Things to Do in Amsterdam

King's Day

Formerly Queen's Day, this national holiday, nominally in celebration of the King's birthday, is difficult to describe to anyone who's never been there. The city turns into one giant mass of orange-dressed people with flea markets, bands playing, and many on-street parties, ranging from small cafes placing a few kegs of beer outside to huge open-air stages hosting world-famous DJs. The Vondelpark is the place where children sell toys and perform. An experience you'll never forget. Normally held on April 27, but if that is a Sunday, it is celebrated one day earlier.

Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments

The latest gimmicky tourist attraction near the Centraal Station, it's a small museum about medieval torture and torture devices. In the Middle Ages, torture was a widely known punishment for almost all crimes committed, ranging from rape to murder, and above all for heresy. The type of punishment depended on the victim's crime and social status. The Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments displays over 100 devices used to torture people. Before its make-over, it used to be the Vodka Museum; the vodka shop is still open in the basement with free entry.

Damrak 33

09:00-22:00 daily

€12.50

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Pathé Tuschinski

Since its opening in 1921, Tuschinski has been the country's most breathtaking film theatre. It's worth a visit if only for its interior, a spectacular mix of Art Nouveau, Amsterdam School and Art Deco styles. If possible, get a tour of the building, taking in the sumptuous private rooms upstairs. If you're going to watch a film, pick the one that's in the big auditorium. With the exception of some animated films, all English films are subtitled and not dubbed, so you should be able to enjoy the standard Hollywood fare the way it's meant to be seen.

Reguliersbreestraat 26-34

11:30-00:30 daily

€11.50

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Concertgebouw

Famous for its orchestra and its acoustics (among the top ten in the world), this is one of the world's most frequently visited concert halls. Classical music is the main fare, but they also bring other kinds of music on stage. They have a free "lunch concert" on Wednesday from 12:30 till 13:00. In the same building is the "Kleine Zaal" ("Small Hall") for more intimate performances, often top-notch as well. It's worth a visit if only for its architecture.

Concertgebouwplein 6

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NEMO

Above a tunnel overseeing the IJ, NEMO is the largest science museum in the Netherlands. It's a showcase of how scientific phenomena influence daily life. Different sections of the museum deal with technology and engineering, ICT, and bio- and behavioral sciences. This is a place to take kids and is best for those ages 11 and below—teenagers will probably get bored. During summer it has a panorama roof terrace on its roof with deckchairs with free entry.

Oosterdok 2

Tu-Su 10:00-17:00

€11.50

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Canal Company

The Canal Hopper runs three fixed routes, stopping near major attractions (Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank's House, etc.). You can get on or off as often as you like, but it is relatively expensive with €20 per 24 hours. The first boats start between 09:15 and 10:45, depending on which stop you get on. The last boats start dropping off at around 19:00. It also has four locations for renting your own boat; two-seater canal bikes cost €8 per person per hour.

Prinsengrachtconcert and Grachtenfestival

Third weekend of August each year. A free open-air classical music concert is held every year on a stage in the middle of the Prinsengracht. If you have a little boat, join the crowds and make sure to bring a bottle of rose wine or prosecco for full enjoyment. It takes place during the Grachtenfestival, a 10 days classical music festival with about 150 concerts throughout the city, but is organized independently from it.

Torture Museum

You'd think one museum about torture would be enough, but no, not in Amsterdam. However, this was the first torture museum in the city centre, and is at least somewhat more authentic than the copycat. The museum depicts the history of different torturous techniques used over the centuries. The lighting is bad, the corridors are small and the price an absolute rip-off. You can walk through it in 15-30 minutes.

Singel 449

10:00-23:00

€7

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Amsterdam Dance Event

Usually held during the second last weekend in October, this electronic music annual festival gathers cream of the crop faces from the house and techno scenes. Buy your tickets in advance to avoid paying more at the door and having to queue for hours. Besides partying for four nights in a row, the conference offers workshops, seminars, presentations etc.

Boom Chicago

The Amsterdam comedy institution since 1993. English language sketch and improv comedy show with extensive use of video, music and the internet. The troupe is sharp and skewers current events, trends and life and local events in Amsterdam. Perhaps the best comedy show in any city. Good food is served before the show and drink service continues all night.

Leidseplein 12

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EYE Film Institute Netherlands

EYE is an institute dedicated to the preservation of film for future generations. Its the successor of the Filmmuseum. It has four film theatres with alternative screenings such as art films. In April the Imagine Film Festival is held here with screenings dedicated to exploitation, cult and lower budget films. Well worth it if you're a fan of the genre.

