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Things to Do in Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Plan language: EnglishMost popular attractions in Amsterdam, Netherlands
The top things to do in Amsterdam, Netherlands include exploring world-class museums such as the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, located just a short walk apart. Take a stroll through the 47 hectares of Vondelpark, offering a perfect urban retreat. A visit to the Anne Frank House provides a deep historical experience, all within walking distance of Dam Square.
1. Rijksmuseum
Home to masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer and artists of the Dutch Golden Age, the Rijksmuseum brings centuries of art to life. Stroll through grand galleries featuring works from the Night Watch to Delftware and visit the sculpture garden.
Quick facts: Walking through the museum's halls feels like entering a masterclass on Dutch art, showcasing iconic works that have influenced European culture. The majestic building combines Gothic and Renaissance elements, housing over a million objects that span a diverse range of history and art.
Highlights: One eccentric tradition in the museum is a concealed gallery in the library where staff secretly paint whimsical scenes on the centuries-old bookshelves. Furthermore, the collection has exactly 8,000 objects, but only 1,200 are exhibited. Each room has a subtle scent to enhance the atmosphere, such as chocolate near the Dutch Golden Age paintings.
2. Anne Frank House
An emotional, personal glimpse into life in hiding during WWII. Walk through the secret annex, view original diary pages, and connect with the human story.
Quick facts: Visitors often stand quietly in the secret annex, sensing the tangible tension and hope that once filled the hidden rooms. The museum holds Anne's original diary pages, offering a deeply personal look into her life and the larger human experience during wartime.
Highlights: The secret annex where eight people hid for more than two years is so cramped that some rooms measure only 7 feet across. The original bookcase that cleverly hid the entrance is still visible. Visitors often note the eerie silence broken only by faint creaks of wooden floors, creating a feeling of stepping back into the tense, hidden world of 1940s Amsterdam.
3. Van Gogh Museum
See the world's largest collection of Van Gogh's works up close. Discover iconic paintings like Sunflowers and The Bedroom with engaging audio commentary.
Quick facts: Walking through the museum is like entering the vibrant world of a post-impressionist master, with swirling skies and vivid sunflowers that captivate your senses. The collection features the largest number of Van Gogh's paintings anywhere, including famous works like The Potato Eaters and The Bedroom.
Highlights: Imagine standing inches from the artist's original sunflower paintings, each brushstroke alive with vivid yellow and touches of green, capturing sunlight in a way that almost makes the petals shimmer. The museum has over 200 paintings and 500 drawings, including Van Gogh's turbulent self-portraits, providing a raw, nearly intimate look into his emotional highs and lows.
Have you heard of free walking tours?
After traveling to 30+ countries, there's one thing I wish someone had told me from day one, and it completely changed how I experience new cities.
Free walking tours. Yes, actually free. No credit card needed. No catch.
Local guide, 2-3 hours
Major sights, hidden gems, local stories
100% tip-based
Guides earn only tips, so they give their absolute best
You tip what feels right
At the end, just tip whatever you feel is right
I've done these in dozens of cities and they've been the highlight of almost every trip. If you're visiting Amsterdam, Netherlands, do this on your first day. You'll thank me later.
4. Vondelpark
A sprawling, leafy park in the heart of Amsterdam, ideal for relaxing and people-watching. Enjoy winding paths, ponds, historic statues, lively cafés, and summer open-air performances.
Quick facts: Lush green spaces and winding paths welcome locals and tourists alike to relax, picnic, or enjoy outdoor concerts under the open sky. Wild swans and colorful flowerbeds add charm, creating a peaceful retreat in the heart of a busy city.
Highlights: You may encounter more than 200 bird species fluttering through the greenery, providing a lively backdrop of chirps and tweets throughout the year. An open-air theatre hosts quirky Shakespeare performances and lively jazz concerts during summer, adding a cultural element to your walk or picnic.
