15 Unmissable Things To Do In Amsterdam

Amsterdam is 1 of the astir unsocial European cities, celebrated for its winding canals and constrictive houses, giving it the nickname “Venice of the North.”

While astir radical subordinate Amsterdam with the Red Light District, windmills and tulips, determination is successful information plentifulness of things to do successful Amsterdam for immoderate visitor, including families with kids.

If you’re not definite what to bash successful Amsterdam, past you’re successful luck, arsenic we interviewed a section resident, Monique Rubin, who has lived successful The Netherlands for implicit 14 years.

Monique shares with america a locals insider tips connected the champion attractions successful Amsterdam, positive gave america recommendations connected wherever to eat, drink, store and explore.

Go spot what she recommends…

Is Amsterdam Worth Visiting?

Amsterdam is location to astir 750,000 inhabitants, and is proof positive that bully things travel successful tiny packages.

There are much museums per capita successful Amsterdam than any other European metropolis and its metropolis halfway has thousands of protected historical buildings, including the famously narrow, lofty erstwhile merchants’ canal houses.

There are also a fig of fantastic attractions, gorgeous parks and trendy neighborhoods teeming with shops, restaurants, and cafes.

All of this makes Amsterdam 1 of the astir unsocial destinations successful Europe, and for that reason, it’s decidedly worthy visiting.

Amsterdam Go City Pass

Before we get into the apical things to bash successful Amsterdam, we conscionable privation to springiness you a heads up connected ways you tin prevention wealth connected Amsterdam’s attractions.

The Go City Pass allows you to prevention wealth connected respective apical attractions successful the metropolis arsenic good arsenic let you to skip those pesky lines.

Get escaped entranceway to the Moco Museum oregon footwear backmost and unbend connected a canal cruise. Choose from implicit 25 attractions successful the city, including the Heineken Experience.

Things to Do successful Amsterdam

Not definite what to bash successful Amsterdam? Don’t worry, these are the astir unmissable attractions successful Amsterdam to adhd to your to-do list.

1. Take a Canal Cruise

Amsterdam is known arsenic the “Venice of the North” because it has truthful galore canals.

A canal cruise is the cleanable mode to instrumentality successful the unsocial architecture and scenery of the city, arsenic good arsenic walk by four main sites successful Amsterdam; Singel, Keizersgracht, Herengracht and Prinsengracht – which are connected the UNESCO World Heritage List.

As you sail astir the canals, you volition beryllium fixed an adept commentary of the sites earlier you, arsenic good arsenic a small spot of past of the city.

It’s 1 of the astir relaxing things to bash successful Amsterdam.

2. Visit the Anne Frank House Museum

No travel to Amsterdam would beryllium implicit without a sojourn to the Anne Frank Museum, housed successful the 17th period gathering where Anne and her household hid successful a concealed annex during World War II.

If you are unaware of who Anne Frank was, she was a young Dutch Jewish miss who was 1 of the astir celebrated victims of the atrocious holocaust successful the Second World War.

She became celebrated for penning a diary of her clip successful hiding successful an attic successful Amsterdam, and truthful the house, which is present a museum, has been acceptable up successful the aforesaid way, taking visitors connected a biographical travel done her life, arsenic good arsenic different Jewish victims of the time.

You tin spot photographs, letters and documents, arsenic good arsenic exhibits detailing the contents of the diary and what beingness would person been similar for Anne.

The depository is simply a somber and important reminder that humanity needs to bash better.

3. Visit the World-Class Museums successful Amsterdam

Amsterdam is simply a mecca of museums, offering everything from iconic past museums specified arsenic the Rijksmuseum, to the weird and fantastic niche museums specified arsenic the Torture Museum.

The Museumplein is wherever you’ll find the world-famous Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, arsenic good arsenic the city’s modern creation museum, the Stedelijk.

Though some the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh museums are without a uncertainty the must-see museums successful Amsterdam. If you lone person clip for 1 oregon two, marque it these ones.

The Rijksmuseum is considered 1 of the champion museums successful the world, and is the largest depository successful the full of the Netherlands. Some of its most famous works are Rembrandt’s “Night Watch,” “” by Frans Hals, and “Woman Reading A Letter” by Johannes Vermeer.

I besides urge the Hermitage Museum and the Tassenmuseum (Museum of Handbags and Purses).

4. Explore successful The Neighbourhoods of Amsterdam

In my opinion, the champion mode to get to cognize a metropolis is to research the neighborhoods and conscionable locomotion around.

I similar to rotation astir the aged Jewish quarter, Jodenbuurt, where you’ll find the Waterlooplein fleamarket, held daily, Rembrandt’s House, the Portuguese-Israelite Synagogue and the Jewish Historical Museum.

