Photo: Andrés Barrios · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Amsterdam
Golden Age canals, Rembrandt and Van Gogh, and a city best seen by bike.
A city of rings of canals, gabled merchants' houses and bikes everywhere, with three world-class museums and a free ferry to the old shipyards across the water. Book the big museums ahead. Keukenhof's tulip gardens are a day trip by bus in spring (check).
Places to see
RijksmuseumMuseum · The Netherlands' national museum in a grand red-brick palace: Rembrandt's Night Watch,…≈ A$44
Van Gogh MuseumMuseum · The world's largest collection of Van Gogh's work, hung in the order he painted it: the…≈ A$39
Anne Frank HouseMuseum · The narrow canal-side house where Anne Frank's family hid for two years, through the…≈ A$28- The canal ring
When to go
- Jan6° / 1°Some rainQuiet
- Feb7° / 1°Some rainQuiet
- Mar10° / 3°Some rainBusy
- Apr14° / 5°Some rainVery busy
- May18° / 8°Some rainVery busy
- Jun20° / 11°Some rainBusy
- Jul22° / 13°Some rainVery busy
- Aug22° / 13°Some rainVery busy
- Sep
Staying and getting around
Good areas to stay
The canal ring and the Jordaan. The three grand canals, the Anne Frank House and the village-like Jordaan: the prettiest part of town, with a few hostels.
Museum Quarter and De Pijp. Museumplein, the Vondelpark and the busy market streets of De Pijp: good food, hostels by the park and trams to the centre.
Noord. Across the IJ by free ferry: the A'DAM tower, the NDSM wharf and newer, often cheaper places to stay.
Flying in
Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS): Train to Amsterdam Centraal, about 20 min, ≈ A$11. Trains run every few minutes, about €6–7; tap a contactless card in and out (check).
Flewaway's estimate for the usual budget way into Amsterdam; check times and fares before you fly.
Getting around
Mostly on foot. A single ticket is ≈ A$6. The centre and canal ring are walkable; trams reach the museums and De Pijp. Hiring a bike is the local way. Free ferries cross the IJ to Noord from behind Centraal.
GVB day ticket (≈ A$17, 24 hours, or longer versions up to 7 days): Unlimited trams, buses and metro in the city; worth it from about three rides a day (check).
