Top Tips for Visiting in 2024

After a recent half term family holiday to Efteling, our Editor Jessica Ruth Gibson shares everything you need to know to plan your own trip to this magical Dutch theme park.

As you may know, here at Travelista, we love to feature lesser-known destinations you may never have thought of going – the underdogs – if you will. We often say, if you like that place place you will love this place – and here we have a perfect case of that. What if I told you there was an accessible alternative to Disneyland Paris – which is equally – if not more – magical? It’s also far less commercial, making it a lot more affordable than the juggernaut that is Disney. My son and I absolutely loved our first time at Efteling which is why I’ve put together this super useful Efteling guide guide, designed to help you plan your very own trip to the Netherland’s best kept secret.

Last updated July 2025

I travelled to the Netherlands in May half term with my five year old son and our extended family of grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins. It was a big family trip we’d been planning for quite some time. Although I am a professional travel content creator, this guide is 100% impartial and independent, based on my own experience as a paying customer at Efteling.

Efteling Guide Overview

I recommend reading the full guide, but you can also jump to each section using the menu below.

The Ultimate Efteling Guide: Top Tips for Visiting in 2025

Introducing Efteling Theme Park

Efteling is a theme park located in Kaatsheuvel in The Netherlands and is based around the core themes of fairy tales, folklore and fantasy. The park itself dates all the way back to 1952 (my Dad is now in his sixties and has memories of visiting Efteling as a child) and original features – such as the fairytale forest – still remain today. Covering 180 acres, its the largest theme park in the Netherlands and one of the oldest theme parks in the world – and I would say that it beautifully maintains romantic and nostalgic style of eras gone by.

The park is divided into 5 themed areas, otherwise known as realms. These are the fairy realm, the adventure realm, the travel realm, the fantasy realm and the fantasy realm. As well as the theme park, Efteling resort also includes The 4* Efteling Hotel, two holiday villages (Efteling Bosrijk and Efteling Loonsche Land) a theatre and a golf course.

Efteling has created its very own unique collection of characters which can be found in costume around the park. Meet and greet opportunities are available throughout the day and of course you’ll find all the character merchandise within the souvenir shop. Pardoes is the main character (Efteling’s equivalent to Mickey Mouse) and stepping inside Pardoes castle for the magical Symbolica ride is a must-do for any visit.

Rides and Attractions at Efteling

Whilst there are some larger thrill rides for adults and teens – such as the vertical drop rollercoaster Baron 1898. But I would say that Efteling best caters to children – offering magic and escapism into different worlds through an incredible curation of rides and experiences.

Adults will also love and appreciate the theming of the rides, especially theme park enthusiasts. The calibre of the dark rides (immersive indoor rides) completely blew me away, particularly Symbolica – which felt as if I could have been on a dark and magical Hollywood film set. These rides are so immersive and unique and I love how you just never know what’s around the corner. I won’t be sharing any spoilers!

Beyond the rides, there are also plenty of other attractions for the whole family such as themed playgrounds, splash zones, the walk-through fairy tale forest, shows and more. This means that even if you are not a huge lover of rides, you can still see and experience so much during a trip to Efteling.

What’s New at Efteling for 2025

If you’re planning a visit to Efteling in 2025, you’re in for a magical treat. From brand-new fairytale experiences to a highly anticipated on-site hotel, there are plenty of exciting updates to know about before you go.

A New Fairytale in the Forest: The Princess and the Pea

Efteling’s iconic Fairytale Forest welcomed its 31st fairytale in May 2025 – a whimsical, musical retelling of The Princess and the Pea. Tucked away in a charming open-air gazebo near the new hotel, this latest addition brings the beloved tale to life with playful animations and dreamy narration. It’s a lovely stop for younger children, or anyone who loves discovering the finer details of Efteling’s enchanting world.

Ride Updates and Refurbishments

Efteling’s commitment to storytelling extends beyond new additions – it’s also breathing fresh life into classic attractions.