IJpromenade 1

Su-Th 10:00-22:00, F-Sa 10:00-23:00

Open Garden Days

Normally you can see only the front of the canal houses, but during the Open Garden Days you get to go past the entrance and see the green world behind them, often bigger than you would have expected. You can buy one ticket that gives you entry to all participating gardens, and there is a special canal boat to take you from one location to another.

Gassan Diamonds

A guided tour is given that's all about the diamond production process and the history of diamond trade in Amsterdam. Diamonds have been traded in Amsterdam for longer than 425 years, and the city used to be known as the "City of Diamonds". Tours are given in 27 languages. Of course you can also buy Gassan diamonds here, but you don't have to.

Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat 173-175

09:00-17:00 daily

Free (the tour, not the diamonds)

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Kraaiennest Outdoor Gym

A well equipped outdoor gym with permanent workout stations, made out of green plastic & metal. If you spend some time in Bijlmer, this is a good spot to workout for free during daytime, and talk to locals. Just beside the running tracks and tennis court which you will see from the metro station and the Kraaiennest Winkelcentrum.

Kleiburg 52

24 hrs

Free

Madame Tussauds

The well-known franchise of wax museums also has a branch in Amsterdam. It's a major tourist attraction so expect a steep entry fee and long queues. Unique to this branch are waxworks of famous Dutch people including Willem-Alexander, Beatrix, Tiësto, Rafael van der Vaart, Doutzen Kroes, Vincent van Gogh and Rembrandt.

Dam 20

10:00-18:30 daily

€22

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Gaasperpark

Recreational area and nature reserve with a lake and water-sports centre. The centre offers facilities for canoeing, swimming, rowing, sailing and a surfing school. Explore the park (5 km around the lake) by foot, bicycle or horseback. On the edge of the park is the Gaasper Camping campsite.

Museumplein

Amsterdam celebrates holy day of Sint Nicholaas on December 5th as Christmas in the Dam Square also known as "Christmas Square". However, on the Day of Christmas, i.e. December 25th, the people of Amsterdam are also getting used to celebrating Christmas along with Anglo-Americans.

Rialto

For all art-house cinema lovers. All films are shown in their original language with Dutch subtitles. They have late night and classic showings too. Just a short walk from the Albert Cuyp Market/Heineken Brouwerij, in the nice non-touristy neighborhood De Pijp.

Ceintuurbaan 338

M-Th €9, F-Su €10

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Amsterdam Pride

Amsterdam's gay pride on the first weekend in August. One of the biggest festivals in Amsterdam with parties, performances, workshops and a boat parade on the Prinsengracht on Saturday afternoon which is always well worth seeing by gays and straights alike.

Hash, Marihuana and Hemp Museum

Opened for over twenty years, the Hash Museum is dedicated to debunking the lies and demonization about one of our most useful plants, the hemp plant. Although small, busy and seriously overpriced, it is a well-done museum where people go to get informed.

Oudezijds Achterburgwal 148

10:00-23:00 daily

€9

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Robodock

A unique festival presenting contemporary art shows in the huge, old NDSM shipyard depot in Noord. The atmosphere is rough, industrial, experimental. A lot of loud music, fire, smoke, noise and heavy machinery are usually elements of these performances.

Vondelpark Openluchttheater

This free festival offers many different performances every day. Go to the open air theater just by the fountain and let the entertainment do the work. From cabaret to drama to concerts to dance, there is something for everyone here and for all ages.

National Restaurant Week

Two times a year, participating restaurants offer a full 3 course dinner for a mere €25 (excluding drinks), allowing you to try a different restaurant for a change or a chance to have an affordable meal at one of the famous five-star restaurants.

Heineken Music Hall

Large-scale music venue with plenty of international stars having performed here. More "headliners" are booked in Amsterdam for the Heineken Music Hall than any other venue. Best reached by train r metro (station Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA).

De Corridor 9

Stadsarchief Amsterdam

This institute maintains the archives of the municipality and other organizations that are closely related to Amsterdam. The archives are open for everyone. Most interesting for travelers are the exhibitions and events, see the website.

Vijzelstraat 32

Tu-F 10:00-17:00, Sa Su 12:00-17:00

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Megabus

British low-budget bus company Megabus operates a bus service twice-daily from London and Paris to Amsterdam via Brussels, terminating at the PR Transferium Zeeburg in the east of the city. Tram 26 connects it with Amsterdam Centraal.

Museumnacht

Long before the film came out, this "night at the museum" attracts new crowds at the traditional Amsterdam museums with special performances at unusual locations. Do as the locals do and hire a bike to go from one place to the other.

Jordaan Festival

A big inner city street festival celebrating the diversity of this former working class district. Features can include drum bands, a children's festival, opera and cabaret, a ''boules'' competition, a flea market and an auction.

Amsterdam Boats B.V.

