Amsterdam in Winter (What to See, Eat & Do!)

Thinking of visiting Amsterdam in Winter? Wondering what it is like and if Winter is a good time to visit? Read on to discover the Winter weather in Amsterdam, things to do in Amsterdam in the Winter, some recommendations for what to pack, how to spend Christmas in Amsterdam, Christmas markets, decorations and more. We think Winter is a great time to visit Amsterdam, so go ahead and plan your Winter trip! You may even see snow while you’re there…

We have included affiliate links in this post for your convenience. You can read our disclosures here. Thanks for supporting A Hedgehog in the Kitchen!

Table of Contents

Amsterdam in Winter weather

December High 44°/ Low 35°F (7°/2°C), 13 days of rain
January High 43°/ Low 34°F (6°/1°C), 12 days of rain
February High 44°/ Low 33°F (7°/.5°C), 9 days of rain

Is Winter a good time to visit Amsterdam?

Winter is a fantastic time to visit Amsterdam! There are fewer crowds, Amsterdam is beautiful any time of year, the Christmas decorations are stunning in Amsterdam and there are lots of cute and cozy restaurants and cafes you can pop into to escape the cold.

If you’re considering a trip to Amsterdam in the Winter, do it! You will be happy you did.

What to pack for Winter in Amsterdam

Winter in Amsterdam is cold. In order to make sure you can explore, walk along the beautiful canals, enjoy the Christmas market and maybe even take some day trips, you’ll want to make sure that you are appropriately dressed for the weather.

Dressing for the weather in Amsterdam in Winter comes down to layers.

Make sure you bring enough clothing to dress in layers so that you’re warm enough at all time. You’ll also need warm accessories (hat, scarf, gloves, warm socks).

Turtlenecks are your friend for Winter dressing in Amsterdam.

For really cold days, I love to wear a slim-fit down vest under my wool coat (or duffle coat if it’s really cold!) for an additional layer of warmth.

Comfortable boots are good footwear to wear in Amsterdam to walk comfortably, keep your feet warm and dry if it rains, all while looking chic and pulled together. You my even need snow boots if it snows.

Things to do in Amsterdam in Winter

There are lots of fun things to do during your trip to Amsterdam in Winter. Go for Wintery walks, enjoy cafes, brown bars and restaurants and shop for fun souvenirs.

Read on for our favorite things to do in Amsterdam in Winter…

#1 Bundle up and walk around the canals

Winter in Amsterdam is cold!

If you are visiting around the holidays, you will love seeing the canal houses along the canals decorated for Christmas. The Dutch go all out with elegent Christmas decor. Almost every canal house has a beautiful wreath on the door, many are also decorated with lights and other decorations.

#2 Pop into Back to Black for coffee

Winter is the perfect time to pop into a cozy coffee shop in Amsterdam, either to get a coffee to warm you up as you walk or to sit inside and relax a bit, coffee in hand.

Back to Black is our favorite specialty coffee shop in Amsterdam. In addition to specialty coffee classics like espresso, flat white, and lattes, they also have great coffee alternatives like chai tea and matcha, a selection of alternative milks like oat and coconut milk, and tasty homemade pastries.

turquoise door with a Christmas wreath on it, Back to Black, Amsterdam in Winter

#3 Warm up in front of the fireplace at Cafe de Weterling

There are many beautiful brown bars in Amsterdam.

Brown bars are traditional bars in the Netherlands, much like a pub in England.

Cafe de Weterling is a particularly great choice if you visit Amsterdam during the Winter months because there is a cozy fireplace upstairs.

You can get a beer or glass of wine and head upstairs to enjoy it in front of a roaring fire.

#4 Eat traditional Dutch food at the pantry

There are many delicious foods to try during your stay in Amsterdam.

We put all of our favorites into our Amsterdam Food Guide so make sure you check it out!

Traditional Dutch food is comfort food, things like bitterballen (like fried croquettes with meat in them), hearty soups (like split pea soup) and Gouda cheese.

One of our favorite places to go for a traditional Dutch meal in Amsterdam is The Pantry.

Our favorite menu that we’ve tried there includes goat cheese croquettes, a traditional Dutch beef stew (the veggie option is amazing too!) and poffertjes (mini Dutch pancakes for dessert).

#5 Have a drink at the Monkey Bar (In’t Aepjen)

Visit our favorite brown bar in Amsterdam, the Monkey Bar (In’t Aepjen).

It is a small brown bar in central Amsterdam with a fascinating history.

Basically, in the 1600s, sailors would rack up large bar tabs they didn’t have the means to pay. To settles their tabs, they would leave behind their pet monkeys as payment.

