5 Free Things to do in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The Netherlands’ capital city of Amsterdam is lively, beautiful, unique and a great city to explore for families. It can get quite expensive visiting one of Europe’s hot spots and a popular city. Luckily, there are some attractions around Amsterdam for families to see and do that will help with the travel budget.  See these free things to do in Amsterdam with kids (or without too).

1.  Learn Something

Amsterdam’s most visited attractions are its many museums like the Van Gogh, Rikjmuseum and the Anne Frank House. It’s a wonderful city for families to learn about art, history and culture. While the popular museums aren’t free, there are some that offer complimentary admission.

• We loved visiting the Cheese museum. It seemed more like a storefront. But, the lower level area was very educational showing how cheese is made and its history. There was even a section to dress up as a Dutch farmer for a photo op. Like many of the cheese shops around the city, there were plenty of delicious Dutch cheese to sample.

• One of the best ways to learn about the city’s history is a visit to the Amsterdam City Archives. The Amsterdam Treasures Collection is located in the Treasury Building.
• Amsterdam is known as the City of Diamonds for over 400 years. Gassan Diamonds offers free 40-minute guided tours everyday. Learn all about these gems and see how they are cut, polished and turned into exquisite jewelry.
• If you play chess or a just a fan, it is worth visiting the Chess Museum at Max Euwe Centre.  It highlights the history of the game, some chess set collections and details the life of Dutch Max Euwe who was a World Chess Champion.  Visitors can play chess with a computer or with other chess enthusiasts here.
• If you’re a cat lover, visit the Poezenboot (Cat Boat). This is a cat sanctuary on a houseboat.

2. Do a Walking Tour `

One of the best ways to see Amsterdam is exploring it on foot. It’s easy to do some of these tours yourself buy finding DIY itineraries and maps. We followed one along the Nine streets to see some of the sights.

But, you can also join one of Sandeman’s New Europe 3-hour free-guided walking tours that are offered several times everyday. The guides work on a tips basis but offer an informative and wonderful personal insight into the city showing the major attractions. It’s a great orientation and overview that can supplement the canal tours.

Departures are from the National Monument at DAM Square and usually end by the Anne Frank House. Reserve your spot on their website.

3. Enjoy Green Spaces

Amsterdam’s largest city park is a tranquil oasis amidst the busy capital hub.  Located near the museum complex, it provides a pleasant getaway for kids to run around, a family stroll and to people watch. It’s a popular place for both locals and tourists to hang out.

This public park has been around since the 1860s. The park has play areas and a large playground near Groot Melkhuis. During the summer (June-Aug), the open-air theater offers various shows and programs from concerts to children’s shows every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Photo Courtesy of L. Goodmurphy – Gone With The Family

The Amsterdamse Bos (Amsterdam Forest) is about a 20-minute bike ride from Museumplein. There are plenty of trails, waterways, lakes and paddling pools for kids. There is also a petting zoo and a goat farm (Ridammerhoeve). The open-air Amsterdamse Bostheater also presents several performances from July through August almost every night for visitors to enjoy.

4. Take a Ferry Ride

Amsterdam offers many ferries that transport pedestrians and cyclists across the River IJ for free. Many of the ferries are located directly behind the Central Station with frequent departures to/from various interesting points. The ferries are convenient and easy to use and another great way to see Amsterdam from a different perspective.

The ferries also serve well when trying to see other parts of the city. One of the most popular ferry routes is from the Central Station to Buiksloterweg which takes five minutes. This takes ferry passengers and visitors to the Eye Filmmuseum and Tolhuistuin (venue for concerts, films and other cultural events).  The museum’s permanent exhibit in the basement is free and it has a large terrace for wonderful panoramic views.

Another popular route is to the IJPlein and the NDSM Wharf. The old shipyard area hosts many cultural events from performances to festivals and exhibitions along a waterfront filled with restaurants. The area is also home to a lively arts and crafts community.

5. Go Shopping

So, shopping isn’t exactly a budget-friendly activity but it is free to browse and stroll through the many stores and markets around Amsterdam. If you’re traveling with tween and teen girls who love to shop, the city offers plenty of temptations. Window-shopping can also count as a sightseeing and cultural experience as you wander from shop to shop.

• Flower Market

We (including my husband and son) really enjoyed walking around the Amsterdam Flower Market. This is the world’s only floating flower market and has been around since the 1860s. The flower stalls are on houseboats.

It is a wonderful place to visit all year but especially during the Spring when the tulips are in full bloom. It smelled heavenly here and I loved seeing all the colors of the different types of flowers sold. Visitors can also buy souvenirs, bouquets or bulbs to take home. The market is located on the Singel canal between the Koningsplein and the Muntplein.

• Open-Air Markets

There are several open-air markets around Amsterdam that are great for strolling and shopping. The Albert Cuypmarkt is one of Europe’s largest open-air markets with over 250 stalls selling merchandise, produce and food. It’s one of the best places to see a sample of Dutch food. There is also The Netherland’s oldest flea market – the Waterloopleinmarkt.  This market has about 300 stalls to check out for treasures or to see what the Dutch have collected and are trying to sell.

• Shopping Streets and Districts

We spent quite some time everyday walking the lively shopping street of Kalverstraat. It starts at Dam Square and has a lot of shops to satisfy everyone in the family. It even has the Kalvertoren mall if you need to dash indoors.

Check out the Haarlemmerstraat and Haarlemmerdijk areas for interesting and specialty shops. We loved wandering around The Negen Straatjes (translated to “Nine Little Streets” in English) area. With nine charming streets to wander around, you never know what you’ll discover. There are many unique boutiques, vintage stores, cafes, art galleries here and even some glimpses into daily Dutch living.

Bonus Freebie: Attend Concerts

If you’re available around lunchtime during the weekdays, there are several free concerts to attend.  The Royal Concertgebouw has free classical concerts on some Wednesdays at 12:30 between September and June. The Chorus of Dutch National Opera, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra or the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra performs a free concert almost every Tuesday from 12:30-1:00 PM between September to June at Amstel 3 near Waterlooplein.

*Have you visited Amsterdam?

This is a part of a new series called Five Free Family Friday.  I hope this will grow into a collective guide of free family-friendly attractions of places all over the world.  If you’d like to contribute with the free attractions in your home city, I would love your guest posts.

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