GUIDE | NORTH SEA COAST

Beach Photoshoot Near Amsterdam: Where and When

By Aleksandria Rudenko | Published 3 November 2026

Couple dancing hand in hand at the edge of the North Sea, arms stretched wide, during a beach photoshoot in Noordwijk

For a beach photoshoot near Amsterdam, you can choose between three beaches and the dunes behind them. Zandvoort is the easiest to reach, with a direct train from Amsterdam. Noordwijk has 13 kilometers of sand and quiet dunes to the north. Scheveningen, in The Hague, has the Pier. And behind all of them lie the dunes, with old oaks, pines and sandy slopes.

Every example below comes from a real session on this coast: a wedding, a proposal, couples and families. Days like these are also part of my photoshoots across the Netherlands. So this guide shows each place, its seasons, the outfits that worked and how booking works.

At a glance

By train: Zandvoort, a direct train ride from Amsterdam
Most sand: Noordwijk, 13 km of beach with dunes behind it
With a pier: Scheveningen, part of The Hague
In the dunes: Old oaks, pines, sandy paths and slopes
Seasons: All year, from empty spring beaches to July sunsets
Weather: Wind is part of the coast; light rain is usually fine
Booking: One area per session: a beach and its dunes count as one

Beaches and Dunes Near Amsterdam

They all lie on the same North Sea coast, west and southwest of Amsterdam, yet each one feels different. Here they are from north to south, with the dunes last.

1. Zandvoort

Direct train from Amsterdam | Dune fences and beach terraces | Wide and quiet in early spring

Zandvoort is the easiest of the three beaches to reach by train. In fact, according to Visit Zandvoort, it’s the only coastal town with a direct train from Amsterdam almost to the beach. From the top of the beach, sandy paths run down between wooden dune fences and marram grass. Far down the sand, you can still see the high-rises of the boulevard.

Mother and daughter walking hand in hand and laughing along the waterline, the high-rises of Zandvoort far behind them — The waterline in Zandvoort, with the high-rises far behind

Sandy path down to the beach in Zandvoort beside a wooden dune fence and marram grass, a beach pavilion with string lights above

On a sunny summer day, a mother and her daughter started right here, by the dune fence. They danced at the waterline and stopped for a toast under orange and red parasols on a beach terrace. Their day is in a Mother’s Day gift in Zandvoort.

Mother raising her glass to her daughter on a beach terrace, a toast during the photoshoot she received as a Mother's Day gift

2. Noordwijk

Bus via Leiden or Sassenheim | 13 km of beach | Quieter beaches to the north

Noordwijk has no train station of its own: you travel via Leiden or Sassenheim and take the bus. In return, it has 13 kilometers of beach. Near the boulevards, beach clubs stand right on the sand. But farther north, the paths to the beach lead through quiet dunes.

Wooden boardwalk leading through a straw-roofed gate down to the sand and the sea on a cloudy summer day

Barefoot bride and groom running hand in hand into the foaming waves off the Noordwijk beach on their wedding day — Beachclub C’s gate to the sand, then a barefoot run into the waves

In late July, a couple said yes on the deck of Beachclub C and then ran barefoot into the sea. On a July evening, two visitors from Ghana walked the waterline as the sun broke through, just before sunset. Their evening is in sunset on Noordwijk beach.

Laughing couple running barefoot along the beach at Noordwijk on their photoshoot by the sea, she in a long brown dress, he in a pale blue shirt

3. Scheveningen

Part of The Hague | The Pier with its Ferris wheel | A wide, sandy beach

Scheveningen is the seaside of The Hague, so a session there belongs with my photoshoots in The Hague. Its landmark is the Pier with its Ferris wheel, and from the sand you can keep both in the frame.

Barefoot couple holding hands on Scheveningen beach before the proposal, the Pier and its Ferris wheel on the horizon — Scheveningen beach, with the Pier and its Ferris wheel

In late May, a man went down on one knee right here. His girlfriend still thought it was just a couple photoshoot. Read how it went in a surprise proposal on Scheveningen beach.

4. The Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen

Between Zandvoort and Noordwijk | Old oaks, meadows and deer | Entry ticket from age 18

Behind the beaches lie the dunes. The Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen, between Zandvoort and Noordwijk, have twisted old oaks, open meadows, fern woods and sandy slopes. In June, we even came across deer there twice. From age 18, you need an entry ticket, bought online in advance on the dunes’ own site. The area is open from sunrise to sunset, and dogs are not allowed.

Family of four laughing on a sandy dune top, one girl tugging her mother's hand and the other hugging her father, under a pale blue sky

A family of four had a picnic there under the oaks. Then the girls raced down a slope of tall grass and laughed on a sandy dune top with their parents. Their day is in a family picnic in the dunes.

