There is no shortage of things to do in Amsterdam for couples. The city’s picturesque canals help make it one of the world’s most romantic places, perfect to enjoy with a loved one. The quiet, compact historic centre, full of bicycles rather than cars, is made for strolling around, hand-in-hand.
From the wide choice of museums to interesting and quirky shops, you’ll easily find something you both like. You could enjoy spacious parks, visit historic buildings, or explore the labyrinth of canals. Perhaps best of all, you can discover plenty of cozy cafés and bars to spend time in together.
Visit a Museum
Rijksmuseum
In any couple, there can be one partner who likes museums more than the other. However, Amsterdam has so many to choose from—around 100, depending on who counts them—it should be easy to find one you can both enjoy.
The glories of the Rijksmuseum, one of Amsterdam’s best art museums, are well known and the Van Gogh Museum also needs no introduction. There’s a rich contrast between the realism of the Dutch Masters, such as Rembrandt, Hals or Vermeer, and Van Gogh’s post-impressionism.
Anyone who loves history will want to see the Amsterdam Museum and the National Maritime Museum. For contemporary art, check out the H’ART Museum, Stedelijk Museum, and the ever-changing shows at the wonderful Nieuwe Kerk.
Take a Canal Cruise
Canal cruise
There’s always something romantic about escaping on to the water as a couple. Amsterdam’s many canals give you plenty of opportunity to do that.
The obvious first place to start is a cruise by tour boat. A guide will help you gain an oversight of the city’s canal-centric layout and its rich history.
Another option is to join a kayaking tour and explore the canals at a slower pace. Finally, you might like to hire an electric or pedal boat, letting the two of you discover the city in your own way.
Ride a Bike
Biking in Amsterdam
Another fun way for a couple to tour Amsterdam is by bicycle. If you are feeling particularly inseparable, you could even rent a tandem.
Guided tours will show you some of the city’s highlights, following quieter routes. Amsterdam’s many wide bike paths and cyclist-friendly infrastructure make it safe and easy to explore.
Most tours stick to the inner city and the canal ring, with their multitude of historic sights. You can also follow routes into the nearby countryside with self-guided tours if you’re more confident.
Buy Flowers Together
Bloemenmarkt
There are few things more romantic than flowers and Amsterdam is certainly famous for them. One of the best places to find them is the “floating” Bloemenmarkt lining the Singel Canal.
The vendors on this line of stalls specialise in tulips, including tulip bulbs. The bulbs are packaged for taking home, with export certificates, or they can be shipped anywhere in the world.
However, you’ll find fresher flowers and a wider choice at neighbourhood flower shops. Such a bloemenwinkel might have been in the same family for generations and they have a special place in the hearts of local people.
Browse a Market
Albert Cuyp Market
Amsterdam’s open-air markets are great fun to explore with a loved one. The variety—and bargain prices—means you both have a good chance of finding something you like.
The most famous is Albert Cuyp Market, which is open every day except Sunday. With more than 250 stalls, selling everything from fruit and vegetables to bike accessories, it claims to be the biggest in Europe.
Almost as big is the massive Waterlooplein, great for antiques and secondhand bric-a-brac. For art-lovers, the market to browse is Art Plein-Spui, crammed with paintings, prints, and photography.
Spend Time in a Greenhouse
Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam
There are more flowers and much more at the Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam. This is one of largest botanical gardens in the world, with some 4,000 species on display.
Walk hand-in-hand amid plants and trees, some of which were first brought here in the 17th century. Back then, the ships of the Dutch East India Company traded the world for exotic plants, as well as spices and medicinal herbs.
On rainy or cold days, the three greenhouses are a romantic refuge—especially the eye-catching Palm Greenhouse of 1912. Find more privacy at the Butterfly Greenhouse, or warm up in the modern Three-Climate Greenhouse with its toasty desert, subtropical, and tropical zones.
Hide Away in the Begijnhof
Begijnhof
One of the very best things to do in Amsterdam for couples is to enjoy the tranquility of the Begijnhof. This quiet enclave of almshouses, hidden away behind high walls, was first set up in the 14th century.
The Begijnhof was originally a convent-like setting for elderly single women, as its two churches testify to. While nun-like in their daily prayers and vow of chastity, the women were free to leave at any time.
The houses are still lived in by 105 women and the lovely gift shop helps support this community. Enjoy walking around and looking into the churches in a peaceful place where the busy world just outside seems very far away.
Visit an Old Church
De Krijtberg Catholic Church
If the Begijnhof’s churches give both of you a taste for places where weddings or baptisms are celebrated, you’re in luck. Amsterdam is rich in old churches, their fabric soaked in centuries of ceremony and prayer.
In Amsterdam Centrum, De Krijtberg Catholic Church is built in Romanesque style, with a dark exterior hiding a rich, soaring interior. Oude Kerke, dating back to the 13th century, is now a gallery space but the remarkable wooden ceiling has to be seen.
Don’t miss Ons’ Lieve Heer Op Solder, or “Our Lord in the Attic”. This was a secret church built for Catholic worship at a time when it was banned and is a beautifully preserved time capsule.
Cuddle Up in a Brown Cafe
Cafe in Amsterdam
Any visitor to Amsterdam soon comes across the word gezellig— which supposedly has no equivalent in English. The best way to understand it is in a bruin café such as Café ’t Smalle, In ‘t Aepjen, or Café ‘t Papeneiland.
Not to be confused with the city’s smoke-filled “coffee shops”, these “brown cafés” are bars, often many centuries-old. Their name comes from the atmospheric, dark wood, tobacco-stained interior—although smoking is now banned.
