Amsterdam: Canals, Culture, and the Gateway to Your River Cruise

Tree-lined canals, gabled houses leaning gently over the water, world-class museums, cozy cafés, and flower stalls bursting with color: Amsterdam is simply a fun city, with something to see around every corner.

A gateway to Europe by river, sea, and land

Amsterdam is also one of Europe’s great travel gateways. Many Rhine river cruises begin or end here, sailing between Amsterdam and Basel, Switzerland, and in winter that includes the festive Christmas market sailings. In spring, tulip-season cruises through Holland and Belgium often start and finish here too: AmaWaterways’ Tulip Time, for example, sails round trip from Amsterdam, with stops that include Ghent, Antwerp, and the windmills of Kinderdijk, according to AmaWaterways.

The city is a port for ocean cruises as well. Viking, Holland America Line, and Celebrity Cruises all list 2027 sailings from Amsterdam to the Norwegian fjords, the British Isles, and Scandinavia, according to Cruise Timetables. And it is a natural starting point for escorted land tours: Globus’s Holland, Luxembourg & Belgium tour, for one, spends nine days traveling from Amsterdam to Brussels.

Whichever way you are traveling, that makes Amsterdam the perfect place to add a day or two before or after your journey. You will settle in, shake off the jet lag, and have time to enjoy the city at your own pace.

Favorite things to see and do

• Take a canal cruise. The best way to get your bearings is from the water. Glide past 17th-century merchant houses, under dozens of arched bridges, and along the UNESCO-listed canal ring. An evening cruise, when the bridges are lit, is especially romantic.
• The Rijksmuseum. The Netherlands’ national museum is home to Dutch Golden Age masterpieces, including Rembrandt’s The Night Watch and Vermeer’s The Milkmaid. Even the building itself is a work of art.
• The Van Gogh Museum. Just across Museum Square, this museum holds the world’s largest collection of Van Gogh’s work, from his early paintings to his famous sunflowers. Book a timed ticket in advance.
• The Anne Frank House. The canal house where Anne Frank and her family hid during World War II is a deeply moving experience. As the Anne Frank House explains, tickets are sold only on the museum’s official website and are released every Tuesday for visits six weeks later, and they sell out quickly. Mark your calendar and book the moment they open.
• The Jordaan and the Nine Streets. This charming neighborhood is perfect for an afternoon wander, full of narrow lanes, flower-filled canals, boutiques, art galleries, and cozy brown cafés.
• Dam Square and the Royal Palace. The historic heart of the city is anchored by the grand Royal Palace, which you can tour when it is not in use by the royal family.
• The Begijnhof. Step through a small doorway off a busy street into this peaceful hidden courtyard, surrounded by historic homes and home to one of the oldest wooden houses in Amsterdam.
• The Flower Market. Along the Singel canal, the floating Bloemenmarkt is filled with tulip bulbs, blooms, and souvenirs.
• Vondelpark. Amsterdam’s favorite park is perfect for a stroll, people watching, or a coffee break on a sunny day.
• A’DAM Lookout. Take the free ferry behind Central Station across the IJ to this tower for panoramic city views. The daring can ride the swing over the edge.

Popular foods to try

Amsterdam is a delicious city, and part of the fun is snacking your way through it.

• Stroopwafels: Two thin waffle cookies with a gooey caramel syrup in between. Get one warm and fresh, straight off the iron.
• Poffertjes: Fluffy mini pancakes served with butter and a dusting of powdered sugar.
• Dutch apple pie: Tall, generously filled with apples and cinnamon, and served with a big dollop of whipped cream.
• Bitterballen: Crispy fried balls of savory beef ragout, served with mustard. The classic bar snack with a local beer.
• Patat (Dutch fries): Thick-cut fries served in a paper cone, traditionally topped with mayonnaise.
• Dutch cheese: Sample aged Gouda and Edam at one of the city’s many cheese shops.
• Raw herring: For the adventurous, try it the local way, with chopped onions and pickles, from a street stand.
• Rijsttafel: Meaning “rice table,” this Indonesian feast of many small dishes reflects the Netherlands’ colonial history and is a local favorite for a special dinner.

Getting around: a word about bikes

Amsterdam is famous for its bicycles, and most locals ride everywhere. It is tempting to rent a bike and join them, but I do not recommend it for visitors, especially if you are not an experienced cyclist.

