Headed to Amsterdam? Here are 20 top things to do there

Amsterdam is a city shaped by water. Cruising its Canal Ring (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) by boat is among the top things to do in the Netherlands. This is a delight at any time – but particularly beautiful at night, when the waters’ ripples reflect the city’s twinkling lights.

You can navigate the waterways yourself (companies such as Boaty rent zero-emission electric canal boats), or hop on a sightseeing cruise, as just about every visitor does. Non-touristy alternatives include learning first-hand about the city’s history of migration aboard Rederij Lampedusa’s former refugee boats, or helping keep the waters clean by “plastic fishing” from Plastic Whale’s vessels, which are made from retrieved and recycled plastic waste.

Planning tip: If you prefer to enjoy the canals from land, grab a table at De Belhamel. Situated at the head of the Herengracht, this superb restaurant’s canal-side tables are perfect for canal-watching (summer only).

Cling-clanging bells and whirring spokes are part of the soundtrack of a city where bicycles outnumber cars – making for perhaps the essential means for getting around town. Bike lanes crisscross every part of the city, where the terrain (as in most of the Netherlands) is forgivingly flat and rental outlets abound.

Beyond the built-up streets, fascinating places to explore range from the former ship-building yards of Amsterdam Noord through the Royal Palace to the rambling woodlands of Amsterdamse Bos and the pretty port of Muiden, with its storybook medieval castle.

To avoid being the kind of tourist Amsterdam doesn’t enjoy welcoming, it’s important to follow cycling etiquette. Always use the designated bike lane rather than lanes for cars, or sidewalks; adhere to the rules of the road; signal with your arm when turning; and make sure you’ve turned on your front and back lights at night.

Amsterdam’s top three museums are handily located around the green lawns of Museumplein. The grande dame of the trio is the famous Rijksmuseum, which occupies a palatial 1885 and contains perhaps the best collection of works by Dutch masters like Rembrandt, Vermeer and Frans Hals. The largest museum in Amsterdam, it also displays sumptuous decorative arts, including blue-and-white Delftware porcelain and intricate dollhouses.

The world’s largest collection of Vincent Van Gogh’s dazzling paintings (The Yellow House and Sunflowers, among them) hangs at the must-see Van Gogh Museum. Modern and contemporary creations by the likes of Mondrian and De Kooning are the focus of the bright, light-filled Stedelijk Museum.

Planning tip: Invest in an I Amsterdam City Card, a discount pass that provides access to dozens of city attractions, to gain entrance to two of the museums (the Van Gogh Museum no longer participates). The Netherlands Museum Pass includes all three (as well as hundreds of museums across the country); buy one in person at the Rijksmuseum or the Stedelijk. Pre-booking your tickets is among the top things to know before traveling to Amsterdam.

You’ll know you’re truly in Amsterdam when you’re sipping a tall, frothy beer under the sails of a windmill. Much-loved craft brewery Brouwerij ’t IJ brews in former public baths adjacent to a traditional wooden spinner. Its leafy terrace is idyllic for a pint (try its signature Zatte Tripel). It’s often possible to see the brewing in action on a behind-the-scenes tour.

Bike carrier straps that function as shelving. Glow-in-the-dark door stoppers. Self-adhesive lamps to stick on the wall. These are just some of the witty, inventive and above all practical Dutch designs you’ll find in Amsterdam, along with furniture, fashion and gadgets galore.

A great place to start browsing is Droog, with a garden, gallery space and restaurant where most of the tableware is also for sale. Other emporiums to check out include X Bank, set up as a showcase for local creators, and the Gathershop, which stocks its shelves with handmade and fair-trade gift items.

Amsterdammers’ favorite green escape is the sprawling Vondelpark, a lush, 116-acre (37-hectare) oasis of English-style gardens with fragrant roses, winding paths, ponds and sculptures. One of the best free things to do in the city, this egalitarian space is where everyone – kids, adults, couples, joggers, picnickers, locals and tourists – hangs out in the sunshine. Within the park, there are cafes as well as an open-air theater. It can also be your quiet place if you want to escape the big city buzz.

Planning tip: A short walk from the Museumplein’s institutions, Vondelpark is the perfect spot to reflect after soaking in superb art.

When Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands in May 1940, war came to the city for the first time in almost four centuries – and devastated its thriving Jewish community.

The war’s impact on real people’s lives might be more palpable at the Anne Frank Huis than at any other site in the world. Behind a warehouse on Prinsengracht, the young girl hid for over two years with her family and their friends in a dark, airless “Secret Annexe” – until they were betrayed and sent to concentration camps. Only her father survived.

Anne recorded the entire experience in her diary, now a classic of Western literature. Walking through the tiny, dark rooms in which she recorded her story is a humbling experience indeed.

Detour: Amsterdam’s occupation – which didn’t end until 1945 – is also brought to life at the museum of the Dutch Resistance, the Verzetsmuseum.

No matter the weather, the ideal place to experience Dutch gezelligheid (conviviality and coziness) is in one of its bruin cafés (brown cafes). Dark timber and tobacco-stained walls give these traditional pubs their name.

Planning tip: With around a thousand across the city, you’ll never be far from a bruin café. They’re especially concentrated in charming neighborhoods like the former blue-collar quarter of the Jordaan, where canalside gems with candle-topped tables include Café Papeneiland, Café Pieper and ’t Smalle.

Awash with bars, concert venues and music-thumping clubs, Amsterdam’s renowned nightlife extends far beyond De Wallen, better known as the Red Light District (and an area whose reputation authorities are looking to change).

