15+ Best Things to Do in Amsterdam (Update 2026)

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This is my Amsterdam Travel Guide with awesome things to do in Amsterdam

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There are countless stereotypes about the Dutch… cheese, tulips, windmills and BIKES. In and around Amsterdam you´ll find them all, or at least most of them. Amsterdam was named after the river Amstel, which flowed through the city center until the 20th century. Pipes were built and the canal belt was created. The waterways were great for trade and defending the city. Rental shortage was a huge problem in Amsterdam which resulted in many people living in house boats in the canals that can still be found today. 

The charming city center has more than 1000 bridges, Grachten and beautiful old houses. While taking a stroll through the city, you find many bikes and even have to take care to not crash with one of them. It´s the favourite transportation of Amsterdam´s people with 880000 bikes and a whole cycling network. Considering the small streets and parking, the bicycle is just the easiest way to get around. On average, every week 1 car falls in the canals, so better don´t take your car in the city 😀 If you come in spring, between the end of March and the end of April, you´ll get to see beautiful tulips everywhere!

This Is my Amsterdam Travel Guide for a Great Time in the City

How to Get Around Amsterdam

Depending on how you get to Amsterdam, the best travel option might differ.

Parking is very expensive and there are only few spots available, I would highly recommend not to look for parking on the streets as it is hard to drive in the city and you won´t save money. Of course there are car parks which you can use but most are pricey with up to 50 euro + a day.

Luckily, there is Park and Ride (P+R). So you simply park outside the city center in specific P+R car parks, take public transport in the city and save loads of money. If you arrive on weekdays before 10am, it’s €13 for the first 24 hours (then €6 for each additional 24 hours). If you arrive after 10am on weekdays, or anytime on weekends and public holidays, it’s just €6 for 24 hours. Note that the discounted rate only applies if you travel to and from the city centre using an OV-chipkaart, paper ticket, or a P+R GVB ticket, it’s checked when you leave.

1. Parking locations

Go to the website https://www.amsterdam.nl/en/parking/park-and-ride/ for the P+R car park locations and drive to the one of your choice

It´s good to check if there is enough availability, we did the mistake not to check and went to 2 car parks with no available parking, so we had to park for the normal fee of 3 euro an hour. Also, make sure you take the right entrance because sometimes the parking is seperate or you get a different ticket for P+R.

The one at RAI was completely closed when we went there and Olympisch Stadion was full on 2 days, the P+R at ArenA is further away from the city but it is huge and there was a lot of space.

2. Use public transport to the city

At the P+R car park you can buy discounted P+R GVB return tickets (up to 5 per car) at the blue ticket machine, but only within one hour of parking, and only at select P+R locations (currently Bos en Lommer, Johan Cruijff ArenA, Olympisch Stadion and RAI). Each ticket is valid for one hour each way, so make sure to tap on and off when you get on and off the tram, bus or metro. Your last check-in on the way back must be in the city centre, or you won’t qualify for the discounted parking rate. You can also use your own OV-chipkaart or a paper ticket instead, but note that GVB app tickets or paying by debit/credit card (OVpay) don’t qualify for the discount.

3. Pay

To get the correct fare, you need to tap or enter your GVB ticket at the ticket machine and the right amount will appear 🙂

If you are staying in the city you can also leave your car in P+R up to 4 days but if you don´t travel by car, public transport and bicycles should be the transport of your choice.

Public transport in Amsterdam is excellent, reliable and reasonably priced, but the ticket you need really depends on your itinerary and how you’re arriving in the city. If you’re landing at Schiphol Airport and staying within Amsterdam, the Amsterdam Travel Ticket is usually your best bet, since it combines your airport transfer (NS train or Airport Express bus) with unlimited GVB trams, buses and metro in the city, all on one card.

Planning to visit lots of museums or want to include a canal cruise? The I amsterdam City Card is worth considering, since it bundles public transport with free or discounted entry to many of Amsterdam’s top attractions.

If day trips outside the city are on your list, like the Keukenhof tulip gardens, Zaanse Schans, Volendam or the beach at Zandvoort, you’ll need the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket instead, since regular GVB tickets only cover Amsterdam itself and won’t get you there.

For public transport within the city only, a GVB day pass is the simplest and most cost-effective option once you need more than two or three single-hour tickets, and it’s available for 1 to 7 days depending on how long you’re staying. If you’re only taking a handful of short trips, you can skip buying a ticket altogether and simply tap in and out with a debit or credit card via OVpay, which charges the standard per-trip fare automatically.

Another option is to rent a bike, as the cycling network in Amsterdam is great. It will cost you around 5-15 euro and is a great way to see the city.

You can also take a guided bike tour to discover Amsterdam.

My Favourite Things to Do in Amsterdam

1. Strolling the Canals of Amsterdam

Amsterdam has lots of canals, bridges and boats which make the whole city look so pretty. The charming, quiet streets with lots of beautiful boats and bicycles are my favourite thing to see. Surrounded by beautiful houses there are a lot of picturesque spots to take a photo and soak in the atmosphere.