De Vliegende Hollander has had a spooky glow-up, with a dramatic new scene that plunges riders into the flaming wreck of a cursed ship. It’s darker, more theatrical, and a must for thrill-seekers.
Over at Gondoletta, the park’s scenic canal ride, all boats have been upgraded for 2025. Expect more space, comfier seating, and the same peaceful views across Efteling’s lush landscape.
Danse Macabre, the park’s headline new attraction from late 2024, continues to wow visitors with its eerie atmosphere and unique rotating ride system. It’s now easier to access too, thanks to a free virtual queue available in the Efteling app – highly recommended for peak times.

Our Top Tips for Visiting Efteling

Stay overnight at one of the 3 Efteling accommodation types and visit the park for free! An overnight stay at Efteling always includes unlimited access to the park (inclusive Efteling tickets)! We stayed 2 nights at the Efteling Bosrijk and got free access to the park for 3 days.
Visiting during a UK half term is a great choice as often this does not align with a school break in the Netherlands, meaning the park is wonderfully quiet and the queue times stay to a minimum even though you’re travelling during school holidays.
Take advantage of the 15% off early booking discount or find a last minute deal for less.
Download the Efteling app for real time queue updates, an interactive map and more
Children under 3 get free entry to the park – just be sure to bring a valid ID with you (e.g passport) to prove their age.
There is a luggage storage and cloakroom at the entrance of the park. Overnight guests can store their luggage for free.
If you don’t want to bring a push chair but worry that your little one may not be able to walk the whole park, you can hire little wooden carriages to pull the kids around.
Efteling does not offer a ‘fast track’ product but there are single rider queues in the following rides; Baron 1989, Python steel roller coaster, Symbolica dark ride, De Dliegende Hollander water coaster, Max & Moritz dual track roller coaster and Joris en de Draak dual tracked roller coaster.
Be sure to check the ride height restrictions before visiting so that nobody in your party is disappointed if they don’t meet the height requirements
If you want to visit Efteling on a day trip from Amsterdam, you can book a Efteling Park day trip / tour which includes the price of your admission ticket (from £67.67)
Be aware that the language in both the rides and the shows is in Dutch – not English. We didn’t feel this impacted the experience too much as the experiences are so visual, meaning young children are still very engaged. You can still follow the basic storylines of the shows and the narrative on rides.
Some of the faster and larger attractions have a ‘Baby Switch’ facility, meaning two adults can queue up and ride separately whilst switching care for babies or children who are not tall enough to ride.

Best Child Ages to Visit Efteling

I will start by saying that there is something for every age at Efteling, from toddlers through to adults. One things for sure is that Efteling will bring out the child in you, as it’s a place that seems so far away from the worries and stresses of daily life. It’s pure escapism, which is probably why I loved it.

Efteling is a great ‘first theme park holiday’ for young children – it offers a brilliant alternative to Disneyland Paris, where there is a lot more stimulation and stamina a required. If you want to do both parks, I would say to do Efteling first and Disneyland second.

We had 3 children in a party of 8, and their ages were 5, 6 and 2 years old. I would say 5 to 8 are all perfect ages to visit the park, but there was plenty of rides that the two year old could enjoy and experience too. Babies, toddlers and young children can access all of the ‘dark rides’ as none of them are particularly fast or intense – it’s more about the wonderful theming, experience and journey. Older children will love the faster thrill rides but of course like any park, there are height restrictions.

How Long To Spend at Efteling

It’s entirely possible to visit Efteling for just one day, but even as two adults being as efficient as possible, I think you’d struggle to do everything in just one day. Certainly with young children, getting around the whole park (180 acres) in one day would not be a possibility.

