Use these Amsterdam travel tips to make the most of visiting one of the world’s great cities, famed for its network of 17th-century canals. Equally famous are its museums, featuring artists from Rembrandt and Vermeer to Hals and Van Gogh.
Visitors receive a warm welcome in the city’s cozy pubs and homely restaurants. It’s filled with cyclists, but Amsterdam’s compact size also makes it an easy city to walk around.
Whether exploring by foot, bike, or canal boat, you’ll discover historic churches, quiet gardens, and atmospheric neighborhoods. You’ll also come away with memories of colorful flowers, tasty cheeses, and hearty food. Here are some tips for visiting Amsterdam.
Pick the Right Season
Amsterdam
If you want to see the famous Dutch tulips, then spring—April to May—is the best time to visit Amsterdam. Temperatures are moderate—50-63°F—and there are fewer visitors than in peak season.
That peak arrives during summer—June to August—with its warmer weather and longer days. While it’s also a great time to visit, you’ll want to search out quieter spots to escape the crowds.
In winter, Amsterdam still has its many charms, but the weather can be really cold and wet. That’s a time to linger in cozy bars and enjoy the many museums.
Make a Plan
Magna Plaza
There is so much to see in Amsterdam, you really need to have an itinerary to make the best of your time there. If you only went to the Rijksmuseum, you could spend several days taking in all its highlights.
Much will depend on your interests, of course, and the time you have. You might want to spend at least three days in Amsterdam seeing historical sights or touring the many museums.
You could travel beyond Amsterdam to see the windmills of Zaanse Schans. Or you might take in Alternative Amsterdam in the arty areas of the NDSM Wharf or the Noord district.
Rijksmuseum
The most important of all Amsterdam travel tips, if you want to visit the major museums, is to book online well in advance. For popular places such as the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, or Anne Frank House, booking a guided tour is a really good option.
Buy An I Amsterdam Card
Tram in Amsterdam
The first card most visitors will want to buy is the I Amsterdam Card. This gives access to more than 70 museums, many top attractions, public transport, a canal cruise, and even bicycle rental.
You can buy the card for one to five days, with a good discount for each added day. You can download it to your phone and it’s valid in 24 hour periods from the time of first use.
The price is well worth it if you want to see all the main museums that Amsterdam is known for, particularly by public transport. It’s still essential to book a time slot online for major attractions, which is done to control visitor numbers.
For public transport, you can instead just use your debit card or smartphone, or buy an OV-chipkaart at any station. That will let you use trams, metro, or buses freely to get around the city.
Learn Some Dutch
Amsterdam
Most Dutch people have excellent English, but it’s always appreciated if you can use a few phrases in their language. A good start is “Hallo”, or “Hoi” as a basic “Hello”.
“Goedemorgen”, “Goedenmiddag”, or Goedenavond” are the greetings for morning, afternoon, and evening respectively. “Dag”, which literally means “Day” is used to say “Goodbye”, with “Tot ziens”, meaning “See you later” an alternative.
“Please” and “Thank you” are “Alstublieft” and “Dank u wel”. You can also use “Bedankt” as a more casual “Thanks”.
Take a Canal Boat Tour
Canal Ring
A great way to orientate yourself in Amsterdam is by taking a canal boat tour. It’s also an entertaining way to learn the history of this amazing city and why its canals came into being.
For example, did you know that the buildings in central Amsterdam are all built on pilings? Many wooden pilings are up to 500 years old, which is why some canal-side houses lean so picturesquely.
Canal boat tour
There are three main house-lined canals, or “grachts”, dating to the 1600s: Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht. These run parallel to each other in arcs radiating out from what’s now the Central train station but was originally the port.
A maze of smaller canals and streets now connect these original major canals. Knowing which of the “big three” you are on will help you always know where you are when walking around the city.
Get On the Water
Kayaking in Amsterdam
If a canal boat tour doesn’t appeal, you can also explore Amsterdam by kayak. Renting a boat is also possible, although it’s easy to get disoriented in the maze of smaller canals.
North of Amsterdam, you can do a wetlands safari in Canadian canoes, with a guide. Paddling through a nature reserve, you’ll learn a lot about the Netherlands and its relationship to water.
Rent a Bike
Biking in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is famously a cyclist-friendly city, so renting a bike to get around is a good option. If it seems intimidating, a good Amsterdam travel tip is to join a group bike tour, with a guide.
This will let you see some highlights of the city and gain some confidence on Amsterdam’s streets. People of all ages cycle here and the infrastructure makes it safe for everyone.
Vondelpark
Another place to practice freely is the Vondelpark, Amsterdam’s vast, tree-filled park, which has several quiet cycle routes. Cycling south along the Amstel River Route from Amsterdam Centrum to the village of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel is another lovely option.
One simple protocol tip is to resist using your bell freely—that’s considered rude after the first ring. Also remember that a row of painted triangles facing you at a junction means to give way.
By the way, when on foot, do take extra care not to walk into bike lanes. As well as the risk of a close encounter with a cyclist or three, you will almost certainly hear more than one bell ring.
Visit the “Other” Museums
Amsterdam Museum Photo by Alejandro on Flickr, licensed under CC BY 2.0
While the headline Rjiksmuseum, Van Gogh, and Anne Frank museums are unmissable, there are many other fascinating ones to visit. To understand how the city was built, a great Amsterdam travel tip is to spend some time in the Grachtenmuseum, set in an historic canalside merchant’s house.
Other interesting historical museums include Amsterdam Museum and the Jewish Historical Museum. The vast Wereldmuseum is filled with costumes, musical instruments, and photos from around the world, particularly former Dutch colonies.
