10 Best Things to Do in Amsterdam in Winter

While people who live in Amsterdam tend to complain a lot about the weather during winter (seriously, sometimes it feels like it’s grey and cold for six months of the year), the city actually makes for a pretty great destination during the colder months! Amsterdam is busy pretty much year-round, but during January and February, you’ll find the ‘quietest’ times to visit, with hotel prices the best they’ll ever be. While spring is definitely the most popular period because of the tulips and other blooms, if you’re looking for a fun city break during winter, you should try out Amsterdam! In case you need any more convincing, here are the top ten things to do in Amsterdam during the winter months.

1. Visit Some Christmas Markets and Events

December – January

If you’re visiting Amsterdam in December (or even early January) then you’ll definitely want to experience some Christmas magic! While the Netherlands doesn’t have the kinds of enchanting Christmas markets you’ll find across the border in Germany, Amsterdam does have some fun Christmassy events to check out, along with some more modest market offerings. Winter Paradise at the RAI is one of the biggest and coolest festive events, with a carnival atmosphere, funfair rides, food stalls and entertainment. Amsterdam also hosts the World Christmas Circus in December, or you could catch a performance of the Nutcracker Ballet at the National Opera & Ballet! For more festive fun, check out my perfect Christmas weekend itinerary in Amsterdam here. And if you really want to see some Christmas markets, I also have a guide to all of Amsterdam’s Christmas markets here.

2. Go Ice-skating

December – January

Along with Christmas markets, ice-skating rinks pop up all around Amsterdam once December rolls around. The most famous place to go ice skating in Amsterdam is the rink that’s placed in front of the Rijksmuseum (pictured above) which also has a small Christmas market alongside. Other locations where ice-skating rinks open include Rembrandtplein, Leidseplein, the Jaap Eden Ice Rink and two separate rinks at Winter Paradise (one outside and one indoors). Of course, there’s also the possibility that the canals in Amsterdam will freeze so that you can skate on the canals, although this is never guaranteed!

3. Rug Up on A Light Festival Canal Cruise

December – January

Another way that Amsterdam literally lights up the winter darkness is the Amsterdam Light Festival, where groovy light installations are erected along the canals from November until the middle of January. The best way to enjoy these light displays is via a night-time canal cruise, although you can also follow a walking route to see them for free. No matter how you choose to do it though, make sure you rug up warm!

4. Get Cosy in a Cafe or Brown Bar

Any time

Amsterdam’s ‘brown bars’ are kind of the answer to a traditional British pub – they’re usually very cosy and atmospheric spots for a drink featuring a lot of brown wood. Confusingly, many of them are also called cafés, and while you can get non-alcoholic drinks and some food here, they’re more like a bar than a café. During summer these places usually spill out onto the pavements for patrons to enjoy the sun, but in winter they’re a great spot to warm up inside, with some of them even featuring woodfires and a few home to cute resident bar cats! If you’re feeling the chill while exploring Amsterdam in winter, make sure you check out a few of these to get some feeling back into your extremities.

Some of the most popular and atmospheric of Amsterdam’s brown bars to check out include:

• Het Pepeneiland: A historic café overlooking the famous intersection at Prinsengracht and Brouwersgracht. It’s most famous for having a secret tunnel (which is now used for storage) and the fact that when Bill Clinton visited in 2016, he liked their apple pie so much he bought a whole pie to take with him!
• Café ‘t Smalle: A cute little bar which spills out onto the terrace next to the canal in summer. When Dennis worked in Amsterdam years ago his coworkers always used to come here for after-work drinks as it was just around the corner.
• Café De Twee Zwaantjes: Nestled in between the Amsterdam Tulip Museum and the Amsterdam Cheese Museum is the ‘Two Swans Café,’ a well-known spot for traditional Dutch live music that has a rich history as a hotspot for artists and writers, as well as a meeting location for the Dutch resistance during WWII.
• Café Het Bruine Paard: While the interior is a little more modern than some of the others on this list, this café (Café the Brown Horse) is still very cosy and was apparently named for a fire brigade horse and cart that slipped coming over the bridge and ploughed into the building around 125 years ago! There’s a fake horse’s head hanging above the entrance, as you can see in the photo above.
• Café Chris: A very atmospheric little bar that feels like you’re inside a ship because of all the wood and knick-knacks on display. It’s one of the oldest bars in the Jordaan neighbourhood and was apparently built for the construction of nearby Westerkerk: the construction workers for the church were recruited and paid in this bar!
• In ‘t Aepjen: A very cool bar filled with art and figurines featuring monkeys, because back in the day sailors would trade monkeys for beer here! It’s often called the oldest bar in Amsterdam too, although I think a few places vie for that title…

