Originally published in 2017 and updated since.
Amsterdam is a charming city in every season, and if you ask me, I can find good reasons to see the city from spring to winter. Winter is not really my favourite, but it has its attractions and joys as well. It’s true that the days are shorter, and in December it gets dark around half past four. But I wouldn’t worry too much about that. Amsterdam looks amazing in the yellowish colour of the street lights! One of my favourite feelings is to walk the streets in the crisp air after dark, admiring the city delicately illuminated by the lanterns, to watch the arched bridges‘ lights reflecting onto the canal water or to sneak a peek through some windows from time to time. The Dutch are known for their habit of not covering the living room windows after dark, so you can see inside their homes, and they do tend to decorate beautifully for the winter.
If you’re thinking about visiting Amsterdam in the winter season, and need some good reasons to do so, here they are.
Content:
What to do in Amsterdam in winter
Eat and drink like a local in winter
Winter Day Trips from Amsterdam
The Season at a Glance
Winter in Amsterdam officially runs from December to February, but the city starts getting ready for it a bit before that. The ice rink on Museumplein opens in October, Sinterklaas arrives by boat in mid-November, and the Light Festival switches on at the end of the month. By the first week of December the shop windows are decorated, the oliebollen stands are open and the canals are lit up at night.
December is the busiest month: Sinterklaas until the 5th, Christmas markets, Christmas lights and concerts, and the run-up to New Year’s Eve. The city is busy, especially in the week between Christmas and New Year.
January starts loud and then slows right down. The Light Festival and the Museumplein rink stay open until the middle of the month, National Tulip Day takes place on the third Saturday, and the rest of the month is calm, grey and cheaper. It’s a good month for museums. I wrote a separate guide to Amsterdam in January if you’re coming then.
February is the calmest month of the year. There’s Chinese New Year on the Nieuwmarkt, Valentine’s Day, and the first crocuses show up in the parks towards the end of the month.
Crowds & Costs
The obvious and more practical reason to visit Amsterdam in winter is the cheaper fares for plane tickets and hotels. A long weekend in Amsterdam will be cheaper than in any other season, and you’ll still get to enjoy many of the good things the city has to offer. The exception is the stretch from Christmas to New Year, when the city fills up and prices go up again. January and February are the calmest months of the year, and the best time for cheaper hotel rooms and shorter queues at the big museums.
Weather in winter
The temperatures are usually mild. Frosty nights are common enough, but days when it stays below zero from morning to evening are rare: about six a winter, on average. In December the days usually reach 6–7°C and the nights drop to around 2°C. January and February are similar, often a little colder. Across the three winter months the KNMI (the Dutch weather institute) records about 35 frost days on average at its main station in De Bilt, and around 217 hours of sunshine nationally, which works out at a little over two hours of sun a day. Rain is more common than snow; expect plenty of grey, drizzly days, with a cold wind.
Snow doesn’t come every year, and when it does, it rarely stays long. Everyone gets super excited even for a day of snow and most of the videos and photos you see on social media of a snowy Amsterdam were all taken in the same 1-3 days of winter (and some many years ago).
What to pack: a warm, waterproof coat, a hat, a scarf and gloves. Shoes that keep your feet dry and don’t slip on wet cobbles. As in every seasons, you need layers. An umbrella is less useful than you’d think in the wind; a hood works better. Install Buienalarm, the rain radar app most people in the Netherlands use, to see when the next shower is coming.
What to do in Amsterdam in winter
1. Enjoy the holidays and the festivals
Amsterdam Light Festival (26 November 2026 – 17 January 2027)
If you visit Amsterdam in winter, you can’t miss the Light Festival: from 26 November 2026 to 17 January 2027, Amsterdam will be illuminated by light artworks and installations from Dutch and international artists, along the canals. You can see the artworks for free from the canal side, or book one of the cruises or walks; tickets went on sale on 1 October. I’ve written a full guide to the Amsterdam Light Festival, and if you’d like to see it from a boat, read about renting a boat for the Light Festival or my review of a Pure Boats canal cruise.
Sinterklaas and pakjesavond (until 5 December)
Sinterklaas arrives in Amsterdam by boat in mid-November (on 15 November in 2026), and the shops fill with chocolate letters, pepernoten and Sinterklaas songs long before that. The big evening is pakjesavond on 5 December, when Dutch families exchange presents and funny poems at home. It’s a family celebration, so as a visitor you’ll mostly notice it in the bakeries and the shop windows. More about Dutch December traditions in my article on the holiday season in the Netherlands.
