Amsterdam
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Time
2:56 AM
Amsterdam
With its characteristic canals (UNESCO World Heritage) surrounded by narrow, low and crooked 17th-century houses, Amsterdam is, without a doubt, one of the most charming capital cities in Europe. The rich cultural life and a wide range of entertainment make Amsterdam a full-scale city which has managed to retain its small-town feel. With over 50 museums, of which many are famous across the globe, this city is a real treat for art-lovers: highlights include the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum.Find your trip
The Rijksmuseum is the largest and most important museum of the Netherlands with a collection of nearly 1 million objects, including many masterpieces and artefacts from all over the world. Following years of extensive renovations, the Rijksmuseum has reopened its doors with an entirely refreshed layout.
The Jordaan is a neighbourhood of the city centre of Amsterdam, west of Prinsengracht canal. Originally a working-class neighbourhood, the Jordaan has become one of the most expensive, upscale and desirable locations in the country. It is home to gorgeous historical residential buildings with cute hofjes (inner courtyards), numerous modern art galleries, speciality shops, cafes and restaurants. Rembrandt spent the last years of his life in the Jordaan, on the Rozengracht canal. The Anne Frank House is located on the edge of the Jordaan, on the Prinsengracht canal. Many houses in the Jordaan have a stone tablet on their facade, displaying the profession or family sign of the inhabitants, such as scissors for tailors and a piglet for butchers. See how many you can spot!
The Negen Straatjes (nine little streets) intersect the main canals between the Leidsestraat and the Jordaan district, and are dotted with great restaurants, cafes, art galleries, jewellers, boutiques and vintage stores. With an exceptional array of styles, trends and prices, this area is truly a shopper’s paradise.
The Vondelpark is one of the most popular parks in the Amsterdam, right next to the Rijksmuseum. Locals and tourists alike come here to spend some time in the sun, play games together, bike, stroll hand-in-hand, read a book or simply enjoy the serene ambiance that this cozy park has to offer. It is a favorite haunt of dog owners and their pets. Don't miss the colony of about 4000 wild parakeets that is flourishing in the park since the mid-1970s.
The Van Gogh Museum goes well beyond the traditional permanent collection: the exhibition Van Gogh at Work is the culmination of seven years of fastidious research into his oeuvre and development as an artist. More than 200 paintings, works on paper, sketchbooks and letters by Van Gogh and his peers offer manifold insights into the fascinating creative processes behind his paintings and drawings.
The Koninklijk Paleis (Royal Palace) on Amsterdam’s Dam Square is one of three palaces still in use by the Dutch royal family. When not used for state visits, award ceremonies or other official functions, visitors can explore the magnificent interior and discover the rich history of the building.
You won’t see so many celebrities gathered together anywhere else. From film stars to sporting heroes, from the Golden Age to modern times, national and international artists, Madame Tussauds truly has something for everyone.
The Anne Frank House is the hiding place where Anne Frank wrote her famous diary during World War II. Now a museum, it recreates the war and holocaust years. Quotations from the diary, photographs, films and original objects belonging to the people in hiding and those who helped them all serve to illustrate the events which occurred at this location. Anne's original diary is on display in the museum as well.
The Rijksmuseum is the largest and most important museum of the Netherlands with a collection of nearly 1 million objects, including many masterpieces and artefacts from all over the world. Following years of extensive renovations, the Rijksmuseum has reopened its doors with an entirely refreshed layout.
The Jordaan is a neighbourhood of the city centre of Amsterdam, west of Prinsengracht canal. Originally a working-class neighbourhood, the Jordaan has become one of the most expensive, upscale and desirable locations in the country. It is home to gorgeous historical residential buildings with cute hofjes (inner courtyards), numerous modern art galleries, speciality shops, cafes and restaurants. Rembrandt spent the last years of his life in the Jordaan, on the Rozengracht canal. The Anne Frank House is located on the edge of the Jordaan, on the Prinsengracht canal. Many houses in the Jordaan have a stone tablet on their facade, displaying the profession or family sign of the inhabitants, such as scissors for tailors and a piglet for butchers. See how many you can spot!
Kitchen & Bar Van Rijn on the Rembrandtplein is inspired by the beauty and the masterpieces of Rembrandt van Rijn. In a cosmopolitan atmosphere with open kitchen, you can enjoy authentic Dutch cuisine for lunch and dinner. At weekends there is even live music and a DJ.