Personal rental of a wide variety of boats. You can rent a ''gondola'', hand made by a girl from Amsterdam. She traveled to Venice to learn the craft, then built her own Gondola which she brought back to Amsterdam.

Uitmarkt

The opening of the cultural season in the last weekend of August, it offers a taste of the year to come with 30 min performances at different theaters, an extensive book market and many open-air concerts. All free.

Amsterdam Jewel Cruises

An evening dinner cruise. It is the only classic boat offering a private table for a romantic candlelight dinner. A la carte dining, but not cheap! The cruise starts at 19:30 and lasts just under three hours.

€99-113

De Parade

Circus turns vintage, on an old-fashioned fairground with many different tents, the performers are each trying to attract their public, featuring spectacles of dance, theater, magic, art, animation and music.

Martin Luther King Park

Boaty

Boaty offers rental boats so you can do your own private tour (or choose one of the provided canal routes). These rental boats are electrically driven which means they are silent and free of exhaust fumes.

Friday Night Skate

Put on your skates, and join the popular weekly skate tour (since 1997), a different route every week. Starts every Friday at 20:30 from the Vondelpark (near the former Filmmuseum).

Vondelpark 3

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KunstRAI

A modern art fair in the RAI exhibition and conference center. If you want to know what the latest developments are in Dutch galleries, this is where to find them all in one place.

Blijburg Beach

This temporary artificial beach is only open in summers. Oddly enough it's surrounded by construction sites and modern architecture in IJburg, the newest neighborhood of Amsterdam.

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Imagine Film Festival

A two weeks celebration of drive-in, exploitation and cult films, generally of the lower budget variety. Takes up all the screening rooms of the EYE Film Institute in Noord.

Boats4rent

Boats4rent has self operated rental boats at the Westerpark. With a three or four hour rental you can make a private trip on the Amsterdam canals and the Amstel river.

Ignatiushuis

A Jesuit society that organizes classes and activities. Membership required, but every Tuesday (Sep-Jul) a free concert is given at 12:30-13:00. Everyone can attend.

Beulingstraat 11

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Amsterdam Dungeon

The Amsterdam Dungeon is a horror tour through several dark chambers with live actors. It ends with a roller coaster raging through a real 13th century church.

Rokin 78

11:00-17:00 daily, 24 Dec-8 Jan 10:30-17:30 daily, 2 Jul-4 Sep 11:00-18;00 daily

€21

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Sexmuseum

The largest and most prestigious museum for sex art and sex history in the Netherlands. It shows a lot of sex oddities. Only ages 16 and up are allowed entry.

Damrak 18

09:00-22:00 daily

€4

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Skateboarding

There are a plethora of spots to go skateboarding in Amsterdam Zuidoost. The biggest attraction is the new skatepark in Bijlmer Park with two large bowls.

Amsterdam Roots Festival

A free open-air festival with music from non-Western countries accompanied by paid film and theater performances in the surrounding theaters.

Holland Festival

A performing arts festival that brings together events from all over the world in the fields of music, opera, theater and dance.

Muziekgebouw aan't IJ

Modern music concerts and classical music with a twist. A free concert is given every second Tuesday of the month at 12:30.

Piet Heinkade 1

M-Sa 12:00-18:00

€20

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International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA)

The largest festival in the world for documentary films with screenings of about 200 documentary films and videos.

Sail Amsterdam

Tall-ships from all over the world come to visit the Amsterdam harbor every five years, the next one is in 2015.

Amsterdam International Fashion Week

Twice a year, this event presents young and upcoming fashion in Europe with a focus on Dutch design.

Taste of Amsterdam

A culinary festival where you can explore the food of famous Amsterdam restaurants and their chefs.

Lovers Company

Starts opposite the Rijksmuseum, but you cannot get on or off. The cruise takes about 1 hr 30 min.

€12

Julidans

International contemporary dance festival, always showing the latest developments in modern dance.

De Poezenboot

You really like cats? The poezenboot (cat boat) is an refuge for cats awaiting adoption.

Singel 38 G

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Bimhuis

World class jazz and improvised music venue, five minutes by foot from Centraal Station.

Piet Heinkade 3

€14-18

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PAN Amsterdam

Third week of November. The biggest national art and antiques fair in the Netherlands.

Amsterdam Music Theatre

Opera, dance, ballet and other performances. Holds a free lunch concert on Tuesdays.

Waterlooplein 22

M-F 12:00-18:00, Sa Su 12:00-15:00

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Robeco Summer Nights

Affordable classical music concerts taking place at the prestigious Concertgebouw.

Ken Tui Massage

Finish the day giving your body and feet a rest and receive a quality massage.

Da Costastraat 6-1

Pathé

One of the largest cinemas of the country, and it also has IMAX movies.

Chinese New Year

Celebrated with festivities in Chinatown.

Strand West

The local beach.