Tips and tours for explorers and travellers
Amsterdam City Guide
Ciceru walks Amsterdam from Dam Square and the Nieuwe Kerk into the Begijnhof, a walled courtyard of almshouses still lived in today, then past the Bloemenmarkt to the Oude Kerk, whose first chapel dates from 1213, at the centre of De Wallen.
- Country
- Netherlands
- Language
- Dutch
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Plug
- type C
- Time zone
- Europe/Amsterdam
- Emergency
- 112
- Tap water
- Generally safe
- Dialling code
- +31
The stops
Things to do in Amsterdam
Our Amsterdam route concentrates on the compact medieval centre: the stretch from Dam Square and the Begijnhof to De Wallen, where the Oude Kerk and the Red Light District's canal houses sit on the same narrow streets.
Nieuwe Kerk (New Church)
Anne Frank House
The Begijnhof
Flower Market (Bloemenmarkt)
Red Light District (De Wallen)
Oude Kerk (Old Church)
Your private guide, in your pocket
Ready to walk these?
- Self-guided, start now or laterSelf-guided, start now or later and pause whenever you like
- Offline audio, 7 languagesOffline audio stories in 7 languages
- 30-day money-back guarantee30-day money-back guarantee
- 500MB global eSIM included500MB global eSIM included
from
€7.00
1 self-guided tour in Amsterdam
Weather & crowds
Best time to visit
May and June give the best balance, mild at 14 to 21°C, before July's crowds peak. August is Amsterdam's wettest month at 98.6mm, wetter than November, so pack a coat even in summer. December to February stay near freezing, but the Amsterdam Light Festival lights the canals and queues at the sights are shortest.
Winter
Dec–Feb1–7°C/ 34–44°F
Few visitorsWet
- Amsterdam Light Festival
- Dark by 16:30, cold wind off the water
Don't miss
Amsterdam Light Festival (late Nov to mid Jan)
Spring
Mar–May6–14°C/ 42–57°F
Getting busierOccasional rain
- Tulip season in bloom
- March still cold, coats needed
Don't miss
King's Day (27 April, or 26 April if that is a Sunday)
Summer
Jun–Aug13–22°C/ 55–71°F
Peak seasonWet
- Long light evenings
- August: wettest month, 98.6mm of rain
Don't miss
Pride Amsterdam Canal Parade (early August)
Autumn
Sep–Nov8–15°C/ 46–58°F
BusyWet
- October and November average over 85mm rain
Don't miss
Amsterdam Museum Night (early November)
Transport
How to get to & around Amsterdam
Schiphol Airport
| NS train to Amsterdam Centraal | 17 min | €4.90 |
|---|---|---|
| Connexxion bus 397 to Museumplein | 30-40 min | €6.50 |
| NS train to Amsterdam Zuid | 7 min | €3.70 |
| Official taxi rank to the centre | 25-45 min | ~€35.00 |
Walking
Compact centreThe canal ring from Centraal to the museum quarter is under 3km and flat. Narrow bridges and one-way canal streets often make walking faster than waiting for a tram over short distances.
Tram, bus, metro (GVB)
OVpay, tap and goTap a contactless bank card or phone on the pink OVpay readers at every door. GVB caps what you pay at €10.50 a day across tram, bus and metro, however many trips you take.
Bicycle rental
The local wayCommercial rental shops near Centraal and Leidseplein hand over a bike with no registration needed. Ride in the marked red-paved cycle lanes, never on the pavement or against the flow.
OV-fiets
Dutch account neededThe train-station rental bikes need a personal OV-chipkaart with an OV-fiets subscription set up in advance. A short-stay visitor is better off at a commercial rental shop instead.
Walk or cycle the flat, compact centre, and tap in with OVpay for GVB's €10.50 daily cap when you need a tram. Skip OV-fiets, it needs a Dutch OV-chipkaart account.
Budget
How much does it cost to visit Amsterdam?
