Amsterdam is one of those cities I never really get tired of visiting. I’ve lived in the Netherlands for more than ten years and even spent a year living in Amsterdam, so I’ve had plenty of time to explore the city beyond just the main tourist attractions.
And there is a lot to do. You can cruise along the canals, visit some of the Netherlands’ best museums, explore different neighbourhoods, try Dutch food or just spend a few hours wandering around the city.
Whether it’s your first trip or you’ve been before, these are 35 of the best things to do in Amsterdam, including the famous sights as well as a few places and activities you might not have on your list yet.
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1. Visit the Heineken Experience
Visiting the Heineken Brewery is one of the top tourist attractions in Amsterdam, so make sure to get your tickets and time slots in advance. You will get to know more about the famous Dutch beer and its history and afterwards enjoy some Heineken yourself.
2. Cruise the Canals
No visit in Amsterdam is complete without a cruise around its plentiful canals. If you are around the central station area you can find multiple companies offering cruises throughout the city.
3. Visit the Rijksmuseum
One must thing to do in Amsterdam is visiting the Rijksmuseum, the national museum of the Netherlands. It is located at the Museums square together with the Van Gogh Museum. The Rijksmuseum is the most visited museum in the Netherlands and has attracted over 2 million visitors yearly over the past couple of years.
If you are looking for another fun museum, also check out the Upside down museum in Amsterdam.
4. Visit the flower market
With the Netherlands being known for its tulips and flowers, of course you will find a flower market in the city as well, where you can buy your own tulips. It is located on the Singel canal and open every day of the week.
Or if you are already shopping for flowers you could do some more shopping and check out some of the best bookstores in Amsterdam.
5. Go on the A’DAM Lookout and swing over Amsterdam in Amsterdam Noord
The A’DAM Lookout is located just on the other side of the Ij river just a short ferry ride away from the central station. The ferry is free and on the Lookout you can go to the observation desk as well as go on the swing located on the platform.
6. Visit Fabrique des Lumières
Fabrique des Lumières is an immersive art experience, located in Westerpark. It opened in 2022, following the idea of the Atelier des Lumières that already opened its doors in 2018 in Paris. At these art excibitions, art comes to live as you wander through the venue with every changing lights, music, and images. It is an incredible experience and one of the best things to do in Amsterdam!
The programme changes every couple of months. When I visited, they were showing an exhibition about the Dutch Masters. Entry is €18, and make sure to buy your ticket in advance, as you will need to enter during your selected time slot.
7. Enjoy the view from the Nemo Science Museum Platform
You can of course also enter the museum, but if you just want to get a nice view of Amsterdam that is also free, then just head to the viewing platform on top of the Nemo museum.
Especially if you only have one day in Amsterdam, you should definitely include a visit to a free viewing platform. If the weather is nice, it is also a nice place to just chill out on the stairs.
Love Amsterdam as much as I do? Everything you Need to Know about Moving to the Netherlands!
8. Free ferry ride
While not the most exciting activity, taking the ferry is free. The ferries to the Northern part of the city leave from the back side of the Central Station. There are two lines that basically just cross the water, whereas the one to NDSM Werf is a bit of a longer ride.
9. Van Gogh Museum
Located at the museum square close to the Rijksmuseum, you will find the Van Gogh Museum, which includes the largest collection of artwork from Vincent Van Gogh.
If you are planning on visiting multiple museums and attraction while in Amsterdan consider one of the Amsterdam city card options, to save some money on entrance prices.
10. Visit a Local Brewery
My favourite Brewery in Amsterdam is Brouwerij Ij but there are other breweries based in Amsterdam where you can enjoy some local beers.
Travelling to Amsterdam? Don’t miss my favourite travel sites:
Skyscanner: Find the cheapest flight to and from the Netherlands
Hostelworld: All the very best hostel deals
italki.com: Study some Dutch beforehand and speak with some native speakers. Sign up now and get $10 of italki credit if you ever spend $20 on lessons
11. Eat some Pancakes
There are plenty of pancake places throughout the city, but my personal favourite is the pancake bakery, one of the best restaurants in Amsterdam. You can choose between a bunch of different pancake options.
12. Take a picture with the Amsterdam letters
Originally, the letters were located in front of the Rijksmuseum, but since it was always super crowded and people just went there to see the letters, they have been moving around lately.
At some point they had moved them to Amsterdam Noord as part of a festival in the North part of the city and then suddenly a whole lot more tourists started going over to the North side as well.
13. ARTIS Royal Zoo
Of course, a zoo may not sound like your go-to tourist attraction, but if you have a few hours to spare, maybe you do want to pay Artis a visit. The zoo is in walking distance from the city centre.
14. Rent a bike
Most locals will use bikes as transportation within Amsterdam as it is the most convenient option to get around. Therefore, if you want to travel like a local make sure to rent a bike for a day to make your way around. It’s probably one of the best things to do in Amsterdam!
15. Go to a coffee shop
Let’s be honest, that is the main reasons for a lot of people to come to Amsterdam. But even if you are not into weed I guess it can still be interesting to go inside once and see what a coffee shop looks like. So remember a coffee shop is where they sell marijuana and if you want to drink coffee instead than you should better look for a café.
16. Try some cheese
Within the city there are a bunch of cheese stores. The best thing about it that you can try most of them so sometimes I just go there to eat some cheese. While the cheese is a bit overpriced, it is still a nice souvenir to bring home to your family and friends.
17.Street art at NDSM Werf
NDSM Werf is located just about a 15 minute ferry ride away from the Central Station in the Northern part of the city. The ferry again is free and you can easily find it by getting on the ferry that says “NDSM Werf”. Easy right? At times, there will be festivals or events at NDSM Werf but if there are not then you can find a bunch of street art around.
