High culture meets good times in Amsterdam, a city as popular for museum-hopping mini-breaks as party weekends.
With iconic 17th-century canal houses, delightful cafés and fleets of bikes, there’s much more to discover here than Rembrandt and tulips.
Getting Around
From Schiphol Airport, you can opt for bus, taxi or trains that get to Amsterdam Centraal station in under 20 minutes. This famously bike-friendly city has a walkable centre, and good public transport links that make it easy to explore the wider neighbourhoods.
Language
Dutch
Time Difference
1 hr ahead of GMT
Currency
Euro
Neighbourhoods to see
Old Centre: for classic Amsterdam experiences
In the heart of Amsterdam, medieval buildings line crowded streets and historic sites such as the Royal Palace sit alongside tourist attractions like Madame Tussauds and the Sex Museum. It’s also home to the many bars and coffee shops of the red-light district (De Wallen).
Museum Quarter: for culture and art
The base of the city’s three most famous cultural sites - the Rijksmuseum (art and history across eight centuries), the Stedelijk Museum (modern art) and the Van Gogh Museum. Unmissable!
Jordaan: for aimless wandering
This district is packed with galleries, design stores, antique shops and charming eateries. Wander picturesque lanes to stumble across jazz bars or tiny museums. Perfect for magical after-dark canal photos!
Rijksmuseum
A highlight of Amsterdam’s Museum Quarter, this majestic 19th-century building houses one of the finest collections of Old Masters anywhere in the world, including Rembrandt’s famous work The Night Watch.
Stedelijk Museum
Sitting on the Museumplein public square, this museum’s airy galleries are dedicated to great works of 20th and 21st century art.
Bloemenmarkt
In the flower capital of Europe, the colour, life and atmosphere of this world-renowned floating market make it a must-see. Where else could you be but Amsterdam, surrounded by this many tulips!
Anne Frank House
This unassuming building on the Prinsengracht Canal is where Anne Frank hid from Nazi persecution for over two years. Today it’s a poignant museum documenting the lives of the Frank family.
Canal Belt
A leisurely bike ride or stroll along the city centre canal network (Grachtengorde) is a lovely - and wallet-friendly - way to spend a few hours viewing beautiful merchants’ houses between rests at inviting cafés.
Food and Drink
Traditional Dutch food is hearty, with a focus on meat and carbs, but Amsterdam’s food scene is multicultural, crammed with irresistible cafés, plus city markets that do an excellent line in snacks.
Events
APRIL | King’s Day (Konigsdag)
The King’s birthday is celebrated on 27th April with a huge city-wide street party featuring dancing locals, markets and brightly decorated canal boats.
OCTOBER | Bokbierfest
Beer is big in Amsterdam and this big annual festival celebrates the local bock beer in style!
DEC – JAN | Amsterdam Light Festival
Light installations illuminate the streets to create breathtakingly picturesque canal views. You also get to enjoy the city’s famous Christmas markets at this time of year.
Connecting in Amsterdam. Fly to over 200 destinations, including;
Lagos
10h 25m flight time Via (AMS)
Nairobi
11h 0m flight time Via (AMS)
New York
10h 25m flight time Via (AMS)
Atlanta
12h 0m flight time Via (AMS)
San Francisco
12h 45m flight time Via (AMS)
Houston
12h 50m flight time Via (AMS)