If you want to ensure you cover every corner of the park and experience all of the attractions, I would say the optimum time is 3 days and 3 nights (remember if you stay overnight in Efteling accommodation your access to the park is included). We stayed for 2 nights at Efteling, which meant we got one half day, one full day and one 3/4 day in the park. Even with this much time, I still felt I could have spent a little longer and it would have been lovely to end day 3 back at our accommodation, rather than travelling home.

We combined our visit to Efteling with 1 night in Breda and 1 night in Gouda – two small and pretty Dutch cities close to Efteling itself. You could also consider staying for a night at Amsterdam before and

Park Highlights at Efteling in 2025 – Top Attractions

If you do only have one day to visit Efteling, be sure to prioritise these top attractions. After spending 3 days in the park myself, I would describe these rides and attractions as being the highlights of the park.

Symbolica

My favourite ride in the park – this is the most phenomenal dark ride I have ever experienced. Except the unexpected in this surprising and enchanting encounter with the magic Jester Pardoes. I don’t want to give too much away, but this is definitely a main attraction for all ages.

Droomvlucht (Dreamflight)

I think it was the inner-child in me that loved this ride the most. Enter a world of unicorns, forest animals and fairies in this enchanting indoor ride. Suitable for the whole family.

Baron 1898

One for the thrill seekers amongst your group – Baron 1898 is incredibly well themed, taking you back in time and then plunging you down a 37.5m free fall at 90 km/h. The minimum height for this ride is 1.32m.

Fata Morgana

Another favourite of mine. Be transported to the Far East and Arabian nights in this glittering and exotic world, with everything from criminals to kings. This dark ride is on water and you experience the ride on a boat.

Max and Moritz

Not the fastest, but definitely the funnest rollercoaster I’ve been on! I loved getting to experience this with my little boy who was brave enough to take on his first proper rollercoaster. This double roller coaster has two separate tracks and the concept is that the carriages race around the tracks – with a different winner every time. Music plays in the carriages and the speed gets faster as you race around the tracks, passing the other coaster at the same time. We must have done this one at least 5 times! Minimum height 1.00m.

Fairy tale Forest

Don’t miss one of the oldest and most enchanting parts of the park; the Fairy-tale Forest. Explore the woodland paths and you’ll discover lots of familiar fairytales and fables such as Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio and Little Red Riding Hood. Little ones will love seeing this fairytale world, with lots of things to look inside, walk through and climb into. We spent a good 2 hours here exploring all there was to see. You never know what’s around the corner in the unique fairy tale forest.

Raveleijn

We watched a show called Raveleijn and we were amazed by the quality and production value. It was a true spectacle combining jousting, horses, birds, special effects and pyrotechnics – be sure not to miss it.

Carnaval Festival

This wonderful children’s dark ride is Efteling’s equivalent to Disney’s Its a Small World. There were some uncanny parallels, but it’s also done in Efteling’s own unique and quirky style. Travel the world in 8 minutes on a journey that will be sure to delight small children.

There are new attractions coming to Efteling every year but this list will give you a flavour of some of the best.

The Ultimate Efteling Guide: Top Tips for Visiting in 2025

Best Times to Visit Efteling from the UK

If you’re planning to visit Efteling with school age children – this Efteling guide has a brilliant hack for you. Half term breaks in the Netherlands and the UK often don’t coincide, meaning you can take the kids to Efteling in the UK half terms and it’s still wonderfully quiet in the park. Our flights to Amsterdam were also fairly reasonable as it’s not a particularly popular ‘half term destination’. Therefore, I’d recommend visiting in either the February, May or October half terms.

If you’re travelling without school age children, you have much more flexibility, but it would be worth checking when schools in the Netherlands break up for holidays and avoiding these particular weeks. The summer season is, of course, Eftelings high season where you can expect to deal with more crowds and queues, but you’ll be blessed with better weather. I do also think visiting during Christmas time would be completely magical at Efteling and if I was to return I would probably going during the winter season.

Food and Drink at Efteling: What to Expect

From fast food to a la carte experience dining, there is a huge amount of choice when it comes to food and drink at Efteling. It did take a day or so to get our heads around the options on offer though and as they are spread out through the park, you often going for whatever is the most convenient at the time.

