Tours & Attractions

There are an incredible number of things for a tourist to do in Amsterdam, and we have prepared a tourist map to show you where it all is.  this page lists some of our favorites, and if only have a little time, be sure to check out our top 10 list.

It is easy to get overwhelmed by this city.  No other place on earth (except maybe Tokyo) has so much humanity crammed into such a small space.  Amsterdam is incredibly dense, and trying to decide what to do is like trying to decide what to eat at a restaurant with 200 menu items.

We have done our best to categorize, tag and map all the possibilities, and if you find that we have missed something or by all means contact us and let us know!  The map shows the most popular things, however there are literally thousands of places in Amsterdam that could be considered tourist attractions.  If your head is spinning from the possibilities, grab a bike and head off in any direction and you will surely find something interesting.

Canal Cruises

A number of companies offer cruises, excursions and canal boat tours. The tours usually last one or two hours.  Dinner cruises and excursions are also available from most of these companies. Departures for most tours are from: Prins Hendrikkade by Central Station, on the Damrak by the Beurs van Berlage, a the intersection of the Rokin and Spui, at Stadhouderskade 25 near the Leidseplein.  If it is your first visit to Amsterdam, this is a must-do and will give you a very unique perspective of the city.

Organized Tours

Organized tours of amsterdam are one of the best ways to see the city and get oriented while being able to relax and enjoy yourself.  A couple of the best operators are:

Amsterdam City Tours +31(0)299-770799 is a tour company offering bus, bike, boat, and walking tours through some of the most interesting places in Amsterdam and Holland. Call them or have a look at their website for more information. Amsterdam City Guide Is Amsterdam City Guide with touristic articles, attractions, tips, tours services, concert tickets & accommodation. Customized Amsterdam maps are available as well and answers to most touristic questions. – Amsterdam City Tours

Sandeman’s New Amsterdam Tours offers a free three-hour guided tour (tips accepted at the end of the tour) of the major Amsterdam sites and history twice a day at 11:00AM and 1:00PM and once a day in Spanish at 11:00AM. tours in front of the VVV (tourist information office) across the tram tracks from Central Station.  Look for the tour guide wearing a red “Free Tour” t-shirt. If you enjoyed the walking tour, sandeman’s also offers a two hour guided tour through the Red Light District.  The tour departs at 18:45 from the same place, and costs €10 per person (students pay only €8).

MEETin Amsterdam

A not-for-profit social group to help expats meet new people away from the bar and dating scene. The site’s primary focus is to provide a relaxed, ‘non-pickup-scene’ social environment for people to enjoy without paying membership fees. For people who have either just moved to Amsterdam or lived there for a while, this group can be a great way to meet new people in the area. Events are arranged by MEETin members and include a variety of activities such as pub crawls, potlucks, movies, concerts, day trips and much more. You have to register and create a profile in order to participate. The group consists mostly of expats from around the world and has grown to more than 1,400 members (January 2008). The site is financed through voluntary donations.

Canal Pride Amsterdam’s gay pride festival is the first weekend in August. One of the biggest festivals in Amsterdam with parties, performances, workshops and a boat parade on the Prinsengracht on Saturday afternoon which is always well worth seeing.

CityNavigators Offers handheld GPS tourist maps for rent through participating hotels or online. The GPS devices are pre-programmed to take you to popular attractions or to guide you through walking (or bicycle) tours. E-mail info@citynavigators.com for more information.

Play Futsal Football tour organisers Eurofives stage special tournament weekends in Amsterdam at which you can enjoy some Dutch-style five-a-sides.

Amsterdam Weekly It is an Entertainment magazine in English on the Internet. You can find weekly Amsterdam events.

De Poezenboot You really like cats? The poezenboot (cat boat) is an refuge for cats awaiting adoption. Located in the centre of the city, a must for any cat lover.

Rialto Cinema For all arthouse cinema freaks. All films are shown in their original language with Dutch subtitles. They have late night and classic showings too.

Albert Cuyp-Market/Heineken Brouwery, in a nice non-touristy neighbourhood.