The canals are built in a belt, which is easy to walk along. It consists of the Prinsengracht, the Keizersgracht, the Herengracht and Singel canals. Just walk around and you´ll find some amazing spots,

2. Do a Canal Cruise

A canal cruise is a great way to see the city from a different perspective. There are many different companies all over the city. Most of the times you don´t need to book in advance, you can just go and buy a ticket there. We paid 12 euro for a one hour cruise. Beside the normal cruise, they also offer evening cruises, luxury cruises, candelight cruises, pizza and burger cruises, open boat cruises…

I personally loved it, as they tell you interesting facts about the things you come across on the way and it´s very beautiful to see the city and the bridges from the water.

When I was sitting at the canals, I saw a little boat called Plastic Whale with people fishing plastic out of the canal. How amazing is this idea?! Some research showed this company offers canal cruises where you can fish plastic to make the water plastic free and it´s also suitable for groups and school classes. So you can see the waterways of Amsterdam while doing something good for the environment. From the recycled plastic, they make the Plastic Whale boats and furniture. You can book it here: https://www.airbnb.nl/experiences/44548

3. Cheese tasting

That´s one for all the cheese lovers here! The Dutch are famous for their cheese, so you´ll find cheese stores on every corner. Often, they look really cool, as you can see the cheese wheels through the windows under the roof. In most stores you can do a cheese tasting and try all the different kinds of cheese and sometimes you can also book a whole tour.

4. Bloemenmarkt

As I love flowers, one of my favourite place to be was the Bloemenmarkt. It´s in the middle of the city along the water. You get everything from tulips, bouquets, bulbs, decoration, souvenirs and other plants. If you have a garden, make sure you get some Dutch tulips from Amsterdam and in the next year you´ll have all the beautiful colours at home!

5. The Cafés 

Amsterdam has some beautiful cafés. In the small alleys you find super cute shops which sell cakes, waffles, pancakes, or beergardens. My absolute favourite café is De Laatste Kruimel, even the name is amazing. They sell cakes, quiches, cupcakes, baguettes and some meals. Not many people fit in as it is quite small but you can also just get something to go. Vegan options are available too!

6. Explore Jordaan

Jordaan is one of Amsterdam’s prettiest and most authentic neighbourhoods, and one of the best areas to explore if you want to escape the crowds of the city centre. It’s quiet, lined with beautiful old houses, houseboats, cosy restaurants and independent shops, and makes for some of the best photo spots in the city, especially along the canals at sunset. Many canal cruises depart from this district, making it an easy spot to combine with a boat tour.

Jordaan is also home to the world-famous Anne Frank House, now a museum dedicated to Anne Frank, the Jewish girl who hid here during World War II and documented her experience in her diary. Tickets are sold exclusively online at annefrank.org, with no tickets available at the door. New slots are released every Tuesday at 10am for the week six weeks later, and popular time slots can sell out within just a few minutes, so it’s essential to book as early as possible. Adult tickets cost €16.50, tickets for children aged 10 to 17 are €7, and children under 10 pay just €1.

You can book here: https://www.annefrank.org/en/museum/tickets/

If you weren’t able to get tickets, there are some excellent alternatives that let you experience Anne Frank’s story without a ticket to the museum itself. Anne Frank’s Last Walk & Virtual Reality House Visit retraces the final route Anne and her family took into hiding, ending with a virtual reality visit inside the Secret Annex as it looked when the family lived there (English only, around €44, 2.5 hours). For a more historical deep dive, the Anne Frank Small-Group Walking Tour explores Amsterdam’s Jewish Quarter, including the Portuguese Synagogue and the Jewish Historical Museum, ending at the house’s exterior (available in several languages including German, from around €16, 1 to 2 hours).

7. Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum is a national museum at the Museumsplein and has a collection of art including works of Rembrandt and van Gogh. Tickets are only available online with a timed entry slot, adults pay €25.00, while children and teenagers under 18 get in completely free (though they still need to book a free ticket in advance). The museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Given its popularity, tickets can sell out several days ahead during peak season, especially on weekends, so it’s worth booking in advance rather than turning up on the day. You can book tickets here.

8. Albert Cupy Market

Markets are always a great way to see the lifestyle of the city´s people and get to know the regional products, fashion and food. On this market you find clothes, jewelry, fish, vegetables and fruits and most importantly streetfood!!! My love for streetfood is big, really big…, especially when it´s typical for a country. I´m talking Stroopwafels and Poffertjes!

It´s open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm. Here you find more about Foods in Amsterdam.

9. Take a Guided Food Tour

One of the best things to do in Amsterdam is trying the foof! If you want a deeper taste of Amsterdam beyond a few cafés and markets, a guided food tour is one of the best ways to do it. Most run through the Jordaan neighbourhood, a former working-class district that’s now one of the city’s most beloved foodie hubs, and combine tastings with local history and stories along the way. On a typical 3 hour tour, you’ll try classics like Dutch cheese, bitterballen, herring and Amsterdam’s famous apple pie, often at family-run shops and cafés that have been around for generations. Food, drinks and a local guide are usually included in the price.

