Things to do in Amsterdam
The best of Amsterdam combines world-class museums with simple pleasures: a canal at dusk, a slice of apple pie in a brown café or a bike ride through the park.
The Rijksmuseum
The Dutch national museum reopened in 2013 after a decade-long renovation of its neo-Gothic building by Pierre Cuypers. The Gallery of Honour leads to Rembrandt's The Night Watch, painted in 1642, and Vermeer's The Milkmaid. Do not miss the intricate doll's houses, the library and the gardens, which are free to enter. Book timed tickets online.
Van Gogh Museum
The world's largest collection of works by Vincent van Gogh, including Sunflowers, The Potato Eaters and many self-portraits, along with letters to his brother Theo. Tickets are only sold online with a time slot and often sell out days ahead, so book as soon as your dates are fixed.
Anne Frank House
Anne Frank and her family hid for two years in the secret annexe behind a movable bookcase at Prinsengracht 263 before being discovered in 1944. The visit is moving and quiet. Tickets are released online six weeks in advance, every Tuesday, and are not sold at the door.
A canal cruise
Seeing the city from the water is essential. Large glass-topped boats leave from Damrak and Centraal Station, but a smaller open boat from a company such as Those Dam Boat Guys or Friendship Amsterdam gives a more intimate experience. In winter, the Amsterdam Light Festival illuminates the canals with art installations.
Cycling like a local
Rent a bike from a reputable shop and ride through the Vondelpark, along the Amstel river to the Rembrandtpark, or across to Noord by ferry and out into the countryside towards the village of Durgerdam. Use bike locks on both wheels, follow the red bike lanes and give hand signals.
The Jordaan and the Nine Streets
Wander the Jordaan's canals, visit the hidden courtyard of the Begijnhof near Spui, with one of the oldest wooden houses in the Netherlands, and browse the boutiques and cheese shops of the Negen Straatjes. Stop at a traditional brown café such as Café 't Smalle, named for its smoke-stained walls.
Other museums
The Stedelijk exhibits modern art and design from Mondrian to Warhol. The Hermitage Amsterdam has been renamed the H'ART Museum. The Rembrandt House Museum shows where the painter lived and worked for twenty years. NEMO Science Museum, in a green ship-shaped building, delights families, and its roof terrace is a free viewpoint. Moco Museum shows Banksy and contemporary artists.
Markets and food
Try raw herring with onions from a street stand, bitterballen with mustard at a café, stroopwafels freshly made at the Albert Cuyp Market and Indonesian rijsttafel, a legacy of the colonial era. Dutch apple pie at Winkel 43 is famous. Food halls such as Foodhallen and the Albert Cuyp are great for sampling.
A'DAM Lookout and Noord
Take the free ferry to Noord and ride up the A'DAM Tower for views and the Over the Edge swing. Continue to the NDSM wharf for street art, flea markets and the Straat Museum.
King's Day
On 27 April (26 April when the 27th is a Sunday), the whole city turns orange to celebrate the king's birthday, with a citywide free market, boat parties and street music. It is chaotic and joyful.
Rembrandt House and Hermitage
The Rembrandt House Museum, where the painter lived and worked from 1639 to 1658, shows his studio and etchings. The former Hermitage Amsterdam on the Amstel reopened as the H'ART Museum in 2023, with exhibitions in partnership with international museums.
Vondelpark
The Vondelpark, opened in 1865, is Amsterdam's most popular park, with ponds, an open-air theatre in summer and cafés. It's perfect for a picnic or a cycle.
Zaanse Schans and the windmills
A short train ride from Centraal, Zaanse Schans displays historic windmills, wooden houses and craft workshops. Kinderdijk, near Rotterdam, is a UNESCO-listed group of 19 eighteenth-century windmills.
The Stedelijk and Moco
The Stedelijk Museum covers modern and contemporary art and design, including works by Mondrian, Malevich and Karel Appel. Moco, a small museum nearby, shows Banksy and contemporary street art.
Begijnhof
The Begijnhof is a hidden courtyard of almshouses from the fourteenth century, with one of the oldest wooden houses in the city, Het Houten Huis. Enter quietly, as residents still live there.
Vondelpark
Vondelpark, the city's best-known park, has an open-air theatre in summer and cafés by the ponds.
Day trips
Zaanse Schans has working windmills and clog-making demonstrations 20 minutes away by train. Haarlem has the Frans Hals Museum and a lovely market square. Keukenhof gardens bloom from late March to mid-May. Utrecht, The Hague and Delft are all within an hour by train.
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