Amsterdam is cheap by tram and bike: OVpay's €10.50 daily cap and a €9.80 OV-fiets rental cover most travel, or buy a paper GVB ticket from €3.40 to €34.00. Eating out costs more, an inexpensive restaurant meal runs €15.00 to €25.00. The tourist tax is 12.5% of your room rate for 2026, added at check-out.
| Coffee at a cafe | €3.00–€6.00 |
|---|---|
| Inexpensive restaurant meal | €15.00–€25.00 |
| Local draught beer, 0.5L | €4.00–€6.50 |
| Fast food combo meal | €12.00–€15.00 |
| OV-fiets bike rental, 24h | €9.80 |
| GVB OVpay daily cap | €10.50 |
| Taxi across the centre | ~€10.00–~€18.00 |
| GVB 1-hour ticket | €3.40 |
| GVB day ticket, 24h to 120h | €9.50–€34.00 |
Cash or card?
Cards and contactless are standard everywhere, including GVB's OVpay readers and most market stalls. A few small cafes and snack bars are card-only and refuse cash outright, the reverse of many other cities, so do not assume you need cash as a backup.
Where to stay
Where to stay in Amsterdam
Jordaan
Canals, quiet nightsNarrow 17th-century streets built around hidden courtyards (hofjes). Tram 13 and 17 skirt the edge, the interior is on foot only. Rooms are among the priciest in the city, and few large hotels exist.
De Pijp
Markets, nightlifeA dense 1900s workers' quarter now packed with bars around the Albert Cuyp market. Tram 3, 4 and metro Line 52 reach it in minutes. Narrow 19th-century buildings mean small rooms and often no lift.
Oud-West
Food halls, VondelparkThe Foodhallen market sits inside a former tram depot, close to Vondelpark. Tram 1 and 17 reach Centraal in under 15 minutes. It is residential, so evenings are quiet outside the food hall itself.
Amsterdam-Noord
Cheaper, industrialAcross the IJ from Centraal, reached only by the free GVB ferry, since no tram or metro crosses the water. The EYE Filmmuseum sits here. Rooms are cheaper, but every trip into town needs a ferry.
Centrum / De Wallen
First visit, walk everywhereThe medieval core around the Oude Kerk and the Red Light District's canal houses. Everything is walkable, but the streets around the windows get loud after dark, and rooms cost the most in the city.
The tours
Amsterdam, one story at a time
€72.5 hours
Amsterdam Essentials: Tradition, Taboos & Hidden Gems
Santiago Rodriguez- Audio
- Quizzes
- Multiplayer
- Free eSIM
Scratch to win
Give it a scratch
Something good might be under there. If you win, we'll show you how to use it.
One prize per traveller. Good for 2 years.
Word of mouth
What travellers say
Safety
Is Amsterdam safe?
Amsterdam's centre is dense and mostly non-confrontational, violent crime against visitors is rare. The real risks are pickpockets on crowded transport, drowning in the canals after drinking, and cyclists on lanes visitors mistake for pavement. Official advice names these specific patterns rather than any single dangerous district.
Pickpocketing on transport
UK travel advice warns thieves often work in gangs on the trains and trams to and from Schiphol and Centraal, one distracting while another lifts a bag or pocket. Keep bags zipped and in front of you on these routes specifically.
Fake plainclothes police
A known scam has someone claiming to be a police officer investigating counterfeit money and asking to see your cash or cards. Genuine officers carry no such badge. Call the non-emergency line, 0900 8844, to check first.
Canals and cycle lanes
People drown in Amsterdam's canals most years, mostly after drinking or smoking cannabis, and swimming in one carries a €160 fine. Cyclists have right of way and often ignore red lights, so look both ways before stepping onto a red lane.
Reporting a theft
An insurance claim needs a police report, an aangifte. File it online at politie.nl, by phone on 0900 8844, or at any police station, the same day if possible. A claim made later without a report is far harder to pursue.
