Now that the winter months are here it’s the perfect time to stay warm by visiting some of Amsterdam’s best indoor attractions, so that’s why I’ve created this weekend itinerary for all the best arty attractions in the city! Of course, you can do this itinerary whenever you like, but since winter is quite cold and dreary in the Netherlands, the best way to stay warm is by visiting the best art museums and staying cosy. Whether you’re more into Rembrandt or Van Gogh, modern art or the classic Dutch masters, this itinerary has everything you need for a weekend surrounded by beautiful art, with plenty of alternatives if you want to swap anything out.

Before You Go

Unfortunately, Amsterdam is one city where museums aren’t usually free, so it can get quite pricey to visit multiple museums in one go. You might like to consider getting an I amsterdam City Card for your trip if you’re planning to visit multiple museums as it is usually cheaper than buying tickets for each museum separately. I checked and only one of the museums I’ve included in this guide (and only in the alternatives section) isn’t included on the card, plus you get unlimited use of public transport and a canal cruise as well! It might not always be worth it for people who are planning to see free sights and attractions, but for visiting lots of museums (and avoiding the cold while using the trams or metro) then it’s definitely worth it, in my opinion.

FYI: the Iamsterdam sign is no longer outside the Rijksmuseum, it’s now outside Schiphol Airport in case you were hoping to get a photo with it!

Friday Night

Stay: Check in to the art’otel Amsterdam and sleep surrounded by art, there’s even an art gallery in the basement! Or stay at the Pulitzer Amsterdam (which also has lovely art) or Hotel des Arts, which is gorgeous. Alternatively, you might also want to base yourself in the city centre or close to Museumplein, where four of the art museums you’ll be visiting are located!

Eat: Have dinner at Bellezza, which features a whole incredible audiovisual experience as you make your way through a decadent six-course meal. The dishes are combined with art and storytelling so that you’ll have an unforgettable first night in Amsterdam.

Drink: Go out for drinks at In ‘t Aepjen (which doesn’t have a website) and/or Rosalia’s Menagerie. In ‘t Aepjen is a very quirky bar that used to accept monkeys from sailors as payment. While there aren’t any real monkeys there anymore there are plenty of fake ones, along with some beautiful art and other interesting decorative items. Not far away is Rosalia’s Menagerie, another beautiful cocktail bar with cool arty wallpaper on the walls.

Saturday Morning

Eat: Have breakfast at Droog, a very cool art gallery combined with a café that does excellent breakfast and brunch (see more here).

Do: Visit the Rembrandthuis Museum and then do the Rembrandt walking tour of Amsterdam (if it’s not too cold) to learn more about this famous Dutch master. If you have time you might also like to check out the Rembrandts Amsterdam Experience on your way to your next stop. This is a short immersive experience where you can learn more about Rembrandt’s life and art.

Saturday Afternoon

Eat: Have lunch at Café Américain on Leidseplein, a beautiful Art-Deco café which serves a mix of French cuisine using Dutch produce. It’s right by the Rembrandts Experience and not far from Museumplein, your next stop.

Do: Visit the Rijksmuseum, one of the biggest, most important and most beautiful art museums in all of Amsterdam. You could easily spend hours here enjoying the artwork, including famous pieces like The Night Watch. If you are visiting at a warmer time of year I also recommend exploring the gardens around the museum exterior, and don’t miss out on seeing the stunning Cuypers Library while you’re there. You might also like to check out my guide to the coolest libraries and bookshops in Amsterdam!

Saturday Night

Eat: Have dinner at RIJKS Restaurant in the Rijksmuseum! This is not just your regular museum café, but a proper gourmet restaurant that’s been around for ten years and focuses on ingredients produced in the Netherlands. The dishes themselves look like pieces of art.

Do: See a movie at Theatre Tuschinski or a performance at the Concertgebouw. Theatre Tuschinki is an incredible old theatre that was constructed in the combined architectural styles of Art Deco, Jugendstil and the Amsterdams School. While it’s been renovated to house regular movies it’s still been named one of the most beautiful cinemas in the world! If you don’t fancy seeing a movie then you might like to catch a musical performance at Het Concertgebouw, a 19th-century concert hall which has a wide range of performances all throughout the year.

Drink: Visit the House of Bols and have some drinks in the bar afterwards. The House of Bols is an interactive gin/genever and cocktail museum which is very fun. After touring the interactive museum you can stay in the cool mirrored bar for some more drinks. You might also like to visit Café Welling, a cosy traditional Dutch bar located behind Het Concertgebouw.

Sunday Morning

Eat: Have breakfast at Chimney Cake Bakery, across the road from Museumplein. This is a cute little bakery/café that does yummy breakfast pastries (including their specialty Polish Chimney Cakes) as well as smoothies, juice, coffee and sandwiches.

Do: Visit the Moco Museum and/or the Stedelijk Museum, depending on how long you like to spend in art museums! These two are right next to each other on Museumplein. If you’re a fan of Banksy and other modern art like it then you will enjoy the Moco Museum, which is the smaller of the two. The Stedelijk Museum is also dedicated to modern art, but it’s much larger. If you tend to whiz through art museums then you could probably visit both in a couple of hours, but if you like to take your time then you might like to pick just one.

Sunday Afternoon

Eat: Have lunch at Museumplein. Some nice options include TEN Café at the Stedelijk Museum and The Burger Room (which is decked out in The Wizard of Oz-themed decor), but there are plenty of choices nearby.

Do: A painting workshop at the Van Gogh Museum! Most of these workshops included a visit to the museum beforehand, and it’s a very fun thing to do if you’re into art. Of course, if you don’t fancy trying your hand at impressionist painting then you could just explore the museum, but these painting workshops are such a unique way to learn more about Vincent Van Gogh and his art style that I had to mention them!

Alternative Arty Activities for Your Trip

If you have more than a weekend or want to swap out some of my itinerary suggestions for something else then there is plenty to choose from in Amsterdam! Here are some more arty activities and museums worth checking out.

• STRAAT Museum: If you’re into graffiti/street art then you should definitely pay a visit to STRAAT, a very cool museum located in NDSM-Werf. I’ve previously written about visiting it here and you should also make sure you explore the rest of the NDSM neighbourhood while you’re there!

• NXT Museum: This is an immersive installation art museum in the Noord neighbourhood, which would combine well if you’re heading to STRAAT (although you’d need to do a little ferry-hopping to get there).

• Foam Photography Museum: If you’re more into photography than paintings, head to Foam, which has rotating exhibitions inside a beautiful 18th-century canal house on the Keizersgracht.

• H’ART Museum: What was formerly the Hermitage Museum is now known as H’ART, where you can see art from around the world along with rotating temporary exhibitions.

• Fabrique des Lumieres: Located in Westerpark, this is one of those large-scale installation places where you can immerse yourself in giant illuminated artworks by artists such as Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Mondrian or even the Tintin comics! The program changes so check to see what’s on when you’ll be in Amsterdam.

• Kattenkabinet: A cute and quirky museum dedicated to artworks featuring cats! I wrote about visiting it here. It’s not very big so probably only a must-see for other crazy cat people. Entry to this museum is also not included in the Iamsterdam City Card.

Pin Me!

Have you visited any beautiful art galleries or museums in Amsterdam I should have mentioned in this guide? Let me know in the comments or pin one of these if you’re planning your own arty weekend!