5. Dune Woods and Open Sand

Pines, birches and crooked oaks | Sandy paths to walk | Room for a big group

Elsewhere along the coast, open sand turns into woods of pine, birch and crooked oak within a few steps. In mid-May, a newly engaged couple wandered from a huge fallen tree to a hut of branches. Their afternoon is in engagement photos in the dunes.

Two small figures in a wide dune valley, holding each other beneath a dark, heavy sky with a pale band of light

Couple holding each other close among the many crooked trunks of a low oak, dappled sunlight on the sandy ground around them — A dune valley under a heavy autumn sky, crooked oaks in May

What Each Season Feels Like on the Coast

Every season works by the sea, although each one looks different. In early spring, Zandvoort’s beach was wide and almost empty, with a cold wind and soft clouds. That whole session is in a pre-wedding shoot on the beach at Zandvoort.

May brought bright sun and a sea breeze to Scheveningen, and dappled shade under the oaks in the dunes. Summer then brought sunny days to Zandvoort, with parasols out on the beach terraces. In July in Noordwijk, the sky stayed gray until the sun broke through low over the sea.

On the beach after sunset, she hugs him and kisses his cheek at the end of their beach photoshoot, a last warm glow over the sea — The last glow after sunset in Noordwijk, July

Autumn is quieter and often overcast. One couple walked through the dunes under a heavy gray sky. On the beach, she pulled on a pink jacket. Then they finished with a drink outside a beach café, its lamps already lit.

She wraps her arms around him on the beach, her pale pink hooded jacket against his gray knit, the sea under heavy clouds

Raising their glasses outside a beach café after dark, warm lamps above them and colored lights glowing in the windows — Autumn on the beach, then café lamps after dark

What to Wear for a Beach Photoshoot

Layers worked best, with shoes that come off easily. By the sea, there is almost always wind. So a coat or a knit over your outfit helps, and it becomes part of the look. In early spring, long wool coats in camel and taupe went over cream sweaters. In autumn, it was a cream and a gray knit with jeans and boots, as in autumn in the dunes.

Woman in a taupe wool coat smiling into the camera as her fiancé hugs her from behind and presses his face to her cheek

Barefoot man in a pale blue shirt taking a solo turn on their beach photoshoot, smiling as he walks along a wide, empty stretch of Noordwijk sand — A wool coat in early spring, bare feet in July

On the sand itself, many couples went barefoot, from the waterline in July to the surf at the beach wedding. For dune paths, however, walking shoes work better. Among the oaks, one bride-to-be wore tan boots with her white sundress.

Long dresses that move in the wind look lovely here, too. Before every session, I share outfit suggestions. As my FAQ says, one or two outfits are plenty for the hour.

What If It’s Windy or Rainy?

Wind is part of every beach session, and it often makes the photos. Think of hair across a face, a lifting dress or a scarf over two heads. Light rain is also usually not a problem. If I confirm that the weather makes the session impractical, you can reschedule at no extra cost.

Couple laughing under a grey scarf pulled over their heads against the wind during their pre-wedding shoot in Zandvoort

Woman in a long dark brown dress walking barefoot through the shallow surf, the water curling around her feet

A gray sky is no reason to move the date. At a wedding on the beach in Noordwijk, the sky stayed gray all day. So the light stayed soft and even on every face. See that day in an intimate beach wedding in Noordwijk.

Hand in hand on the beach, he walks a step behind her as the wind blows her hair, the low sun of their Noordwijk photoshoot behind them — Wind and a low sun on the beach at Noordwijk, July

From experience

On a windy day, I turn you so the wind lifts your hair and clothes instead of hiding your face. When it gets strong, we use it: a scarf over two heads, a turned-up collar or a long hug.

How a Session on the Coast Works

One hour, one area. A beach and the dunes right behind it count as one area. So a session can start in the marram grass and end at the waterline, as several above did. I choose the spots and the route and guide you through the hour. You don’t have to prepare a thing.

Man hugging his partner from behind on the beach as both smile into the camera during their photoshoot in Noordwijk, the sea calm behind them

With a big group, I keep the route short. For a family of ten, three generations, I mapped out a small loop, so nobody had to walk far. Their day is in three generations in the dunes.

Three generations walking hand in hand across the sand, ten family members in one long line in the dunes with birches behind — Ten people, three generations, one walk across the sand

When you book, you choose the place yourself. Any travel costs or location surcharges are included in the checkout total and shown before you pay.

Planning a beach photoshoot near Amsterdam? Here is how my photoshoots across the Netherlands work.