The Jordaan vicinity adjacent the Anne Frank Museum is simply a beauteous country with boutique shops and cute eateries.

The New East is the old dockland country connected the River Ij which tally alongside Amsterdam is an up and coming country wherever you’ll find Jamie Oliver’s edifice Fifteen and the museums NEMO and the Scheepvartmuseum (Dutch Maritime Museum).

5. Try a Stroopwafel

When you deliberation of Dutch food, your caput instantly goes to cheese, fries and stroopwafel. This tasty dessert is simply a thin, round waffle cookie with a caramel filling, and portion it’s communal to find it abroad, it’s simply not arsenic bully arsenic ones made caller successful Amsterdam.

You tin find immoderate yummy and caller stroopwafel from Albert Cuyp market, they are absolutely devine!

6. Take a Tour of the Heineken Factory

The Heineken Experience is an immersive circuit of the celebrated Dutch brew brand’s archetypal mill successful Amsterdam.

Over 150 years ago, the archetypal brewery opened up successful this nonstop spot. You larn however the brew is made, get a behind-the-scenes circuit of its distillery, and adjacent get to spot the Heineken horses successful their stables, which were utilized for selling backmost successful the day.

At the extremity of the tour, you get to bask a escaped acold one. If you’re looking for things to bash successful Amsterdam for adults, this is simply a amusive and breathtaking experience.

7. Get a cocktail astatine Xtracold Ice Bar

Those looking for things to bash successful Amsterdam astatine nighttime volition not find a much unsocial acquisition than sipping a acold vodka changeable oregon cocktail successful an crystal bar.

At -10 degrees celsius, it’s 1 of the coldest attractions successful the city. The full barroom is made of crystal and snow, with crystal sculptures and igloos that you tin usage arsenic backdrops for photos.

Even your drinks are served successful an crystal glass! But don’t worry, they springiness you a peculiar lukewarm overgarment to deterioration truthful you volition inactive enactment warm.

For a acold beer, that’s not that cold, you mightiness besides similar the Brouwerij t’IJ, besides known arsenic the brewery astatine De Gooyer Windmill, which is the small brewery recovered successful the erstwhile Funen bathhouse adjacent to the windmill.

8. Dine connected 2-Michelin Star Food

The nutrient successful Amsterdam is simply incredible. You tin find world-class nutrient here, with restaurants serving up caller and tasty meals.

For an astonishing repast with spectacular views of Amsterdam, caput implicit to Ciel Blu, a 2-Michelin prima edifice connected the 23rd level of Hotel Okura.

The edifice is elegant and classy, with luxury oozing from each corner. This is your accidental to formal up and bask a romanticist evening. This is surely 1 of the astir romanticist things to bash successful Amsterdam for couples.

If you’re not fussy astir what you eat, effort the astonishment paper that’s been composed by the restaurants Michelin prima cook Arjan Speelman.

9. Hit Up the Amsterdam Markets

Image: zac mc

Waterlooplein flea marketplace and the Albert Cuyp thoroughfare marketplace are a must sojourn successful Amsterdam.

The bloemenmarkt (flower market) is the lone floating flower market successful the satellite and is situated connected barges connected the Singel Canal. It’s filled with an impressive array of plants and flowers, including the famous Dutch tulips.

De Negen Straatjes oregon 9 streets is simply a wonderful shopping country successful the bosom of Amsterdam filled with boutiques, jewelers, specialty shops, bars, cafes and restaurants. It is the perfect spot to walk a time shopping.

10. Attend 1 of the 100+ Events successful Amsterdam

There are adjacent to 100 festivals successful Amsterdam each year, including Amsterdam Roots Festival, Amsterdam Pride, De Parade, Uitmarkt Amsterdam and Holland Festival.

There are also a fig of festivals which are extracurricular of Amsterdam, but still casual to get to specified as, Parkpop successful The Hague and North Sea Jazz Festival successful Rotterdam.

No uncertainty determination is thing going connected during the clip you are visiting, truthful beryllium definite to look up what events are happening and soak up the electrical ambiance you tin lone find astatine a festival successful Amsterdam.

11. Take a Day Trip to Rotterdam

Rotterdam City Near Blaak

My favourite broadside travel from Amsterdam would beryllium to Rotterdam, the 2nd largest metropolis successful The Netherlands, which has truthful overmuch to spot it truly needs a afloat time to explore.

It takes little than an hr connected the train, and the city has a wholly antithetic vibe: contemporary, gritty and overmuch more ethnically diverse.

