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Amsterdam
Golden Age canals lined by tilting gabled buildings are the backdrop for Amsterdam's treasure-packed museums, vintage-filled shops and hyper-creative drinking, dining and design scenes.
Attractions
Must-see attractions for your itinerary
Amsterdam
This wonderful museum traces Van Gogh's life and artistic development via the world's largest collection of his work. More than 200 canvases are on…
Amsterdam
Attracting over 12 million visitors per year, Amsterdam’s favorite playground is the green expanse of Vondelpark, with its 116 acres (47 hectares) of…
Western Canal Ring
Visiting the Anne Frank Huis is one of Amsterdam's most profound experiences. Tragically, of the 107,000 Jewish adults and children deported from the…
Amsterdam
The Netherlands’ top treasure house, the Rijksmuseum (pronounced ‘rikes’), is among the world's finest art museums. With over 1.5km of galleries, it packs…
Amsterdam
Housed in Rembrandt's former home on lively Jodenbreestraat, this evocative museum provides an unparalleled insight into one of the Netherlands’ greatest…
Southern Canal Ring
Formerly a branch of St Petersburg’s State Hermitage Museum, H'Art Museum cut ties with Russia and now operates as an independent museum.
Amsterdam
The museum of the Dutch Resistance brings the horror of German occupation in WWII vividly alive, using personal stories, letters, artefacts, films and…
Amsterdam
This fabulous museum houses the collection amassed by postwar curator Willem Sandberg. The ground-floor Stedelijk Base exhibition displays a rotating…
Attractions
Top picks from our travel experts
De Pijp
Some 260 stalls fill the Albert Cuypmarkt, Amsterdam's largest and busiest market. Vendors loudly tout their array of gadgets, homewares, flowers, fruit,…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Dating from 1679, this small tasting house in an arcade behind NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky serves scores of jenevers (Dutch gins) and liqueurs. Although…
Amsterdam
Attracting over 12 million visitors per year, Amsterdam’s favorite playground is the green expanse of Vondelpark, with its 116 acres (47 hectares) of…
Amsterdam
This wonderful museum traces Van Gogh's life and artistic development via the world's largest collection of his work. More than 200 canvases are on…
Amsterdam Noord
Tucked in a former shipyard and designed by architect Wouter Valkenier, built from recycled materials and with a focus on sustainability, this waterside…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Spread across five 17th-century canal houses, the 'Five Flies' is a jewel. Old-wood dining rooms overflow with character, featuring Delft Blue tiles and…
Amsterdam
The museum of the Dutch Resistance brings the horror of German occupation in WWII vividly alive, using personal stories, letters, artefacts, films and…
Amsterdam
The beautifully curated Gathershop is a gift buyer's dream, stocking handmade and fair-trade items from clothing to homewares. Between the carefully…
Southern Canal Ring
Historic architecture, beer, clubs and steakhouses – welcome to Leidseplein. The square is always busy, but after dark it gets thronged by a mainstream…
Jordaan & the West
Small, unassuming and unmistakably old (1665), Café Pieper features stained-glass windows, antique beer mugs hanging from the bar and a working Belgian…
Amsterdam
The Netherlands’ top treasure house, the Rijksmuseum (pronounced ‘rikes’), is among the world's finest art museums. With over 1.5km of galleries, it packs…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Hung with replicas of Old Masters, the 'Silver Mirror' is an exceedingly elegant space inside a 1614-built, step-gabled red-brick townhouse. Exquisite…
Amsterdam
Amsterdam's most famous museums cluster around this public square, which has that Amsterdam essential: a skateboard ramp, as well as a playground and ice…
Southern Canal Ring
First called Reguliersplein, then Botermarkt for the butter markets held here until the mid-19th century, this somewhat brash square now takes its name…
Amsterdam
This fabulous museum houses the collection amassed by postwar curator Willem Sandberg. The ground-floor Stedelijk Base exhibition displays a rotating…
Amsterdam
Can you get more Dutch than drinking a craft beer beneath the creaking sails of the 1725-built De Gooyer Windmill? Amsterdam's leading microbrewery makes…
Western Canal Ring
In warm weather the canal-side tables here at the head of the Herengracht are enchanting, and the richly wallpapered art nouveau interior set over two…
Southern Canal Ring
In a former dairy, the nonprofit 'Milky Way' offers a dazzling galaxy of diverse gigs, featuring both DJs and live bands. One night it's electronica, the…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
More than just a concept store showcasing Dutch-designed haute couture and ready-to-wear fashion, furniture, art, gadgets and homewares, the 700-sq-metre…
Amsterdam Noord
Uber-cool Pllek is a Noord magnet, with hip things of all ages streaming over to hang out in its interior made of old shipping containers and, when the…
Amsterdam
Amsterdam's forest is a vast swathe (roughly 1000 hectares) of almost countryside, 20 minutes by bike south of Vondelpark. Planted in 1934 to provide…
Amsterdam
Not a hotel, but a local design house. Droog means 'dry' in Dutch, and these products are full of dry wit. You'll find all kinds of stylish versions of…
Western Canal Ring
Visiting the Anne Frank Huis is one of Amsterdam's most profound experiences. Tragically, of the 107,000 Jewish adults and children deported from the…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
