Things to do in Amsterdam at night

When you’ve spent all day walking around Amsterdam and you’re tempted to go and take a nap in your hotel … you’re going to miss out on a lot of fun! New York might be the city that never sleeps, but believe us, Amsterdam also has tons to offer after dawn! There are of course some classics, like walking through Amsterdam’s red light district (also called ‘De Wallen’), dancing all night in one of the city’s famous techno clubs or getting lost in the Nine Streets, but there’s so much more to do in Amsterdam at night! In this blog, we’ll tell you all about the 5 things to do in Amsterdam at night we feel like everyone should check out!

Book an evening cruise

Let’s start off this list with a classic: a canal cruise. But not just a normal canal cruise, no, an evening cruise! When night falls in Amsterdam, the bridges light up and it looks just like a fairytale! Especially the seven bridges and the Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge) are a sight for sore eyes!

 

Check the city from above

Did you know that on top of the A’dam tower, you find Europe’s highest swing? Take the elevator up to the observation deck and swing above the IJ. The A’dam Lookout isn’t open until late at night, but you can wait until night falls so you see the lights of the city. After swinging, you can swing by MA’DAM sky bar, a bar with incredible views over the city in the same building.
Explore the Jordaan and its many pubs

Amsterdam’s nightlife is quite well known and also quite a tourist attraction. Especially Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein are hotspots. If you want the full nightlife experience, you can’t miss those … But if you want a night out in Amsterdam like the locals do, we recommend walking around the Jordaan district. It’s filled with little bars and old brown pubs. Perfect for a pub crawl! Order a specialty beer and some ‘bitterballen’ and listen to Dutch schlagers – like the locals!

Get cultural after dark

If you love culture but hate crowds, it might be good to know that many of Amsterdam’s museums, such as the Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum, are open until 10PM on Fridays. The Eye Film Museum is even open until 11PM on Fridays and Saturdays. So if you’re not into crowds or bar-hopping on the weekend, you can get lost in the beauty of the art you see. And if you by any chance visit Amsterdam during the first week of November, you have to check out Museum Night! On the first Saturday of the month, you can walk around the greatest museums in Amsterdam until 2AM.

Dance all night long

Do you love dancing? Then you’ll love the party scene in Amsterdam. The city is known for its techno clubs like Shelter and – until recently – De School, but there are also tons of other clubs and concert halls where you can show off your moves if you don’t like techno! If you like R&B, it can be interesting to check out the DJ’s in Chin Chin and if you enjoy live music, check out Melkweg’s website! Melkweg is known for booking up-and-coming artists and internationally famous musicians. Same goes for the super cool venue Paradiso, located in a former church. Over the years some big names have performed here, from Nirvana to The Rolling Stones, Adele and Amy Winehouse. Score your tickets in advance!

Enjoy Amsterdam at night!