Arnhem travel guide
A Bridge Too Far, trolleybuses and the Veluwe on the doorstep
Gelderland's capital on the Nederrijn, visited for the 1944 battle sites, the Open Air Museum, Burgers' Zoo and the Veluwe to the north. May to September suits the outdoor sights, and early September brings the Airborne March. Two days is about right. Costs are very high, and many passports enter visa-free for 90 days.
Arnhem is the capital of Gelderland, set on the Nederrijn close to the German border, and most people come for the 1944 battle that the film A Bridge Too Far made famous. The bridge you see today, named after British commander John Frost, is a 1948 replacement for the one destroyed after the fighting. The Airborne Museum in neighbouring Oosterbeek tells the rest of the story.
North of the centre, the land rises into woods. Burgers' Zoo and the Netherlands Open Air Museum (farmhouses and mills rebuilt from across the country) sit close together here. The northern tip of the municipality reaches into Hoge Veluwe National Park. Park Sonsbeek begins just behind the station; use the Sonsbeekzijde exit, the elevated walkway over the tracks.
Back in town, the Korenmarkt is ringed with café terraces by day and turns into the main nightlife strip after midnight at weekends. Look for the satyrs carved on the Duivelshuis (a 15th-century house that is now the mayor's office). Then buy a bag of Arnhemse meisjes, the city's sugared biscuits.
Explore Arnhem by theme
Find your kind of trip: 24 travel themes, each with the packages in Arnhem.
Arnhem at a glance
The essentials first-time visitors ask about, in one place.
Explore more of Netherlands
Pick a place by travel style: beaches, nature, cities, heritage.
Nothing in that category yet.
Top things to do in Arnhem
War history, open-air heritage and forest, all within a short bus ride of the station.
No things to do in Arnhem are listed yet. Browse all things to do
Best time to visit Arnhem
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Long days for the Open Air Museum, Burgers' Zoo and cycling into Hoge Veluwe.
The Living Statues contest fills the centre on the last weekend of August, and the Airborne March runs through Oosterbeek on the first Saturday of September.
The Airborne March on the first Saturday of September draws tens of thousands of walkers to Oosterbeek; book rooms early for that weekend.
Packages in Demand
A Journey to Remember
Tours, activities and day trips in and around this destination, with the details you need before booking.
No packages in Arnhem are listed yet. Browse all packages
Create Your Custom-Made Trip to Arnhem
Traveling to Arnhem? Chat with a Local Travel Specialist in Arnhem Who Can Help Organize Your Trip.
START HEREOur Travel Experts are Recommended by
Plan your trip
Practical answers before you go. Pick a topic.
Getting there
Arnhem Centraal and the ICE
Arnhem Centraal serves Dutch and German arrivals alike: direct Intercitys come from Schiphol, Amsterdam and Utrecht, the Amsterdam to Frankfurt ICE calls here, and the RE19 runs to Düsseldorf. Use the city-side exit for the buses and the old centre, and the Sonsbeekzijde exit for Park Sonsbeek and FlixBus coaches.
- Schiphol (AMS)
- Direct Intercity to Arnhem Centraal
- Germany
- ICE towards Frankfurt; RE19 to Düsseldorf, where the Deutschlandticket is valid
- FlixBus
- Stops at the Sonsbeekzijde exit
- Taxi
- Ranks outside Arnhem Centraal; book airport transfers ahead
- Skip the snack shops inside the station; the same things cost noticeably less a few minutes away in the centre.
Where to stay
Stationsplein, the Korenmarkt, Sonsbeek or Oosterbeek
Most of Arnhem's hotels cluster by the station or in the old centre around the Korenmarkt, with a hostel in the green north near Sonsbeek and quieter rooms in Oosterbeek. Rooms are tight on the Airborne March weekend in early September, so book ahead for it.
- Station area
- Hotel Haarhuis on Stationsplein, steps from the trains and trolleybuses; busy streets around it
- Centre near the Korenmarkt
- Walk to bars and restaurants, loud late on weekends
- North near Park Sonsbeek
- Greener and quieter, with the Stayokay hostel on Diepenbrocklaan a short city-bus ride from the station
- Oosterbeek
- West of the city by the Airborne Museum, a village base for battle-history visitors
Getting around
Trolleybuses and bikes
Arnhem is the only Dutch city still running trolleybuses, and the network is quick and frequent from the bus station at Arnhem Centraal. Since RRReis replaced Breng in mid-2026, check line numbers in the 9292 planner. Bikes are hired by the station exit with a bank-card deposit, and the old centre is small enough to walk.
- Trolleybus
- Frequent electric network from Arnhem Centraal
- Regional buses
- Direct lines to Apeldoorn and Nijmegen from the station
- Bike hire
- Stationsplein, card deposit required
- Taxi
- Rank near the station
Know before you go
What makes Arnhem worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- John Frost Bridge, best crossed on foot to picture the 1944 fight for the original span.
- The Open Air Museum, where whole farmsteads and mills from across the Netherlands have been rebuilt in the woods.
- Park Sonsbeek, a landscaped park that starts right behind the station.
Good to know
- Nightlife starts late: the Korenmarkt bars stay quiet until after midnight at weekends.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Arnhem, month by month
Arnhem's summer highs reach about 23°C in July and August, and January's about 5°C. December is the wettest month at about 91 mm, April the driest at about 44 mm.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Deelen, Arnhem (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, via Wikipedia).
