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Hello Amsterdam
Amsterdam canals at golden hour

Hello Amsterdam

Amsterdam, the way a local would show you.

The best museums and canals, where to eat and drink, and the honest practical tips that make a trip easy — all in one friendly, bilingual guide. Tell us what you love and we'll plan your days for you.

There's a lot of advice about Amsterdam out there, and not all of it is current or true. Hello Amsterdam keeps it simple: carefully checked recommendations, real prices and times, and a warm, no-nonsense tone — the kind of guidance you'd get from a friend who actually lives here.

Plan your trip

Your Amsterdam, built for you.

Not sure where to start? Our free planner asks how long you're staying and what you're into — museums, food, nightlife, parks — and builds a day-by-day plan with a real travel schedule between stops and a clear cost estimate. Save it to your own dashboard or add it to your calendar.

  • Tailored
  • Day by day
  • Real schedule
  • Cost estimate

What's on

What's on

The next highlights in Amsterdam.

Dekmantel Festival 2026 — photo by Deane Bayas
Popular
Music festival

Dekmantel Festival 2026

  • 31 Jul – 2 August 2026
  • Various times
  • Amsterdamse Bos & city venues · citywide

From 31 July to 2 August 2026, Dekmantel — one of the world's most respected electronic music festivals — takes over the leafy Amsterdamse Bos, with a carefully curated line-up across forest stages.

Grachtenfestival
Featured
Music festival

Grachtenfestival 2026

  • 7–16 August 2026
  • Various times
  • Canal-side venues across Amsterdam · citywide

From 7 to 16 August 2026, the Grachtenfestival fills Amsterdam's canals with classical and jazz music, staging concerts at intimate and unexpected venues along the water — many of them free.

Reggae Lake Festival 2026 — photo by Th2city Santana
Music festival

Reggae Lake Festival 2026

  • 15–16 August 2026
  • Various times
  • Gaasperplas, Amsterdam Zuidoost · zuidoost

On 15–16 August 2026, the Reggae Lake Festival fills the green shores of the Gaasperplas in Amsterdam Zuidoost with reggae, dancehall and Caribbean sounds, food and a laid-back lakeside vibe.

Eat & drink

Pull up a stool, take your time.

Pull up a stool in a brown café, try a Dutch rijsttafel, hunt down the best brunch and specialty coffee, or eat your way through De Pijp.

Find your spot
Amsterdam after dark

After dark

From cocktail bars to sunrise.

From canal-side cocktail bars and historic jazz cellars to clubs that run till sunrise — and the Red Light District, explained with respect.

See nightlife

After Dark · 18+ only

The adult city, on its own terms.

A separate, discreet guide to Amsterdam's legal adult scene — escorts, erotic massage, coffeeshops and the Red Light District. For adults only.

Enter After Dark

Before you go

The practical stuff, sorted.

Getting in from Schiphol, how the trams and free ferries work, paying like a local, the local etiquette, and staying safe.

Open Useful info

Ready when you are.

However long you've got, Hello Amsterdam helps you make the most of it.

Plan your trip