Welcome to your weekend in Amsterdam! The Dutch capital is one of the most popular city break destinations in Europe, and for good reason. You’ll find a city full of fun, culture, and good food and drinks, and with just a few days in Amsterdam, you can really enjoy the best of this vibrant capital.
This guide to spending a weekend in Amsterdam has everything you need to plan your trip. You’ll find practical information, the best things to do in Amsterdam, and a suggested 3 day Amsterdam itinerary.
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Is it Worth Going to Amsterdam for the Weekend?
Absolutely! With a weekend in Amsterdam, you can enjoy most of the city’s main sights, which covers everything from museums, canals, iconic townhouses, flower markets, and spacious parks.
On top of that, you’ll find a great foodie scene, especially when it comes to street food, and then wash it all down with a beer!
Is 3 Days Enough to See Amsterdam?
3 days is a great amount of time to spend in Amsterdam. As you can see in the Amsterdam travel itinerary later in this guide, you’ll see all the best things to do in Amsterdam without being too rushed off your feet.
Since there’s so much to do in Amsterdam, I wouldn’t recommend spending any less time here. However, you could easily extend your itinerary to spend more time in the city. Enjoy a more relaxed trip, or visit some other Dutch cities such as Rotterdam on a day trip.
What is Amsterdam Best Known for?
Amsterdam is a city full of culture, and you’ll probably have heard of many of the famous things that it’s known for. Here are just a few:
- Van Gogh, the post-impressionist artist
- Anne Frank and her world-renowned diary
- Heineken, the beer born in Amsterdam
- The ‘dancing houses’ at Damrak
- Canals – Amsterdam is nicknamed the ‘Venice of the North’, alongside Bruges
You’ll also find many popular and traditional Dutch foods in Amsterdam, such as stroopwafel, bitterballen, and Dutch apple pie.
How to Plan a Weekend in Amsterdam
You’ll get the most out of a weekend in Amsterdam by doing a bit planning in advance. Although Amsterdam is a pretty laidback city, it can be very busy and attractions book up quickly.
Check out some of my top recommendations below.
When is the Best Time for a Weekend in Amsterdam?
One of the most wonderful things about Amsterdam is that it’s great to visit at any time of year. While the parks and canals bask in the summer sunshine, the traditional brown architecture looks beautiful on even the gloomiest of days. And with an abundance of museums and cafés to hide in, the rain won’t dampen your trip to Amsterdam.
In the height of summer, you can expect the best weather but also the biggest crowds and highest prices. You’ll get the best of both worlds here by choosing to visit in the spring or autumn – although the weather is slightly less predictable, it will be quieter, and with the added benefit of blossoming nature or bold autumn colours.
In the winter, Amsterdam transforms into a winter wonderland. If you’re lucky enough, you might see the canals freeze over!
How to Get to Amsterdam
You’ll most likely arrive in Amsterdam by plane – Schiphol Airport is the world’s third busiest, with connections all over the world. Luckily, it’s less than 10km away from Amsterdam itself and it’s easy to get into the city.
The train is the most convenient connection. The journey to Amsterdam Centraal, the city’s main train station, takes around 15-20 minutes and costs just a few euros. You can buy your tickets in the station at the airport.
If you’re travelling to Amsterdam by train, you’ll arrive straight into Amsterdam Centraal, ready to start your trip.
How to Get Around in Amsterdam
Although Amsterdam is quite a big city, it’s still very walkable. However, there’s also a great public transport network to help you get around. The tram, metro and bus networks are all run by the same company, meaning you can easily switch between modes of transport.
You can use contactless to pay for public transport in Amsterdam – just remember to tap your card when you board and leave the bus, tram or metro, and use the same card or phone.
If you think you’ll use the public transport system frequently during your weekend in Amsterdam, you can buy an unlimited transport card valid from 24 hours to as long as 7 days. Or purchase an Amsterdam city card for unlimited public transport access plus free entrance to lots of attractions.
Do You Need an Amsterdam City Card?
The Amsterdam city card can be a great money-saving option if you plan to visit a lot of paid attractions on your trip and use public transport frequently. It can also save a lot of hassle buying tickets.
With an Amsterdam city card, you can get free entrance to some of Amsterdam’s most popular museums that are featured in this weekend itinerary, such as the Moco Museum, Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk Museum. You’ll also get unlimited use of the public transport system in Amsterdam, a free canal cruise, and bike rental for 24 hours.
Sound good? Book your Amsterdam city card below!
To decide if you need an Amsterdam city card, I always recommend looking at which paid attractions you’d like to visit, and see how much money you could save.