Leidseplein, home to the famed Melkweg, is a major hub, as is nearby Rembrandtplein. Amsterdam’s LGBTIQ+ scene is found throughout the city, with popular venues like Cafe Prik playing banging dance tunes late into the night.

Detour: Hop on a free ferry to Noord, one of the city’s coolest, most up-and-coming neighborhoods, and a haven of ultra-hip watering holes. Be sure to check out Pllek and Café de Ceuvel.

Lively street markets like the Albert Cuypmarkt in the De Pijp neighborhood are lined with stalls selling delicious cheap eats like haring (herring; served chopped with diced onion on a bread roll), Vlaamse frites (“Flemish fries”: crispy, fluffy and typically smothered with mayonnaise), stroopwafels (cookie-like wafers sandwiched with caramel syrup) and poffertjes (mini pancakes), as well as Dutch cheeses such as Gouda and Edam. At bars, classic snacks include deep-fried kroketten (croquettes), including ball-shaped, meat-filled bitterballen.

At first glance, Amsterdam’s cityscape seems scarcely changed from the era of Golden Age paintings – yet the contemporary city abounds with such tech-savvy, forward-thinking innovations as solar-paneled bike lanes, a sustainable “floating neighborhood” and the world’s first 3D-printed stainless-steel bridge. Learn about these innovations and other cutting-edge trends in design and urban studies, as well as the best in 21st-century architecture, at the Amsterdam Architecture Foundation (ARCAM).

Planning tip: Get out of the galleries and see Amsterdam’s newer side with a guided tour led by an ARCAM expert. Visit their website for the latest schedule (an additional fee applies).

The local firewater, jenever (Dutch gin) is made from juniper berries and served chilled. Amsterdam has some wonderfully atmospheric tasting houses to try smooth jonge (young) and pungent oude (old) varieties, such as 17th-century Wynand Fockink.

Cultural tip: Jenever typically arrives in a tulip-shaped shot glass filled to the brim – the kopstootje tradition dictates that you bend over the bar, with your hands behind your back, and take a deep sip.

The craziest activity in Amsterdam is nowhere near the Red Light District – in fact, it’s far above it. At the top of A’DAM Tower, a 1970s-era high-rise, a six-seater swing sends you out over the building’s edge and 100m (328ft) in the air, as your feet dangle below.

You can also ride a virtual-reality roller coaster or take in the view from the tower's 360-degree observation deck, restaurants (one revolving) or rooftop bar.

Your visit to this outgoing city is likely to coincide with one of its many festivals; the occasion might involve food, drink, electronic dance music or classical concerts on barges moored on the canals. The most important date on Amsterdam's calendar is King’s Day (Koningsdag; April 27), when people don outlandish orange-colored outfits and party in the streets. And the “parade” of barges that takes to the canals during Pride Amsterdam at the end of July is a flotilla you’ll never forget.

Amsterdam does urban revitalization really well and the sprawling Westergasfabriek complex is a perfect example. Once the Netherlands' biggest gas extraction plant, it was turned into a vibrant cultural space. Come here for art house cinema screenings, theater performances, hip coffee shops and industrial-chic restaurants.

Westerpark nearby is one of the city’s best parks and an excellent place for relaxed canalside picnics, fun outdoor activities and sunbathing when the weather is good. For more industrial landscapes check out De Hallen.

What is a more Dutch panorama than the sight of windmills in an idyllic countryside setting? Zaanse Schans is where you find this vista, and going there is among the best Amsterdam day trip ideas. It is an open-air museum showcasing the historic wooden mills and houses from the wider Amsterdam area. You can also check out the clog-making workshop, the modern Zaans Museum devoted to the culture and history of the region and the traditional cheese shop.

Hop on the bus or train to Zaandijk to reach Zaanse Schans. The journey takes less than 20 minutes.

Amsterdam doesn't have a shortage of things that impress. Only here can a former North Sea platform become a top-notch dining institution. REM Eiland is a three-story restaurant and bar in Nieuwe Houthaven with one of the best rooftops in the city at a height of 22 meters. Back in the ‘60s, the platform used to be a pirate radio and television station. Today, it's a go-to spot for sophisticated dining, slick cocktail-sipping and scenic sunset enjoyment.

Nicknamed "Amsterdam Beach" for its proximity to the Dutch capital, Zandvoort is always a fantastic day trip escape. The dunes-backed sandy stretch is where Amsterdamers go to soak the sun, take long walks to the sound of the North Sea waves and hang out in the numerous beach bars.

6 kilometers (4 miles) to the North is the wide Zuid-Kennemerland National Park where walking trails take you along coastal dunes and you can spot free-roaming fallow deer. Summer is the best time to visit these spots.

There's no lack of eccentricity in Amsterdam and its hidden gem museums are ready to delight, surprise and captivate visitors. Like the canal house-set Amsterdam Tulip Museum with an exhibition entirely devoted to the plant. Or the KattenKabinet celebrating art that features cats. For something different, Red Light Secrets, housed in a former brothel, takes you on a tour of the history of the city's De Wallen neighborhood.

Don't miss the excellent Het Grachtenhuis occupying the 17th-century canal house and providing an interactive look at the Amsterdam canals and their role in urban development.

Located between Leidsegracht and Raadhuisstraat in the heart of Amsterdam, De 9 Straatjes (or "Nine Little Streets") is the city's most famous shopping area. More than 200 independent local shops are concentrated here. De 9 Straatjes is where you buy vintage clothes, handmade beauty products, ceramics, books, coffee and antiques. The best way to experience it is by strolling from one pretty store facade to another.

De 9 Straatjes is also a very romantic part of Amsterdam with canalside coffee shops and bistros, photogenic little bridges and many fashionable boutique hotels.