Tips for Emmen mini-bus and coach tourism

Useful tips for Emmen bus groups with ‘what to see’ and ‘what to do’ items and  ‘bus- friendly’ or must see tourist sites in Emmen. Check our list of attractions before planning your bus tour with a stop or departure in Emmen. Let us know if your favourite attraction or ‘bus-stop’ is not there and you think we should add it to our list of Emmen highlights.

What to see and visit during your day trip or tour in Emmen with rented bus with driver

On bus tour trough Emmen? Then make time for these special places and buildings:

FC Groningen
Bus in the city of Emmen FC Groningen

Emmen Zoo

Perhaps the busiest destination for groups traveling by Drenthe with a rented bus. There "s nothing like a day watching exotic animals and this is the perfect opportunity; Emmen Zoo. The park has recently expanded and offers a variety of different animals, from the largest elephant to the most little slingshot monkeys. A day at Emmen Zoo is a perfect day trip away. The park also offers several restaurants where you can have a lunch. In the afternoon there are also plenty of opportunities to rest on one of the park benches and enjoy the view of the animals. For groups on tour, it is possible to get a guide or animal caretaker of the park with the attendant tells specific information about the different animals. Book this prior on your visit and everything will be properly arranged.

Terras in het dierenpark

Terras in het dierenpark credit: Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed CC BY-SA 3.0 NL

Dolmens Emmen

Dive in to Dutch history and come and visit the megalithic tombs in Emmen. Built from 3450 to around 3250 BC. Spectacular monument which is still in very good condition. Surrounded by the beautiful countryside, you will find a long grave in Emmen on Schimmeres. Long tombs consists of two dolmens with a cover hill on top. The long barrow is a unique type of dolmen which only has one of its kindin the Netherlands,  which is found in Emmen.

Broken Circle and Spiral Hill

Nature and art combined together into a spectacular art project by American artist Robin Smithson located in Emmen. The Broken Circle is a flattened piece of land on the edge of a lake. It is shaped, as the name says, as a broken circle. In the center of the circle there is a large stone that was discovered during the making of the Broken Circle. Initially, the American artist wanted to remove the stone, but he changed his mind later. According to him, the stone gives the work a special character, since these are the type of stones that were used for the making of the dolmens. Besides the Broken Circle in the water, they"ve built a hill with a diameter of 23 meters. The Spiral Hill stands as a parody of the tower of Babylon. On top of the Spiral Hill you have a magnificent view of the Broken Circle and the surrounding nature. It is definitely worth to come and see the Spiral Hill.

Broken Circle and Spiral Hill

Broken Circle and Spiral Hill credit: Gerardus CC BY-SA 3.0


The Veenpark open-air museum is located near the village Barger-Compascuum. Unfortunately the museum is not located in Emmen, but with a coach or bus, you can easily drive to the nearby village and visit the open air museum. The museum was built in 1966 in honor of the centenary of the licorice Barger - Compascuum . In the Veenpark you will find a few settlements that have been reconstructed. In the village you find a pub, a church, a school, a mill, a blacksmith shop and bakery. Also, it is possible to get a tour in the Veenpark. The Veenpark is open from 29th March to 27th October. Every day from 10:00 to 17:00. From 5 years old the entrance fee is € 13 per person, seniors from 65+ pay € 12,50.Veenpark open-air museum

Klompwoning van in het veenpark Barger

Klompwoning van in het veenpark Barger credit: Uberprutser CC BY-SA 4.0

Aquarena

For a day of relaxation, you can come to the swimming and wave pool Aquarena. There are various activities to do for different visitors. For the younger visitor, there is disco swimming and for the older group there is Aqua Jogging or aquazumba. Plenty of choice for young and old. The aquarena is open on Monday / Thursday from 11:00 to 20:30 , Friday from 11:00 to 21:00 and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 until 16:45. Admission is € 4.95 per person.

Shopping

Though Emmen is not the largest shopping paradise in the Netherlands, there are plenty of nice shops in the City Centre every day to get through. Go shopping on the Mondriaanplein the Monet Passage, the Notary Oostingstraat, Statenweg, the Picasso Passage, Wilhelmina Street and Nijbracht, these are the most popular streets of Emmen. Along with the various shops there are plenty of nice restaurants and cafes. There is also a weekly market every Friday that attracts many visitors.

Good food and specialties in Emmen

There are plenty of diverse restaurants in Emmen, where you can dine in the evening. Not only native Dutch type of food, but different dishes from several foreign kitchens. Emmen has a wide range of restaurants and therefore very different culinary specialties. From Italian to Chinese, from a sumptuous dinner to the most cozy afternoon high tea. In Emmen, each restaurant has its own specialties and therefore we have described some of the restaurants in Emmen:

Restaurant Pardoes Diner & High Tea

Restaurant Pardoes is located at the Kool Hope Street in Emmen. In the afternoon you can enjoy a high tea and in the evening you can enjoy different main courses and desserts at a fixed price of €25.95. It"s a great restaurant for a group while you can make a reservation for a separate room for your own group. The menu map varies from meat to seafood dishes.

