Home › Travel Guides › Europe Travel Guide › Netherlands › Amsterdam › Things to do in Amsterdam
Image gallery
Video gallery

Bicycles on Amsterdam's canal bridge

© Creative Commons / joiseyshowaa

+100
Amsterdam Local time

Weather in Amsterdam
Sunny
-
3
°C
Netherlands

Things to do in Amsterdam

Cycling

Cycling around town is the most authentic way to experience Amsterdam. When Amsterdammers leave work or the theatre, they reach for their bicycle keys, then glide noiselessly to their next destination. Well-defined bike lanes and bike stoplights are standard along every thoroughfare. Sharing a lane with a bunch of cyclists is an altogether different experience from sitting in rush-hour traffic. Rental outlets are easily found and affordable.

Bike City
Website: www.bikecity.nl

MacBike
Website: www.macbike.nl

Walking

Compact and traffic-light Amsterdam just invites you to stroll. You could easily hoof it from Centraal Station to the outer ring of the city centre in an hour, but what's the hurry? In particular, you'll find it pleasurable and fascinating to amble down the narrow streets of the Jordaan district, along the canal belt or through the numerous parks and gardens. The tourist office and various private operators, for example New Amsterdam Tours, can set you up with a knowledgeable strolling companion.

Amsterdam Tourist Office
Tel: (020) 201 8800.
Website: www.iamsterdam.com

New Amsterdam Tours
Website: www.newamsterdamtours.com

Skating

Another way to roll around town is on skates. It's a particularly popular activity inside the Vondelpark, where each Friday evening at around 2000 a group of skaters gather in front of the Eye Film Institute to set off on a tour through the city. If it gets cold enough for the canals to freeze over (a rare occasion) Amsterdammers sharpen their blades and hit the ice. Otherwise, there is a public indoor ice-skating rink at IJscomplex Jaap Eden, Radioweg 64, in east Amsterdam.

Jaap Eden
Website:www.jaap-eden.nl

Saunas

Cold and wet as Amsterdam can be for much of the year, the city sports a number of attractive saunas where you can sweat off the chill and emerge rejuvenated. These facilities offer a combination of dry sauna, steam room and cold plunge pool, and they're not for the modest: nudity is the norm. Among the most luxurious options are Sauna Deco and Spa Zuiver. The former has elaborate décor with plenty of stained glass and polished fittings; the latter features a heated pool.

Sauna Deco
Tel: (020) 623 8215.
Website:www.saunadeco.nl

Spa Zuiver
Tel: (020) 301 0710.
Website:www.spazuiver.nl

Travel Deals

Recommended Sites:

Protect yourself from malaria
Before you travel, find out if your holiday destination is in a malaria zone.
(An educational initiative organised and funded by GlaxoSmithKline Travel Health. UK/MARK/0173/10 September 2010)
Travel insurance
For residents of over 150 countries. High levels of medical, evacuation, emergency & most adventure activities covered.