Search and find
Are you looking for the best things to do in Amsterdam? In recent years, a lot of new and fun attractions have opened in Amsterdam. And they are really not just for tourists! So are you looking for something fun to do with friends in Amsterdam? Or maybe for a date? In this shortlist you will find tips for the most beautiful sights, new museums and more unique experiences to do in Amsterdam.
things to do in Amsterdam: 24 tips locals love too
Although I have lived in Amsterdam for almost twenty years and have made it my job for Your Little Black Book to share my tips about the city, there is always something new to discover. Because whether I go out for an afternoon with my boyfriend or with my son: there’s never a dull moment in Amsterdam.
enjoy free things to do in amsterdam
In addition to this huge list of fun things to do in Amsterdam, I will also share some things to do that are totally free of charge. For example, take a long walk! On Your Little Black Book I have worked out several walks for you in: the Jordaan, Amsterdam-North and Amsterdam-East. Or book a food tour with Le Foodwalk Amsterdam and discover hotspots and hidden gems in the coolest neighbourhoods.
Or go to an outdoor market in Amsterdam and get the tastiest snacks or taste street food from all corners of the world on the spot. For example, I like having breakfast with dim sum on the Albert Cuyp market. Or take a tour of Chinatown and shop the tastiest things at the Asian supermarkets and shops. I can also recommend making a street art tour by bike! You can easily rent a bike in Amsterdam via Baja Bikes. In short: there are plenty of fun things to do in Amsterdam that are completely free. Nice to combine with one of the tips from this list for which it is useful to buy tickets in advance.
24 attractions and activities in amsterdam you want to know
From the new digital art museums such as NXT and AMAZE to paddle boarding in the canals and street art museum STRAAT. Enjoy this shortlist with tips for fun things to do in Amsterdam!
| TIP: On my Instagram account @yourlbb and @yourlbb.amsterdam I share more tips about daily life in Amsterdam.
Le Foodwalk - Food Tours
Join a culinary journey along hotspots and hidden gems in the most charming neighbourhoods of Amsterdam.
Looking for a fun activity with friends, family, colleagues, a date, or going solo? Le Foodwalk offers self-guided culinary walks along hotspots and hidden gems in Amsterdam’s coolest neighbourhoods. In the online shop, you can purchase a digital walk that provides all the information about delicious bites and drinks for your journey.
Moreover, the Le Foodwalk PDF includes nice-to-know background facts about the neighbourhoods, restaurants, highlights places that have just opened, and features over 10 original food-related questions to get to know your walking companions better on a culinary level. More info & tickets >>
2.
Rent a bike!
From € 7,50Do you want to see a lot in a short time? Rent a bike and discover the city in a day.
If you live in Amsterdam yourself, you will agree with me wholeheartedly. Nothing more fun than Amsterdam by bike! So if you are going to do a weekend in Amsterdam, I can definitely recommend that you rent a bike and explore the various nice neighbourhoods in addition to the Center, such as: North, East and West.
AMAZE - club experience
€ 26,95For everyone who misses festivals and clubbing there is AMAZE, a unique audio visual experience.
In the Elementenstraat in Amsterdam West, where the best warehouse parties used to be held, the team behind ID&T has now opened Amaze. AMAZE is a 75-minute audiovisual spectacle in seven rooms full of creativity, light, sound, visuals, and performance art.
Fabrique des Lumières
€ 16,-Perhaps the best new experience in Amsterdam West where art comes to life!
Watch art come to life before your eyes at Fabrique des Lumières, the largest digital art center in The Netherlands. With the location on the Westergas area you can immediately make it a fun day! Afterwards, for example, go for a nice meal at Cantine de Caron or walk towards the Jordaan and Haarlemmerstraat.
| TIP: compare entry fees at Get Your Guide and Tiqets.
e-Fatbike Tour
€ 34,50How fun is this? Discover Amsterdam on a 2.5-hour e-fat bike tour through the center and Amsterdam North.
Do you want to see Amsterdam while driving through the city on a cool Knaap e-fatbike? With this bike tour you go from the center via the west side to Amsterdam North, and then return to the starting point via Amsterdam East. A fun tour where you see almost all the highlights of the city and the most beautiful viewpoints. And with an e-bike it becomes very relaxed!
6.
STRAAT street art Museum
€ 18,50STRAAT is Amsterdam’s newest museum that is entirely devoted to street art.
You can find STRAAT street art museum on the trendy NDSM wharf in Amsterdam North. Make it a fun afternoon and, after your visit to STRAAT, have something to eat or drink at Pllek, Next or IJver.
| TIP: compare ticket prices for STRAAT on Get Your Guide, Tours&Tickets, Viator and Tiqets for special deals.
7.
MOCO Museum
from € 19,95Do you like street art from Banksy and modern art? Then MOCO is the museum you want to visit in Amsterdam.
MOCO is short for Modern Contemporary Museum Amsterdam and can be found at the Museumplein. An inspiring museum that keeps showing innovative exhibitions and works by artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Yayoi Kusama, Mark Rothko, Banksy & Andy Warhol.
| TIP: entry tickets for MOCO have promotions regularly on: Tours&Tickets, Get Your Guide or Tiqets. or Viator.
NXT Digital Art Museum
€ 24,75One of the coolest new museums in Amsterdam North is digital art museum NXT.