Tea

Tea  credit: Gveret Tered CC BY 2.0

Goodfella "s Steak and Fisch

This restaurant is located on the dike in Emmen and has a wide range of meat and fish dishes. In the summer you can dine on the outdoor terrace. The restaurant also has special meals for vegans and people who are gluten or lactose-intolerant. Also, this restaurant is great to visit with a group. The costs for a starter, main course and dessert will be around €30.

About tourism and Travels in Drenthe

Are you interested in planning a trip in the province Drenthe? Here you can find information about hiring coaches, buses or other transportation facilities that make travelling around easier. You can also request quotes from different transport companies and compare them with each other, to choose the company that best suits you.

The province Drenthe is located in the northeast of the Netherlands. The province is bordered on the north by the province of Groningen, in the east the German state Lower Saxony, in the south the province Overijssel and in the west by the province Friesland. The area of the province is 2680.37 km ². The province of Drenthe is the least densely populated province of the country, with just under 500,000 inhabitants. Because the province is so sparsely populated, there are no really big cities and most people live in rural areas. The capital of the province is Assen, and also has the most inhabitants. The following larger cities of the province are Emmen and Hoogeveen.

Bird

Bird credit: Michael Pereckas CC BY 2.0

Zoo, Emmen

Attraction parks

For children there is plenty to do in Drenthe. There are a number of fun and family parks, such as the Park Oikos in Geldings and Drouwenerzand Park in Drouwen. Also visiting the Prison Museum in Veenhuizen is must. In this educational museum, children can see how a real cell looks at the role of judges sitting and much more.

Dolle Dobber at DippieDoe

Dolle Dobber at DippieDoe credit: Luuk58 CC BY-SA 3.0
The Rockin" Tug by Zamperla, at family park Dippie Doe.

Tours trough Emmen

As described previously, the three best-attended daytime attractions in Emmen are, Emmen Zoo, The Veenpark and the Aquarena. These are the perfect attractions for a day out (Aquarena especially in the summertimes). The attractions are easily accessible by a bus or a private bus. Not only you can visit these attractions, but there are many more fun things you can do or visit in Emmen.

Noorder Dierenpark

Noorder Dierenpark credit: Jan-Willem Reusink CC BY 2.0
Beautiful view of tiger in zoo Emmen

Culture

This province has something to do for every culture and every nature lover. The province of Drenthe has a rich cultural history and there are many historical relics. Over time 52 dolmens were found. These are stone tombs from the New Stone Age, which occur in the Northern Netherlands. Of the 54 dolmens found in the Netherlands, 52 are located in Drenthe. These dolmens consist of standing wear stones, covered by flat capstones. The longest Dutch dolmen is called the Long Tomb, located on the Schimmeres in Emmen. The coach rental companies with driver in Emmen are widely available.

Hunebed

Hunebed credit: GorissenM CC BY-SA 2.0

Walking tour through the city

Emmen has a great city center and offers a variety of shops and restaurants. A day walking through this pleasant city is a perfect getaway. The city center is also accessible by bike and therefore it is easy to know where you can rent a bike, so you can go and explore the city. Theo Brüning bikes located at the Weerdingerstraat in Emmen rents city bikes for 12.50 per bike per day. The electric bikes are slightly more expensive, they are 22.50 per bike per day. Not only offers Emmen a beautiful city, but nearby there is a beautiful nature which you can also discover by bike.

Transportation options to and from Emmen

Emmen also known as "Butterfly Town" has about 58,000 inhabitants and is situated in the south-east of the Dutch province of Drenthe. After World War II the weak economic south-east of Drenthe was further developed and is now a very popular province for domestic and foreign tourists. 1.2 million visitors come to Emmen annually for the famous Emmen Zoo. Next are mainly; Aquarena (swimming and wave pool) and the Veenpark (Drenthe open air museum), the most visited day attractions of Emmen. Not only does Emmen economically receive much income from tourism, but Emmen also has 1,000 hectares of industrial area and therefore it has the largest concentration of industry in the Northern Netherlands. There is plenty to do and it "s definitely worth it to make a day trip to Emmen.

Emmen

Emmen credit: Alias 0591 CC BY 2.0

Nightlife

After a day in Emmen, it is always nice to have some pleasant drinks in the evening at one of the pubs or discotheques in Emmen. You can find two nightclubs in Emmen, the Boogie bar and Dreams club. The smaller bars and cafes are mainly found at the mainstreet and on the market in Emmen. These include: the Brasserie bar, cafe Zwetser, Exodus and Striking. In the center you find a diversity of places where you can dine, and then do a relaxing drink or dance at one of the pubs or discos.

Café Hegeman

Café Hegeman credit: Geert Jannes Landweer CC BY-SA 4.0
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More about Emmen

Would you like to organize a bus tour to see all these beautiful highlights? Request quotes and compare the different bus and coach hire companies:

Bus tours in Emmen

More Emmen bus rental resources

Emmen bus tourism information