Top things to do in Amsterdam

Stuart Forster provides an overview of the top things to do in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, including places to visit, where to eat and drink and top shopping locations.

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The city of Amsterdam is, by far, the Netherlands’ chief tourist attraction. Buzzing bars and cultural attractions, such as the Van Gogh Museum and Concertgebouw concert hall, count among the Dutch capital’s many attractions.

Top things to do in Amsterdam

Eight out of 10 UK visitors to the Netherlands head to Amsterdam. Many are members of stag and hen parties yet the city warrants visiting for a cultured city break  or a romantic getaway.

Here’s an overview of some of Amsterdam’s many highlights:

Best museums in Amsterdam

For art and culture, head to the Museumplein. It’s the location of the Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, two of the leading art museums in the Netherlands.

If you only have time to visit one of the museums in Amsterdam and want to gain insights into Dutch heritage, take a look inside the Rijksmuseum. For many visitors, the highlight is Rembrandt’s The Night Watch and the Golden Age paintings in the Gallery of Honour. To minimise queuing, book a ticket online.

Likewise, book your ticket in advance to visit the Anne Frank House. Tickets go on sale two months ahead of the visit date. Until 3.30 pm each day, entry to the museum is only possible via allocated time slots. I learnt the hard way, by being turned away at the door one morning.

Appreciate movies? Board one of the free ferries that cross the River Ij from Amsterdam Centraal to the Eye Filmmuseum. Designed by Delugan Meissel Associated Architects, the museum building is sleek and angular. Eye Film Museum’s permanent collection is in the basement. The collection features more than 64,000 film posters, 40,000 films, 700,000 still photos and 264,000 cans of film. The oldest films in the collection were created by the Lumière Brothers in 1895, three years after Thomas Edison patented 35 millimetre film stock.

Best view of Amsterdam

For an elevated perspective, take a seat in the Over the Edge swing. It is at the A’dam Lookout, the A’dam Tower’s observation deck.

The W Lounge is another good choice if you want to visit a rooftop bar in Amsterdam.

Alternatively, board a boat and take a canal tour of the city. Amsterdam’s network of canals is more than 400 years old and holds UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Tours last about an hour and are an effective way of orientating in the city while listening to a potted history of highlights along the way. Take your pick of the tours departing from the quays in front of the railway station or from Damrak, a couple of minutes’ walk away.

Dining in Amsterdam

Aficionados say that to enjoy a rijsttafel, a feast-like combination of Indonesian dishes, you should head to one of the restaurants in The Hague (49 minutes away from Amsterdam by Intercity train). If that sounds too much of a trek, stay in the capital and book a table at Kantijl en de Tijger, near the city centre.

For inexpensive but tasty Thai cuisine, head to Bird on Zeedijk, between the Amsterdam central station and De Wallen. Choose between seats in the restaurant and the diner across the street. Sitting by the window facilitates people-watching while eating.

Drinking in Amsterdam

To find out how beer is brewed, pop into the Heineken Experience. It’s one of Amsterdam’s leading tourist attractions. Down a couple afterwards.

Alternatively, head to the taproom at the Brouwerij T’iJ, which is in Amsterdam’s largest windmill.

Café Hoppe, on the Spui, is a long-established ‘brown bar’. It opened in 1670. Some locals say that traditional brown bars are named after the long-term effects of nicotine staining on the walls. Others suggest the term has more to do with the dark colour schemes that make such bars cosy.

With sawdust on the floor and a painting of a stern-looking horseman looking down on guests, Café Hoppe is a laid-back place to drink a beer or sample jenever. You can order young and old varieties of the drink that is often described as Dutch gin.

Shopping in Amsterdam

If you enjoy browsing upscale department stores, pop into the De Bijenkorf on Dam Square. Open seven days a week, the upscale store — which is essentially the Dutch equivalent of Harrods or Macy’s — has six storeys. The shop’s name, incidentally, means ‘the beehive’.

For boutiques, head to De Negen Straatjes, an area of nine streets roughly a five-minute stroll from Dam Square. Some locals feel that the area is losing the independent vibe that once made it the place to be.

Sample and buy Dutch cheeses in specialist shops.

For vintage goods, browse the market stalls at Waterlooplein. Sometimes the market can be worthwhile visiting. On other days, you might leave disappointed.

Travel to Amsterdam

Amsterdam Centraal Station is a 14-minute journey by Intercity direct train from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. KLM flies to Schiphol from airports around the United Kingdom, plus many more elsewhere in the world.

DFDS Seaways operates a Newcastle – Amsterdam ferry service, running between the Port of Tyne and Ijmuiden in the Netherlands.

Accommodation in Amsterdam

I enjoyed staying at the Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam City Centre. It is a modern, four-star property with 408 guestrooms. Ask for a city-facing room on one of the upper floors of the riverside hotel for outstanding views over the River Ij and the Dutch capital. The hotel’s wellness area has a sizable gym plus a Finnish sauna and a temperate bio sauna. A buffet breakfast is available in the hotel’s Silk Road Restaurant.

The hotel is a 15-minute riverside walk from the central railway station or a couple of stops on tram number 26. A free shuttle service runs between the two points.

Search and book hotels in Amsterdam using the website below:

Books about Amsterdam and the Netherlands

Looking for reading material with local relevance ahead of visiting Amsterdam? The following books are available from Amazon:

Lonely Planet’s Pocket Amsterdam: top experiences, local life.

The Rough Guide to Amsterdam. 

DK Eyewitness Top 10 Amsterdam.

Insight Guides guidebook to The Netherlands.

Further information

See the I Amsterdam and Holland tourist information websites for ideas about things to do and see in Amsterdam.

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