What does Bart say? – A Theme Park blog!

When you think of Amsterdam, you probably immediately picture the iconic canals, busy shopping streets, and the energy of Dam Square. It’s a city full of history, but just a stone’s throw from Central Station—across the water in Amsterdam-Noord—you can trade the busy streets for a spectacular flight over the entire country. At THIS IS HOLLAND, you step into a Flying Theater for a truly unique experience that shows you the Netherlands from a completely different perspective.

Even though I visit Amsterdam regularly, I have to be honest: I kept doubting whether I should visit THIS IS HOLLAND or not. However, since the film was completely renewed in 2025 and I had an appointment in the city anyway, I decided it was time to finally put it to the test. As a theme park enthusiast, I was mainly curious to see how this experience would compare to the world-class Flying Theaters I’ve done before, such as Voletarium in Europa-Park and Flight of the Sky Lion in LEGOLAND Windsor.

In this blog, I’ll take you through what THIS IS HOLLAND is exactly, the fastest way to get there, and most importantly: if it’s worth your visit whether you’re in Amsterdam for a day or a longer stay!

What exactly is a Flying Theater? An experience unlike any other.
To get the most out of your visit to THIS IS HOLLAND, it’s helpful to understand what exactly a Flying Theater is. Think of it like this: you basically walk into a cinema, but instead of individual seats, you take your place on a large platform. As soon as it begins, the entire platform slides forward, and you ‘fly’ into a giant spherical screen. Because the screen is so massive and curved, the room around you simply disappears. The floor beneath you vanishes, and suddenly your feet dangle freely in the air. Your only view is the film, making it feel exactly as if you are soaring above the Netherlands like a bird.

The reason this feels so incredibly real is that everything is perfectly synchronized. The moment you see yourself taking a turn over the Amsterdam canals on the screen, the platform you are sitting on smoothly tilts along with the movement. This truly tricks your brain into believing you are actually moving through the air.

That sensation is made even stronger by the extra sensory effects: when you skim over the sea, you feel a fresh breeze and a light mist on your face, and as soon as you hang above the tulip fields, the scent of flowers fills the air. You aren’t just watching a film; you are right in the middle of it because you feel, smell, and see everything happen at exactly the right moment. It’s essentially a kind of magical flight where you stay safely in your seat, but the technology gives you the undeniable feeling that you are soaring high above the bulb fields and the dikes.

The total experience: More than just flying!
Something I didn’t know beforehand is that the entire experience at THIS IS HOLLAND takes about an hour. It’s a complete outing, not just the nine-minute flight. Before you take to the skies, you go through several pre-shows where you learn all about the Netherlands. I thought I knew Dutch history pretty well, but I still picked up new things. For instance, you don’t just learn how the country was formed, but especially how we have fought against the water for all these centuries. I found the story of how they literally stamped the Flevoland polders out of the water and how those massive Delta Works protect us today particularly interesting to see.

In the second pre-show, you’re shown exactly which locations you will be flying over on a map. It’s a great mix: from the crowded Amsterdam canals and the port of Rotterdam to the peaceful Wadden Sea, the Veluwe forests, and of course, the iconic windmills and tulip fields. Immediately after, they share the safety instructions to make sure the flight goes as smoothly as possible. They explain simple things like where to stow your bag and what to expect when the platform moves toward the screen, so you can just relax and enjoy the flight without any worries.

Once you’re back on solid ground after the flight, you get the option to go again immediately for €8,50. Even though the flight was great, I don’t think it’s worth the extra money to do it a second time right away. The surprise is gone, and that first time is so impressive precisely because you’re experiencing everything for the first time. I would just stick to the single flight and use that money for something else in the city. I’ll get back to that in a moment!

How to get there and what to look out for?
Getting there from Amsterdam Central Station is super easy, as long as you know where to go. You need to head to the IJ-side of the station—so the back, not the front where all the trams are. From there, you just hop on the free ferry towards Buiksloterweg (look for the F4 sign). You don’t need a ticket or a chip card; you just walk right on. Once you get off on the other side, turn left and you’ll be at the entrance within a few minutes. The building is right next to the A’DAM Lookout, so you really can’t miss it.

One important tip: book your tickets for THIS IS HOLLAND and a timeslot on time! You can easily book your slot through the THIS IS HOLLAND website. Because only a small group of people can ‘fly’ at once, the time slots fill up pretty fast. They simply can’t fit a hundred people in the air at the same time. If you’re planning to go during the holidays or on a weekend, definitely book in advance. On weekdays you might get lucky, but if you have a specific time in mind, it’s better to be safe. It would be a waste of your day in Amsterdam if you showed up and there was no space left.

Make the most of your trip to Amsterdam with these tips:
If I’m being honest, I find the price for a single ticket a bit steep if you are only coming for THIS IS HOLLAND. It’s a great experience, but it’s quite a lot of money for just the flight. By the way, a quick tip: always buy your tickets online! It’s always cheaper than buying them at the ticket desk on the spot, so don’t waste your money there.

If you want to get more value out of your day, I’d definitely look into the combideals they offer on their website. You can combine your flight with other big attractions like Madame Tussauds or The Amsterdam Dungeon, which are both about a 20-minute walk from Central Station. Or even better, combine it with the A’DAM LOOKOUT—it’s literally right next door, so you don’t even have to walk.

I chose to only visit THIS IS HOLLAND this time because I didn’t have much time left in my day. But if you have a full day in the city, those combideals are much better for your wallet. The best part is that you don’t have to rush through everything in one go. You have 30 days to use the other tickets. Since these experiences only take a few hours, you’ll still have plenty of time left to explore the rest of the city. Amsterdam isn’t exactly ‘around the corner’ for me, so the combideal wasn’t interesting for me right now, but if you’re staying for a few days, it’s a smart way to see more for a lower price. It just gives you much more value for your money.

Conclusion: Is it worth a stop during your Amsterdam trip?
Honestly? Yes. I think THIS IS HOLLAND is definitely worth it and it’s absolutely not one of those cheesy ‘tourist traps.’ Since the location is so central, the whole trip only takes about an hour and a half before you’re back in the city center. A nice little bonus: the free ferry ride gives you a great view of the Amsterdam skyline, which is always a plus.

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been to a few ‘Flying Theaters’ before, like Voletarium in Europa-Park and Flight of the Sky Lion in LEGOLAND Windsor. While those are great, they are often part of a massive theme park day. What’s impressive about THIS IS HOLLAND is that it’s a standalone experience that easily holds its own against those big names. In fact, I have to say this is actually the most beautiful flight I’ve done so far.

The main difference for me was the personal connection; instead of a fantasy world, you’re flying over real, recognizable places. Seeing Loevestein Castle from the air was very special to me, especially since I live quite close to it. Seeing it from that perspective was a unique experience. Since the film was completely re-recorded in 2025, the quality is incredible and even beats the older tech I saw in Germany and the UK. Everything is crystal clear. I’m not planning on going back next week, but it’s definitely something I’d want to do again after a while!

Enjoy your flight and I hope you have an incredible experience at THIS IS HOLLAND! ✈️

Note: Since photography isn’t allowed during the flight, a the photos in this post were kindly provided by THIS IS HOLLAND to help strengthen this article.