5. Dam Square
Amsterdam's central square where history, politics, and everyday city life come together. Experience the Royal Palace, National Monument, street performers, and bustling cafés.
Quick facts: Every day, thousands gather in a central square alive with street performers, market stalls, and historic buildings. The square acts as a vibrant meeting point where past and present intersect, surrounded by famous landmarks and buzzing with the energy of locals and visitors.
Highlights: A quirky tradition takes place each night when street performers transform the square into a living museum. Painted faces and costumes bring old Dutch legends to life under vintage street lamps. The square also hides a historic secret: a church crypt from the 14th century lies beneath its cobblestones, visible through a glass floor in the Royal Palace, offering a rare glimpse into medieval Amsterdam.
6. Heineken Experience
Discover the story behind one of the world’s most famous beers in a restored Amsterdam brewery. Interactive exhibits, a tasting session, and souvenir photo opportunities await.
Quick facts: Visitors embark on an interactive experience learning the secret brewing process while enjoying fresh Heineken straight from the source. Colorful murals, historic brewing equipment, and engaging tastings make the visit both educational and enjoyable.
Highlights: Guests can see the original copper brewing tanks used by Gerard Adriaan Heineken in 1867, surrounded by vibrant green hops and the scent of malt in the air. A playful tradition lets visitors design their own beer label at the tour's end, making each visit unique and memorable.
7. Amsterdam Canals
The canal ring showcases Amsterdam's golden-age architecture and vibrant neighborhoods. Walk or cruise by gabled houses, houseboats, cafés, and arched bridges.
Quick facts: Gliding along charming waterways, visitors often spot houseboats offering cozy and distinctive floating homes. The canals' narrow, iconic bridges shine beautifully at night, creating a magical atmosphere reminiscent of a fairy tale.
Highlights: Over 100 kilometers of canals form a concentric ring around the city, earning it the nickname 'Venice of the North' and making it home to the world's largest man-made urban waterway network. Each canal bridge is numbered and named, such as the quaint Magere Brug or Skinny Bridge, which legends say was built by two wealthy sisters who refused to share a drawbridge.
8. The Royal Palace of Amsterdam
A grand 17th-century city hall transformed into a royal palace, featuring monumental ceilings and marble halls. Explore lavish state rooms and admire royal art up close.
Quick facts: Inside, you will be amazed by grand marble floors and towering Corinthian columns that create a regal atmosphere. The vast ceiling paintings tell dramatic stories, immersing visitors in the rich history and artistry celebrated throughout the palace.
Highlights: The enormous wooden dome inside rests on 13,659 piles driven deep into Amsterdam's soft soil, showcasing a 17th-century engineering feat. The grand ballroom ceiling features a 62-square-meter painting by artist Govert Flinck, depicting the Dutch Republic's golden age with vibrant symbols of peace and commerce.
9. NEMO Science Museum
An interactive science playground with hands-on experiments and a rooftop view. Try live demos, build and test gadgets, and enjoy Amsterdam’s skyline.
Quick facts: A glowing green rooftop terrace offers panoramic city views, accompanied by hands-on science experiments making learning tactile and fun. More than 140 interactive exhibits cover everything from physics to biology, encouraging curiosity through playful exploration and immersive discovery.
Highlights: Visitors can climb onto the museum's huge green copper roof, shaped like a giant ship's hull, offering stunning city views. The roof also features an oversized golden rivet sculpture called the 'Golden Bolt' that shines in sunlight. Inside, a quirky exhibit lets visitors experiment with sound using a giant interactive 'sonic playground' where you create music with water droplets and echo chambers.
10. Bloemenmarkt
A historic floating flower market on Amsterdam's Singel, bursting with color and fragrance. Browse tulip bulbs, potted plants, and Dutch treats while walking along the canal.
Quick facts: Floating stalls bursting with vibrant tulips and other flowers form a sea of color that captivates all who walk through. Fragrant blooms combine with the sounds of busy shoppers, creating a sensory delight that captures Dutch horticulture's essence.
