Tips from Amsterdam Locals
No matter how many guide books you read or how many websites you visit, it is impossible to be informed about all the highlights and secret spots in Amsterdam. In the tips section of Amsterdam-Now you will find suggestions and recommendations from locals for tourists.
Amsterdam means so much more than the Canal Belt, Red Light District and Van Gogh Museum. Did you know that in winter you can ice-skate at Museumplein or sunbathe at the terrace or NEMO museum in summer? In this section you will find insiders’ tips from locals. Amsterdam is a very budget-friendly city: lunch concerts, a tiny portrait gallery and ferries to Amsterdam-Noord are all free of charge. Be aware that coffeeshops are not the same as coffeebars, let a local explain to you the difference and read below ‘Amsterdam and Coffeeshops’.
Amsterdam Candlelight Canal Cruise Unwind after a Day of Sightseeing
A canal cruise is the perfect way to unwind after a hectic day of sightseeing aboard an Amsterdam canal boat. Pass under bridges festooned with strings of lights. Canal houses and cafés glide by. Soak up the tranquil atmosphere while you cruise through the canal belt...
Red Light District for Tourists
The Historic Centre of Amsterdam spills over with museums, cafes, coffeeshops, stylish gables and facades. Humpback bridges span the leafy canals lined with a hotchpotch of buildings. Sex shops and porn theatres rub shoulder with museums and fashion boutiques. Be sure...
Free Things to Do in Amsterdam
The Dutch are renowned for their 'commercial mind' and for most Amsterdam attraction you will have to spend a few euros. Free things to do in Amsterdam include strolling along canals, free concerts, a free museum and many more freebies. Below you will find...
Rent a Bike and Go Dutch
Bikes festoon bridges, bikes safely locked to lamppost. Kids, fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers young professionals, old professionals, in fact everyone in Amsterdam seems to have a bike and use it as to get from A to B. Why not join them for the unique...
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Free GuruWalk City Walk Amsterdam
A city walk is one of the best ways to get to know Amsterdam. But when you start walking without a special plan or instructions, you not only get lost, but also miss many sights and attractions on the way. The solution is: join a GuruWalk. Your guru, the guide, knows...
Amsterdam for Cat Spotters and Cat Lovers
Amsterdam is truly a city where cats feel at home. There are more than 350,000 cats living in the city. Wherever you go, you will see cats everywhere. They sit on the quays along the canals, laze on benches or watch the world from their high positions on a windowsill....
How to Avoid the Tourist Crowd in Amsterdam
Visiting Amsterdam without other tourists is virtually impossible. Around 18 million visitors per year show that the city is popular. Leafy canals, picturesque facades of canal houses, tulips in spring and iconic museums are some of the reasons why tourists come to...
Westfield Shopping Mall of the Netherlands
A visit to the Westfield Mall of the Netherlands is a day well spent. It is the largest shopping centre in the Netherlands, not in Amsterdam but close to The Hague and easily reached by train or car. The Mall of the Netherlands is more than a shopping centre. It is a...
Self-guided City Walk Hofjes Hopping in the Jordaan
Hofjes, almshouses, are small cottages built around a central courtyard or lawn. The residents used to be widows of slender means, unmarried women and sometimes couples. Today, the hofjes are very popular places to live.Most hofjes are freely accessible and most can...
Interactive exhibition Da Vinci Genius
DA VINCI: GENIUS is an award-winning interactive exhibition. The visitor enters an engaging world of technology through visuals and sound and delves into the life and works of Leonardo da Vinci. His obsession with history, art, science, astrology and nature made him a...
Best Amsterdam Winter Break on a Budget
Amsterdam is the ideal city for a short city break vacation. Winter is the perfect time because you save money on flights and hotels. The tourist crowd has gone and you share the city with the locals. Wander through museum and art galleries, amble along the canals and...
Upside down Museum Nothing is What it Seems
Upside down: you don't believe your eyes, because nothing is what it seems, everything is upside down. Your senses are put to the test! Step into the upside down world and do things you never dreamt of. The Upside-down Museum is an 'instagrammable' experience with a...
Riding School Living Horse Museum Hollandsche Manege
The Hollandsche Manage and the Living Horse Museum in Amsterdam is a well-kept secret and a must-see for horse lovers. The Hollandsche Manege is the oldest riding school in the Netherlands and offers horseback riding lessons for all ages, from beginners to advanced,...
Street Art: Easy to Find with Interactive Map
Street art is everywhere in Amsterdam, from statues to graffiti and mosaics, sometimes so small that it hardly stands out and is difficult to discover. There is so much that it is difficult to know where to start. Go art hunting! Use the free interactive DEFshop art...
Captain Jack Canal Tour: Amsterdam at its Best
Captain Jack Canal Tour is a sailing experience you will never forget! You will glide through the Amsterdam canals, pass under humpback bridges and marvel at the canal mansions. An open electric boat cruise is relaxing and the best way to make the most of your city...
