Best Free Things to Do in Amsterdam

THE 10 BEST Free Things to Do in Amsterdam

Best Free Things to Do in Amsterdam

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Showing results 1-30 of 383

What travellers are saying

  • carolineannekennedy
    Amsterdam, The Netherlands1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Spring is coming! Visiting Vondelpark during the spring season is a wonderful experience. This iconic park is blooming with snow drops and other spring flowers right now. We had a lovely stroll in the sun and enjoyed a take away coffee from one of the carts in the park. My 2 year old played with the ducks near the pond. When you walk here you know: life in Amsterdam is good. So don’t hesitate to visit this park if you want a peaceful getaway right next to the hustle and bustle of the city center.
    Written 10 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Shannon
    16 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful place with lovely food and the Anne frank museum! Lovely place to have a nice walk around and not too busy like central Amsterdam!
    Written 10 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Yilei2014
    Tucson, AZ71 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We got there pretty late in the afternoon. It was dark already when we took a train from airport hotel to downtown. We can feel the Christmas atmosphere. Tourist boat in the canal is running. A public event was ongoing near the Centraal on Palestine human right. It is such a vibrant city.
    Written 5 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Nathan&Gemma
    London, UK89 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must visit when you come to Amsterdam, it is all part of the culture!

    The canals are beautiful and the actual area itself is nice. This is where you will see the various small “windows” where the ladies are within. It does have that strange feeling, however the general atmosphere was good.
    Definitely worth a visit.
    Written 10 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Vadim
    Murmansk, Russia26,794 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    In the XIII century, there was no square here, but there was an empty place where freshly caught fish were sold. Around 1270, local fishermen built a dam and a lock on the Amstel, and a fishing village of a dozen houses was named Amsteledamme. Now it is the symbolic center of Amsterdam. The square has two dominants facing each other - the Royal Palace and the national monument in honor of those killed in World War II. Despite the name, King Willem-Alexander does not live here, his residence is in The Hague. However, official events with his participation may take place here. But the weddings of the monarchs take place in the neighboring building- the Nieuwe Kerk, facing the square from the side. On the opposite side, where the national monument is located, there is a large department store De Bijenkorf, the Madame Tussaud Museum, the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky and Hotel Twenty Seven. All these buildings were built at different times in different styles, but strangely enough, such eclecticism doesn`t spoil the Dam Square...
    Written 28 January 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Ineke
    Amsterdam, The Netherlands80 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This is an amazing place to visit, dot in the middle of old Amsterdam. Begijnhofje houses homes and churches for elderly ladies in the 16/17th century; and still today. You'll find the oldest house in Amsterdam, the absolutely stunningly beautiful catholic hidden church and the English church. You need to be quiet, but you can walk around easily, although some parts are closed for the public. Highly recommended !
    Written 1 January 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Noraatc
    Sudbury, MA35,558 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amsterdam Museum Quarter probably has the highest number of museums concentrated in one relatively small area, which makes it very easy for a traveler. Stunning Rijksmuseum with its phenomenal collection of the Dutch Masters, stellar Stedelijk Museum of modern art, the Van Gogh Museum, which needs no introduction, very interesting Diamant Museum and Factory, quirky Moco Museum of ultramodern art (this one appeals to the younger crowds)… and all of them are included in iAmsterdam card.
    Written 14 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Philip D
    31 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We visited for lunch in the cafe not for the library. The selection of food and drink on offer was really very good and varied in choice. He priests are cheaper than you will pay in city. Inside tables and seating outside with views of the city. Friendly staff, bright and clean restaurant. Nice free views across to the south side of the city.
    Free ferry from central station. You can also use the free ferries to travel further up or down the river. Yes a FREE trip or trips. For library 5 min journey. Other trip along was about 12 minutes. If you have children they would love the boat rides.
    The library itself is light and bright with some nice display cabinets to look at.
    Other places to visit this side too especially if you have a bike or moped. You can travel free with those too.
    Written 30 June 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Vadim
    Murmansk, Russia26,794 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amsterdam is often compared to Venice, although it is much more prosaic than the most romantic city in the world. The only place where it truly resembles Venice is on the Herengracht, the most luxurious of the Large Canals. At the same time, the most elegant mansions of Amsterdam are on the right side. The most prestigious part of the Herengracht is called the Golden Bend. Merchants who earned their capital trading with South America or the Dutch East Indies lived here. Most of the houses are already the result of the rebuilding of the XVIII century. The left side is similar to other Large Canals: narrow facades, warehouses, beams for lifting goods. The most luxurious house in the Golden Bend is the Bartolotti House (Bartolottihuis, No.170-172), built in 1617 by the famous Hendrik de Keyser. However, despite the name, there is no smell of Italy here. The customer, Willem van den Heuvel, was a brewer and arms dealer. As Emperor Vespasian said: non olet- money does not smell. According to the same principle, he took the Italian surname of his stepfather Bartolotti, so that it would be easier to inherit his stepfather's bank in Bologna. The second house nearby is called the "White House" (De Witte Huis, No. 168, built of unusually light sandstone. It is not the president who lives in the Amsterdam White House, but the Theater Museum. The lions of St. Mark on the pediment can also evoke allusions to Venice. He is reminded of the building's owner, Michael Paue, one of the founders of the West India Company and a knight of the Order of St. Mark. The house was built in 1638 by the famous architect Philips Vingboons, who owns a number of other houses on the canal. It was built in 1662 for the merchant Jacob Cromhout Cromhouthuizen, now there is the Bijbels Museum (No.364-370), Museum Het Grachtenhuis (1665) at Herengracht 386, Canal house (No. 412) built in 1667, Huis Deutz 1663 at Herengracht 450 and The Eagle (No. 466) in 1669. Despite some common style, they don`xt resemble each other.
