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Bicycles parked on a bridge over a canal in Amsterdam

Netherlands

Flights to Amsterdam

Canal-side walks, the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, and easy day trips by train, all in a city small enough to cover on foot.

Amsterdam at a glance

The essentials for planning the trip, with recent fares and the local time.

Main airport
Schiphol (AMS)
Best time to visit
April to May and September
Approx. flying time
About 8h from New York · About 1h from London

Don’t miss

  • The Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum
  • A canal cruise or a walk along the Canal Ring
  • Anne Frank House, booked ahead online

Flight tip: Schiphol sits about 15 minutes by train from Amsterdam Centraal, so you can be in the centre quickly after landing.

Flight times to Amsterdam

Approximate nonstop flying time, distance and time difference from each city we cover. Each city links to its route guide or a live search.

Flying times are estimates for a nonstop flight between the main airports; distances are straight-line between them.

Getting from the airport to Amsterdam

Each airport, how far it is from the centre, and the quickest and cheapest ways into town.

  • NS train14 to 17 minutes
  • Amsterdam Airport Express (bus 397)to Museumplein, the Rijksmuseum and Leidseplein

A 3-day plan for Amsterdam

A first visit, day by day, with the main sights in an order that saves time on the move.

  1. The Royal Palace on Dam Square in Amsterdam, with its dome and statues
    Day 1

    The Old Centre and the Jordaan

    • Royal Palace
    • Dam Square
    • Anne Frank House
    • Jordaan
    Morning
    Visit the Royal Palace on Dam Square, then walk the lanes around it before the crowds arrive.
    Afternoon
    Go to the Anne Frank House on your booked time slot, then wander the Jordaan’s canals and galleries.
    Evening
    Eat in the Jordaan or at a brown café for bitterballen and a local beer.
  2. A fountain in the park with the Rijksmuseum in the background
    Day 2

    Museums and Vondelpark

    • Rijksmuseum
    • Van Gogh Museum
    • Museumplein
    • Vondelpark
    Morning
    Spend the morning in the Rijksmuseum, which holds Rembrandt and Vermeer; book a timed ticket.
    Afternoon
    Visit the Van Gogh Museum on Museumplein, then relax in Vondelpark.
    Evening
    Have dinner near Leidseplein, a short walk from the park.
  3. Boats moored along a tree-lined canal with historic houses in Amsterdam
    Day 3

    Canals and De Pijp

    • A canal cruise
    • The Nine Streets
    • Albert Cuyp Market
    • De Pijp
    Morning
    Take a canal cruise from near Centraal, or hire a boat to see the canal ring from the water.
    Afternoon
    Browse the Nine Streets, then take the metro to De Pijp and walk the Albert Cuyp Market.
    Evening
    Eat in De Pijp, where restaurants and bars cover a wide range of cuisines.

Where to stay in Amsterdam

The neighbourhoods that suit a first visit, and who each one is best for.

  • The Royal Palace on Dam Square in Amsterdam, with its dome and statues

    Old Centre

    Best for first visits

    The medieval core around Dam Square, the Royal Palace and Centraal station, with most of the main sights within a short walk.

  • Boats moored along a tree-lined canal with historic houses in Amsterdam

    Canal Ring

    Best for canal views and quiet streets

    The curve of 17th-century canals, with tall narrow houses, small shops and cafés in the Nine Streets.

  • A fountain in a pond in Vondelpark, Amsterdam

    Museum Quarter

    Best for museums and parks

    Home of the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and Vondelpark, with wide leafy streets.

When to go to Amsterdam

The months with the best weather, and the cheapest month to fly in recent fares. A guide to the seasons, not a forecast.

April to May and September

  1. JanJanuary: Mixed
  2. FebFebruary: Mixed
  3. MarMarch: Good
  4. AprApril: Best
  5. MayMay: Best
  6. JunJune: Best
  7. JulJuly: Good
  8. AugAugust: Good
  9. SepSeptember: Best
  10. OctOctober: Good
  11. NovNovember: Mixed
  12. DecDecember: MixedCheapest
  • Best weather
  • Good
  • Hot, cold, wet or stormy
  • Cheapest month to fly from New York, in recent fares

Cheapest month to fly to Amsterdam

  1. Nov 2026$322
  2. Dec 2026$280Cheapest month
  3. Jan 2027$336
  4. Mar 2027$283

Lowest round-trip fare per person found recently for departures in each month, from New York. Months with no recent fare aren’t shown.

Know before you go to Amsterdam

Money, tickets, safety and manners: the small things that make the first day easier.

