Amsterdam city breaks & holidays

What to do in Amsterdam

A city break to Amsterdam will cure your culture cravings. Over 50 museums are dotted across the city, exploring everything from Dutch history and modern art to science and film. Tick off a few on your trip and get to know the city from the best vantage point: its canals.

Rijksmuseum

Standing proudly beside the Singelgracht, the palatial Rijksmuseum is a treasury of some 8,000 artworks and objects spanning 800 years of Dutch history.

Works by Dutch master painters are the main draw – pride of place goes to Rembrandt's vast The Night Watch, but don't miss portraits and landscapes by painters including Vermeer, Frans Hals and many more. You'll need at least half a day to see them all.

Van Gogh Museum

It's a short pilgrimage across Museumplein from the Rijksmuseum to Amsterdam's shrine to Vincent Van Gogh. Vincent's intense self-portraits gaze at you as you enter this stunning contemporary space.

Upper levels show vivid landscapes and interiors from his final years in Provence, as well as a selection of letters to his brother. The museum also displays a number of works from Vincent’s contemporaries.

Museum het Rembrandthuis

Behind the red brick facade of this 17th-century townhouse is the world of Rembrandt van Rijn. The painter lived and worked in this house in the former Jewish quarter from 1639 until 1658.

Now, his studio on the first floor displays his sketches and studies – but for young visitors the big hit is the re-created 'cabinet of curiosities', a room filled with exotic curios including stuffed reptiles, skulls and whale tusks.

Anne Frank House

A visit to the Anne Frank House is an intensely moving experience. In 1942, the Jewish Frank family went into hiding in a secret apartment within this warehouse building and were later joined by four other acquaintances. In 1944, they were betrayed to the Nazis and sent to the Bergen-Belsen death camp, where Anne died aged 16.

Anne’s secret diary of their years in concealment was found and published in 1947 – Anne’s original red-and-white checked diary, as well as some of her other notebooks, are on display in the museum.

Canal cruises

Hop-on, hop-off boats are a great way to see the city and its sights. Glass-roofed canal cruisers with multi-lingual commentaries are a quick way to learn about the city's history and get your bearings.

To explore at your own pace, rent a four-seater pedal-powered 'canal bike'. Pack a picnic for the hour- to hour-and-a-half-long sessions – the kids will love it.

Where to stay in Amsterdam

For families

Hotels in the leafy, tranquil Plantage district, east of the historic centre, are within easy walking distance of top attractions for families, such as the ARTIS Zoo, the Scheepvaartmuseum with its flotilla of historic vessels, and child-friendly interactive exhibits at the Tropenmuseum and NEMO Science Centre. There's plenty of green space in the Oosterpark, next to Tropenmuseum, for walks and picnics.

You'll also find family-friendly self-catering apartments by the waterside in the newly trendy Western Islands district, less than 1km from Centraal Station.

For food and drink

Stay in the gentrified old Jordaan district, a grid of narrow streets east of Prinsengracht, to sample traditional genever (similar to gin) and tasty ales in cosy, wood-panelled 'brown cafés'.

There are outstanding fine-dining restaurants (some with Michelin stars) in Nieuwe Zijde, the heart of the historic centre. But for a taste of multi-cultural Amsterdam, pick a hotel in De Pijp, where the Albert Cuypstraat market area abounds with street food from all over the world and the Heineken Experience takes you inside a world-famous brewery.

For nightlife

Night owls should look for digs near Leidseplein in the Nieuwe Zijde neighbourhood to be within staggering distance of club venues such as Melkweg and Paradiso – both legends since the 1970s – and the oh-so-chic Jimmy Woo.

Reguliersdwarsstraat, between the Amstel and Herengracht, is the throbbing artery of Amsterdam's vibrant LGBTQ+ nightlife scene, so hotels in Nieuwe Zijde are handily close to its bars and clubs. Noord also has its own array of clubs and bars in the 22-floor A'dam Toren where you'll find one of Amsterdam's coolest hotels.

For culture

Look for a hotel in the leafy streets around Vondelpark to be with walking distance of Museumplein and so first in the queue to enter the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum. Hotels in and around this part of town are also handy for the historic Concertgebouw concert venue.

If opera and ballet are your thing, seek out accommodation in Nieuwe Zijde or the Oude Zijde district to be close to the Stopera, beside the Amstel, which houses the National Opera and Ballet.