Amsterdam things to Do in 2024

If there is a destination that we love at Interrail , it is, without a doubt, Amsterdam . The capital of Holland is a true paradise of museums, gastronomy and charming places. Today, we focus on the best things to do in Amsterdam .

Amsterdam is a city we know very well because we have been there several times and we always come back with a good taste in our mouths. As the possibilities of what to do in Amsterdam are endless, we have tried to cover as much as possible: from things to do for free , to what to do with children , or what to do if it rains . 

Keep reading and don’t miss our favorite things to do in Amsterdam . There’s sure to be one that surprises you.

Table of Contents

• What to do in Amsterdam, the capital of Holland
• The 16 best things to do in Amsterdam
  • 1. Visit Dam Square, the first thing to do in Amsterdam
  • 2. Anne Frank House
  • 3. The Flower Market
  • 4. Climb the Bijenkorf department store in Amsterdam
  • 5. The Joordan District
  • 6. The Museimplein, where culture awaits you
  • 7. Enjoy the Van Gogh Museum
  • 8. The Stedelijk Museum of Contemporary Art
  • 9. Walk through the Red Light District
  • 10. The canals of Amsterdam
  • 11. Take a free tour of Amsterdam
  • 12. The windmills of Zaanse Schans
  • 13. Visit Rotterdam
  • 14. Visit The Hague
  • 15. Take a trip to Brussels
  • 16. Amsterdam and bicycles
• Accommodation in Amsterdam
• What to do in Amsterdam, in conclusion

What to do in Amsterdam, the capital of Holland

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands and one of the most beautiful cities in Europe . Known worldwide as one of the most liberal cities in Europe (just take a look at the Red Light District), Amsterdam is much more than that: Dam Square, the story of Anne Frank or the Flower Market are just some of the visits we recommend in this article. 

I’m sure you’ve already read our article on the best things to see in Amsterdam in 3 days , where we give a ton of tips for visiting the city, but just in case… I’ll link it above. 

Here we go, here we go … but first of all I would like to recommend you to take a free tour of Amsterdam . It is free and it is the best way to get a first idea of ​​the city.

With all this said, let’s start with our favorite things to do in Amsterdam .

The 16 best things to do in Amsterdam

The best things to do in Amsterdam are:

• Visit Dam Square
• Anne Frank House
• The Flower Market
• Climb up to the Bijenkorf warehouses in Amsterdam
• The Joordan District
• The Museimplein, where culture awaits you
• Enjoy the Van Gogh Museum
• The Stedelijk Museum of Contemporary Art
• Stroll through the Red Light District
• The canals of Amsterdam
• Take a Free Tour of Amsterdam
• The windmills of Zaanse Schans
• Visit Rotterdam
• Visit The Hague
• Take a trip to Brussels
• Amsterdam and bicycles

1. Visit Dam Square, the first thing to do in Amsterdam

A true classic. Dam Square is the most iconic place in Amsterdam and possibly the most touristy in the whole city. And no wonder, as it is one of the most beautiful squares in Europe.

Dam Square

It is home to some of the city’s main attractions , from the Bijenkorf department stores , the most important in the city, to the  Royal Palace (the official residence of the Dutch monarchy, but not de facto),  Madame Taussauds and the  Nieuwe Kerk. 

2. Anne Frank House

Another must-see visit in Amsterdam is to visit – essential – and optionally – Anne Frank’s house. 

As you probably already know, Anne Frank was a Jewish girl of German origin who was hidden for more than two years in Amsterdam from the Nazis during the occupation of the Netherlands .

During that time she wrote her diary – the famous Diary of Anne Frank – where she recounted her daily life in hiding in Amsterdam, her relationship with her family and her feelings.

Ana Frank’s diary

Eventually, Anna and her family were discovered and taken to various concentration camps. There, she did not survive. The House – for which you need a ticket – can be visited inside. We found it a very interesting visit and we recommend it to everyone.

3. The Flower Market

Another must-see in Amsterdam is to visit the famous Amsterdam Flower Market , or Bloemenmarkt .

The truth is that the Bloemen Market, despite the tourist boom and the number of tourists who visit it every day, still retains part of its charm .

The Flower Market

This is a floating market on the Singel Canal , full of plants, bonsais, tulips – one of the symbols of the Netherlands – and seeds for purchase. As walking around here is completely free, you can’t miss it.

4. Climb the Bijenkorf department store in Amsterdam

In number 4 of this compilation of the best things to do in Amsterdam, we return to Dam Square to tell you about the Bijenkorf department store , one of the most important and exclusive in the city.

In this case, rather than going shopping, we recommend that you go up to the fifth floor of the shopping centre and eat in the food court on the top floor. It is not as expensive as you might expect and the offer is very good. Highly recommended! 

5. The Joordan District

Another recommendation we make if you visit Amsterdam is to visit the Joordan neighborhood .

It is an area located on the left side of the city, very close to the Anne Frank House, characterized by its narrow streets and typical Dutch buildings .

Joordan

6. The Museimplein, where culture awaits you

If there’s one thing Amsterdam stands out for , it’s for having one of the most extensive museum offerings in Europe. If you like museums, you’re going to be amazed.