If you’d rather explore at your own pace, self-guided food tours are also popular in Amsterdam. You get a digital guide with a route through several foodie stops, background stories on each spot, and small discounts along the way, while paying for the food yourself as you go.

10. Visit One of the Smaller Amsterdam Museums

If you want a break from the classic art history route, Amsterdam has a growing number of smaller, quirkier museums worth a visit. The Moco Museum, tucked into a historic villa on Museumplein right next to the Rijksmuseum, focuses on modern and contemporary art with a strong collection of Banksy, Warhol, Basquiat and Kusama. It’s compact enough to see in about an hour and easy to combine with a day at the bigger museums nearby. Tickets start around €18, with the price varying slightly depending on the time of day.

For something more playful, Barbie: The Dream Experience takes you through more than a dozen immersive, life-sized rooms based on six decades of Barbie history, from a giant DreamHouse to a pink Corvette you can pose in. It’s a fun, photo-heavy stop for fans of any age, with adults-only evening sessions available a few nights a week. Tickets typically run from around €19 to €21 depending on the day.

The Upside Down Amsterdam, located near the RAI in the south of the city, flips the concept entirely, with over 25 rooms built to be photographed upside down. It’s a highly Instagrammable stop and works well for families, with prices ranging roughly from €25 to €27 for adults depending on the time slot, and discounted tickets for kids aged 3 to 11.

11. Visit the Red Light District

De Wallen, Amsterdam’s Red Light District, is one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods, just a short walk from Centraal Station. It’s a real, lived-in area and a legal working district, not just a tourist attraction, so keep that in mind as you walk through.

If you’d rather explore with some context, guided walking tours (in small groups) cover the area’s history, architecture and the story behind its legal sex industry, and are a great way to understand the neighbourhood beyond its reputation.

12. Learn about the Famous Heinecken Beer

The Heineken Experience is set inside the brand’s original 1867 brewery in De Pijp, just a short walk from the Rijksmuseum and Museumplein, and it’s one of Amsterdam’s most visited attractions. It’s a self-guided tour (around 1.5 to 2 hours) through the history of the brand and the brewing process, including the old brew hall with its huge copper kettles, a 4D “Brew U” ride that walks you through how the beer is made, and a tasting session at the end.

The standard ticket costs €24.95 and includes one beer, while the version with rooftop access costs €29.95 and includes two drinks with a view over the city. There’s also a VIP tour for €65 with a personal guide, five premium beers and Dutch snacks. Kids are welcome too, they just get soft drinks instead of beer. Like most attractions in Amsterdam, tickets are sold online only for a specific time slot, and it’s worth booking a few days ahead, especially on weekends.

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The following things are not really things to do in Amsterdam because they are not in the city but not more than 30 minutes away and I wanted to include them in my Amsterdam travel guide, because I absolutely loved them and would really recommend to go there if you have enough time.

13. Marvel at the Tulips in Keukenhof

Keukenhof is the world’s largest flower garden and is all about tulips. It’s about 30 minutes from Amsterdam, reachable with the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket or by car. The 2026 season runs from 19 March to 10 May, so make sure your trip falls within that window if tulips are the goal.

A ticket costs €21.50 for adults, €10 for children aged 4 to 17, and children under 4 get in free. Tickets work with timed entry slots, so book online in advance rather than counting on getting one at the gate, especially on weekends when it’s busiest. Keukenhof is also completely cashless, so bring a debit or credit card, as cash isn’t accepted anywhere on-site, including the restaurants and shops. Beyond the tulip fields, you’ll find beautiful gardens, themed exhibitions and a windmill, and it’s easily one of the best photo spots in the whole region. Tickets are available here: https://keukenhof.nl/en/ or you can book tickets with a shuttle bus here. There are also bicycles to rent, so you can explore the surrounding tulip fields.

14. Explore the Tulip Fields Around Amsterdam

If you have a little more time, I would recommend to visit the tulip fields around Amsterdam. Around the Keukenhof, in Lisse you find beautiful tulip fields if you don´t have a car. You can rent a bike or even walk there. If you have a car you can drive to Flevoland or the Nordoostpolder and visit the beautiful fields which are less touristy. There are Tuliproutes for cars, bikes and to walk for instance. Include this in your Amsterdam travel plans if you come in spring! 

Here is an in depth blog about visiting the tulip fields in Lisse.

15. Visit the Beach

Surprisingly, the Beach is not far away from the city and you can use public transport to get thre. With the Amsterdam & Region pass you can reach different beaches including Zaandvoort. If you have a day left, relax at the beach, do a walk or rent a bike to explore the area.

This was my Amsterdam travel guide with things to do. Check out the other posts on the food in Amsterdam and an exact plan on where and how to see the tulips. If you have any recommendations for Amsterdam travel plans and what things to do in Amsterdam, let me know in the comments 🙂.

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