The STRAAT art museum in Amsterdam is the world’s biggest museum dedicated to street art. The Resistance Museum tells you more about the anti-Nazi movement during the Second World War.
Go Shopping
De Pijp
The Negen Straatjes, or “Nine Streets” is one of the best neighborhoods in Amsterdam for shopping. It’s a small, historic district, spanning the three main canals, full of quirky shops and lovely cafés.
You’ll find the likes of designer boutiques, vintage, and second-hand clothing stores, as well as record shops. The individuality of the shops is seen best in De Witte Tandenwinke, dedicated to toothbrushes, and De Kaaskamer, with its many cheeses.
Another district to explore is De Pijp. This old neighborhood is a treasure trove of cute boutiques, vintage clothing, and designer outlets.
Albert Cuyp Market
Among the city’s many markets, one often overlooked is the Waterlooplein. This open-air market is packed with second-hand and antique items, including clothing.
Giving the better-known Albert Cuyp market a run for its money is the multicultural Dappermarkt. This hotspot in Amsterdam-East has hundreds of stands selling clothing, shoes, and food, often with live music.
Enjoy Dutch Food
Poffertjes
The Netherlands is not thought of as a gourmet destination. That’s partly because of a preference for fresh, homely food, such as stamppot—mashed potatoes with kale and smoked sausage—or snort—split pea soup.
If you are going out to eat, do make a reservation. Any restaurant you can just walk into in busy Amsterdam will probably not raise your opinion of Dutch cuisine.
Spiegelkwartier
Ask a local to recommend where and what to eat in Amsterdam and they’ll probably point you to an Indonesian or Suriname restaurant. A rijsttafel—a plate of spicy sharing dishes with rice—is practically the national dish.
However, most visitors come away with an enthusiasm for dishes such as French fries with mayonnaise. Pancakes, especially the mini, more-ish poffertjes, are another winner.
Bitterballen—deep-fried, bite-size croquettes filled with meat ragout and dipped in mustard—are must-tries as a pub snack. You’ll also see kibbeling: deep-fried white fish in a spicy, breaded coating.
Kibbeling
An acquired taste, but one many people fall in love with, is herring in a fresh white roll with onions. It’s available year-round but the best experience is undoubtedly the Hollandse Nieuwe or “new herring” that starts the season in June.
A very popular Dutch dish that’s hard to come across and even harder to believe when you do, is hagelslag. Eaten at breakfast or lunch, it’s buttered bread or toast covered in multicolored chocolate sprinkles, like the Australian fairy bread.
Visit a “Brown Café”
Beer
A Bruine Café is an old pub named for their dark wood interior and warm lighting. The oldest date back to the 17th century and they are a cozy, atmospheric delight.
These pubs are all about beer on tap, Dutch gin, or genever, and good conversation—with no distractions such as live music. Their quirky decor and often supremely picturesque exteriors add to their appeal to visitors.
Bitterballen
Food will run only to nibbles such as bitterballen, cheese, nuts, and olives. You will often have to self-serve at the bar, and most do not take credit cards.
Among the best are Café Hoppe and Café In ‘t Aepjen—the “Apes” bar where sailors were once supposed to sell their exotic pets. Café ‘t Papeneilend, Café ‘t Smalle, and Café De Dokter are also quirky delights.
Don’t Confuse Cafés With Coffee Shops
Dam Square
Amsterdam is mad about coffee and you can visit a bewildering array of cafés. These koffiehuisjes offer everything from sustainable beans to cold-brews.
Whichever you choose, don’t miss a chance to sample Dutch appeltaart. President Bill Clinton famously ate some at Café Winkel 43 in the Jordaan area but there is fierce competition for the best in town.
Coffee shops, on the other hand, specialize in selling marijuana. You can’t really confuse the two, if only because cafés don’t allow smoking inside.
You’ll also see a green and white sticker in the window of coffee shops. Oddly enough, while coffee shops allow marijuana smoking, not all allow tobacco, for health reasons.
Tipping and Cash
Nieuwmarkt
Tipping is not required in Amsterdam, as the norm is for people to be paid a living wage. In restaurants, people might just round up the check to the nearest multiple of five or ten.
Of course, there’s nothing to stop you recognizing exceptional service with a gratuity. Canal boat crew or bus drivers and guides do normally receive a tip as well.
It’s always useful to carry cash for such situations. You might also need a €0.50 coin to use public toilets—a fee which does help ensure they are well cleaned.
Credit cards are usually—but not always—accepted in tourist areas but you can’t rely on that elsewhere. Most people in Amsterdam use debit cards or their phones and smartwatches to pay for everything—even purchases worth a few Euro.
A sign saying “PIN only” means you can’t use cash at all; you’ll need a card. Look out for that on shop windows or some of the tills in supermarkets.
Take a Day Trip
Utrecht
The efficient Dutch train system makes it quick and easy to visit other cities, such as Utrecht. This university town is full of interesting art galleries, antique shops, and restaurant-lined canals.
Haarlem, only 15 minutes from Centraal Station, is a beautiful town of quaint bars and boutique shops. Haarlem’s Museum Van de Geest, the museum of the mind, was voted European Museum of the Year.
Delft is famous as the home of artist Johannes Vermeer, painter of Girl with a Pearl Earring, and of Delft Blue pottery. This pretty city dating to the 13th century has sights such as the awesome Nieuwe Kerk on Markt Square.
Read: Best Things to Do in Amsterdam With Kids
Amsterdam
Have these tips for visiting Amsterdam encouraged you to visit? Then why not browse Celebrity’s cruises to and from Amsterdam to find the perfect vacation?