5. Pick a Bunch of Tulips on National Tulip Day

Third Sunday in January

While the fields and gardens featuring tulips come into bloom at the end of March, the official beginning of the Dutch tulip season is celebrated in January, when greenhouse-grown tulips are brought en masse to Museumplein for locals to pick their own bouquets! This National Tulip Day features live music and commentary, making it a definite bright spot in the middle of gloomy January. Just be prepared to line up for a few hours in very cold conditions though, you can decide if that’s worth it for a free bunch of tulips!

6. See Amazing Ice Sculptures at Art Below Zero

December – February

Since it’s already cold in winter anyway, you might as well embrace the chill and maybe check out a very unique attraction: Art Below Zero! This is an ice-carving exhibition, where amazingly talented artists create incredible sculptures from ice. There’s a different theme each year, we attended in January 2025, and since 2025 marks 150 years since Amsterdam was founded, all the pieces were about the history and culture of Amsterdam. Do make sure you bring plenty of layers though, as they have to keep the place cool so the art doesn’t melt.

7. Explore the Many Excellent Museums and Art Galleries

Any time

If you prefer not freezing while enjoying art, never fear, Amsterdam is perfect for this as it actually has the highest museum density of any city in the world! Yep, Amsterdam is home to 90 different museums (and more art galleries), so you’ll never be stuck for things to do, especially when it’s a bit too cold to spend all day wandering around outside. Unfortunately, most of Amsterdam’s museums do cost money to visit, often quite a bit of it, but you can save money if you’re planning to visit multiple museums by purchasing an Iamsterdam Card. This also includes public transport, which can be helpful when you’re feeling too cold to walk everywhere!

8. Have a Drink at the ‘Coolest’ Bar in Town

Any time

Aside from Amsterdam’s cosy brown cafés, another unique spot for a drink – and to embrace the ‘chill’ factor – is at the Amsterdam Ice Bar. Inside you’ll find a bar made of ice where you can drink from shot glasses also carved from ice while admiring some more cool ice sculptures. This whole experience is designed to take you on a journey to the Arctic, with information about the real-life expedition of Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz, who was stranded on the island of Nova Zembla in July 1596. Warm clothing is provided for your entry, plus you can warm up again in the non-ice bar as well!

9. Then Warm Up at the Bols Cocktail Experience

Any time

To get warm again after the Ice Bar, or perhaps instead, you can also check out the Bols Cocktail Experience, which is a very cool mix of interactive museum and cocktail bar. Inside you’ll learn all about the Dutch liquor known as Genever, with tasting and smelling sections all about the distillation process. Afterwards, you can have a cocktail in the bar, or even join a cocktail-making workshop to mix up your own concoction!

10. Experience the Chocolate Festival Amsterdam

February

Finally, if you’re a bit of a chocaholic, make sure you time your Amsterdam visit for the city’s Chocolade Festival (no, that’s not a typo), which takes place over a weekend in February. This takes place in the Beurs Van Berlage, a gorgeous historic hall which becomes filled with chocolate stalls during the festival. From delicious bars to chocolate wine and even chocolate art, this is an excellent way to discover flavours from around the world, while also enjoying live music and workshops. There are plenty of free tastings so you can try before you buy and since it’s usually held the weekend before Valentine’s Day, you might even find the perfect chocolatey gift for that special someone!

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Have you ever visited Amsterdam in winter? Tell me what your favourite thing to do in winter is in the comments, or pin one of these if you’re planning to visit Amsterdam while it’s cold!