Michelin-starred restaurant Sazanka at Hotel Okura invites to a dinner and a show — skilled chefs prepare the finest Japanese dishes right before guests' eyes. The extensive menu features meat, seafood, and vegetarian dishes. Book in advance to ensure being seated.
The first Dutch omelettery offers a great selection of egg-based dishes for breakfast, lunch, or weekend brunch. Omelettes come in a plethora of varieties, from BBQ to banana & peanut butter. Fresh juices and an assortment of hot and cold drinks are served.
The impressive food court housed inside De Hallen contains 21 international restaurants, with offerings ranging from dim sum to steaks to tacos. Some reputable local restaurants have branches here. The common dining area is always buzzing, and live DJ sets are hosted Friday and Saturday nights.
At the restaurant Olijfje, Mediterranean meat or fish delicacies will be prepared for you on the restaurants charcoal grill. In the meantime, you can start off your dinner experience with some Spanish tapas, Mediterranean meze, Turkish feta cheese or Greek dolmas.
De Kas is a chic garden conservatory serving Mediterranean dishes. This restaurant housed in a collection of greenhouses that date to 1926 serves a fixed daily menu prepared with vegetables and herbs grown in their own nursery. Their motto is "Harvested in the morning, on your plate in the afternoon".
Kitchen & Bar Van Rijn on the Rembrandtplein is inspired by the beauty and the masterpieces of Rembrandt van Rijn. In a cosmopolitan atmosphere with open kitchen, you can enjoy authentic Dutch cuisine for lunch and dinner. At weekends there is even live music and a DJ.
Michelin-starred restaurant Sazanka at Hotel Okura invites to a dinner and a show — skilled chefs prepare the finest Japanese dishes right before guests' eyes. The extensive menu features meat, seafood, and vegetarian dishes. Book in advance to ensure being seated.
In the historical heart of Amsterdam, rough diamonds are transformed into dazzling jewels every day. Book a free 1-hour tour and delve into the exciting world of diamond cutting at Gassan Diamonds, where four centuries of craftsmanship and tradition are brought to life.
Each year, about 340,000 visitors come to see the Royal Coster Diamonds craftsmen at work. Free guided tours demonstrating the process of cutting and polishing diamonds are led by Coster’s accommodating staff. The tours are available in more than 24 languages.
A good location to start your shopping are the main shopping streets Kalverstraat and Leidsestraat. Here you will find all the shops you would expect to find in a large European city like H&M and Zara, along with a few local stores and excellent boutiques.
There are more than 300 unique stalls at the Netherlands oldest flea market, Waterlooplein — a beautiful place to walk, explore or shop. Haggle for books, clothing, art, jewellery, antiques or vinyls, or buy food and drinks from one of the available food trucks on the market.
De Bijenkorf is an inspiring, trend-setting and dynamic department store at Dam square. The city’s largest department store offers international brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Burberry, Hugo Boss, Apple and Chanel. The surprising and creative decorations in de Bijenkorf’s unique shop windows make them one of Amsterdam’s real attractions. Live theatre, dance and music performances can be seen there on a regular basis.
Magna Plaza means indoor shopping pleasure in a historical building, right behind the Royal Palace. Built by the end of the 19th century, the former post office of Amsterdam is nowadays an exclusive shopping centre with more than 40 brand stores.
The Negen Straatjes (nine little streets) intersect the main canals between the Leidsestraat and the Jordaan district, and are dotted with great restaurants, cafes, art galleries, jewellers, boutiques and vintage stores. With an exceptional array of styles, trends and prices, this area is truly a shopper’s paradise.
The Fashion and Museum District is one of the most beautiful areas in Amsterdam, and many historical buildings, such as Amsterdam's famous museums and the Royal Concertgebouw, define its impressive character. Spend hours in the stylish boutiques of P.C. Hooftstraat and Van Baerlestraat; exclusive brands have their flagship stores in these beautiful shopping streets. The Fashion and Museum District's official websites has several suggested walks based on your interests and the amount of time you have.
In the historical heart of Amsterdam, rough diamonds are transformed into dazzling jewels every day. Book a free 1-hour tour and delve into the exciting world of diamond cutting at Gassan Diamonds, where four centuries of craftsmanship and tradition are brought to life.