    Written 31 January 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Swedishtomcat
    Diss, UK3,566 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A plethora of stalls serving food, souvenirs, clothes, bags and nicknacks. We only purchased edibles starting with a workman favourite - the mackerel roll. Wandered along a bit and stopped for a homemade stroopwaffle. Since the weather was a bit cold & wet we then finished with a cone of frites (& mayo) to warm us up.
    Written 28 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • 🌈🌈🌈happyopenmindedtraveler🌈🌈🌈
    The Netherlands358,391 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    I like to come here sometimes for a concert. Enjoying a concert with a cup of coffee, what more can one wish for on a Sunday afternoon. If one is in Amsterdam it might be worth your while to take a look inside. Welcome to Amsterdam🌷🌷🌷
    Written 13 December 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • YAS
    London, UK25 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    9 streets next to each other with all the shopping experience you’d hope for. You can find local brands, boutiques, and department stores.
    Written 23 July 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Vadim
    Murmansk, Russia26,794 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    On the Keizersgracht, the second most important of the Large Canals, the houses are more modest and lower than on the Herengracht. Initially, they were going to make a boulevard here, but the residents resisted: many had warehouses, and it was much more convenient and, importantly, cheaper to bring goods by boat. Therefore, although the Keizersgracht is the second of the channels, it was dug later than the third - the Prinsengracht. The fact that merchants were the dominant class on the canal is also indicated by lifting beams with mechanisms protruding from the pediments. The Keizersgracht differs from its counterparts in width. Unlike the norm of 25 meters set by Hendrik Staets, this channel is 3 meters wider. Houses N40-44 have memorable facades with ledges on the right side. The so-called Greenland warehouses of the Northern Company, which had a monopoly on the extraction of whale oil at the beginning of the XVII century, used to be located here. To the south, on the opposite side of the canal in house N123, there is the so-called "House with heads" (Huis met de Hoofden). This is the most famous building in Amsterdam in the Renaissance style of 1622. The heads that gave the name to the house belong to the Greek gods Apollo, Mars, Athena, Dionysus, Demeter and Artemis. They remind of an old Amsterdam legend, according to which the maid of the first owner of the house, Nicholas Sohir, cut off the heads of thieves (or, according to another version, her own alcoholic lovers) who coveted the wine cellar. As a warning, she hung their heads over the doors.The building of the First Dutch Life Insurance Bank (174-176) at the intersection of Keizersgracht and Leliegracht was built by Van Arkel in 1905 in the spirit of Nieuwe Kunst, the Dutch version of Art Nouveau. A number of houses from N242 to N252, built between 1620 and 1730, have the common name Groot Keyser. 40 years ago, the buildings were occupied by the famous Groote Keyser squat, whose residents waged a fierce struggle with the mayor's office for the rights of squatters. In the late 70s and early 80s, a very popular alternative radio station "Free Keizer" worked here, broadcasting to 10 thousand Amsterdam squatters. And under No. 317 there is the Brants house. Its first owner, merchant Christoffel Brants, who became rich on Russian furs, was a personal friend of Tsar Peter I. In this building, decorated with figures of sea nymphs, Peter visited Brants during his second official visit to Holland in 1716-1717 (the first time Peter traveled incognito). In the memory of the people of Amsterdam, the Russian emperor remained a drunkard and a brawler. Peter was wasted, swore with Dutch port curses mastered on his first trip, slept on the floor and during a drunken orgy destroyed the house of the Russian envoy on the neighboring Herengracht. Almost opposite the Brants house is the Empire building of the Felix Meritis Society (N324), built in 1788 by Jacob Husley. Felix Meritis (the name means "Happy by merit") was in the 1800s the center of cultural and scientific life in Amsterdam. Felix Meritis was sure to bring all the famous visitors of Amsterdam. House No. 345A is the narrowest on the canal, its width is one window. Accordingly, the owners had to pay the least for it, because the tax on houses in the city was the width of the facade. The next noteworthy house is "Marseille" (Huis Marseille, 401). The house was built in 1665 by order of the French merchant Isaac Fauquier, who became rich on a single trading operation with goods from Marseille. On the facade of the house, Fauquier stamped the name and a detailed map of his native Marseille. Now there is a Photography Foundation with interesting photo exhibitions.
    Written 30 January 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Nadina P
    New York City, NY339 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    I came here on my first day--I don't get jetlagged, and I wanted to explore the city during the time my group was napping. It's definitely off the beaten track; I didn't see any tourists, signage was limited, and at times it was remote enough that I was on my guard. I think the area is very safe, and in general the Dutch are fantastic respectful people, so I wasn't too alarmed. Still, if you're a solo female traveler, you may want to be aware that you can easily find yourself alone with a stranger in a very remote area. You either need to be comfortable with that or take precautions if you aren't. I didn't expect this. I also didn't realize it was quite this natural--there are plenty of paved paths, but it's a good idea to bring sneakers, since a good chunk of the park is more wooded. It was a lovely area and something a little different, but it wasn't ask exciting as I had hoped.
    Written 13 November 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • 🌈🌈🌈happyopenmindedtraveler🌈🌈🌈
    The Netherlands358,391 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    I like to come here sometimes. The apparently world-famous Tuschinski Theatre (Cinema) is located around here. There are plenty of hotels, cafes, restaurants and fast-food outlets as well as Wok and French Fries takeaways in this area, actually something for every age and budget. Quite fun actually to just sit here and watch the world going by, for just a little while✌✌✌
    Written 13 December 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.