Places to visit & Sightseeing in Amsterdam

Amsterdam’s romantic Canal Belt is UNESCO World Heritage. It’s full of monumental canal houses and typical Amsterdam architecture. Take your time to wander around, or explore it during a canal cruise.

Stroll over the Albert Cuyp Market where you’ll find over three hundred market stalls. Surround yourself with food stalls that sell products such as fish, poultry, cheese, vegetables and fruits. Furthermore, you’ll find stalls selling clothing, cosmetics and more. Best of all; the prices are among the cheapest in Amsterdam. The Albert Cuyp street itself is surrounded by numerous exotic shops, studios, cosy cafes and restaurants all adding to the pomp and festive market atmosphere.

This specific part of the Amsterdam Canal Belt is known for its many stores and terraces. It’s a great place to do a bit of laidback shopping for souvenirs and maybe have something to drink on a terrace.

Red Light District or ‘De Wallen’ in Dutch is home to one of the oldest professions in the world. Wander around the area and pay a visit to Amsterdam’s oldest erotic theatre Casa Rosso or one of the peepshows!

Begijnhof might be one of Amsterdam’s best-kept secrets. Located in the city centre just behind busy shopping street Kalverstraat, you’ll find this piece of cultural heritage. It can be visited free of charge.

Discover the lively Leidseplein area. The Leidseplein faces one of the busiest streets of Amsterdam; the Leidsetraat. The Leidsestraat connects the different Amsterdam canals and takes you from the Leidesplein towards Koningsplein and the Bloemenmarkt (Floating Flower market). Leidseplein itself is known for its bars, clubs and nightlife. The well-known avenues Melkweg and Paradiso can be found there, along with various pubs, many of which have terraces on the square! Experience the amount of entertainment yourself at the “Leidse” as the Dutch call it!

The Amsterdam Arena got named after club icon Johan Cruijff to Johan Cruijff Arena. Check out the most famous (and best) football club in the Netherlands and visit the home of Ajax.

Check out the square considered to be the heart of the city. It is connected through the street ‘Damrak’ to Amsterdam Central station. At Dam Square you’ll find several popular sights and attractions, such as De Grote Kerk, Madame Tussauds, Royal Palace and Ripley’s Believe it or not.

If you have just a bit more time to spend, we strongly recommend going beyond the city borders. There are a lot of places just outside of Amsterdam that are really worthwhile!

Visit the only floating animal shelter in the world! A must-do for any cat friend. Visiting the Poezenboot is completely free of charge, but a donation is appreciated.

Every city has a churches. But the only difference is that the one in Amsterdam has a very special meaning in the history of the country. It is the church where all Dutch princes and princesses, since King William I in 1814, are inaugurated when they ascend the throne (in 2013 also King Willem-Alexander).

The Concertgebouw has a great tradition in the area of organizing legendary concerts by greats such as, Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Bernard Haitink, Yehudi Menuhin, Jessye Norman, Louis Armstrong, Sting and others. Together with other orchestras, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra puts together some of the best performances. According to many experts the best orchestra in the world. You go visit the building and let your ears get massaged by an entire orchestra, surrounded the best musicians of the world.

Museumplein is home to a wide range of museums, including the world-famous Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum. It also offers space to have a rest or even picnic for instance and can’t be missed on your trip to Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Noord is a part of town, less discovered by the big crowds. But nevertheless, definitely worth a visit! This more industrial part of town feels rawer, less polished than the centre. Take a break from the busy centre bu taking the free ferry crossing and explore what the Northern part of town has to offer.

The Oude Kerk, literally the Old Church in the Red Light District has been around since the birth of the city. It was already there when Amsterdam was still a harbour city on the sea. Find out more here!