Highlights: Floating on wooden barges along a canal, over 15 flower stalls create a vibrant display of colors and scents for visitors to explore. Legend has it that during the tulip mania of the 1600s, this spot was key for trading bulbs. The tradition continues with varieties found nowhere else, like the striking black tulip named 'Queen of Night.'
11. Stedelijk Museum
Explore the evolution of modern art with over 90,000 pieces. Experience immersive exhibitions and a stunning giant bathtub sculpture inside.
Quick facts: The museum holds over 90,000 objects representing modern and contemporary art and design. Its collection features key works by artists such as Piet Mondrian and Kazimir Malevich, drawing art lovers from around the globe.
Highlights: Visitors encounter the giant 10-meter-tall 'Bathtub' sculpture by Michel de Broin in the lobby, a quirky contrast to the museum's sleek interior. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions displaying innovative multimedia installations that dramatically transform the space.
12. Visit the Jewish Historical Museum
Discover 400 years of Dutch Jewish history through rare artifacts and personal stories. Explore historic synagogues and immersive exhibits revealing a vibrant community.
Quick facts: The museum exhibits over 11,000 objects highlighting Dutch Jewish life and history. It occupies four former synagogues along the historic Nieuwe Amstelstraat.
Highlights: A standout display features a highly detailed scale model of Amsterdam's Jewish Quarter before World War II, showing more than 2,500 buildings. Visitors can also view wartime diaries and personal artifacts that bring deeply human stories to life emotionally and visually.
Where to Stay in Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Traditional Sweet Dishes
Stroopwafels
Stroopwafels began as a thrifty treat made from leftover waffle crumbs and syrup, and in Amsterdam vendors often warm them over a coffee cup so the caramel melts between the thin wafers.
Poffertjes
Poffertjes are tiny, pillowy pancakes leavened with yeast and buckwheat, and in Amsterdam they are a festive street food served piping hot with butter and powdered sugar.
Speculaas
Speculaas are thin, richly spiced biscuits molded with elaborate scenes, and in Amsterdam they are a Sinterklaas tradition that turns each cookie into edible folklore.
Traditional Savory Dishes
Bitterballen
Bitterballen are crispy, deep-fried balls of savory ragout served with mustard, they are Amsterdam bar staples that were invented to make leftovers feel luxurious.
Haring
Haring, or Hollandse Nieuwe, is young, lightly cured herring eaten raw and often enjoyed in Amsterdam by holding the fish by the tail and tipping your head back, a playful ritual that marks the new season.
Kroket
The kroket is an oblong, breadcrumbed cousin of the bitterbal, and in Amsterdam it achieved pop-culture status thanks to automats like FEBO that dispense hot krokets twenty-four seven.
Traditional Beverages
Jenever
Jenever is the juniper-flavored spirit that pre-dates London gin, Amsterdam distilleries still serve it neat in tulip-shaped glasses and locals sometimes pair a shot with a beer in a kopstoot or headbutt.
Dutch Beer
Amsterdam helped make Dutch beer famous, Heineken grew from a small 19th-century Amsterdam brewery into a global brand and its old brewery is now a museum celebrating local brewing culture.
Advocaat
Advocaat is a thick, egg-based liqueur with a custard-like texture that is spooned or sipped, and in Amsterdam it is a winter favorite, folded into desserts or served with whipped cream.
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From Schiphol, take the train directly to Amsterdam Centraal in 15-20 mins.
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Comments (9)
Not cheap, expect higher prices for eating out, but street food and local markets saved us a lot.
Beautiful city, but tourist crowds around central stations killed the vibe midday, try mornings and evenings instead.
Book Anne Frank and Van Gogh timed slots online well in advance, or be there at opening to avoid the worst queues.
Rained a lot on my trip, bring layers. Museums are great but pricey, I still enjoyed wandering neighborhoods.
Overhyped for me, restaurants near the plazas felt touristy and expensive. Expect crowds and plan for long lines.