Each year, about 340,000 visitors come to see the Royal Coster Diamonds craftsmen at work. Free guided tours demonstrating the process of cutting and polishing diamonds are led by Coster’s accommodating staff. The tours are available in more than 24 languages.
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) is a modern, efficient and traveller-friendly airport. 90 airlines depart from Schiphol to over 250 destinations worldwide. The easiest and cheapest way to travel from the airport to Amsterdam is by train. This takes about 20 minutes to the Central Station and trains leave at least every 15 minutes during the daytime (less frequently at night). The train station at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is located directly below the airport. Tickets are for sale at the NS service desk or ticket machines. Taxis to the city centre cost significantly more and can take a while, depending on traffic conditions.
The Netherlands can be visited visa-free for up to 90 days by citizens of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Israel, UAE and most countries in America. If you are not sure whether or not you need to apply for a visa, we recommend you to contact the embassy or consulate in your country. In order to enter the Schengen zone, international (non-Schengen) travellers need a passport that is valid for at least 3 months after the end of their intended trip. Citizens from Schengen countries can travel without a passport, but they must bring with them a valid ID during their stay.
Most tourists tend to plan their trip to Amsterdam for the summer, so if you want to avoid crowds — come in April–May or September. You'll get mild temperatures, blooming flowers in spring and golden trees in autumn. Be ready for rain regardless of the season. April and May are considered part of peak tourist season. Locals use websites like buie.nl to predict when the weather down to minutes. Summer is high tourist season in Amsterdam, so be prepared to wait in long lines when visiting popular attractions. The summer months are also the most expensive when it comes to accommodation. Hotel prices and tourist population drop in autumn and winter months, as does the temperature. This is the best time to visit Amsterdam's many indoor attractions, such as museums and cafes. The city covered with a white blanket of snow is a marvellous sight. If the winter happens to be particularly cold, you can ice-skate on the frozen canals. Some cafes set tables and chairs straight on the ice.
Public transport is the perfect way to visit all attractions and to explore the city. Visitors arriving by car are advised to park the car at the P+R sites at the city limits and to use public transport. In Amsterdam, 15 tram lines, 41 bus lines, 7 ferry connections and 4 metro lines take you to a wide range of destinations throughout the city. The most convenient transport ticket is the GVB day or multi-day ticket. These tickets entitle holders to transport on all GVB lines, including the night buses, and are available at GVB Tickets & Info and tourist offices. Drivers and conductors also sell 1-hour and 24-hours disposable OV chip cards on trams and buses. No cash is accepted on busses or trams.
Taxis can be handy when travelling to and from the airport, late at night when the trams have stopped running or when you're running late. Depending on the traffic during peak times however, public transport may get you there even quicker. Just hail a taxi, or catch one at the designated cab-stands near tourist hotspots such as Dam square, Leidseplein and the Rembrandtplein. Uber is operating in Amsterdam.
At the main post office, you can phone, fax (retro!), buy maps and stamps, in addition to the usual services. Stamps can also be bought in most convenient stores. Post-office boxes are red. There is a convenient service point at the Amsterdam Central Station
Pharmacies (Apotheek in Dutch) are usually open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5:30 pm. At night and at weekends pharmacies are open in rotating shifts, so you'll have to look around a bit. Mediq Apotheek and Kring-apotheek are popular drug store chains. Dam Apotheek is centrally located on the Dam square and DA Apotheek on Leisestraat has one of the best opening hours. Call the central number for pharmacies to find out which ones are open in your area:
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) is a modern, efficient and traveller-friendly airport. 90 airlines depart from Schiphol to over 250 destinations worldwide. The easiest and cheapest way to travel from the airport to Amsterdam is by train. This takes about 20 minutes to the Central Station and trains leave at least every 15 minutes during the daytime (less frequently at night). The train station at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is located directly below the airport. Tickets are for sale at the NS service desk or ticket machines. Taxis to the city centre cost significantly more and can take a while, depending on traffic conditions.
The Netherlands can be visited visa-free for up to 90 days by citizens of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Israel, UAE and most countries in America. If you are not sure whether or not you need to apply for a visa, we recommend you to contact the embassy or consulate in your country. In order to enter the Schengen zone, international (non-Schengen) travellers need a passport that is valid for at least 3 months after the end of their intended trip. Citizens from Schengen countries can travel without a passport, but they must bring with them a valid ID during their stay.
