Guides
Long reads, deeply local.
Field guides, neighbourhood deep-dives and unfiltered opinion from people who actually live in Amsterdam.
Featured · Field guideThe unhurried way to walk the canalsA six-bridge route that ends, properly, in a brown café.
Nightlife
The Best Bars in the Jordaan
The best bars in the Jordaan — a crawl through Amsterdam's coziest neighbourhood, from centuries-old brown cafés to a James Bond cocktail den.
Nightlife
A First-Timer's Guide to Amsterdam Nightlife
A first-timer's guide to Amsterdam nightlife — the key going-out areas, what kind of night each offers, and how to do it like a local.
Nightlife
The Best Wine Bars in Amsterdam
The best wine bars in Amsterdam — from the city's natural-wine pioneer to a champagne bar by Dam Square and a winery that makes its own in Noord.
Nightlife
LGBTQ+ Nightlife in Amsterdam
A guide to LGBTQ+ nightlife in Amsterdam — the bars and clubs of Reguliersdwarsstraat, historic queer cafés on the Zeedijk, and WorldPride 2026.
Nightlife
The Best Jazz & Blues Bars in Amsterdam
The best jazz and blues bars in Amsterdam — from the world-famous Bimhuis to intimate Leidseplein clubs with live music every night.
Nightlife
The Best Live Music Venues in Amsterdam
The best live music venues in Amsterdam — the legendary Paradiso and Melkweg, an IJ-side concert hall, and the city's biggest arenas.
Nightlife
The Best Clubs in Amsterdam
The best clubs in Amsterdam — from a techno bunker beneath the A'DAM Tower to open-air raves and the city's most stylish dancefloors.
Nightlife
The Best Rooftop & Waterfront Bars in Amsterdam
The best rooftop and waterfront bars in Amsterdam — 360° tower views, sky-high cocktails and laid-back beach bars on the IJ.
Nightlife
The Best Cocktail Bars in Amsterdam
The best cocktail bars in Amsterdam — from the country's largest backbar to a hidden speakeasy and theatrical, award-winning mixology.
Nightlife
The Best Craft Beer Bars & Breweries in Amsterdam
The best craft beer bars and breweries in Amsterdam — a windmill brewery, Dutch-only tasting rooms, and the city's buzzing Noord taprooms.
Nightlife
The Best Brown Cafés in Amsterdam
The best brown cafés in Amsterdam — centuries-old wood-panelled pubs for jenever, beer and bitterballen, from the Jordaan to the old centre.
Field guide
Amsterdam in 1 Day: The Perfect Itinerary
A practical one-day Amsterdam itinerary — a great museum, the canals and Jordaan, a hidden courtyard, and dinner in De Pijp at golden hour.
Field guide
The Best Neighbourhoods in Amsterdam
A guide to the best neighbourhoods in Amsterdam — from the canal-laced Jordaan to foodie De Pijp and edgy Amsterdam Noord. Where to wander and stay.
Field guide
The Best Parks & Green Spaces in Amsterdam
The best parks and green spaces in Amsterdam — from the famous Vondelpark to leafy local favourites and a forest three times the size of Central Park.
Field guide
The Best Free Things to Do in Amsterdam
The best free things to do in Amsterdam — hidden courtyards, a free art gallery, the Noord ferries, markets and the city's loveliest walks.
Field guide
Amsterdam with Kids: The Best Things to Do
The best things to do in Amsterdam with kids — hands-on museums, a zoo, big parks and boat trips that work for the whole family.
Field guide
Amsterdam in 3 Days: The Perfect Itinerary
A practical three-day Amsterdam itinerary — the great museums, the canals and markets, the best neighbourhoods, and an easy day trip.
Field guide
The Best Markets in Amsterdam
From the buzzing Albert Cuyp to the floating flower market, Amsterdam's street markets are where you taste and feel everyday city life.
Field guide
The Best Restaurants in Amsterdam
From Michelin-level kitchens to legendary rijsttafel and no-frills Chinatown classics — the best restaurants in Amsterdam, across every cuisine and price.
Field guide
The Best Museums in Amsterdam
Amsterdam has more than fifty museums. These are the very best, from the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh to hidden gems like the Rembrandt House and Micropia.
Field guide
Top 10 Things to Do in Amsterdam
The ten experiences that define a first trip to Amsterdam — the great museums, the canals, the markets and the neighbourhoods worth getting lost in.