Amsterdam Nightlife Ticket for Clubbing and Pubbing
With the Amsterdam nightlife ticket in your pocket, you get the most out of your city trip. Amsterdam is a true clubbing capital and one of the coolest places to party in Europe. Go footloose in hot spots at Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein. Move to the music and dance...
Vincent van Gogh and the Potato Eaters
Vincent van Gogh is not only the artist who painted the Potato Eaters, he is also known as the man who cut off his ear, the man who drank turpentine, the man who sold only one painting during his lifetime but became famous posthumously. In 1885, Van Gogh painted...
Best Canal Houses that Made Amsterdam Famous
Canal house and canals have made Amsterdam famous. These elegant houses give a glimpse in the life of wealthy Amsterdam merchants. The canal houses served as family homes, workshops or warehouses. Their distinct gables are unique for every house. The canals seem to...
Cat Boat Amsterdam Canal Houseboat for Stray Cats
The cat boat, or poezenboot in Dutch, is a must-see for all cat-lovers: an entire houseboat converted into a cats' home. The cats are not allowed to wander freely in the streets but they can take a breath of fresh air on the cat balcony. Amsterdam is a true haven for...
Amsterdam Candlelight Canal Cruise Unwind after a Day of Sightseeing
A canal cruise is the perfect way to unwind after a hectic day of sightseeing aboard an Amsterdam canal boat. Pass under bridges festooned with strings of lights. Canal houses and cafés glide by. Soak up the tranquil atmosphere while you cruise through the canal belt...
I Amsterdam City Card
I Amsterdam City Card is your ticket to experience Amsterdam in an affordable and relaxed way. You’ll see more and save money at the same time! No need to buy separate tickets for attractions and public transport. The I Amsterdam Card not only affords you free...
Windmills Zaanse Schans
Located just 10 kilometers north of Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans is the perfect escape from Amsterdam's hustle and bustle, especially on a sunny day. Zaanse Schans is a museum village lived in by real people The village was created in 1960 as a monument to local life in...
Peaceful Oasis in Bustling Amsterdam
Tucked away behind Kalverstraat, you will find Begijnhof, Beguine Court, a green space that offers a welcome break from Amsterdam’s people-packed streets. Sneak into this haven of rest through a little gateway on Spui or go to the main entrance on Gedempte...
Summer Tips
Summer Tips: When summer arrives, Amsterdammers move outdoors. They populate outdoor cafés, lounge in the parks or bask in the sun before their own front doors. Summer is the perfect season to visit Amsterdam. Summer is also the time of the best festivals – the Canal...
Red Light District for Tourists
The Historic Centre of Amsterdam spills over with museums, cafes, coffeeshops, stylish gables and facades. Humpback bridges span the leafy canals lined with a hotchpotch of buildings. Sex shops and porn theatres rub shoulder with museums and fashion boutiques. Be sure...
Amsterdam on a Tight Budget
Free lunchtime concerts, the ideal place to eat your lunch. But when you buy your packed lunch from Albert Heijn Supermarket, be sure to get a 'silent' bag to take with you to one of the free lunchtime concert in Amsterdam. Any plastic bag will do, as long as it...
Free Things to Do in Amsterdam
The Dutch are renowned for their 'commercial mind' and for most Amsterdam attraction you will have to spend a few euros. Free things to do in Amsterdam include strolling along canals, free concerts, a free museum and many more freebies. Below you will find...
Tips for Potheads in Amsterdam
A coffeeshop is not a coffeebar Going to Amsterdam and not visiting a coffeeshop is like going to India and not seeing Taj Mahal. Coffeeshops set Amsterdam apart and they are one of the reasons why the city is fun to visit. But be aware: the fragrant fumes drifting...
New Year’s Eve in Amsterdam
Oud en Nieuw (Old and New) is the Dutch equivalent for New Year's Eve. Many Dutch people celebrate at home together with friends and family. There are street parties all over Amsterdam and the national countdown is at Oosterdok followed by a spectacular firework show....
Rent a Bike and Go Dutch
Bikes festoon bridges, bikes safely locked to lamppost. Kids, fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers young professionals, old professionals, in fact everyone in Amsterdam seems to have a bike and use it as to get from A to B. Why not join them for the unique...
Best Amsterdam Facts
To many tourists Amsterdam means bicycles, tulips and clogs, this city attracts thousands of visitors every year. Surrounded by romantic canals, you might feel as if you are strolling through an open-air museum. Hanging out at a sidewalk café and people watching is...
Heineken Experience
Want to taste Heineken and learn all about brewing and marketing of the most famous beer of the world? Then the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam is exactly where you need to go. The Heineken Experience tor starts with a short history of the Heineken family and the...
How Not to Get Lost in Amsterdam
Amsterdam's canals are like a large spider's web. You get easily caught. Arm yourself with a map or GPS and remember that three canal rings fan out from Centraal Station in alphabetical order: Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht. Once you remember this,...
King’s Day: Only Orange Counts
Make sure your Amsterdam spring holiday coincides with 27th April, King Willem Alexander's birthday and a national holiday in the Netherlands. Celebrations take place throughout the country, but festivities in Amsterdam are more flamboyant and on a larger scale. On...
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