These are the experiences worth building your trip around, from the city's world-class museums to its canals, markets, and parks. Save the ones that appeal to you and slot them into your own itinerary.
The Best Things to Do in Amsterdam
1Must visit
Museum5.0
Rijksmuseum
The national museum: Rembrandt's Night Watch, Vermeer, and the Dutch Golden Age in a magnificent building.
Museumplein
2Must visit
Museum5.0
Van Gogh Museum
The world's largest Van Gogh collection, tracing his life and art across four floors.
Museumplein
3Must visit
Museum5.0
Anne Frank House
The canal house where Anne Frank hid, now a profoundly moving museum. Book weeks ahead.
Jordaan
4
Experience€18-30
Evening Canal Cruise
See the UNESCO canal ring from the water, the single best way to grasp the city's layout.
Various departure points along Damrak and Prins Hendrikkade1-1.5 hours
Book this tour
5
Architecture
Jordaan Canal Houses
Wander the city's most charming quarter of gabled houses, galleries, and brown cafes.
Jordaan neighbourhood, along Bloemgracht and Egelantiersgracht
6
Park4.0
Vondelpark
Amsterdam's green heart, perfect for a stroll, a picnic, or a terrace drink.
Oud-Zuid
7Must visit
Market4.0
Albert Cuyp Market
The largest street market in the city for stroopwafels, cheese, herring, and street food.
De Pijp
8
Other4.0
Begijnhof
A hidden medieval courtyard of almshouses, a pocket of calm in the centre.
Centrum
9
Museum4.0
Stedelijk Museum
Modern and contemporary art, from Mondrian to bold rotating shows.
Museumplein
10
Viewpoint
A'DAM Lookout Tower
A panoramic rooftop over the IJ in Noord, with Europe's highest swing for the brave.
Overhoeksplein 5, Amsterdam-Noord
11
Restaurant4.0
Foodhallen
A buzzing indoor food hall in a former tram depot, ideal for casual grazing.
Oud-West
12
Landmark
Dam Square
The historic heart of the city, framed by the Royal Palace and the National Monument.
Dam Square, Centrum
FAQ
- What is the one thing not to miss in Amsterdam?
- A canal cruise paired with the Rijksmuseum. Together they capture both halves of the city, the 17th-century waterways and the Golden Age art that the wealth of that era produced.
- What is free to do in Amsterdam?
- Plenty: wandering the canal ring and the Jordaan, Vondelpark, the Begijnhof courtyard, the free IJ ferries to Noord, browsing the Albert Cuyp and Waterlooplein markets, and Dam Square.
Make it your trip
Save these places and build your own Amsterdam itinerary in TripBox.