The bar become home to so many monkeys, that eventually it also became infested with fleas. Customers started to complain of flea bites, which led the owner of the bar to gift all the monkeys to a wealthy client.

He brought them home, let them live in his large garden and his garden eventually because the Amsterdam Zoo!

That’s the story in a nutshell but for even more details about this absolutely fabulous brown bar in Amsterdam, read our post The Monkey Bar Amsterdam (In’t Aepjen).

#6 Shop for antiques at Kramer Kunst & Antiek

One of the best things to do in Amsterdam is shop for antiques.

I love Delft porcelain so always take some time to pop into antique stores when we are in Amsterdam.

Winter is the perfect time to dedicate a bit more time to shopping! If you get too cold wandering around the canals and taking photos, just head into an antique store to warm yourself up before going back out again! Works like a charm.

One of the most special finds in these antique stores are the miniature KLM Delft houses. The houses are made in collaboration between KLM Airlines and BOLS Gin. Each house is numbered and represents an actual historic house in the Netherlands and is filled with BOLS gin.

The houses are given out to clients on KLM flights in Business and First Class.

These little houses have become highly sought after collectibles and cost anywhere from 28€ – 110€ per house if you purchase them in an antique shop.

Kramer Kunst & Antiek is a great place to go if you are looking to purchase a house because you know they are authentic (there are fake houses in circulation!) and they have an entire wall of these little houses giving you lots of options.

On our most recent visit to Amsterdam we decided we wanted to get one of the houses to commemorate our special Christmas trip to Amsterdam during which we stayed in a beautiful canal house. We bought a gorgeous KLM Delft house at Kramer Kunst & Antiek (#53 in case you’re curious!) and went to visit the actual house the miniature house was modelled after (it’s located in Amsterdam at Herengracht 203 and was built in 1618).

We also love collecting vintage and antique art around the world. You will find a beautiful selection of antique art Kramer Kunst & Antiek too!

Address : Prinsengracht 807, 1017 KA Amsterdam

#7 Visit the Rijksmuseum

Winter is the perfect time to visit museums in Amsterdam and there are several great ones to enjoy.

The Rijksmuseum is home to many Dutch masterpieces.

You can read our article about the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam here to help you plan your visit.

Book your ticket to the Rijksmuseum here!

Address : Museumstraat 1, 1071 XX Amsterdam

#8 Visit the Van Gogh Museum

The Van Gogh Museum has an incredible collection of Van Gogh paintings to enjoy. Learn more about Van Gogh and his work here.

You can read our article about the Van Gogh Museum here to help you plan your visit.

Book your ticket to the Van Gogh Museum here!

Address : Museumplein 6, 1071 DJ Amsterdam

sunflowers at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam in Winter

#9 Visit the Rembrandt House

Learn about Rembrandt’s life and work in his home in Amsterdam.

You can read our article about the Rembrandt House here to help you plan your visit.

Book your ticket to the Rembrandt House here!

Address : Jodenbreestraat 4, 1011 NK Amsterdam

#10 Visit the Anne Frank House

One of the most popular sites to visit in Amsterdam is Anne Frank’s house on —.

Visit to see where Anne Frank and her family hid out during World War II. Learn more about her story in this tragically sad visit.

Book your ticket to the Anne Frank House here!

Address : Westermarkt 20, 1016 GV Amsterdam

#11 Celebrate Christmas

Amsterdam is a great place to celebrate Christmas.

The city sparkles with the light installations on the canals, as well as the beautiful Christmas decor the Dutch use to make their homes festive.

As I mentioned earlier, we noticed when spending Christmas in Amsterdam that the canal houses are beautifully decorated. Almost every home has a beautiful wreath on the door, many also had lights on the front of the house and you can admire people’s Christmas trees through their windows.

If you spend time in the Netherlands, you will notice that the Dutch often don’t have curtains in their windows, almost as if they’re inviting you to look into their beautiful homes. I love this because I love being able to see people’s home decor. It is especially lovely at Christmas when you can see everyone’s Christmas trees.

We noticed that the canal houses in Amsterdam had huge, stunning Christmas trees set up. It was delightful to be able to peek in and enjoy them and one of our favorite parts about visiting Amsterdam in Winter!

Amsterdam canals at Christmas decorated with lights

#12 Have a hot wine at the Christmas market

Another great thing about visiting in the Winter, if you time your trip to take place during the festive season, is that you will be able to enjoy the Christmas markets in Amsterdam!

Compared to other Christmas markets around Europe (I’m looking at you Germany!), Amsterdam’s Christmas markets are simple and small, but it is still nice to stop by and have a hot wine for good measure.

