Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam travel guide

Canals, bikes and a hub to everywhere

Find flights to Amsterdam See fares from $376

Airports: AMS Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Region: Europe
Best time to visit: April–May (tulip season) and September are the sweet spot.
Shortest flight: 7h 5m from Boston
Round trips from: $376 (live)
Time zone: Europe/Amsterdam

About Amsterdam

The 17th-century canal ring is the heart — Jordaan's narrow streets and cafés, the Nine Streets' boutiques, the Anne Frank House on the Prinsengracht. Museumplein has the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh and Stedelijk; De Pijp has the Albert Cuyp market; and the north bank (NDSM, A'DAM Tower) is a free ferry ride behind Centraal station.

Getting in: trains run from Schiphol's basement to Amsterdam Centraal in 15–20 minutes (about €5.50); taxis cost €45–€60. Schiphol is also the best base for day trips — Haarlem, Utrecht, Rotterdam and The Hague are all under an hour by train, and Brussels and Paris are on the high-speed line.

US citizens need a passport valid three months past departure; no visa for 90 days (ETIAS expected). Cards are near-universal, though some places take only debit or the Dutch iDEAL system, so carry a little cash. Service is included; round up. Book the Anne Frank House exactly six weeks ahead — it's the hardest ticket in Europe.

Best time to visit

April–May (tulip season) and September are the sweet spot. Summer is pleasant and busy; November–February is cold, dark and cheap.

Where to stay

Neighborhoods our travelers like: Jordaan, Canal Ring / Nine Streets, De Pijp, Oud-West, Amsterdam Noord.

Flights to Amsterdam: typical round-trip fares

What economy round trips to AMS usually cost from major US cities, alongside the lowest live fare we can see in the next 90 days. Prices are per traveler and include taxes.

From	Flight time	Typical fare	Lowest live fare	Actions
New York (JFK)	7h 25m	$478	$387 · Tue, Oct 6	Search dates →
Boston (BOS)	7h 5m	$498	$403 · Wed, Nov 4	Search dates →
Atlanta (ATL)	8h 45m	$578	$376 · Tue, Dec 8	Search dates →
Chicago (ORD)	8h 20m	$578	$410 · Tue, Nov 3	Search dates →
Miami (MIA)	9h 20m	$598	$449 · Wed, Nov 18	Search dates →
San Francisco (SFO)	10h 45m	$648	$503 · Tue, Nov 17	Search dates →

Typical fares are editorial estimates for economy round trips booked 3–8 weeks out. Live fares refresh several times a day and are shown for the cheapest departure date we found.

Airports in Amsterdam

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)Amsterdam · Large hubAMS

What to do in Amsterdam

The places our editors send first-time visitors.

1
Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum
Rembrandt's Night Watch and the world's largest Van Gogh collection, a few hundred feet apart; book both online.
2
Anne Frank House
The secret annex where the diary was written; tickets release online six weeks ahead and sell out within hours.
3
Canal ring by boat or bike
Rent a bike like a local or take an evening canal cruise past the illuminated bridges.
4
Jordaan and the Nine Streets
The best neighborhood for wandering — brown cafés, cheese shops, Saturday's Noordermarkt.
5
Keukenhof and the tulip fields
Mid-March to mid-May, 40 minutes away by bus from Schiphol; the fields peak in mid-April.

Amsterdam weather by season

Average highs and lows in °F, with what each season means for fares and crowds.

Winter

43° / 34°

Cold, damp, dark early; lowest fares.

Spring

58° / 43°

Tulips in April; showers likely.

Summer

71° / 56°

Mild and pleasant; long days.

Fall

57° / 46°

Crisp September, rainy November.

Travel tips for Amsterdam

Set an alarm for the Anne Frank House ticket release — Tuesday mornings six weeks before your visit.
Take the train from Schiphol; it leaves every 10 minutes and is faster than a taxi.
Stay in the bike lane only if you're cycling — pedestrians in bike lanes are the tourist mistake locals hate most.
Many museums are quietest after 3pm; the Rijksmuseum stays open until 5.
Amsterdam has raised tourist taxes and hotel prices; Haarlem (15 minutes by train) is a charming, cheaper base.

Amsterdam flights: frequently asked questions

How do I get from Schiphol to central Amsterdam?

Trains leave from under the terminal to Amsterdam Centraal every 10 minutes and take 15–20 minutes (about €5.50). Taxis cost €45–€60.

When are the tulips in bloom?

Keukenhof gardens open from around March 20 to mid-May; the fields around Lisse peak in mid-to-late April. Book flights and hotels early for those weeks.

Do I need to speak Dutch?

No — English is spoken nearly universally in Amsterdam, and menus, signs and transit announcements are bilingual.