  • Tap in with your bank card

    Trams, metro and buses take a contactless card or phone: check in and check out every journey with the same card or phone. No registration or app is needed.

  • Book Anne Frank House online

    Tickets are sold online for a set time slot and not at the door. Buy only from the museum’s own website.

  • Watch for cyclists

    Bike lanes run beside the pavement and cyclists move fast. Check both ways before you step across one.

  • Round up, don’t add a fixed tip

    Tipping is informal. Rounding up or leaving about 5 to 10% for good service is usual.

  • Drink from the tap

    Tap water is safe everywhere in the Netherlands, so carry a refillable bottle.

What to eat in Amsterdam

Local dishes and drinks worth trying, and where people go for them.

  • Stroopwafel

    Two thin waffles sandwiching caramel syrup, best warm from a market stall.

  • Bitterballen

    Crisp fried balls of meat ragout, served with mustard in brown cafés as a bar snack.

  • Haring

    Raw herring served with onions and pickles from street-side fish stands.

  • Poffertjes

    Small fluffy pancakes dusted with icing sugar and butter, sold at cafés and markets.

  • Patat

    Thick Dutch chips served in a paper cone with mayonnaise from frites shops across the centre.

Day trips from Amsterdam

Three well-known days out, with the usual journey time each way.

  • Autumn along the water in Haarlem

    Haarlem

    About 15 minutes by train from Amsterdam Centraal

    A compact old town around the Grote Markt, with museums, canals and small shops.

  • Green wooden houses beside the water at Zaanse Schans

    Zaanse Schans

    About 18 to 20 minutes by train from Amsterdam Centraal to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans

    A riverside village of traditional wooden houses and working windmills.

  • Orange and pink tulips at Keukenhof

    Keukenhof

    Spring only, by train and bus; check Keukenhof’s own page for the route

    The bulb gardens in Lisse, open from March to May, are full of tulips and other spring flowers.

Amsterdam: questions travellers ask

Short answers first, with the official page where it matters.

  • April to May and September. Spring brings tulip season, with Keukenhof open from March to May, and long, mild days. Summer is warm and busy. Autumn is quieter and still pleasant for walking the canals, while winter is cold and damp but good for museums and cosy cafés. Rain is possible in any month, so pack a light waterproof.

  • Schiphol (AMS) is the main airport and one of Europe’s busiest hubs, with direct flights from many UK airports and from across the US. The train station sits below the terminal, with services to Amsterdam Centraal that take about 14 to 17 minutes. Eindhoven and Rotterdam also take some budget flights but are much further from the city.

  • From London, it’s about 1h nonstop; from New York, about 8h nonstop. These are rough guides worked out from distance; scheduled times vary by airline, direction and connection.

  • It depends on your passport, so check the official page before you book: GOV.UK: Netherlands entry requirements. Rules change, so check them again shortly before you travel. Travelling on a US passport? The State Department’s country pages at travel.state.gov list the entry requirements for US citizens. GOV.UK: Netherlands entry requirements (opens in a new tab)

  • Walking and cycling cover the compact centre, with trams, buses and the metro for longer hops. Tap a contactless bank card or phone to check in and out on GVB trams, metro and buses, using the same card each time. From Schiphol, the train to Amsterdam Centraal takes 14 to 17 minutes.

  • Two to three days covers the main sights. Add a day for Haarlem or Zaanse Schans, or for Keukenhof in spring.

  • Take the train from the station below the terminal. Schiphol says the journey to Amsterdam Centraal takes about 14 to 17 minutes. Bus 397, the Amsterdam Airport Express, runs to Museumplein, the Rijksmuseum and Leidseplein instead.

  • Yes. GVB accepts contactless debit and credit cards, phones and smartwatches. Check in and out with the same card or phone each time, as switching between them counts as an incomplete journey.

  • Yes. Tickets are sold online for a set time slot and aren’t sold at the door. Buy only on the museum’s own website, as it warns about lookalike sites and third-party sellers.

  • It’s optional. Holland.com says a tip of about 10% is acceptable in restaurants, while other guidance suggests 5 to 10%. Rounding up is fine in cafés and taxis.

  • Yes. I amsterdam says you can drink tap water everywhere in the Netherlands. The water company can issue a boil-water notice in rare cases, so follow any local notice.

  • Not for short tourist stays: US citizens can visit the Netherlands and the rest of the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Our EES and ETIAS guide explains the EU’s new border checks.

Before you go

Our guides to the rules and choices that matter for a trip to Amsterdam.

Plan the rest of your trip to Amsterdam

Our partners for the rest of the journey. You book and pay with them directly.

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