When we spent Christmas in Amsterdam, we enjoyed heading over to the Museumplein Christmas market, just a few streets over from the canal house where we were staying, for a cup of hot wine and to watch the skaters, which brings us to #13…

Address : Museumplein

#13 Go ice skating at the Christmas market

You can go ice skating at the Museumplein Christmas market in Amsterdam!

Ever since I was little, I have loved ice skating. It is one of my all-time favorite Winter activities.

If you love ice skating too, or you’d like to give it a try for the first time, head to the Amsterdam Christmas market on the Museumplein where you can rent some ice skates and skate around.

The skating rink is quite small, but it is a fun Winter activity that you are sure to remember for years to come!

Address : Museumplein

There are a very other locations where you can ice skate in Amsterdam during the Winter months, including the beautiful Rembrandtplein. Check out the post ice skating in Amst e rdam for locations and updated dates.

#14 Take a coffee and cookie break at Lanskroon Bakery

We love the coffee culture in Amsterdam.

One of the cutest spots to pop into for a coffee and sweet treat is Lanksroon Bakery, a traditional bakery in the heart of Amsterdam, along the Singel canal.

Address : Singel 385, 1012 WL Amsterdam

pastries at Lanskroon Bakery during Winter in Amsterdam

Souvenirs to bring home from your Winter trip to Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a beautiful city full of wonderful treasures for you to bring home as souvenirs.

No matter what time of year we’re visiting, these are some of our favorite Amsterdam souvenirs.

Antiques – As we mentioned, Kramer Kunst & Antiek is the best antique shop to pick up authentic antique and vintage souvenirs. They have a lot of Delft porcelain, art, jewelery and more. (Address : Prinsengracht 807, 1017 KA Amsterdam)
Art – I love collecting pieces of art during our travels. I love looking around our home and being reminded of past trips. Art is also an unusual and authentic souvenir from a country. Kramer Kunst & Antiek is a great place to shop for art.
Delftware – in addition to the vintage and antique Delft you will find at Kramer Kunst & Antiek, and other antique shops in Amsterdam, head to the Heinen Delfts Blauw boutique to purchase items from the more recent Delftware collections. (Address : Prinsengracht 440, 1017 KE Amsterdam)
Stroopwafels – stroopwafels are a delicious souvenir to bring home, they also make great little gifts to bring back for loved ones. You’ll find our favorites at Rudi’s Original Stroopwafels (Address : Albert Cuyp Straat t/o 182, 1073 BL Amsterdam)
A postcard – collecting postcards from around the world is one of our personal traditions that we have been enjoying for years! Choose a beautiful postcard and send it to yourself. You’ll be delighted when you get back home and it is waiting for you! There are many souvenir shops where you can pick up a postcard around Amsterdam. The museum gift shops are also great places to shop for postcards.
Christmas tree ornament – we also collect Christmas tree ornaments when we travel and love bringing them out to decorate our Christmas tree each Christmas. Pro tip : collect within a color scheme so that when you bring them all out they look lovely and coherent together. We collect white and gold Christmas tree ornaments so that no matter where we get each ornament they all look wonderful together on our tree.

These are just some of our favorite souvenirs to bring home from a Winter trip to Amsterdam! Read our post, Amsterdam Souvenirs for more ideas!

Check out the video below to see Amsterdam in Winter!

In the video below you can get a little peek into Amsterdam at Christmas, the Christmas markets, the light show on the canals and more.

Where to stay in Amsterdam

The Pulitzer – this is such a special place to stay if you want to have the experience of staying in an authentic canal house that has been converted into a luxury boutique hotel. The small hotel has rooms with canal views, a gorgeous hotel bar and fabulously chic restaurant.
The Dylan – such a special hotel located in the heart of Amsterdam. This hotel is so elegant and chic. Enjoy the beautiful bar and 3-Michelin star restaurant.
Eden Hotel Amsterdam – this affordable 4-star luxury boutique hotel is well-located and beautifully decorated.
NH City Centre Amsterdam – you can always count on NH hotels to offer comfortable and clean lodging in great locations and the NH City Centre Amsterdam is no exception.

Don’t miss these other activities in Amsterdam!

Book a canal cruise with unlimited cheese and wine – we’ve tried several canal cruises and this was our favorite!
Visit the Van Gogh Museum – enjoy this gorgeous museum dedicated to Van Gogh’s work.
Visit the Anne Frank House – learn more about Anne Frank’s story and see where she and her family hid.
Visit Rembrandt’s House – experience the home where Rembrandt lived and learn about his life and work.