Rotterdam is akin to Amsterdam successful that it is made up of canals, and if you lone person a time here, beryllium definite to instrumentality a harbor cruise to instrumentality successful the city’s imposing skyline and unsocial architecture.

Some different celebrated attractions successful Rotterdam to cheque retired are the celebrated Market hallway and Cube Houses, Wereldmuseum, and the Laurenskerk Rotterdam.

If you person much time, harvester it with a travel to the metropolis of Delft, the birthplace and resting spot of Johannes Vermeer, The Hague oregon the Zaanse Schans windmills connected the mode back.

12. Check Out the Views from the NEMO Science Center Roof

NEMO subject center. Image:   redjar

One of the astir unsocial things to bash successful Amsterdam is to instrumentality successful the panoramic presumption of the metropolis from the sloped-roof terrace of NEMO Science Center.

Of course, if you are visiting the NEMO, beryllium definite to cheque retired the depository too. This subject and exertion depository is an interactive acquisition that volition beryllium loved by some adults and kids.

It has 5 floors of exhibitions, and adjacent holds experiments and workshops for kids.

13. Check Out Views astatine A’Dam Lookout Observation Deck

Although Amsterdam is known for its historical architecture, it is besides an emerging metropolis with immoderate unsocial modern constructions too.

The A’Dam lookout, a 20-story rooftop with a edifice and bar, and Europe’s highest plaything implicit the borderline of the building.

The ‘Over The Edge’ plaything is 1 for the thrill seekers, who privation to dangle 100 metres supra the ground, with the metropolis of Amsterdam beneath you.

If this sounds excessively nerve-wracking for you, simply bask the 360° presumption from the entity deck.

14. Admire the Architecture of Royal Palace Amsterdam

Any tourists visiting Amsterdam volition surely find themselves walking past the Royal Palace Amsterdam the authoritative reception palace of King Willem-Alexander.

The Palace sits connected Dam Square and is utilized arsenic a reception palace for the royal family, including wherever they big gala dinners and grant ceremonies.

When it’s not successful usage by the royals, the palace is unfastened to visitors who tin rotation down the intricately designed halls and measurement ft successful the imposing rooms.

15. Watch a Free Concert astatine Concertgebouw

The Concertgebouw, which translates to “concert hall” is simply a euphony theatre of singular beauty. It was built successful 1883 and has unthinkable acoustics considering its age.

Because of this, it is regarded arsenic 1 of the finest performance halls successful the world.

For those looking for escaped things to bash successful Amsterdam, beryllium definite to caput present betwixt 12.30-1.00pm connected Wednesdays arsenic determination are often escaped concerts!

Best Time to Visit Amsterdam

tulips astatine Keukenhof. Image:  Toni Escuder

The champion clip of twelvemonth to sojourn Amsterdam is the spring so that you tin instrumentality a time travel to Keukenhof to spot the tulips or autumn.

In autumn, the upwind is often nicer than it is during the summer and it is overmuch little crowded.

Getting To and Around Amsterdam

Image:  TXMagpie

You tin ever find tenable airfares to Amsterdam on EasyJet and Transavia.

Amsterdam metropolis centre is an casual 20-minute train ride from the airport. Trains, particularly hi-speed ones are a great option for those traveling from Belgium, Paris oregon adjacent some places successful Germany.

The ferry is besides an casual enactment from those traveling from the UK.

When it comes to getting around, the trams and buses successful Amsterdam are rather businesslike and go everywhere.

But due to the fact that the metropolis is truthful small, walking is actually the champion mode to get around, but beryllium mindful of trams AND bikes. Or if you privation to spell Dutch, hop connected a bike.

You tin besides instrumentality a (free) vessel thrust crossed the River IJ to North Amsterdam.

Where to Stay successful Amsterdam

Some of the accommodations I urge are the Flying Pig Hostel and Hotel The Neighbour’s Magnolia which is located connected a quiet residential vicinity crossed from Amsterdam’s Vondelpark and the Park Plaza Victoria. Both large for families.

For much high-end options I similar the Hotel Pulitzer and the Conservatorium.

Final Thoughts connected Things to Do successful Amsterdam

Amsterdam is everything I could privation oregon need, each wrapped up successful 1 pretty, little package.

It has the cleanable substance of fascinating sightseeing and world-class museums, blended with relaxing places to chill retired earlier hitting the municipality for immoderate astonishing nightlife.

No substance what your question benignant is, you tin ever find immoderate astonishing things to bash successful Amsterdam, and we anticipation this usher helped you prime a fewer attractions to adhd to your to-do list.

Tours successful Amsterdam

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