Best Things to Do in Amsterdam at Night

Amsterdam is a great city to explore both day and night. But if you are wondering what the best things to do in Amsterdam at night are we have you covered with out ultimate evening in Amsterdam guide. 

Best Things to do in Amsterdam at Night

Take a Canal Boat Cruise in Amsterdam at Night

If there is one thing that should be top of your Amsterdam bucket list it is going on a canal boat cruise of the city. This is absolutely one of my favourite ways to see the city. By night the city looks spectacular particularly with all of the beautiful reflections and lights which to me makes it one of the best things to do in Amsterdam at night. 

If you are visiting Amsterdam in Winter then actually it is better to do a canal of Amsterdam by night than during the day. This is because in the Winter months ( usually runs during January and December in Amsterdam each year but do check dates before travel) there is the Amsterdam Light Festival. Light installation pop up on the canals all around the city and looks spectacular. This is a great thing to do whether you are travelling to solo or with atoddler to Amsterdam and is also a great thing to do when it rains in Amsterdam. 

There also lots of different types of canal tours that you can take around Amsterdam from a basic tour to themed tours such as a pancake canal tour, pizza tour or Dutch Cheese Tasting Tour  for those looking for unusual things to do in Amsterdam. 

Spend the Evening at Van Gogh Museum

This one depends on how long you are visiting Amsterdam for, but if you are visiting Amsterdam on a Friday then why not head to the Van Gogh Museum at night. On Friday nights the usually busy Van Gogh Museum is open until 9pm (always check timings before booking tickets) and it is much quieter than visiting during the day. In fact if you aren’t visiting Amsterdam on a Friday it is still a great thing to do in the early evening in Amsterdam as the museum is open until 6pm most nights. 

Van Gogh has limited tickets per day so we always recommend booking your ticket in advance click here! 

It is also worth noting that if you are planning on visiting several museums during your Amsterdam itinerary it might be worth purchasing the I Amsterdam card. 

Other museums that are open in the evenings include 

• Anne Frank House – open until 7pm most nights

Enjoy fine Dining

Amsterdam currently has 16 Michelin starred restaurants so if find dining is your thingy you will be spoilt for choice in Amsterdam. However even if you are looking for restaurants that come with a lower price there are plenty of great places to go and eat in Amsterdam. 

Some of our favourite places include 

• sampling Indonesian food – we recently had a fabulous experience at Mama Makan
• or why not dine in a green house at Restaurant De Kas. 

Visit A’Dam Lookout

The A’DAM Lookout is an observation deck in Amsterdam that offers the best views of the city. On top of that the ADAM lookout is also how to the Over the Edge Swing which is the highest swing in Europe. There are also bars and restaurants which makes it one of the best things to do in Amsterdam at night. 

Tickets for the swing can be bought online and are timed so make sure you plan your evening leaving enough time. 

Enjoy a Concert 

The Concertgebouw is home to the Royal Orchestra of the Netherlands who are a world class orchestra. A great way to have a cultured evening in Amsterdam is to attend a concert here! 

However if this type of music isn’t your type of thing then Amsterdam is a great city for other music concerts or why not check out the Le Carre theatre – just be sure that the show you are planning on attending is presented in English. 

Heineken Experience

Open until 7pm on weekend nights the Heineken Experience is great for beer lovers and is a great thing to do in an evening in Amsterdam at the weekend for beer lovers. 

At the Heineken Experience  you will learn about the brewing process and companies history as well as some interactive elements and of course enjoy some samples in the tasting room. It is also a great place to buy a souvenir from Amsterdam. 

If you want to book your tickets in advance for a discount on your entry fee click here!

For a different beer experience in Amsterdam you could head to De Gooyer which is a brewery located next door to a wooden windmill – one of the few windmills actually left in Amsterdam city. 

Go to the House of Bols 

The House of Bols is a cocktail and juniper experience that at weekends is open until 9pm. If beer isn’t your thing but cocktails are the House of Bols makes a great alternative. Entrance to the House of Bols is for a fee and tickets can be purchased in advance here! 

Eat at Foodhallen

Foodhallen in Amsterdam is one of my favourite places to go for food in the city and is a great place to wile away an evening. This is a covered food hall with a variety of stalls representing a variety of world cuisines. I love eating here especially in large group as everyone can eat from a different region. It can be a little hard to get a table at peak times but there are lots of lovely artisan shops outside you can wander if it takes time to find a spot. It is very easy to wile away a few hours away here sampling lots of tapas style food and grabbing a beer. 

On week nights the Foodhallen is open until 11pm daily while at the weekend is stays open until 1am. 

If you want to combine this with another activity there is the Film Hall a lovely cinema which is located next door to the film hall. 

Walk the Canals

If you have already seen the canals by boat then why not take time to stroll the canals at night. The beautiful architectural reflections must be seen by night while in Amsterdam and seeing them by both boat and foot is a great idea. As an added bonus this a great free thing to do in Amsterdam for those travelling to Amsterdam on a budget. 

Bike the City

Another must while in Amsterdam is to see the city by bicycle. But if you are worried about cycling around Amsterdam a great time to give this a go is at night. By night there are far fewer cyclists and also less tourists stepping into the cycle lane to worry about.

If you plan on renting a bike while in Amsterdam then be sure to check out our guide to renting a bike in Amsterdam. 

Want to know what to wear in Amsterdam in Winter for cycling check out our guide. 

What not to do in Amsterdam at Night

Red Light District 

OK so this isn’t really a what not to do in Amsterdam at night but it definitely isn’t an experience for everyone and I am going to be honest it is just something that I don’t enjoy doing in Amsterdam. De Wallen is one of the more historic parts of Amsterdam city and tourists flock to this area to visit the red district it is known for. So if you want to visit the Red Light District the best time to go is probably at night as this is when it is busiest however 

FAQs about visiting Amsterdam at Nighttime 

Is Amsterdam Safe At Night?

Whenever you think about exploring a new city at night perhaps the first thing you are concerned about is safety. So in answer to is Amsterdam safe at night I would say largely yes! I’ve lived in Amsterdam for a while now and feel it is a safe city however as with anywhere we would advise you take precautions and remain vigilant. 

Next Read: For more Amsterdam travel tips check out this post.