A la Carte Restaurants

There are 3 a la carte restaurants including Polles Keuken (pancake house), Het Wapen van Raveleijn restaurant (a unique heroe’s dining experience) and Pinokkio’s (pizza and pasta restaurant). I would strongly recommend making table reservations in advance for these restaurants if you want to enjoy the full experience and avoid queues or disappointment.

We dined at Polles Keuken during our trip to Efteling and loved the indoor theming, with spinning spoons, cakes and an open Pancake kitchen. It felt wonderfully whimsical and very Dutch. I can’t comment on the other restaurants but I am sure the bar is very high for these experiences too.

Self-Service Dining

The best place we found for lunch in the park was called Het Witte Paard which was a self-service restaurant. The canteen-style set up was brilliant as it meant everyone could pick up and order a variety of different food – much of which was freshly made and very healthy. You could choose from soup, loaded fresh sandwiches, hot meals, pasties, smoothies, fruit and cakes. There was a huge amount of choice and the pricing was pretty good value and didn’t seem to have any theme park inflation.

We also loved ’t Poffertje which was a great place to try some authentic Dutch Poffertjes (bitesized Dutch pancakes that are smothered in icing sugar and other toppings of your choice). These make for a brilliant snack whilst exploring the park, but you can also sit inside for a coffee or to rest tired feet.

Snacks and Food on-the-go

There are also plenty of kiosks for grab-and-go snacks and coffee – we absolutely loved the fresh pastries which are so much more fresh and delicious than you might think! Honestly Efteling has some of the freshest and healthiest food and drink offerings that I have come across in any theme park, and I’ve visited Alton Towers, Disneyland Paris, Disneyworld in Florida and Universal Studios Florida.

Although the prices for food and drink at Efteling are fairly reasonable, I’d still recommend stocking up with snacks in your bag for little ones so you can whip something out whenever hunger strikes.

Accommodation: Staying onsite at Efteling

Efteling has 3 different accommodation types on offer, allowing guests to stay super close to the park. Overnight guests also get park admission inclusive of their stay and they can even access the park 1 hour early, at 9am, before the park’s general opening hours at 10am.

As a part of 8 (5 adults and 3 children) we stayed 2 nights in a self-catering woodland cottage in Efteling Bosrijk. We paid a total cost of €1,135.00 between 8 and by doing this we got park tickets for 3 days for our whole party at no extra cost. When you split this out per head, that’s €141.87 per person for 2 nights accommodation and 3 days access to Efteling theme park. Compared to Disney, I think that’s exceptional value for money. To get this price, we took advantage of the 10% early bird discount, but even without this it would still feel affordable.

The Efteling Grand Hotel – Opening August 2025

One of the most exciting additions for 2025 is the brand-new Efteling Grand Hotel, which officially opens its doors on 1st August 2025. Set right at the heart of the park, this is the first time guests can stay in true luxury within Efteling itself – and it looks nothing short of magical.

Designed with seven grand floors, the hotel features 140 rooms and suites, many offering views of Aquanura, the Fairytale Forest or the Pardoes Promenade. Interiors are styled with rich colours and whimsical details that nod to the park’s storytelling heritage.

Guests can enjoy:

Restaurant-Bar Mystique for elegant, themed dining
Brasserie 7, a more relaxed option with playful menu touches like ‘fairy dust’ and ‘dragon’s breath’
Café Biscuit, a chic patisserie-style spot for coffee and treats
A serene spa and indoor pool, perfect for a wind-down after a day in the park
An exclusive hotel shop, valet parking and digital check-in

Staying at the Grand Hotel also comes with exclusive perks like early park access and direct entry into the Fairytale Forest – ideal for families wanting a head-start on the crowds.