Activities to Book in Advance
Amsterdam is one of the most popular cities in Europe, and some of the top attractions are booked out weeks in advance. You’ll want to visit most of these spots during your weekend in Amsterdam, and I’d recommend buying your tickets as far before your trip as possible:
- Van Gogh Museum
- Anne Frank House (tickets released six weeks in advance)
Although you won’t have to book most other attractions so far in advance, you shouldn’t expect to be able to buy tickets on the day. You can also save time queuing by booking online before your trip. Here are a few top recommendations:
Top activities in Amsterdam
The Best Things to Do in Amsterdam in a Weekend
Explore the Different Neighbourhoods
You’ll find many different neighbourhoods across Amsterdam, each with its own charm. By following the itinerary in this guide, you’ll get to explore a few of the most popular across the weekend.
In Jordaan, you’ll find a laidback vibe with lots of great foodie spots, coffee shops and small boutiques. It borders the Nine Streets, a collection of canal-side streets with similar offerings as Jordaan. Foodie highlights here include Café de Tuin, Winkel 43 and Screaming Beans, and you can also find the Anne Frank House and the Amsterdam Tulip Museum.
Central Amsterdam is bustling with life, and although it’s the most touristy area of the city, you’ll still find some top attractions here. Make sure to visit Dam Square, Damrak and the Dancing Houses, and the Oude Kerk.
Head a little south of the centre to see De Pijp, a neighbourhood that oozes creativity and old-school charm. Here you’ll find the famous Albert Cuypmarkt, plus popular brunch spots and cafés like Bakers & Roasters, LOCALS and Scandinavian Embassy.
Eat Street Food
Many of The Netherlands’ best culinary offerings come in the form of street food, and you’ll find great examples of this in Amsterdam. You can grab some food to go and enjoy it while wandering along the charming canals.
Try bitterballen at Café de Tuin or De Ballenbar, apple pie at Winkel 43, or stroopwaffel at Rudi’s or Hans Egstorf.
Check out these foodie experiences in Amsterdam!
Visit the Anne Frank House
One of the most prominent figures in Dutch history is Anne Frank, a young girl who kept a diary whilst hiding from Nazi persecution in Amsterdam during WW2. Her tragic story reached a worldwide audience when the diary was published by her father after the war.
In Amsterdam, you can visit the real house where Anne hid with her family and wrote the diary. You’ll tour the house and the secret annex where they spent their years, whilst learning about Anne Frank’s life and death, plus the Holocaust and the treatment of Jews during WW2.
The house and its interiors have been well-preserved and the space is an incredibly poignant reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust, as well as an opportunity to learn more about this period of history.
See Tulips at Bloemenmarkt
The Netherlands is famous for its tulips, but as some find out the hard way, you won’t come across any vast tulip fields in the centre of Amsterdam! Luckily, you can still experience a slice of this culture at Bloemenmarkt, the world’s only floating flower market.
At Bloemenmarkt, you’ll find a few tulips, plus plants and other flowers, souvenirs, popular wooden tulips, and lots of bulbs to plant. Although it can’t compare to seeing the tulip fields, this is a great option if your weekend in Amsterdam falls outside of tulip season, or you don’t have time to take a day trip to see them.
Marvel at Some Van Gogh Art
You can see the works of one of the world’s most renowned artists at a museum in Amsterdam. Vincent Van Gogh was a Dutch painter known for iconic works such as The Starry Night, his self-portraits, and Sunflowers. And the Van Gogh Museum in central Amsterdam is dedicated to his life and work, housing some 200 paintings.
It’s not surprising that with the largest collection of Van Gogh art worldwide, the Van Gogh Museum is incredibly popular. It’s one of the most visited art museums, not only in the Netherlands but worldwide. You’ll need to book your tickets a few weeks in advance if you want to visit the Van Gogh Museum!
Book your Van Gogh Museum tickets now!
Check out some more ticket options below
Take a Canal Cruise
Amsterdam, sometimes fondly referred to as the “Venice of the North“, is home to a network of canals that run all around the city. You’ll cross and walk along them as you explore Amsterdam on foot, but the best way to experience the canals is to jump on a canal boat for a tour.
Tours tend to last an hour, and your canal boat will take you around all the key spots in Amsterdam. And you’ll get a great local insight into the history and culture of the canals, whilst marvelling at the city from the water. I also recommend taking an evening cruise if you have the chance, as seeing the canals lit up at night is a great sight!
Pick one of these fun canal cruises!
Look Around a Museum (or three!)