The bike lanes are busy and fast, locals ride with confidence and little patience for hesitation, and you will be navigating unfamiliar streets, trams, scooters, pedestrians, and canal edges all at once. It is simply not the relaxing experience most people picture.

Instead, I suggest:

• Walking. The historic center is compact, flat, and wonderful to explore on foot.
• Trams. Clean, frequent, and easy to use. Simply tap a contactless card when you board and again when you get off.
• Canal boats. Hop-on, hop-off canal boats double as sightseeing and transportation.

One important safety tip even if you are on foot: the red-paved lanes are bike paths, not sidewalks. Always look both ways before stepping into them, and listen for bells.

Day trips: windmills and storybook towns

Some of the Netherlands’ most iconic sights lie just outside the city, and they are easy to reach on a guided day trip or by train. Here are a few favorites, and why each one is worth the trip.

Zaanse Schans. If you want to see classic Dutch windmills up close, this is the easiest place to do it. This living-history village of green wooden houses and working windmills sits along the Zaan river, about 17 minutes from Amsterdam by train, according to In Love with Netherlands. You can climb inside a working mill, watch wooden clogs being carved, and sample cheese at a traditional dairy farm. The town has been planning a visitor entry fee, so I will confirm the latest for your travel dates.

Kinderdijk. For the most breathtaking windmill scene in the country, head to Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where 19 historic windmills line the canals in a sweeping, unspoiled landscape. Built in the 1700s to drain the low-lying land, they tell the story of how the Dutch famously reclaimed their country from the water. Many Holland and Belgium river cruises stop here, so check your itinerary.

Volendam, Marken, and Edam. These picturesque fishing villages on the former Zuiderzee are often combined into one lovely day. Volendam has a lively harbor lined with fish stalls and shops, where you can even pose for a photo in traditional Dutch costume. Quiet Marken, connected by a short boat ride, is famous for its green wooden houses. And Edam, the home of the famous round cheese, is a charming, peaceful town of canals and drawbridges.

Keukenhof Gardens (spring only). If you are traveling in spring, do not miss Keukenhof, one of the largest flower gardens in the world. Millions of tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths bloom in spectacular displays, and the surrounding bulb fields stretch out in stripes of brilliant color. The gardens are open for only about eight weeks each year, from mid-March into early May, and many tulip-time river cruises include a visit.

Haarlem and Delft. For a taste of Dutch city life beyond Amsterdam, historic Haarlem is just a short train ride away, with a lovely market square and the Frans Hals Museum. Delft, the hometown of Vermeer, is famous for its hand-painted blue and white pottery, known as Delftware.

Giethoorn. If you have a little more time, Giethoorn is a truly magical village with no roads in its historic center, only canals, footpaths, and wooden bridges connecting thatched-roof farmhouses. It is about two hours from Amsterdam, so it makes for a full day, but it is a fairytale worth the journey.

Good to know before you go

• Book popular museums early. The Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum, and Rijksmuseum all use timed tickets, and the best times sell out, especially in spring and summer.
• Pack for changeable weather. Amsterdam’s weather can shift quickly, so bring layers and a light rain jacket or compact umbrella.
• Wear comfortable shoes. Cobblestones and canal bridges add up, and you will be walking a lot.
• Paying is easy. The Netherlands uses the euro, and cards are accepted almost everywhere, with some shops and cafés preferring them to cash. My guide to cash, cards, and currency in Europe covers the rest.
• Sailing on an ocean ship? Amsterdam has begun limiting the number of large cruise ships that call each year, as The Maritime Executive reports, so some sailings use nearby ports instead. I will confirm exactly where your ship docks.
• Spring is special. Tulip season, from mid-March through early May, is one of the most beautiful and popular times to visit, so plan and book well ahead.

Your journey starts here

Whether it is the first stop on your Rhine river cruise, the grand finale of a springtime tulip sailing, or the starting line of a land tour, Amsterdam deserves a little extra time. Between the canals, the museums, the food, and the windmills just beyond the city, you will find more than enough to fill a day or two, and you will leave wanting to come back.

Sailing with AmaWaterways? My AmaWaterways Planning & Preparation Guide explains the line’s optional pre- and post-cruise land packages. And whatever brings you to Amsterdam, I would love to help you plan the perfect stay and the day trips that make it unforgettable.