Medical help
Dial 112 free for an ambulance in a genuine emergency. For a non-urgent problem, ask your hotel or a pharmacy for the nearest huisartsenpost, the out-of-hours doctor service, rather than going straight to a hospital.
Good to know
Good to know
Book sights before you fly
Amsterdam's most visited sights sell out their online time slots days or weeks ahead, especially in spring and summer. A walk-up queue often means no ticket that day at all, so book before you arrive rather than on the morning.
Cycle lanes are real traffic
The smooth red-paved strips beside the pavement are cycle lanes, not extra pavement. Riders travel at 20 to 25 km/h and have right of way. Step onto one without looking and you risk a collision, not just a bell.
Shops close earlier than home
Many shops close by early evening and keep shorter hours on Sundays, with late-night shopping concentrated on Thursdays in some streets (koopavond). Supermarkets are the exception and stay open well into the evening.
Cash is the exception, not the backup
Contactless is the default on GVB's OVpay readers, in restaurants and at most stalls. Some small cafes and snack bars are card-only and will not take cash at all, so a wallet full of euros is not the safety net it would be elsewhere.
Worth reading
Read more about Amsterdam
Story9 min read
Amsterdam Explained: What It Is Known For, When to Go and What to See
Last updated: October 2026
Read moreStory7 min read
Free Things to Do in Amsterdam: What Is Still Free in 2026
Last updated: October 2026
Read moreStory8 min read
What to Eat in Amsterdam: Local Dishes and Where to Find Them
Last updated: October 2026
Read moreStory5 min read
The Cheapest Coworking Spaces in Amsterdam
Last updated: October 2026
Read moreStory8 min read
Amsterdam on a Budget: What Three Days Really Costs
Last updated: October 2026
Read moreStory9 min read
Getting Around Amsterdam: Transport, Airport Transfers and Where to Leave Your Bag
Last updated: October 2026
Read moreQuestions
Amsterdam FAQ
Yes. The Dutch government states that tap water meets all legal quality standards nationwide, and Amsterdam's supply is no exception. There is no need to buy bottled water, refill a bottle from any tap, including in cafes and museums, rather than paying for water in a shop.
The NS train to Amsterdam Centraal takes 17 minutes and costs €4.90, running eight times an hour. Connexxion's bus 397 runs every 10 minutes to Museumplein and Leidseplein for €6.50 one way, useful if your hotel sits nearer the museums than Centraal station.
There is no flat single fare: GVB charges by distance under OVpay, tapping a contactless bank card or phone at every door, capped at €10.50 a day across tram, bus and metro. If you would rather not tap a card, paper GVB tickets cost €3.40 for one hour or €9.50 to €34.00 for a 24 to 120 hour pass.
Yes. A 12.5% tourist tax is added to the room rate, unchanged for 2026, and collected by the property rather than shown in most booking totals. Check your confirmation or ask at check-in for the exact amount. Day trippers arriving by cruise ship pay a separate municipal charge on top of this.
The historic centre is under 3km across and mostly flat, so walking or cycling covers most sightseeing. GVB trams fill the gaps to areas like De Pijp and Oud-West, and to Amsterdam-Noord, which needs a ferry since no metro or tram crosses the IJ.
Violent crime against visitors is rare. The real risks after dark are pickpocketing on crowded trams, a fake-police cash scam, and the canals themselves: people drown most years, mostly after drinking, and swimming in one carries a €160 fine. Keep bags zipped and stay off cycle lanes if you have been drinking.
Yes, and often only by card. Contactless is the default on GVB's OVpay readers, in restaurants and at most market stalls. A handful of small cafes and snack bars are card-only with no cash accepted at all, so do not assume you need cash as backup, unlike in many other cities.
May and June, when temperatures average 14 to 21°C and the summer crowds have not yet peaked. August is the wettest month of the year at 98.6mm of rain, wetter than November, so pack a coat even at the height of summer. December to February stay near freezing, but the Amsterdam Light Festival lights the canals with shorter queues at the sights.