Field guide
Where to Stay in Amsterdam: Neighbourhood Guide
Where to stay in Amsterdam — a neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood guide to the Canal Ring, Jordaan, De Pijp, Oud-West, the Museum Quarter, Oost and Noord.
Field guide
Tipping & Etiquette in Amsterdam
A simple 2026 guide to tipping in Amsterdam — how much in restaurants, bars, taxis, hotels and tours, and where you don't need to tip at all.
Field guide
Coffeeshop Rules & Etiquette in Amsterdam
How Amsterdam's coffeeshops really work in 2026 — the tolerance law, whether tourists can still buy, the public-smoking ban, and the basic etiquette to know.
Field guide
Day Trips from Amsterdam
The best day trips from Amsterdam in 2026 — Zaanse Schans windmills, Volendam and Marken, Haarlem, Keukenhof and more, with exactly how to get to each.
Field guide
Best Time to Visit Amsterdam
When to visit Amsterdam in 2026 — a season-by-season guide to weather, crowds, prices, tulip season and Keukenhof dates, King's Day, and the best value months.
Field guide
Cycling in Amsterdam: A Visitor's Guide
How to cycle Amsterdam like a local in 2026 — bike rental costs, the rules and fines to know, safety tips, parking without theft, and the best routes.
Field guide
Is the I amsterdam City Card Worth It?
An honest 2026 look at the I amsterdam City Card — what it includes, the prices, the big attractions it leaves out, and how to work out if it'll save you money.
Field guide
Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam City Centre
How to get from Schiphol Airport to central Amsterdam in 2026 — train, Airport Express bus, taxi and Uber compared, with prices, times, and which to choose.
Field guide
Getting Around Amsterdam: Public Transport & OVpay
Everything you need to ride Amsterdam's trams, metro and buses in 2026 — how OVpay contactless works, what it costs, ticket options, and the mistakes to avoid.
Field guide
Amsterdam Etiquette & Local Customs
Amsterdammers are relaxed and direct, but a few local habits — starting with staying out of the bike lane — go a long way.
Field guide
Amsterdam Weather & What to Pack
Mild, damp and windy with sudden showers — Amsterdam rewards layers and a good rain jacket. Here's the season-by-season version.
Field guide
Staying Safe in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is very safe, but a few classic scams and the city's fast bikes catch tourists out. Here's what to watch for.
Field guide
Amsterdam Coffeeshop Rules for Visitors
Amsterdam tolerates cannabis rather than legalising it, and the rules have tightened. Here is what visitors need to know in 2026.
Field guide
Is the I amsterdam City Card Worth It?
The official tourist pass bundles museums, transport and a canal cruise. Whether it pays off comes down to how you travel — here is the maths.
Field guide
Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam
Schiphol sits just 15 minutes from the centre by train. Here are all your options from the airport, with times and 2026 prices.
Field guide
Getting Around Amsterdam
Amsterdam is small enough to walk, but its trams, metro and ferries are quick, cheap and easy once you know how to pay. Here is the 2026 version.
Field guide
Paying in Amsterdam: Cards, Cash & Tipping
The Netherlands is nearly cashless, but with a twist that catches visitors out. Here's how to pay smoothly in Amsterdam — and tip right.
Field guide
How to Get Anne Frank House Tickets
The Anne Frank House is the hardest ticket in Amsterdam. It's online-only, timed, and sells out fast. Here's exactly how to get one in 2026.
Eat & drink
Eight brown cafés that still feel like Amsterdam
Dark wood, sticky tables, a beer that costs what a beer should cost.
Field guide
A day in Amsterdam-Noord, ferry to ferry
Coffee at NDSM, lunch on the dyke, a sauna ending you'll talk about.
Opinion
Against coffee-shop tourism
It's not prudish to say the centre deserves better than this.
Eat & drink
Where locals actually eat (and how to get a table)
Twelve neighbourhood places, the times to book and the dish to order.
Living
Renting in Amsterdam in 2026: an honest field report
Three months of viewings, six bidding wars, and what we'd do differently.
Nightlife
Queer Amsterdam after midnight
Reguliersdwarsstraat is the opening line. The story keeps going east.
Living
Eight cycling rules no one tells you
Bell etiquette, turn signals and why you should never stop on a bridge.
Field guide
Where to find Amsterdam's quietest canals
Five lesser-known waterways that prove this city still keeps secrets — even from itself.