Arnhem's Duivelshuis, the Oosterbeek battlefield and the Open Air Museum
Spend two days in Arnhem. On the first, walk from Arnhem Centraal to the Duivelshuis on Koningstraat, a 15th-century house with satyrs on its front, past the Korenmarkt to John Frost Bridge and on to the Airborne sites at Oosterbeek. On day two, head north into the woods for the Netherlands Open Air Museum.
Evening: back in town, eat near the Korenmarkt and pick up a bag of Arnhemse meisjes from a bakery for later.
Day two. Head north, where the ground rises into woodland. The Netherlands Open Air Museum and Burgers' Zoo are neighbours, so give one the morning and add the other if energy lasts. With a bike, push on into Hoge Veluwe National Park, where free white bikes wait inside the gates for the paths across heath and forest. Save the last hour for Park Sonsbeek, the landscaped park that begins right behind the station, before catching your train.
Arnhemse meisjes, 't Taphuys and evenings on the Korenmarkt
Take home an Arnhemse meisje, an oval, flaky biscuit baked under a crust of sugar and sold by bakeries in the centre. Most restaurants sit in and around the old centre, 't Taphuys among the beer stops, and nightlife runs late around the Korenmarkt, whose bars fill only after midnight.
Most restaurants sit in and around the old centre, with another cluster in the Kronenburg shopping centre south of the river. Set For Wish on Looierstraat, near the Velperplein, is a Japanese-themed ramen bar with rice bowls and vegetarian choices. On Jansplein, the neo-Gothic former post office of 1888 to 1890, the Postamt, now houses 't Taphuys, a big beer hall where the building is half the attraction.
Nightlife runs late. The Korenmarkt and its side streets hold the pubs, clubs and bars, among them The Cavern and Jules, but on weekdays and before midnight at weekends the scene is quiet; crowds arrive after twelve. For an earlier drink, take a seat on one of the Korenmarkt cafe terraces in daylight. On the last weekend of August, the Living Statues contest brings around 250 performers to the centre, with children on the Saturday and adults on the Sunday afternoon, and the cafes do brisk trade.
Travelers are asking
No questions yet about Arnhem. Ask the community or our travel team, and the answer will show here once it is published.
Our travel desk answers questions about Arnhem
How we research our Arnhem travel guide
Arnhem's rail, ICE and trolleybus details, including the 2026 switch to RRReis, are checked with NS Dutch Railways and the city's official site, and the Battle of Arnhem sites against Holland.com and Wikipedia's Arnhem entry.
Last updated . Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of ArnhemHolland.comNS Dutch Railways
Before You Go...
Discover Trips & Info
A Travel Network Connection Travelers and locals
Incredible Event & Festival, Don't Miss!
Most Popular Event & Festival of Arnhem
Festivals and events in this destination, with dates, venues and ticket details where available.
No upcoming festivals or events in Arnhem are listed right now. Browse all events
Memorable Experiences
Where to Go (& NOT Go) In Arnhem!
Roaming the World one Adventure at a Time: Travel Tales, Tips, and Inspiration for wanderlusters.
Subscriber
Popular car hire destinations
Explore more options to hire a car for cheap
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Arnhem.
General
Direct Intercity trains run from Schiphol to Arnhem Centraal. From the station, the centre is a few minutes' walk.
John Frost Bridge is in the city, the Airborne Museum is in Oosterbeek just to the west, and the Airborne Monument stands on the Ginkelse Heide near Ede, where paratroopers landed.
Yes, it is the only Dutch city that still runs them. The network starts at the bus station inside Arnhem Centraal.
By train, a ride of about a quarter of an hour, or by regional bus from the station, which takes longer.
Yes. The ICE runs to Frankfurt, and the regional RE19 goes to Düsseldorf; the Deutschlandticket is valid on the RE19.
The city's own biscuit: oval, flaky and baked with a sugar crust. Bakeries in the centre sell them by the bag.
Arnhem goes out late. On weekdays and early on weekend evenings the Korenmarkt is quiet; the clubs and bars around it, The Cavern and Jules among them, fill up after twelve.
Arnhem is the only Dutch city still running trolleybuses, and the network is quick and frequent from the bus station at Arnhem Centraal. Since RRReis replaced Breng in mid-2026, check line numbers in the 9292 planner. Bikes are hired by the station exit with a bank-card deposit, and the old centre is small enough to walk.
Timing & weather
Yes, comfortably. Spend one day on John Frost Bridge, the centre and the Airborne Museum in Oosterbeek, and the second on the Open Air Museum or Burgers' Zoo with a ride into Hoge Veluwe.
On the first Saturday of September, in and around Oosterbeek. It has been held since 1947 and draws tens of thousands of walkers.
On the last weekend of August, with child performers on the Saturday and adults on the Sunday afternoon.
The best time to visit Arnhem is May to Sep. Outdoor museums and the zoo at their best, with the Living Statues contest in late August.
- Best overall: May - September (Long days for the Open Air Museum, Burgers' Zoo and cycling into Hoge Veluwe)
- Late summer events: August - September (The Living Statues contest fills the centre on the last weekend of August, and the Airborne March runs through Oosterbeek on the first Saturday of September)
July is the warmest month in Arnhem, with average highs of 23°C, and January the coolest, with lows of 0°C. December is the wettest month, at about 91 mm of rain; April is the driest. Arnhem's summer highs reach about 23°C in July and August, and January's about 5°C.
Visa & documents
Schengen rules govern entry to the Netherlands. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Crime in the Netherlands is low. Bike theft and pickpocketing in busy areas are the main issues; watch out for cyclists.
