Things to do in Amsterdam
Amsterdam, with its waterways and centuries-old canal-houses, is one of Europe's prettiest cities. Most attractions are in the city centre, from Dutch artworks at the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, to reminders of Amsterdam's past at the Anne Frank House and the Homomonument. The city is not all heavy-duty history and culture, however, as anyone can see exploring the canals on a Canal Bike Tour. City Pass Amsterdam offers an easy, cheap and flexible way to make the most of your visit to the Netherlands. Read more on City Pass Amsterdam
Museums and Galleries
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1. Van Gogh Museum - Museums and Galleries
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More than 200 paintings by Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, and nearly every sketch, print, etching, and piece of correspondence he ever produced, are housed here. The city-centre Van Gogh Museum has the world's largest collection of the artist's work.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€12.50; 13-17s €2.50; under 13s free
Opening hours
Daily 10am-6pm (until 10pm Fri)
Address
7, Paulus Potterstraat, Amsterdam 1070 AJ
Telephone
+31 (0) 20 570 5200
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2. Museum of Bags and Purses - Museums and Galleries
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With 3,500 bags, accessories and other items on display, the city centre's Museum of Bags and Purses charts the history of the women's bag in Western culture, from the Middle Ages to present day. The museum shop has bags for sale.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€6.50; concessions €5; 13-18s €2.50; under 13 free
Opening hours
Daily 10am-5pm
Address
573, Herengracht, Amsterdam 1017 CD
Telephone
+31 (0) 20 524 6452
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3. Anne Frank House - Museums and Galleries
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Seeing the secret hiding place in the city-centre Anne Frank House allows visitors to imagine the terrible circumstances the teenage Jewish diarist had to endure to survive World War II. Anne died in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€8.50; concessions & 10-17s €4; under 10s free
Opening hours
Mid Mar-mid Sep daily 9am-9pm (until 10pm Sat & Jul-Aug); mid Sep-mid Mar daily 9am-7pm (until 10pm Sat)
Address
263, Prinsengracht, Amsterdam 1016 GV
Telephone
+31 (0) 20 556 7100/7105
Transport
Tram 13, 17 to Westermarkt
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4. Rijksmuseum - Museums and Galleries
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Most of the city-centre's Rijksmuseum is closed for renovation until 2013 but key artworks and other items from the 17th-century Dutch 'Golden Age' collections can be viewed in the Philips Wing. They include Rembrandt's famous painting The Night Watch (1642).Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€12.50; under 19s free
Opening hours
Daily 9am-6pm
Address
1, Jan Luijkenstraat, Amsterdam 1071 CJ
Telephone
+31 (0) 20 674 7000
Transport
Tram 2, 5 to Hobbemastraat
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5. Amsterdam City Archive - Museums and Galleries
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Located in De Bazel, a vast granite building that originally housed an investment bank, the Amsterdam City Archive allows visitors to seek out information and documents from Amsterdam's history. It's a tale that dates back to around 1200.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free; special exhibitions and tours cost extra
Opening hours
Tue-Sun 10am-5pm (from 11am Sun)
Address
32, Vijzelstraat, Amsterdam 1017 HL
Telephone
+31 (0) 20 251 1511
Attractions
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6. Nieuwe Kerk - Attractions
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Holland's royal inauguration church, the Dam's Nieuwe Kerk was originally Catholic but passed into Protestant hands in 1578. It contains some elaborate funerary monuments and is now mainly used as a space for important exhibitions on a range of themes.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free; exhibitions cost extra
Opening hours
Daily 10am-6pm (until 10pm Thu during special exhibitions)
Address
Dam Square, Amsterdam 1012 JS
Telephone
+31 (0) 20 638 6909
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7. NEMO - Attractions
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Shaped somewhat like a ship, city-centre NEMO takes visitors on a voyage of discovery into the world of science and technology. Hands-on exhibits cover natural science, human behaviour and information and communications technology. The upper deck becomes a beach in summer.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€12.50; under 4s free
Opening hours
Tue-Sun 10am-5pm (also Mon Jun-Aug)
Address