Efteling Bosrijk

We stayed at Efteling Bosrijk which is an enchanting woodland village with individual self-catering cottages. The space is beautifully landscaped with open spaces, mini play grounds, water ways and bridges. There’s also a swimming pool which guests have access to at no extra charge. The cottages come in different sizes – ours was a 4 bed which slept 8 people in total.

These quaint and pretty cottages come with a fully-equipped kitchen so you can cook your own meals, but be aware the shop does not have all that much in the way of groceries and amenities. If you are driving, I would recommend stocking up on food and drink before you travel and bringing it with you. If you don’t fancy cooking, there are also other catering options such as a restaurant and a pizza take away service – we tried it out and the pizzas were excellent.

Depending on the location of your cottage, the Efteling Bosrijk accommodation is a 8-12 minute walk from the park entrance – along a nice a woodland path.

Efteling Loonsche Land

Within Loonsche Land, you can choose between staying in a cosy holiday house or at the Loonsche Land Hotel, which offers cleverly designed hotel rooms to sleep up to 5 or 6 people, meaning a whole family can comfortably fit in one room. The Loonsche Land Hotel is a 15 minute walk from the park entrance, so it’s a little further away than the main Efteling Hotel.

Check out all official Efteling accommodation options.

TRAVEL TIP: We also recommend that you browse all hotels near Efteling

Getting There – Best Ways to Get to Efteling from the UK

Within this Efteling guide I am going to specifically talk about getting to Efteling from the UK and there are a number of options to get to Efteling including by boat, by train and by air. The nearest airports to Efteling are Amsterdam and Brussels, both of which provide some connecting transport options to Efteling. However, depending on where you’re located in the UK, a Ferry or the Eurostar may be a smarter choice.

Flights to Antwerp or Amsterdam Schipol

Flying is a universal option for getting to Efteling, regardless of your location. The airport you fly in to will likely depend on your departure airport. The closest airports are Antwerp and Amsterdam. From these airports, it takes a little over 1 hour to reach Efteling by road.

From Amsterdam Schipol Airport, take the train to Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch). There are bus connections that go to Efteling from here (bus lines 300, 301, 136 and 800). Get off at the Efteling bus stop.

From Antwerp Airport you can also travel directly to Efteling from Brussels and Antwerp on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with the Flixbus (bus line 811).

Pre booked private airport transfers from both airports would also be another option.

Search cheap flights to Amsterdam Schipol Airport

Search cheap flights to Antwerp Airport

P&O Ferry from Hull to Rotterdam

If you’re based in the North of England, I’d highly recommend taking the overnight P&O Ferry from Hull to Rotterdam. This way you can also bring your car and drive straight to Efteling from Rotterdam, which will take you approximately 1 hour 20 minutes (98.4km). The benefit of driving to Efteling means you can take plenty of home comforts including food and drink for self-catering accommodations. Taking the ferry and staying overnight on it is all part of the adventure and means you can extend a 2-3 night stay with an additional 2 nights on the ferry. If you have the time, this is a nice benefit.

Book the cheapest P&O Ferries directly on the P&O website

Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels (Direct)

If you live in or near London, consider using the Eurostar as your portal to Efteling. You can take a train directly from St Pancras to Brussels. This train journey takes 1 hour 53 minutes. From there, You can also travel directly to Efteling from Brussels on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with the Flixbus (bus line 811).

Book cheap Eurostar tickets from London St Pancras to Brussels

Eurostar from London St Pancras to Antwerp (1 change)

Travelling from London St Pancras to Antwerp by Eurostar is another great option. The train journey takes 3 hours 17 minutes with one change at Brussels. You can travel directly to Efteling from Antwerp on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with the Flixbus (bus line 811).

Book cheap Eurostar tickets from London St Pancras to Antwerp

If you’re visiting Efteling as part of a trip to Amsterdam, you can also book day ours or private transfers to Efteling and back in one day. The below tours offer some great options via our preferred travel booking site GetYourGuide.