Amsterdam Travel Guide

Visit our full Amsteram Travel Guide for in-depth Amsterdam travel information.

Amsterdam is a fabulous blend of old and new, sophisticated and naive, highbrow and lowbrow... It's a beautiful city with something for everyone from the culture vulture to the party-goer.

What to do

Amsterdam's treasures range from the art contained in the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, where you can see the works of Dutch masters such as Vermeer, Rembrandt and (obviously) Van Gogh, to the Anne Frank House, where Anne and her family hid from the Nazis during World War II. There is also a rich architectural heritage in Amsterdam, which has roughly 7,000 registered historic buildings.

But Amsterdam is about more than the past - it's a vibrant city today full of friendly people (most of whom speak excellent English) and bicycles. In nice weather, a few hours in Vondelpark or Rembrandtpark might be just what the doctor ordered.

Of course, Amsterdam is also well-known for what some might call its counter-culture. Prostitution being legal, there is an active and public Red Light District, which, while it's clearly going to draw a certain element of the tourist population, is not the place you want to be whipping out your camera to snap pictures. One reason the city is so popular on the backpacker circuit is the Amsterdam coffeeshops, where you can freely buy and use soft drugs like marijuana and hash.

Getting there

You can book a flight into Amsterdam's famously nice Schiphol Airport (code: AMS), which is a 20-minute ride away from Centraal Station on the train beneath the airport. Airfares tend to be rather low because Schiphol is a major hub and competion is high among all the major carriers.

Once you're there, the best way to get around is by train. You can get a Eurail Pass that will be suited perfectly to your trip, no matter what countries or how many countries you'll visit.

Where to stay

Sleeping in Amsterdam can be an adventure of its own - there is no shortage of personality at the hostels in Amsterdam. Hostels not your thing? No problem - there are hotels in Amsterdam, too.

And if you're looking for what other visitors have said about the city, you can read Amsterdam travel stories that have been submitted to us by real travelers, just like you.