I’ve already mentioned a couple of Amsterdam’s best museums in this guide so far, but there are many more incredible ones across the city! Visiting museums should be a big part of your weekend in Amsterdam, as there’s so much to learn about Dutch culture, Amsterdam’s history and more. Here are a few recommendations:
- Rijksmuseum (buy tickets) – the national museum of the Netherlands, featuring Dutch art and history
- Moco Museum (buy tickets) – fun modern art museum with Banksy works and a sculpture garden
- Stedelijk Museum (buy tickets) – contemporary art and design museum, showcasing a wide range of modern art movements
- Verzetsmuseum (buy tickets) – Dutch WWII resistance museum which follows a timeline of Dutch attitudes and experiences throughout the war
- Tulip Museum – small, budget-friendly museum that celebrates the Dutch tulip industry and its history
- STRAAT – the world’s largest street art museum in the artsy Noord neighbourhood
Suggested 3 Day Amsterdam Travel Itinerary
I’ve taken you through the best things to do in Amsterdam in a weekend, but it can be difficult to know how to plan your days to make the most of your trip. So, I’ve put together a 3 day Amsterdam travel itinerary to help you map out how your weekend will look!
Day 1
Kick off your Amsterdam weekend with a morning exploring the canals around the centre, the Jordaan neighbourhood and the Nine Streets (De 9 Straatjes). Start at Dam Square, where you can see the Royal Palace (Koninklijk Paleis), De Nieuwe Kerk and the National Monument.
Top tip: head into H&M on Dam Square to see views of the square from above, one of the best photo spots in Amsterdam!
Then head over to the Nine Streets and neighbouring Jordaan area to get lost in the network of canals, surrounded by beautiful brick facades and charming boutiques. If you’re in need of breakfast, grab a pastry from Saint-Jean bakery, or brunch from Teds. You’ll also find a great coffee in this neighbourhood at Screaming Beans.
After some time exploring, head to the Anne Frank House. Tickets are limited and need to be booked several weeks in advance, so you may need to tweak this itinerary based on your allocated time. Now it’s time to enjoy a little street food tour for lunch – try bitterballen at Café de Tuin, fries at the popular Fabel Friet, and Dutch apple pie from Winkel 43
Wander over to Museumplein via the colourful Bloemenmarkt. Here, you can spend the afternoon in a museum or two of your choice, such as the Rijksmuseum, Moco Museum or Van Gogh Museum. And don’t worry if you’re stuck on what to choose, you’ll be back at Museumplein before your weekend in Amsterdam is up!
Round out the day with dinner and drinks, enjoying the atmosphere of a lively evening in Amsterdam. If you’d like to see Amsterdam at night from the canals, book an evening canal cruise.
Day 2
Day 2 of your weekend in Amsterdam starts with a morning at the Albert Cuyp Market on Albert Cuypstraat. Boasting over 250 stalls, it’s the largest ‘day’ market in Europe. You’ll find Dutch street food and other international delicacies, as well as flowers, clothes and accessories, and the locals can pick up their fresh fruit, veg and produce. Make sure you try a stroopwafel from Rudy’s at the market!
Take some time to enjoy the surrounding neighbourhood of De Pijp. There are also some great spots to grab breakfast or brunch – try Scandinavia Embassy, LOCALS or Bakers & Roasters.
Now head back to the centre of the city to head off on a fun canal cruise. You’ll get a local insight into the history of Amsterdam and the canals, plus a unique perspective of some of Amsterdam’s famous sights.
After some lunch, head back to Museumplein for another afternoon of museums! Visit the ones you couldn’t yesterday, and on a nice day, you could also take some time to enjoy the grassy park area. If you’d prefer to spend more time outdoors, spend the afternoon in the nearby Vondelpark.
For dinner tonight, head to Foodhallen. You can enjoy Dutch food, international fare and drinks in a lively but laidback space. There’s something for every taste here, but I recommend De Ballenbar for Dutch bitterballen or Píta for falafel pitas.
Day 3
The last day of this Amsterdam itinerary is flexible – you can spend the day visiting any attractions you’ve missed so far, take a day trip or see a different area of Amsterdam.
If you’d like to stay in Amsterdam, head to the east of the city and visit Verzetsmuseum, the Dutch WWII resistance museum. You could also pop by the nearby botanical gardens. Then make your way to the centre to see Oude Kerk and Damrak, with the famous dancing canal houses. You’ll also pass the Red Light District on the way.
In the afternoon, tick off one last museum, relax or cycle in Vondelpark, or take a free ferry to the Noord neighbourhood. This artsy area is full of street art, and highlights include the Eye Film Museum and STRAAT.
If you’d prefer to head further afield on your last day in Amsterdam, opt for a day trip! Explore neighbouring cities, charming towns, flower fields, or even hop over to a different country for the day. Check out some guided day tour options below, or visit nearby Rotterdam with this handy day trip guide.
What are you most excited to see in Amsterdam? With this guide under your belt I know you’ll have the best time during your weekend in Amsterdam, just take the handy itinerary and go!
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Hey Kirstie, love love love all the pics of beautiful Amsterdam, soo good. And the detailed 3 day itinerary is great, thanks for sharing.