Top 10 Things to Do in Amsterdam

Using this list

Ten of Amsterdam's landmark experiences as a tickable checklist. The centre is small enough to cross on foot in half an hour, which makes this one of the easier city lists to complete in a long weekend.

Two museums need booking well ahead

The Anne Frank House sells timed tickets online only, released on a rolling schedule, and they go quickly — this is the one visitors most often miss entirely. The Van Gogh Museum is also timed-entry and busy.

The Rijksmuseum is large enough that it's worth deciding in advance what you want to see rather than attempting all of it.

Bikes have right of way over your sightseeing

The single most useful thing to know: the red-paved lanes are bike lanes, not pavement, and cyclists move fast and do not expect to stop. Standing in one to take a photograph is the classic tourist error and genuinely dangerous.

If you cycle yourself, it's the best way to see the city — but ride on the right, signal, and lock the bike properly.

Canals from the water and from the side

A canal cruise is worth doing once and best in the evening. But the Jordaan on foot, with no destination, is the version of Amsterdam most people remember.

Practicalities

Many places are card-only, and some don't take credit cards at all — a debit card is more widely accepted than Amex. Museums are busiest between eleven and three.

Timing

Run it plain, or add due dates from your arrival date to spread it across your stay.