18. Attend an Ajax Soccer Game
If you happen to be a football/soccer fan and in Amsterdam, you might as well go see an Ajax game live or go on a tour around the stadium.
19. Negen Straatjes
Negen Straatjes literally translates to “9 streets”, which is exactly what it is. Located just a short walk behind the Royal Palace on Dam square, these nine streets are full of beautiful little cafés and boutiques and should not be missed.
20. Foodhallen
They also have a Foodhallen in Rotterdam. Basically an inside market with a lot of different food stalls. Aka the place to be if you are hungry but do not want to make a decision about what to eat in advance.
21. Go on a free walking tour
Like in most bigger cities, also Amsterdam offers a variety of free walking tour. While, they are “free”, you are expected to tip as much as you want or as much as you think the tour was worth. Just have a look online about the times and companies or in which languages the tours are offered.
A free walking tour is always a great way to get a main idea of the city, its history and important facts. I always recommend taking a walking tours as one of the first activities once you get to a new city. It is also a great idea when travelling Amsterdam as a solo traveller, as it’s a good way to meet other travellers!
Where to stay in Amsterdam? Check out this review of the SWEETS Hotel in Amsterdam!
22. De Poezenboot
This is the only cat shelter located on a boat. You can find it in Prinsengracht where you can meet some cats that are looking for a home. The visit is free but a small donation is expected.
23. See a movie at Pathé Tuschinksy
While there are probably the same movies in Pathé Tuschinsky as in the other movie theatres in the city, the interior is what makes this movie theatre so unique. Not only does it look pretty from the outside but a visit inside is a must.
24. Amsterdam Light Festival
If you are in Amsterdam during the right time, then you might get to see the Amsterdam Light Festival which takes place for a couple of weeks in the winter. At this time, there will be several light sculptures from several artists hanging above the canals throughout the city, which is really pretty to look at once it is dark. It’s one of the best free things to do in Amsterdam.
That also makes Amsterdam a great place in Europe to visit during the winter.
25. Go to a Festival
There are so many festivals in the summer time in and around Amsterdam! And while the Netherlands is famous for its techno events, you can also find all sorts of music genres at festivals in the Netherlands. So if you are visiting Amsterdam in the summer, going to a music festival can be a fun thing to do in Amsterdam.
26. Royal Palace
The Royal Palace of Amsterdam is located at Dam Square in the heart of the city centre. The palace is open to visitors.
27. Enjoy a night out at Leidseplein
Leidseplein is just one out of many squares. Here you can for example find the Apple store or a Bulldog Coffee Shop. Other than for shopping, it is also a fun night out during nighttime, as there are a bunch of clubs and bars located within the area.
28. Have dinner in the De Pijp Area
There are a lot of great restaurants in Amsterdam‘s De Pijp area such as some of my favourites: Deer Mama, the Avocado Show or the Vegan Junk Food Bar. There are also lovely cafés in the area so if you are looking for a wide variety of great dinner places, De Pijp is the place to be.
29. Visit the Tony’s Chocolonely Store
Tony’s Chocolonely is a Dutch fair-trade chocolate brand, in case you have never heard of it. While you can buy their chocolates in the normal supermarkets as well (e.g. Albert Hijn, Jumbo), if you go to the actual store you will be able to try out all the flavours as well as get personalised chocolate bars. So that is pretty cool!
30. Eye Film Museum
Another museum that you can visit in Amsterdam if you have enough time available. The Eye film Museum is located just next to the A’DAM tower on the North side of the city, just a short ferry ride away from the central station. What already makes this place unique is its interesting shape. Within, you can find a huge collection of movie and film posters.
31. National Maritime Museum
Or in Dutch: Het Scheepvaartmuseum, is the 11th most visited museum in the Netherlands and located just opposite the Nemo Science Museum or a few minute walk away from the Central station.
32. Amsterdam Dance Event(ADE)
Every year in October, Amsterdam is hosting the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE). Throughout multiple days there will be a lot of parties at different locations in the city. These are mostly techno parties. Going to an ADE party is a very popular event, also for locals, and tickets to specific parties sell out months in advance.
So if you are visiting Amsterdam during October, check out the ADE events in advance, one of the best things to do in Amsterdam.
33. Short Trip to Zaanse Schans
And lastly on the ultimate Amsterdam bucket list we have Zaanse Schans. While technically not in Amsterdam, you should not miss out on visiting Zaanse Schans, which is just a short train ride away. Here you will find windmills and some nature and a big change to the busy streets of Amsterdam.
34. Visit the Ice Bar
Going to an ice bar is quite the unique experience, and there is a fun ice bar in Amsterdam as well. You will need to buy and entrance ticket to get in, a welcome cocktail is included while you wait to go inside and you will get another drink in the ice bar itself, that you can drink out of frozen cups. As you can imagine it is pretty cold inside!
35. Shop for second-hand items at the IJ-Hallen
The IJ-Hallen is one of the biggest second-hand markets, and it is located in Amsterdam at NDSM Werf in Amsterdam Noord. You pay €6.50 for entry and get to browse for all sorts of second-hand items: from clothes to shoes to jewellery and puzzles.
It only happens every few weeks, so make sure to check out the IJ-Hallen agenda and book your ticket beforehand. Try to arrive as early as possible, as it is bound to get super busy.
If you have more time in Amsterdam, also consider these best day trips from Amsterdam! Or if you like F1 and are visiting the Netherlands, check out the best activities for Formula 1 fans in the Netherlands!
And this concludes 35 out of many amazing things to do in Amsterdam. Which of these activities have you done, or would you like to do when visiting Amsterdam?
Let me know in the comments.
Talk to you soon x
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