How To Explore Amsterdam Like A Local

According to the city’s statistics bureau, more than 18 million people visited Amsterdam last year, making it one of the world’s most popular vacation destinations.

It’s easy to see why so many people are lured to the Dutch capital: world heritage canals, vintage architecture, outstanding museums, chromatic tulips, what seems like a thousand different types of cheese, and effortless transportation links to the rest of western Europe.

With iconic attractions like the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, and canal boat tours chockablock with tourists during the summer season, how do Amsterdammers spend their free time?

Here are four awesome ways to explore the city like a local:

Day One: Rent Your Own Canal Boat

Forget the guided, narrated canal boat tours. Rent your own boat at maritime outfitters like Sloepdelen and explore the city’s waterways at your own pace.

Their little all-electric sloops are super quiet and easy to drive via a joystick and rudder. Unlike renting cars, no boating license is required and the vessels can fit as many as 12 people.

You book the boats online, choosing between Sloepdelen’s two floating docks, both of them perched on the sinuous Singelgracht canal on the east and west sides of the city’s historic center. Arriving at the dock, you activate the sloop with your smartphone, get a brief orientation on how to navigate the craft, and you’re off.

The boats can be rented in increments of two, three and four hours (at a cost of 70 Euros per hour). Each boat comes with a handy map showing popular routes, one-way canals, restricted areas, and public restrooms.

And don’t forget food and beverage for a floating picnic. Try the tasty Asian fusion sandwiches at Margo’s Amsterdam or the bánh mì baguettes, gỏi cuốn spring rolls, and other Vietnamese street foods at Viȇt View.

Day Two: Hop Across the Harbor to Noord

Amsterdam’s busy harbor is called the Ij (pronounced like “eye”). Across the water from the historic center is the Noord district, a former factory and shipbuilding area that’s gradually transitioned over the past few decades into a cutting-edge, post-industrial wonderland.

Getting there is part of the fun. The GVB Ferries that crisscross the harbor are totally free to pedestrians and cyclists. And the more popular lines run every 15 or 20 minutes between 7 a.m. and midnight.

Start your ferry hopping day on the No. 7 ferry from Pontsteiger to the NDSM Wharf. Grab a pastry and coffee at Carroll’s Café before ducking into the new Straat Museum. Opened in 2020 and housed inside a former shipbuilding warehouse, the museum flaunts massive works of graffiti and street art from around the world.

If you’re not in a hurry, sink into a long and casual lunch at Pllek, a waterfront eatery built with old metal shipping containers (try the avocado toast or the wild boar sausage).

After lunch, ride the No. 5 ferry from NDSM to Amsterdam Central Station, and then No. 3 ferry to Buiksloterweg. From the wharf, it’s a five-minute walk to the Eye Filmmuseum, which is both a masterpiece of modern architecture, exhibits on various aspects of the moving image, and a place to catch daily screenings of classic movies.

If you have any energy left, make your way to the observation deck atop the nearby A’DAM Tower for a panoramic view of the harbor and city, and a chance to ride in an “Over the Edge” swing that flies 300 feet above the waterfront.

Day Three: Lions and Tigers and Brews

Surrounded by four wide canals, Plantage is literally an island unto itself on Amsterdam’s east side. More than a thousand people live in the insular neighborhood, but most of the land is taken up by attractions popular with Amsterdammers for more than a hundred years.

Founded in 1838, Natura Artis Magistra (“Nature Teaches Art”) is the world’s fifth oldest zoo. Better known as Artis, the menagerie boasts more than 900 species as well as a planetarium, aquarium, and the interactive, cutting-edge Micropia museum of microscopic life.

Among the island’s other residents is the Hortus Botanicus. Founded in 1638 as a place where apothecaries could study the strange plants discovered in the tropics by the Dutch East India Company, the botanical garden blends vintage and modern futuristic greenhouses.

Plantage also harbors the Verzetsmuseum Amsterdam, which details the Dutch resistance against the occupying Nazis during World War Two, as well as the H’Art Museum, which partners with the Smithsonian, British Museum and Pompidou Center to stage unique art, design and biographical exhibits.

Slake your thirst on a locally brewed Amstel lager or Brouwerij ‘t IJ IPA at the Cafe Eik en Linde, a cute little pub with a pool table, board games, friendly café cat and typical Dutch snacks like “old” Gouda cheese, liverwurst, and appelschnitt pie.

Day Four: Escape Into the Countryside

Amsterdam is often called the “City of Bikes” for good reason. Around 80% of residents own a cycle and roughly two-thirds ride them every day. More than 320 miles (515 km) of dedicated bike paths convey cycles through the city.

But when Amsterdammers crave a quick getaway, they often hire a vehicle for a day or even a couple of hours and strike off in various directions into the Dutch countryside.

“Car sharing” agencies like Greenwheels and Free2Move make it easy to rent by downloading their app onto your smartphone, creating an account, and locating a vehicle near your location on an interactive map of Amsterdam. The app also opens the car when you reach its charging station or street location.

Double-parked delivery trucks, road or canal construction, and swarms of bikes make driving out of the central city more than a little challenging. But once you’re in the countryside, the roads are good and often uncrowded.

Where should you go?

Head west to Haarlam (with its imposing cathedral and interesting lunch options) and the North Sea coast. If it’s spring, book tickets and parking pass at Keukenhof Gardens to view the tulips and other flowers. In summer, hit the long, sandy beach at Zandvoort or hike coastal Zuid-Kennemerland National Park. Total distance: around 66 miles (106 km).

Or you can drive east from the city on an adventure that features the amazing Kröller-Müller sculpture garden (one of the world’s largest collections of outdoor art) and De Hoge Veluwe National Park for hiking or biking (both electric and muscle-powered bikes are available at three outlets in the park). Extend the day by visiting the World War Two museums and memorials in nearby Arnhem. Total distance: circa 130 miles (207 km).