenever I know someone going to Japan I recommend it, whenever I learn about someone who loves Disney Parks or has visiting all the Disney Parks on their bucket list (like me), I share our experience with them. It was really an unforgettable day, and I can’t wait to visit Japan again and go back to DisneySea!

🐭🏰🧜‍♀️🐚

Although my post covers our 2018 experience, I wanted to provide you with a park update as Disney had planned some additions that were slated to open in spring of 2020. I don’t believe the park was open for that launch due to Covid, but it will be an exciting time once the park reopens.

Video credit: TokyoDisneyResortOfficial

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