Amsterdam
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
See Amsterdam the way locals see it – by bike. Familiarise yourself with Amsterdam and its diverse neighbourhoods and architecture, cycle along the waterfront, and enjoy a local beer across from an iconic windmill. Thanks to the many bike paths in the city, pedal power is all you need to discover the city’s gems on your own, or as part of a guided bike tour.
At Canal Motorboats you can hire a specialised boat for an hour or more. Make your way around the city taking tons of photos and making fantastic memories with friends and family. The company’s marina is just 10 minutes from Central Station and five minutes from the beginning of the Prinsengracht. Each boat can carry up to seven people and naturally larger parties can hire multiple boats.
Besides providing a stunning backdrop to the city's historical centre, floating down Amsterdam's canals is one of the most memorable ways to discover the city. Whether you're a first-time or frequent visitor, everything in Amsterdam seems a bit more magical when viewed from a boat.
With distinctive buses and friendly staff, the choice in selected cities between multi-lingual commentary or live guide sightseeing has never been so much fun. Hop on and hop off as much as you like at any of the bus stops on the route and see all the best sights and attractions that Amsterdam has to offer.
With so many places of interest close together, Amsterdam is a great city where to take a long walk. Nowhere else will you find so many points of interest within a single square kilometre. Join one of the various 'Mee in Mokum' walking tours, or discover the areas beyond Amsterdam’s city centre on your own by using the walking tour maps available at the official tourist information centres.
See Amsterdam the way locals see it – by bike. Familiarise yourself with Amsterdam and its diverse neighbourhoods and architecture, cycle along the waterfront, and enjoy a local beer across from an iconic windmill. Thanks to the many bike paths in the city, pedal power is all you need to discover the city’s gems on your own, or as part of a guided bike tour.
At Canal Motorboats you can hire a specialised boat for an hour or more. Make your way around the city taking tons of photos and making fantastic memories with friends and family. The company’s marina is just 10 minutes from Central Station and five minutes from the beginning of the Prinsengracht. Each boat can carry up to seven people and naturally larger parties can hire multiple boats.
Kitchen & Bar Van Rijn is located on the Rembrandtplein in Amsterdam and 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 - the skilled chefs prepare 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.
Chefs Onno Kokmeijer and Arjan Speelman and their team will serve you daring original dishes inspired by French cuisine while you take in the panoramic view of Amsterdam. A selection of classic and innovative wines completes this unparalleled culinary experience. The restaurant is the proud holder of two Michelin stars.
Moeders is characterized by an informal atmosphere and friendly service and is known for several Dutch specialities (hachée, suddervlees and stamppot), but there are plenty of other things to choose from the extensive international menu. The walls here are filled with hundreds of framed and unframed pictures along with antique pans, plates and biscuit tins, which will complete your culinary experience.
The IJ-Kantine is more than just a canteen on the IJ. This striking and transparent brasserie with its fabulous terrace on the NDSM harbour has just about everything: in the morning you can go there for coffee, during the day you can have a royal lunch, in the evening enjoy a cocktail next to the fireplace in the lounge and at dinner time, eat dishes such as wild sea bass, potato cannelloni and half lobster.
Kitchen & Bar Van Rijn is located on the Rembrandtplein in Amsterdam and 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 - the skilled chefs prepare 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. Delve into the exciting world of diamond cutting and see every step of the process first-hand at Gassan Diamonds, where four centuries of craftsmanship and tradition are brought to life.
Each year, about 340,000 visitors come to see the 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.
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, Appleand Chanel. The surprising and breathtaking 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 & 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. In the Fashion & Museum District you can also spend hours in the stylish boutiques of P.C. Hooftstraat and Van Baerlestraat; exclusive brands have their flagship stores in these beautiful shopping streets.
Situated in the heart of the 19th century latin quarter De Pijp, the Albert Cuyp street market fascinates visitors since 1905 with its laid back atmosphere. Everything can be found here, from exotic shops to local craft businesses, cafes and restaurants; whether you are a bargain hunter or a foodie, here you will surely get what you are searching for.
In the historical heart of Amsterdam, rough diamonds are transformed into dazzling jewels every day. Delve into the exciting world of diamond cutting and see every step of the process first-hand at Gassan Diamonds, where four centuries of craftsmanship and tradition are brought to life.
Each year, about 340,000 visitors come to see the 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.
Airport
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol 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.
Passport / Visa
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.
Best Time to Visit
If you want to avoid high tourist traffic, then spring is the ideal time to visit Amsterdam: mild temperatures and blooming flowers will make your experience unforgettable, but bear in mind that the months of April and May are considered part of peak tourist season. 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 tourism drop in autumn and winter months, and so do the temperatures. 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.
Public Transport
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 a GVB 24/48/72/96 OV chip card. 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.
Taxi
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.
Post
At the main post office, you can phone, fax and buy maps and stamps, in addition to the usual services. Stamps can also be bought in most shops. Post-office boxes are red.
Pharmacy
Pharmacies (in Dutch: apotheek) are usually open Monday through Friday, from 9:00 to 17:30. At night and in the weekends there is always some pharmacy open on rotating shifts. 24-hour pharmacy: Sint Lucas Andreas Apotheek Jan Tooropstraat 164, Amsterdam +31 20 510 8911 To find out which pharmacy is open, call a central number for pharmacies:
Airport
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol 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.
Passport / Visa
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.