2, Oosterdok, Amsterdam 1101 VX
Telephone
+31 (0) 20 531 3233
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8. Central Library - Attractions
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The city's new Central Library opened in 2007 in a light-flooded example of modern architecture, part of a waterfront development east of Central Station. The library has books in Dutch, English and other languages and a multimedia centre.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening hours
Daily 10am-10pm
Address
143, Oosterdokskade, Amsterdam 1011 DL
Telephone
+31 (0) 20 523 0900
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9. Brouwerij 't IJ - Attractions
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Housed in the slightly ramshackle De Gooyer windmill in the old harbour, Brouwerij 't IJ is a proeflokaal (tasting house) with a micro-brewery attached. Visitors can tour the brewery then settle back to sample some of its various specialised beers.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening hours
Daily 3pm-8pm; brewery visits between 3pm and 4pm
Address
7, Funenkade, Amsterdam 1018 AL
Telephone
+31 (0) 20 320 1786
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10. Homomonument - Attractions
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Westermarkt's Homomonument was inspired by a symbol of persecution, the pink triangle the Nazis forced gay people to wear, which was turned into a badge of pride. It comprises three rose-toned granite triangles, one projecting out over the Keizersgracht canal.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening hours
Daily all day
Address
Keizersgracht Canal, Westermarkt, Amsterdam 1016 DH
Special things to do
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11. Chess at Max Euweplein - Special Things to do
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Budding grandmasters of any age will appreciate the excitement of playing chess at Max Euweplein, using a walk-around 'board' and pieces that are one metre high. Max Euweplein is a busy square and a small crowd always gathers.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening hours
Daily 10am-10pm
Address
Max Euweplein, Amsterdam 1017 MA
Transport
Tram 1, 2, 5, 7, 10 to Leidseplein
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12. Skating in Vondelpark - Special Things to do
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Inline skating in Vondelpark is a fast, safe and pleasant way to get around Amsterdam's large central green oasis. At Rent A Skate, the wheels come together with protective pads and helmets, and even starter lessons if needed.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€5 for first hour, €2.50 for subsequent hours; €15 per day
Opening hours
Daily 11am-8pm (suspended in bad weather)
Address
7, Vondelpark, Amsterdam 1075 VR
Telephone
+31 (0) 20 664 5091
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13. Canal Bike Tour - Special Things to do
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Up to four people can follow a Canal Bike Tour around Amsterdam's canals onboard a pedalo or water bike. These can be rented from three Canal Bike docks around the centre, including one outside the city-centre Anne Frank House.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€8 per person per hour; 3-4 people €7 per person per hour
Opening hours
Apr-Oct daily 10am-6pm (until 10pm mid summer); Nov-Mar Sat & Sun 10am-5.30pm
Address
263, Prinsengracht (Outside the Anne Frank House), Amsterdam 1016 GV
Telephone
+31 (0) 20 626 5574
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14. Yellow Bike Tour - Special Things to do
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The three-hour guided Yellow Bike Tour takes up to a dozen riders to many well-known places and little-known nooks and crannies in Amsterdam city centre. Visit places that are not easy to get to on foot in a short time.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€27.50
Opening hours
Apr-Nov daily 10.30am & 1pm (2pm Sat)
Address
29, Nieuwezijds Kolk, Amsterdam 1012 PV
Telephone
+31 (0) 20 620 6940
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15. Canal Hopper - Special Things to do
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Touring Amsterdam's canals, River Amstel, IJ waterway and harbour by Canal Hopper's open-top electric boat affords a different perspective on the city. Take a fixed or tailor-made tour from the Amstel or Passenger Terminal docks or use the stopping line.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Day ticket €20; under 5s free
Opening hours
Mid Mar-Nov Fri-Sun 9am-7pm
Address
26, Weteringschans, Amsterdam 1017 SG
Telephone
+31 (0) 20 626 5574
Transport
Amstel: 4, 9, 14 to Rembrandtplein; Passenger Terminal: tram 25, 26 to Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ/Bimhuis
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