The Gouda cheese market takes place every Thursday from 10:00 to 12:30, from 2 April to 27 August 2026, on the Markt in front of the 15th-century town hall. Entry is free. There is no market on 14 May 2026 (Ascension Day). Gouda is 50 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal by direct train.

Dates 2026 (confirmed)

Thursday markets, 10:00–12:30: every Thursday from 2 April to 27 August 2026 — 21 market days. No market on Thursday 14 May 2026 (Hemelvaartsdag / Ascension Day).

Special event: the Goudse Kaasspelen (cheese games) close the season on the last market day, with a normal cheese market in the morning followed by cheese-painting workshops, historical theatre, children’s activities and live music into the evening. Check goudakaasstad.nl for the exact programme.

Source: Gouda Kaasstad / Goudse Kaasmarkt (goudakaasstad.nl), checked 9 September 2026.

Dates 2027 (expected — to be confirmed)

The market runs from the first Thursday of April to the last Thursday of August. For 2027 expect Thursdays from 1 April to 26 August 2027, 10:00–12:30, probably without a market on Ascension Day (6 May 2027). We update this page as soon as Gouda Kaasstad publishes the 2027 schedule.

What happens at the Gouda cheese market

Gouda’s market is the most “Golden Age” of the three: farmers in traditional dress arrive with horse-drawn carts loaded with wheels of Gouda cheese, buyers taste and tap the cheeses, and the price is settled with the handjeklap under the arcades of the town hall. The cheeses are then weighed in the Goudse Waag (1668), which today houses the Cheese and Crafts Museum. Around the ceremony there is a crafts market, cheese tasting, a cheese girl and boy in costume, and often live music. The whole square is a UNESCO-worthy backdrop; combine it with the Sint-Janskerk’s famous stained-glass windows, 100 metres away.

Practical information

• Location: Markt, 2801 JG Gouda (town hall square). Waag: Markt 35.
• Admission: free. The Waag museum and the Cheese Experience charge admission.
• Timing: the ceremony starts at 10:00 and the busiest, most photogenic hour is 10:00–11:00. From 11:00 the square is calmer and you can talk to the farmers.
• Also on Thursday: the regular weekly market with local produce is on the same square, and shops stay open late (koopavond).
• Toilets, food: cafés around the Markt; try a warm stroopwafel at the Kamphuisen factory (Markt).
• Combine with: Kinderdijk windmills (bus/waterbus via Rotterdam, 1 h) or the Zaanse Schans is too far — choose Gouda + Kinderdijk as the “south” day and Alkmaar/Edam + Zaanse Schans as the “north” day.

How to get to Gouda from Amsterdam

• Train: direct Intercity Amsterdam Centraal – Gouda, every 15–30 minutes, about 50 minutes (also from Amsterdam Zuid). From Gouda station it is a 10-minute walk to the Markt.
• Car: 55 minutes via the A2/A12; park at Klein Amerika or Bolwerk and walk 5–10 minutes.
• Tour: few Amsterdam tours include Gouda on Thursday mornings; most visitors go independently by train and book the museums and the Cheese Experience in advance.

Frequently asked questions

Which day is the cheese market in Gouda?

Thursday mornings, 10:00–12:30, from the first Thursday of April to the last Thursday of August. In 2026: 2 April to 27 August, except 14 May.

Is the Gouda cheese market free?

Yes, watching the market is free. Museums, the Cheese Experience and tastings are paid.

Is Gouda cheese market better than Alkmaar?

They are different. Alkmaar is bigger and more theatrical (cheese carriers, 30,000 kg of cheese, three hours). Gouda is more intimate, with farmers’ carts and a beautiful town-hall square, and it fits well with a visit to the Sint-Janskerk and a stroopwafel factory.

How do I get from Amsterdam to Gouda cheese market?

Direct train from Amsterdam Centraal, about 50 minutes, then a 10-minute walk. Leave by 8:45 to be on the square at 10:00.

Can you buy cheese at the market?

Yes — from the stalls around the square, not from the farmers’ carts, which are part of the ceremony.

Plan the rest of your day

• Gouda travel guide
• Cheese Experience Gouda
• Dutch cheese markets overview
• Cheeses of Holland
• Kinderdijk windmills
• Alkmaar cheese market
• Edam cheese market