Wynand Fockink Pijlsteeg 31 – 1012 HH Amsterdam – 020 639 26 95 – contact@wynand-fockink.nl Wynand Fockink is a distillery started in 1679. Right near Dam Place, they offer distillery tours (must reserve at least a week in advance as they fill up quickly), great liquors, and a great time in the back alleys of Amsterdam. They have numerous liquors, brandies, and jenevers and encourage you to try them all. It is traditional to stoop and sip the first drink and not spill. Several companies offer private tours by car, van, or mini bus for groups of up to 8 people. Bike tours are also available at a more affordable price, and offer a more authentic dutch experience.

Tourist Run Amsterdam Tourist Run Amsterdam offers guided running tours through the city center of Amsterdam.

Museums

Amsterdam has an amazing collection of museums, ranging from masterpieces of art to porn, vodka and cannabis. The most popular ones can get very crowded in the summer peak season, so it’s worth exploring advance tickets or getting there off-peak (eg. very early in the morning). Some of the quality museums that you can’t miss:

Anne Frank House – Dedicated to Anne Frank, a Jewish girl who kept a diary while hiding from Nazi persecution in hidden rooms at the rear of the building (known as the Achterhuis). It’s an exhibition on the life of Anne Frank, but also highlights other forms of persecution and discrimination.

Rijksmuseum – Absolutely top-class museum that has a large collection of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age. Some artists you can’t overlook are Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Frans Hals and Jan Steen. The must-sees are Rembrandt’s Night Watch and Vermeer’s Milkmaid. The museum also boasts a substantial collection of Asian art.

Van Gogh Museum – Even someone with little knowledge of art must have heard about Vincent van Gogh, the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter whose work had a far-reaching influence on 20th century art for its vivid colors and emotional impact. This museum has the largest collection of Van Gogh’s paintings and drawings in the world.

The Museum Card (Museum Jaarkaart) costs €39.95 (or €22.45 for those under 25 years old). It covers the cost of admission to over 400 museums across the Netherlands and you can buy it at most major museums. It is valid for an entire year, and you will need to write your name, birthday, and gender on it. If you are going to the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, those are at least €10 each, so this card can quickly pay for itself. The tickets to the major museums, including the audio guide, can be bought early from the tourist information desk at no extra cost.

Zoo & Botanical Garden

For Artis Zoo and botanical gardens, head for Plantage.

The Heineken Experience. Former Heineken Brewery , Stadhouderskade 78. A must visit experience for young and old people. Open from Monday until Sunday from 11.00 ‘o clock until 19.00 ‘o clock. Entrance closes at 17.30 ‘o clock. heinekenexperience.com

Several operators offer organised city tours, visits to diamond factories, other guided visits, and canal cruises. Unless you really need a guide – for instance if you speak only Chinese – it is cheaper to visit everything yourself.

Homomonument Is a memorial to gays and lesbians murdered in the Second World War, a call for vigilance against homophobia, and an inspiration for gays and lesbians the world over. Three equilateral triangles made of pink granite that are connected by an inlaid band of pink bricks. These three triangles represent the past, present and future. It is located between the Westerkerk and the Keizersgracht canal

Red Light District

The Red Light District consists of several canals, and the side streets between them, south of Central Station and east of Damrak. Known as ‘De Wallen’ (the quays) in Dutch, because the canals were once part of the city defences (walls and moats). Prostitution itself is limited to certain streets, mainly side streets and alleys, but the district is considered to include the canals, and some adjoining streets (such as Warmoesstraat and Zeedijk). The whole area has a heavy police presence, and many security cameras. Nevertheless it is still a residential district and has many bars and restaurants, and also includes historic buildings and museums – this is the oldest part of the city. The oldest church in Amsterdam, the Netherlands-gothic Oude Kerk on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal at Oudekerksplein, is now surrounded by window prostitution. The area has many sexshops and peep show bars. Note: Don’t try to take photos of prostitutes even from the streets, or you might lose your camera without any warning. This section of town is a common attraction for bachelors celebrating a stag night, if you ever get hassled, a firm and loud “Leave me alone” will work most of the time. Entering and exiting the premises is half of the job that might take some strength for first timers as you might hear some chuckles from people you’ll never see again in your whole life. This part of town gets very crowded, especially on a normal weekend night, sometimes up until 3AM. A fifty euro bill will get you either oral sex or a girl laying on her back, the rest is up to you. Although every room is booked by the girl herself, some of the sex workers are still being pimped by outsiders. You can book a tour of the Red Light District via the I Amsterdam information booths. The tour starts at 5PM at the VOC Cafe and is found to be very informative and entertaining.