Museumplein with the Rijsmuseum

In this case, the main museums of the city are located around the Museimplein , the Museum Square of Amsterdam. Presided over by the Rijsmuseum , the National Museum, this is a square surrounded by garden areas where the Van Gogh Museum , the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Diamond Museum are also located . 

Now we are going to go one by one talking about each of these one by one.

7. Enjoy the Van Gogh Museum

One of my favorite museums in Amsterdam, and even more so as a lover of this author, is the Van Gogh Museum .

It has the largest collection of works by the Dutch painter in the world and is the most visited art gallery in the entire country.

The Van Gogh Museum

If you like Van Gogh, you must visit this museum. To  get your tickets  you have several options:

➜ Guided tour of the Van Gogh Museum

➜ Purchase  skip-the-line tickets for the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum together  (which also includes a canal cruise).

8. The Stedelijk Museum of Contemporary Art

At Interrailero we are fans of contemporary art and visiting one of the European design capitals, we could not ignore the Stedelijk Museum.

The Stedelijk Museum

It’s worth seeing just from the outside . It’s located in a building that looks like a bathtub and was opened in 2012. Its collection is considered the best in the whole of Holland .

The truth is that there have been few modern art museums that have disappointed us, and Amsterdam’s has certainly NOT been one of them . A must-see if you are interested in contemporary art.

9. Walk through the Red Light District

The Red Light District is another must-see in Amsterdam.

It is an area full of coffee shops – it is legal to smoke marijuana inside the premises –  many terraces and bars ,  sex shops  and some  shop windows with prostitutes offering their services, something that is also legal in the Netherlands.

Be careful! It is a safe area that you can visit perfectly, even at night. So don’t worry.

10. The canals of Amsterdam

Amsterdam is inherent in the word canal . Known as the Venice of the North, like the beautiful Stockholm , the city is made up of a lot of canals – more than 150 throughout the city – that have shaped the appearance of the city.

The canals of Amsterdam

The Singel , possibly the most famous canal in the city, is a good starting point to explore Amsterdam’s canals. If not, below we leave you a link to book a tour of the city’s canals.

Here you can book a tour of the canals of Amsterdam.

11. Take a free tour of Amsterdam

I already recommended it to you at the beginning of this article, but as I repeat myself a lot, I cannot write an article like this and not recommend a free tour of Amsterdam .

It’s the best way to get to know a city if you don’t want to spend much money and it’s also free . We usually do it the first day we arrive to get our bearings and the truth is that it never disappoints us.

Here is the link so you can book it: free tour of Amsterdam in Spanish .

12. The windmills of Zaanse Schans

Zaanse Schans  is a village located on the outskirts of Amsterdam that perfectly represents life in the Netherlands in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Here you can see  windmills, typical Dutch houses, a dairy farm and even a tin factory.  The mills can be visited to see how the wind-powered machinery works.

Zaanse Schans

Here we leave you a highly recommended excursion to discover Zaanse Schans, Edam and other picturesque towns in Holland .

13. Visit Rotterdam

If there is a Dutch city that I like, it is Rotterdam .

It might seem that being a more industrial city, with one of the largest seaports in Europe, it is boring and grey. But far from reality, Rotterdam is an ode to design, modernity and good taste.

Rotterdam

Some time ago Valme wrote an article with the best things to see in Rotterdam where he explains very well the most beautiful places in the city.

To get to Rotterdam from Amsterdam there are many train connections every day and they are very close to each other. If not, you can always choose to book a tour to Rotterdam with civitatis .

14. Visit The Hague

Another city you can’t miss in the Netherlands is The Hague . Located less than 40 minutes by train from Amsterdam, it is the third most populated city in the country.

Hague

Known for housing the  International Criminal Court  and  Europol , the Binnenhof, the Mauritshuis and the Peace Palace are some of its main attractions.

Amsterdam – The Hague Deals

15. Take a trip to Brussels

Yes, Brussels , the capital of Belgium and a city very dear to this blog, is very close to Amsterdam. The railway connections between both European capitals are continuous, ergo… if you haven’t been to Belgium, it’s worth a visit.

amsterdam – brussels offers

If not, you can always choose to book a day trip to Brussels from Amsterdam .

Brussels

There are a lot of things to see in Brussels , that much you should know. The famous Grand Place, the Manneken Pis – definitely NOT my favourite monument -, the moules frites (a typical dish made up of fries and mussels) and the European Quarter, for EU lovers, are some of the main attractions.

But if you want more ideas, here is an article with the best things to do in Brussels to have a great time.

16. Amsterdam and bicycles

Perhaps the first impression that tourists get when they arrive in Amsterdam is the number of bicycles there are throughout the city.

And no wonder. Amsterdam is one of the most cyclist-friendly cities in the world . In total, there are more than 400 km of cycle paths and almost half of the inhabitants commute to work by bike.

Here you can book a great Amsterdam car tour

Accommodation in Amsterdam

I’m not lying when I say that hotels, and accommodation in general, are very expensive in Amsterdam . The offer is quite good but the prices can be exorbitant on many occasions.

To avoid this – or at least to some extent – ​​it is important to book in advance . To help you out a bit, here is a map with different offers in Amsterdam so you can find some discounts.