'Lovely liquids, sexy snacks and twisted tunes' is the siren call of this hyper-retro bar with cocktails galore and Prosecco on tap. DJs spin pop, house…
Amsterdam
The curved Amsterdam Architecture Foundation, a striking waterside building designed by Dutch architect René van Zuuk, hosts changing architectural…
Jordaan & the West
With Delft Blue tiles and a central stove, this bruin café (brown cafe; pub) is a 1642 gem. The name, 'Papists' Island', goes back to the Reformation,…
Amsterdam
Greetje is Amsterdam's most creative Dutch restaurant, using the best seasonal produce to resurrect and re-create traditional recipes, such as slow-cooked…
Jordaan & the West
Dating back to 1786 as a jenever (Dutch gin) distillery and tasting house, and restored during the 1970s with antique porcelain beer pumps and lead-framed…
Amsterdam Noord
The 22-storey A'DAM Tower used to be the Royal Dutch Shell oil company offices, but has had a makeover to become one of Amsterdam's biggest attractions…
Amsterdam
The lush greenery of Oosterpark, with wild parakeets in the trees and herons stalking the large ponds, brings an almost tropical richness to this diverse…
Western Canal Ring
Cat-lovers may want to check out this quirky boat on the Singel. It was founded in 1966 by a local woman who became legendary for looking after several…
Southern Canal Ring
In 1796, following the French-installed government’s proclamation of religious freedom, De Duif became the Netherlands’ first Catholic church to be built…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
During the construction of Amsterdam's 2018-opened Noord/Zuidlijn (North–South metro line), more than 134,000 archaeological finds were unearthed from…
Amsterdam
This area was rolling countryside several centuries ago. In the 18th century, wealthy Amsterdammers would pass their summers and weekends in large country…
OBA: Centrale Bibliotheek Amsterdam
Amsterdam
This being Amsterdam, it has one of the coolest libraries you can imagine, built in 2007 and spread over multiple light, bright floors. The basement is…
Amsterdam
The Concert Hall was built in 1888 by AL van Gendt, who managed to engineer its near-perfect acoustics. Bernard Haitink, former conductor of the Royal…
Amsterdam
Perched atop the entrance to the IJ Tunnel is this unmissable green-copper building with a slanted roof, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano and…
De Pijp
Some 260 stalls fill the Albert Cuypmarkt, Amsterdam's largest and busiest market. Vendors loudly tout their array of gadgets, homewares, flowers, fruit,…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Dating from the early 14th century, this enclosed former convent is a peaceful haven, with tiny houses and postage-stamp gardens around a well-kept…
Southern Canal Ring
A distinctive striped building dating from 1923, this former bank now houses 23km of shelving storing Amsterdam archives. Fascinating displays of archive…
Southern Canal Ring
Flowers are not treats, but essentials in Amsterdam. Ever since 1860, this famous flower market has been located at the spot where nurserymen and women,…
Amsterdam
Attracting over 12 million visitors per year, Amsterdam’s favorite playground is the green expanse of Vondelpark, with its 116 acres (47 hectares) of…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
This nonprofit centre offers visitors tips and tricks for having a positive smoking experience and provides the low-down on local cannabis laws. There are…
Amsterdam
The Netherlands’ top treasure house, the Rijksmuseum (pronounced ‘rikes’), is among the world's finest art museums. With over 1.5km of galleries, it packs…
Amsterdam
On the IJ riverbank, Bimhuis is the Netherlands' most important jazz venue. Its stylish digs are at the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ and it draws international…
Planning Tools
Expert guidance to help you plan your trip
Things to Know
Locals in Amsterdam have lots of rules for tourists who flood into the city. Here's everything you need to know in advance to avoid getting in trouble.
Read articleBest Neighborhoods
Whether you're looking to party hard or hang out with family, our guide to Amsterdam's neighborhoods will help you find the perfect place to stay.
Read articleDay Trips
Some top places to see in the Netherlands are less than an hour away from the capital. Here are the best day trips from Amsterdam.
Read articleMoney and Costs
Be ready for high prices in Amsterdam, one of Europe's favorite city break destinations. Here are our tips for seeing the city on a budget.
Read articleTransportation
Amsterdam's compact center is easy to explore on foot and its public transport takes you even further. Here's how to get around the Dutch capital.
Read articleFree Things to Do
There's a host of freebies to help you save money in Amsterdam, from architectural jewels and archeological treasures to inventive exhibits and concerts.
Read articleTraveling with Kids
With its beautiful urban parks, child-focused museums and stroller-friendly trams, Amsterdam is a surprisingly great option for a family holiday.
Read article5 Shops
Amsterdam's creative and free-spirited energy is evident in its selection of independent shops.
Read articleArticles
Latest stories from Amsterdam
ShoppingAmsterdam in 5 Shops: handmade souvenirs, designer vintage and Dutch cheeseDec 15, 2023 • 4 min read
Destination PracticalitiesAmsterdam will have Europe’s highest tourist tax in 2024. Here’s what that means for your travel budgetOct 13, 2023 • 5 min read
Destination PracticalitiesInsider's guide to Amsterdam's neighborhoods: what you need to knowJul 26, 2023 • 7 min read
Destination PracticalitiesEverything you need to know about getting around AmsterdamJul 14, 2023 • 7 min read
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