Immerse yourself in the world of digital art at NXT Museum. A unique experience with immersive artworks that stimulate all the senses.
| TIP: go for food and drinks to restaurant Bacalar or Café Restaurant Metro after your visit.
WONDR Experience
€ 24,50The first Instagram museum experience in Amsterdam where you immerse yourself in a different world.
And also nice: after your visit to this experience in Amsterdam North you will go home with a series of unique photos! Recently, in addition to WONDR, the same people opened Roller Dreams where you can roller skates in a super cool retro hall. Also fun with kids!
| TIP: compare tickets prices at Tours&Tickets, Viator and Get Your Guide.
ARTIS Groote Museum
€ 17,50In the ARTIS Groote Museum you will find answers to the biggest questions in life suitable for every age.
The ARTIS Groote Museum consists of 14 interconnected worlds, each exploring a different part of the human body and answering the question of how we are connected to animals, plants, microbes and even the earth itself. A very nice extension to ARTIS Royal Zoo that is great to explore with the whole family.
| TIP: on Tiqets, Get Your Guide or Tours&Tickets they often have deals for the entrance tickets.
11.
Rijksmuseum
€ 22,50When was the last time you visited the Rijksmuseum? A must in Amsterdam and also fun with kids.
There is so much to see in the Rijksmuseum. Wander through the halls and see works by old masters, photography and objects.
| TIP: you can buy many different types of tickets for the Rijksmuseum. With or without a (private) tour, in which you really hear new things that you probably didn’t know yet. View all tickets for the Rijksmuseum at: Get Your Guide, Tiqets and (just the entrance tickets to skip the line) via Tours&Tickets.
Upside Down
€ 24,95Step into a world of wonder and illusion at Instagram Museum ‘Upside Down’.
One of Amsterdam’s newest and most playful attractions where nothing is what it seems. The Upside Down is fun with friends or kids and you can take the funny photos home as a memento.
| TIP: compare Tours&Tickets, Get Your Guide and Tiqets for the best ticket deals.
13.
NEMO Science Museum
€ 17,50Perhaps the best museum in Amsterdam to visit with kids, because everything can be discovered and touched.
Few museums in Amsterdam offer as much to discover as the NEMO Science Museum. With my son I always visit a new world or a new part and every age the visit is very different! Also nice: go for dim sum served by robots at Sea Palace next to the museum.
| TIP: compare Tours&Tickets, Get Your Guide and Tiqets for the cheapest tickets.
14.
Museum of World Cultures
€ 16,-Imagine yourself abroad in the Tropenmuseum (Museum of World Cultures) and immerse yourself in other cultures.
You will find The Tropenmuseum on the edge of the beautiful Oosterpark in Amsterdam East. The Tropenmuseum of World Cultures is nice to combine with a drink at Louie Louie, the multicultural Dappermarkt or extensive dining at restaurant 4850.
| TIP: compare ticket deals at Get Your Guide and Tiqets.
15.
FOAM Museum
€ 12,50View the most beautiful photo exhibitions at FOAM, the museum for photography in Amsterdam Center.
The exhibitions change regularly and I think FOAM is a wonderful museum to drop into for a dose of inspiration. Afterwards is nice to go for something to eat and drink on the lively Utrechtsestraat or walk along the canals towards the Jordaan.
| TIP: compare ticket prices at Tiqets, Get Your Guide and Tours&Tickets for the best rates.
16.
Artis Royal Zoo
€ 25,-One of the best things to do with kids in Amsterdam is a visit to the Artis city zoo.
Unique in the Netherlands, a zoo in the heart of the city. There is always something new to discover in Artis Royal Zoo for all ages. Compare the ticket prices for Artis on Tours&Tickets, Get Your Guide and Tiqets for the best discount.
| TIP: After your visit to Artis Royal Zoo it’s also nice to check out museum Micropia and the newly opened ARTIS Groote Museum.
17.
Stedelijk Museum
€ 22,50Immerse yourself in the world of modern and contemporary art at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.
With a renowned permanent collection and regularly changing exhibitions, the Stedelijk Museum offers exactly that inspiration fix that I always look for during a museum visit. Have something to eat or drink afterwards? Go to Schotsheuvel or get a coffee at Coffee District.
| TIP: check Tours&Tickets, Get Your Guide or Tiqets for the best ticket deals.
18.
The Maritime Museum
V.a. € 15,50Fun with kids: discover the maritime history of Amsterdam in the Maritime Museum.
With an extensive collection of ship models, a life-size VOC ship, special objects and interactive exhibitions The Maritime Museum is something for the whole family.
| TIP: search for the best ticket deals on Tours&Tickets, Get Your Guide or Tiqets.
ARTIS-Micropia
Fun with primary school kids: a visit to the world’s first microbe museum.
They are invisible and yet all around us: microbes. ARTIS-Micropia, the world’s first and only microbe museum, reveals the fascinating world of microorganisms and how they affect our daily lives.
| TIP: compare ticket prices on Tours&Tickets, Get Your Guide and Tiqets.
Our House
€ 24,95Are you into house music? Then you want to know this new Electronic Dance Music Museum.
Our House is the first electronic dance music museum where you can discover the evolution of electronic music. Once inside, you’ll embark on a 75-minute journey of shows, displays, and interactive exhibits that will take you back to Amsterdam’s very first warehouse raves and pay homage to the most fundamental clubs and festivals in (Amsterdam’s) history.
| TIP: compare ticket deals on Tours&Tickets or Get Your Guide.
