A short history of Amsterdam
Dam Square is named that for a reason. In the 13th century a dam went up on the River Amstel, a fishing village grew around it, and the city took its name from that dam. The Oude Kerk, a few streets away, is the oldest building still standing in the city.
Look at the tall, narrow houses of the canal ring and you're looking at 17th-century money. Profits from the East India Company, founded in 1602, made the merchants rich, and they built these houses. The canal ring joined the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2010. The Royal Palace on Dam Square was also built in that century, as the town hall.
During the Second World War the city was under German occupation from 1940 to 1945. The house at Prinsengracht 263 where Anne Frank hid with her family is now a museum. Tickets are sold online and in advance, so don't leave it to the last minute.
Amsterdam neighbourhoods
The free ferry from behind Centraal gets you across to Noord in a few minutes. Studios and cafés in the old NDSM shipyard make it worth the trip if you're curious about the creative side of the city.
De Wallen is the oldest corner of Amsterdam and also its red light district. By day you can wander it easily for the canals and the Oude Kerk. At night it gets crowded and loud, and it's not a place to walk around with kids.
In Oud-West you can eat at the Foodhallen and then stroll towards the Vondelpark. In Plantage, Artis zoo and the Hortus Botanicus sit side by side, so with kids in tow it's easy to spend half the day there. If there's a concert or market at the old gasworks on the weekend, make time for Westerpark.
Where to stay
- Canal Ring: Amid the canals and museums, everything is walkable.
- Jordaan: Quiet and charming with narrow lanes, brown cafés and markets.
- De Pijp: Lively area with the Albert Cuyp market, restaurants and bars.
- Museum Quarter: Calm and elegant, next to the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum.
- Around Amsterdam Centraal: Airport trains and trams leave from here, which makes it practical for a short stay.
- Oost: A residential area with parks and cheaper hotels.
When to visit Amsterdam
From mid-March to mid-May the fields outside the city turn colourful with tulips, and the Keukenhof gardens open during these weeks. Naturally, hotels get pricier too. On King's Day, 27 April, everything turns orange, the canals fill with boats and the streets with flea markets. Rooms for that day sell out months ahead.
Summer is mild at around 17-22 °C and the busiest time of year. Pride in early August brings a boat parade along the canals.
Room prices drop in winter, and in exchange you get 1-6 °C, strong wind and frequent rain. From December to January the Amsterdam Light Festival places light installations along the canals. If you want to dodge the crowds, September and October are mild, calm and fairly priced. Whatever the season, pack a raincoat.
Food culture in Amsterdam
Raw herring (haring) from a street stall, topped with chopped onion, is a local tradition and worth trying once.
Lunch is light and early, and a sandwich (broodje) between noon and 1 pm usually does the job. Dinner starts around 6 pm, and kitchens close earlier than around the Mediterranean. Top of the list are fried bitterballen with a beer in a brown café, a warm stroopwafel and a thick slice of apple pie (appeltaart). Rijsttafel, from the former colony of Indonesia, is a table laid with dozens of small dishes. To drink, there's local beer and juniper jenever at tasting rooms (proeflokaal).
Plenty of places don't take cash, so keep a card handy. Nobody expects a tip, but adding 5-10% after a good meal is appreciated.
Amsterdam trip budget
Amsterdam counts as expensive, and even the nightly tourist tax comes to 12.5% of the room price. So how much do you need a day? In 2026, staying in a hostel and shopping at supermarkets, you'll get by on €100-140 including accommodation. A mid-range hotel and restaurant meals take that to €200-300, and for a comfortable trip think €400 and up.
On trams and the metro you tap your contactless card both getting on and getting off. A one-hour ticket is about €3.50, and a 24-hour GVB pass around €10. The Rijksmuseum costs roughly €25, the Van Gogh Museum about the same, and both need timed tickets.
You can fill a day without spending anything, too. The ferries to Noord, the Begijnhof courtyard, the Vondelpark, browsing the Albert Cuyp market and endless walks along the canals are all free.
Prices are approximate as of October 2026.
Build your route on the Amsterdam map