Inside, there’s good beer, local comfort food—such as homemade apple pie—and lively conversation. If you find the coziness so comforting that neither of you wants to leave, you’ve discovered gezellig.
Admire the Royal Palace
Royal Palace
The Royal Palace on Dam Square was originally the city hall, built during the Dutch Golden Age. Reflecting the wealth of that time, it’s so grand that it’s now one of the three official palaces of the Dutch royal family.
When royalty is not in residence, you can visit the magnificent marble halls and see a wealth of art. The centerpiece is Citizens’ Hall, a soaring space with Amsterdam-centric maps of the world inlaid into the floor.
The Palace has one of the world’s largest collections of French Empire-style furniture. Look up outside for the giant figure of Atlas holding a copper globe on his shoulders.
Picnic in the Vondelpark
Vondelpark
Amsterdam has several lovely parks but the largest and most popular is Vondelpark. It’s always busy with walkers, cyclists, and people enjoying the green spaces and shady trees.
Having a picnic on the grass here is a really lovely thing to do in Amsterdam for any couple. There is also a mature rose garden in the center, and several restaurants.
Sitting on an island at the park’s heart is the Blauwe Theehuis—the “Blue Tearoom”. This distinctive round building in Modernist style is a buzzing place if you prefer eating with a proper table and chairs.
Read: Three Days in Amsterdam
Kiss on the Skinny Bridge
Skinny Bridge
The Magere Brug, or “Skinny Bridge” is a photogenic landmark spanning the Kerkstraat river. It’s a simple wooden drawbridge, a version of which has been here since 1691.
There are several legends attached to the bridge, not surprising given its age and striking design. One says it was built by two sisters living on opposite banks of the river so they could visit each other.
Another legend says a couple who kiss on the Skinny Bridge will remain forever in love. Who knows if that is true, but why risk missing out on one of the most romantic things to do in Amsterdam?
Sip a Genever
Genever
Amsterdam has a tradition of making genever, a gin-like spirit, that carries on in wonderful tasting rooms such as Wynand Fockink. Just off Dam Square, down a tiny alley, this bar has been going since the early 1700s.
The wooden interior is lined with old casks and shelves bent under bottles in near-endless flavors. Measures come in a small tulip glass so filled to the brim that you need to bend down to the worn wooden bar for your first sip.
After that fun-filled challenge, you take your glasses outside to free up the bar for others. Be careful, though, the strong spirits might go straight to your head.
Head North
Amsterdam-Noord
Right behind Central Station are free ferries, running 24/7 across the IJ River. A fun trip in itself, it takes you to the fast-growing, less touristy, north side of Amsterdam.
Amsterdam-Noord is a former industrial zone, now one of the city’s most vibrant districts. A highlight is the NDSM shipyard that’s been transformed into a creative hub beloved of Amsterdam’s artists.
You’ll find street art, a beachside restaurant, live music, and regular flea markets. Search out picturesque Nieuwendammerdijk, a romantic old village filled with wooden houses.
Find a View
A’DAM Lookout
It’s a lot of fun for any couple to point out landmarks to each other. Fortunately, Amsterdam has plenty of great viewpoints where you can do just that.
The newest is the A’DAM Lookout, whose observation deck has 360° views of the historic center, canal rings, and busy harbor. It also has Europe’s highest swing, adding lots of extra adrenaline to the romantic porch experience.
Among the oldest viewpoints is the 17th-century Westerkerk church tower—the city’s tallest—in the Jordaan neighborhood. Guided small-group visits take in its intimate views of the canals and Anne Frank’s house.
Find Quirky Shopping
Cheese
Among the most romantic things to do in Amsterdam is exploring the many interesting shops. The city’s anarchic nature comes out in its aversion to big name brands and support for smaller, owner-run businesses.
Turn a corner in places like the “Nine Streets”—the Negen Straatjes—and you never know what you might find. Unsurprisingly, there are cheese shops and shops specialising in anything from chocolate to handmade stationery.
You can also expect lots of cute boutiques selling well-chosen vintage clothing or the work of new designers. What you might not expect are the likes of Hutspot, which combines fashion, art, and design with a barber shop.
Escape to the Seaside
Zaandvort
From Central Station, take the train to Zaandvort, a 30-minute trip that will give you an appreciation of Dutch railways. You’ll also understand just how flat and watery the Dutch landscape is.
Zaandvort is a beach resort on the North Sea with, as its name suggests, beautiful sandy beaches. That name might also be familiar as the home of a Formula One racetrack.
Take a walk together on the five-mile-long beach, then relax in one of the beach pavilions. In summer, these bars and restaurants are buzzing, but cozier and more peaceful for the rest of the year.
Go Back in Time
Zaanse Schans
Just 15 minutes outside Amsterdam is Zaanse Schans, a picturesque open-air museum of 17th-century Dutch life. You’ll find traditional wooden houses, windmills, and small canals in a pretty landscape setting.
The eight working windmills include a unique paint mill, a sawmill, and a linseed oil mill. You can watch makers of clogs, pewter, and chocolate at work.
In spring, the fields of tulips make Zaanse Schans even more colourful. But it’s always a good place to try pancakes and products such as cheese or traditional liquorice.
Read: Amsterdam Travel Tips
Amsterdam Canal
Has this list of the best things to do in Amsterdam for couples brought out the romantic in you? Then browse Celebrity’s cruises to and from Amsterdam and find your own Dutch treasure.
