What to do in Amsterdam is perhaps a question that many of us ask ourselves before embarking on a trip to this fantastic city. What to do apart from what we always see? Like visiting the coffee shops or the red light district. Is Amsterdam just that? Or does it have more to offer us? ….and the answer is: it has much more to offer, and we will talk about these other things in this article.
Indice:
What to see and do in Amsterdam
So here we begin a tour of the top ten things to do in Amsterdam.
If you arrive at Schiphol airport read our post on how to make the transfer from Schiphol to the center of Amsterdam.
The order in which we present them is random, since we find them all very interesting.
Free Walking Tour
Taking a free tour of Amsterdam, the so-called free walking tour, is a highly recommended activity to do as soon as you arrive in the city.
The free walking tour modality is widespread throughout the world, although they may not seem so complete, we always take them on the first day of visiting a new city. This way we have the first contact with it, it is a good way to learn a little about its customs, its history, the most emblematic places and to get your bearings in the city.
In this type of tour, you pay what you deem appropriate at the end of it. Just book your free tour and join it on your chosen day. The guides are always very attentive and friendly, making the tour very enjoyable, don’t forget to leave a payment according to that.
Visit the museums
Visiting the many museums this city has is one of the things to do in Amsterdam. The number of museums the city has is interesting.
Starting a tour of the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Amsterdam Museum, the Nemo Museum, the Rembrandt House, the Anne Frank House (which we will talk about below), to options such as the Madame Tussauds museum, a houseboat, or the Heineken experienceThe variety of these means that we all have interesting options.
Here is a video with our tour of several of the museums mentioned above, so you can draw your own conclusions about which ones you would like to visit, including even… a hidden church.
Many of them are included in the Go City Amsterdam, so as we always say, do the math on the ticket prices and see if you are going to amortize it, generally if you make many visits, the tourist pass is worth it, it also includes public transport.
Check out the update we made during our last trip to Amsterdam
Flower Market
The Bloemenmarkt, Amsterdam’s floating flower market, is a major draw for all of us visiting the city, as well as a favourite place for locals to buy flowers and plants.
As you walk through the streets of Amsterdam, you will find yourself on a stretch of the Singel canal at this very colourful market. Here you will find flowers, plants, seeds, bulbs and many souvenirs to take home as a memento of the city.
Unfortunately, in 2019 the last flower shop in the market closed, leaving now mainly only souvenirs, seeds and bulbs, although the tour is still a must for tourists.
Opening hours are Monday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Although it is recommended to visit from Monday to Saturday, as some establishments do not open on Sundays.
Navigate the channels
Seeing the city from a boat ride through its canals is very attractive. It is a highly recommended tour, there are several companies that offer the same, the duration is approximately one hour.
If you get the I Amsterdam City Card, you already have it included ►More activities in Amsterdam
►Book your boat trip through the canals of Amsterdam
Views of the city from the Westerkerk
I think that one of the options that cannot be missed in any city is to get a view of it from a height, to obtain a panoramic view of the roofs and buildings. In the case of Amsterdam, a recommendation is to do it from the bell tower of Westerkerk.
The views are very good, you go up accompanied by a guide who explains to you about the bell tower and the construction of the church (in English). The groups going up are small and you have to reserve a place below, in the same church.
The climb is open from April to October from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The entrance fee is €7.50
Amsterdam City Hall
A visit to the Amsterdam Beguinage is well worth the effort, and you will surely pass by it on your walking tours of the city.
The begionage is a space, a courtyard, surrounded by houses, in which groups of religious women, the beguines, lived.
Inside is one of only two old wooden houses still standing in Amsterdam today.
Admission is free and opening hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Anne Frank’s House
Although we could have included it in the museums section, we wanted to highlight it separately, due to the importance it has on a visit to Amsterdam as well as the difference of having to book tickets in advance via the web.
The Anne Frank House can only be accessed with a ticket purchased online, with a predetermined time, the official site is: annefrank.org
The entrance fee is €14 and the opening hours are from 9 a.m. to 5/7 p.m.
The visit is very good, it is very well organized, you cannot take photos or film inside.
Letters I Amsterdam
Taking a photo in front of the city’s letters is a must. But… the most famous of the signs, the one in front of the Rijksmuseum, was removed in December 2018. The number of people gathering in front of it was one of the reasons.
Where can we see the letters today?
► At Schiphol Airport
► Next to Sloterplas lake, to the west
► In a set of traveling letters that appears at various events.
Beer and chips!!
If you like beers, you can’t miss out on trying the variety of beers you can find in Holland. A visit to the Heineken factory is a must.
And for potato lovers, eating a cone of fries while walking through the streets of Amsterdam is a must.
Rent a bike
I would only recommend it for touring the parks or going on routes to other towns. Within the city it may be a bit risky as there are loads of them and they go at a good pace, but if you dare, go ahead, enjoy and live like a local!
A tourist pass is a very good idea in a city like Amsterdam ► Find out more with Go City
What did we leave off the list that is typical to do in Amsterdam?
The typical and obvious thing to do on a trip to Amsterdam is to visit the red light district and the coffee shops. We did not highlight it because we wanted to show you everything else, since Amsterdam has a lot to offer.
And the other thing is the visit to the surrounding cities and towns, such as Haarlem, Volendam, Marken, Zaanse Schans and more, but we will dedicate a separate post to those.
If your trip also includes Belgium, here is our latest article from Brussels.
Where do we stay?
The hotel we chose was the Hotel Rho, very well located next to Dam Square and not as expensive as we found most central accommodations to be in the month of August.
↓Search all areas of Amsterdam to find your best accommodation option↓
Booking.comAre you coming to Amsterdam from far away like us and having internet all the time is a problem? The Holafly data SIM for travelers is a very good option. In the link you will find all the information as well as a discount for followers of Europe accompanied by the following code: EUROPAACOMPAÑADA5.↓
Extra: map and video
↓Visit our page where we help you plan your trip↓
NOTE: The information in this article is based on our own experience, being totally objective. This article contains affiliate links
