Opened in 1952, Efteling Theme Park is not only one of the oldest theme parks in the world, but is consistently voted one of the best. It draws inspiration from darker European fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen and Brothers Grimm, plus myths, legends, and folklore. The park is also known for its focus on sustainability, including high construction standards with no plastic or concrete, and plenty of green space.
You need to reserve your admission ticket in advance to visit the park. If you’re visiting during peak times, a skip-the-line admission ticket could save you hours of waiting. The park has a free app that you can download before you go to help pre-plan your trip and narrow down the attractions you most want to visit. It also helps you monitor queue times to make the most of your time in the park.
Efteling Theme Park is located in Kaatsheuvel in the southern Netherlands. You can reach it by car or public transport—buses and trains from Amsterdam take around two hours, with one change at Hertogenbosch. You can also easily reach Efteling from mainland Europe, with Antwerp (Belgium) just over an hour away and Düsseldorf in Germany just under two hours away.
Efteling Theme Park is open year-round, with different seasonal activities, events, and attractions on offer, however, daily opening hours vary, and some rides—like the river rapids—are only open during the summer months. Some attractions might also be closed in winter or due to bad weather. Plan to arrive early to spend a whole day at the park.
Efteling covers 72 hectares (180 acres) and includes five different “realms”: Reizenrijk (Travel Realm), Marerijk (Fairy Realm), Ruigrijk (Adventure Realm), Anderrijk (Other Realm), and Fantasierijk (Fantasy Realm), which was added in 2017. If that all sounds like too much walking, don’t worry: There’s also a steam train that runs back and forth between Adventure Realm and Fairy Realm, where you’ll find the Fairy Tale Forest and many of the park’s historical rides and attractions.
