About Amsterdam
Amsterdam began as a fishing settlement behind a dam on the river Amstel in the thirteenth century, and the name still tells the story. Its golden age came in the seventeenth century, when the Dutch East India Company made the city the richest port in the world and merchants built the narrow, gabled canal houses that line the Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht. That concentric canal ring, dug largely in the 1600s, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010, and around 1,500 bridges cross the city's waterways.
The city is famously flat and famously full of bicycles, with more bikes than residents. It is also home to one of the world's great clusters of museums: the Rijksmuseum with Rembrandt's Night Watch, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk for modern art and the Anne Frank House, where a teenage girl hid from the Nazis and wrote her diary. Beyond the centre, neighbourhoods such as De Pijp, Jordaan and Amsterdam-Noord show a relaxed, creative city that values gezelligheid, a Dutch word for cosiness and good company.
Our guides help you choose a base, plan the timed-ticket museums and handle trains, bikes, the tourist tax and the North Sea weather.
Amsterdam city guides
- Where to stay in Amsterdam
Amsterdam's centre is small enough to walk across in under an hour, and trams reach most corners quickly, but hotel prices are among the highest in Europe and space is precious. Picking the right neighbourhood helps you get the most from a short stay. Staying in a converted canal house on the Herengracht, Keizersgracht or Prinsengracht is the classic Amsterdam experience. You will be near the Anne Frank House, the Negen Straatjes (Nine Streets) shopping area and countless cafés. Be aware that canal houses have notoriously steep, narrow staircases, sometimes almost ladders, and many have no lift; the hooks on the gables were used to hoist goods and furniture through the windows. Rooms are often small and expensive. Built in the seventeenth century as a working-class district for labourers and immigrants, the Jordaan is now one of the most desirable areas, with quiet canals, hidden almshouse courtyards (hofjes), brown cafés and markets such as the Noordermarkt on Saturdays and the Lindengracht market. It is charming and central, with mostly small hotels, B&Bs and apartments.
- 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 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. 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.
- Practical tips for visiting Amsterdam
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) has its own railway station directly beneath the terminal. Trains to Amsterdam Centraal run every few minutes and take about 15 to 17 minutes; you can tap in and out with a contactless bank card or phone. Bus 397 runs to the Museumplein and Leidseplein. Taxis are expensive, typically €45 or more to the centre. GVB runs trams, buses, metros and ferries. Contactless OVpay lets you tap your bank card on any tram or metro, and you must check out when leaving or you'll be charged a higher fare. Multi-day GVB tickets and the Amsterdam Travel Ticket including airport trains are available. The North-South metro line opened in 2018. Ferries across the IJ are free. Walking is the easiest way to explore the centre, but always look both ways, especially for bikes, which are silent and fast. Red asphalt marks bike lanes; never stand or walk in them. If you rent a bike, ride on the right, signal turns, use lights after dark (required by law) and do not cycle on tram tracks, where wheels get stuck. Bike theft is common, so lock your bike to a fixed object.
Destination overview · Amsterdam
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What to see in Amsterdam
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