Visit the Christmas markets (December)
Christmas markets: although not as spectacular as other Christmas markets (like the ones in Cologne for example), Amsterdam and its surroundings have a few lovely markets to offer. These are the ones to look for in 2026:
- Christmas Village, Museumplein: 3–27 December 2026, daily 12:00–21:00
- Amsterdam Winter Paradise, RAI Amsterdam: 17 December 2026 – 2 January 2027
- Funky Xmas Market, Westergasfabriek: mid-December (20 December is the date listed so far)
- Pure Markt winter edition, Park Frankendael: Sunday 29 November and Sunday 20 December 2026, 11:00–17:00
- Haarlem Christmas Market, Grote Markt in Haarlem: 11–13 December 2026.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve (31 December)
There are many parties to choose from for New Year’s Eve (Oud en Nieuw). Dutch people love their fireworks, but this year is different: a national ban on consumer fireworks applies for the first time on New Year’s Eve 2026–27. Rockets, cakes and bangers are no longer allowed for private use; only sparklers and other small novelty fireworks are, so the big displays will come from licensed professional shows (government.nl). At least that is the theory. We’ll see what the reality brings. In recent years the city has organised a free countdown and fireworks show on Museumplein, with smaller shows at Sloterplas, IJburg and Weesp.
Go for the Nieuwjaarsduik or the New Year’s Dive.
On New Year’s Day many people go for a cold-water New Year’s dive at the beach, the biggest one being in Scheveningen, which is also well organised. You can go just to watch it, if you don’t dare joining.
National Tulip Day (Saturday 16 January 2027)
The National Tulip Day, unbelievable as it may seem, is set on a day in January: Saturday 16 January 2027. On this occasion, Museumplein is filled with a picking garden of around 200,000 tulips, and visitors can pick up to ten tulips each, for free. Expect to queue for about an hour. It used to take place on Dam Square, which is where I took the photo below.
2. Time to visit some museums
Winter is the perfect season to visit museums, and they all have beautiful exhibitions in stock. Check out my museum article to pick the ones that match your interests: A Complete Guide to All Museums in the City.
If you feel like hiding from the cold for a while, there are great museums and galleries waiting for you. Winter is a good time for them: the queues are shorter after the holidays, and several of the big exhibitions of the year run into January and February. Book a timed ticket online for the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House; the Anne Frank House books out months ahead.
Exhibitions to see this winter
- Yayoi Kusama, Stedelijk Museum: until 17 January 2027. My visit
- Whistler. Dandy and Disruptor, Van Gogh Museum: until 10 January 2027
- Chez Matisse – Masterpieces from Centre Pompidou, H’ART Museum: until 14 February 2027
- Nadav Kander: The Edge of Things, Foam: until 20 January 2027
- Meesterwerk Amsterdam, Stadsarchief Amsterdam: until 7 March 2027
- ART IS NOT A CRIME (Henry Chalfant), STRAAT Museum: until 13 March 2027
- Atlantic Window IV: Sedrig Verwoert, Het Scheepvaartmuseum: until 4 April 2027.
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3. Get Outdoors
In winter, the city is still lovely to walk around, as long as you dress for it and stop for a warm drink here and there.
Walk the canals after dark
Because it gets dark so early, you can see the canals lit up at night and still be back at your hotel by seven. The canal ring is at its prettiest after sunset, with the bridges outlined in small lights. If you stand on the corner of the Reguliersgracht and the Herengracht, you can see a row of seven bridges one behind the other. Then wander through the Jordaan and along the Brouwersgracht to enjoy the wintery atmosphere and the beautifuly decorated windows. More photos from a winter evening in Amsterdam.
Go ice skating
If you love ice skating, there are a few outdoor ice skating rinks in the city, the most picturesque being the one located at Museumplein, next to the Rijksmuseum. This winter the Museumplein rink is open every day from 24 October 2026 to 16 January 2027, with longer opening hours during the Christmas holidays (19 December – 3 January). You can rent skates there, and gloves are compulsory on the ice.
For proper skating, go to the Jaap Eden IJsbaan in Watergraafsmeer, the biggest ice rink in Amsterdam. It has an uncovered 400-metre track with a small rink for beginners next to it, and it’s open from October to March.
Skate on natural ice
If the temperatures drop below zero for a few days in a row, you might have the opportunity to see the city becoming magical under the snow or, even better, witness the unique sight of frozen canals – this is something you don’t see every day, trust me! I saw the canals frozen in my second winter in the Netherlands and it remains one of the most cherished memories I have about this city: people were skating on the frozen canals, or walking on the ice and stopping here and there for a glass of warm glühwein. Only go on natural ice once the locals are on it and the ice has been declared safe.
Some of my photos from those days: skating on the frozen canals, skating on natural ice in Vondelpark, 28 photos from a frozen Amsterdam and skating on natural ice in the Netherlands.
Enjoy the foggy days
If you’re lucky, you might get some foggy days, when the city looks like a land from a fairy tale. Fog is most common in the early morning and in the evening, and it makes the canals look like an old painting. I’ve written about it a few times: in praise of foggy evenings and a foggy winter night in Alkmaar.
Winter walks and parks
Vondelpark, Westerpark and the Amsterdamse Bos are all good for a winter walk, especially on a sunny, frosty morning. The Amsterdamse Bos, on the edge of the city, has long walking paths through the woods and around the water. For walks further out, I put together a list of winter walks in the Netherlands.
4. Go on a canal cruise
A canal cruise is a good way to see the city when it’s cold, because you can book a boat that is covered and heated. In the Light Festival season, most evening cruises follow the light route, and it’s something you shouldn’t skip.
5. Concerts and films
Winter evenings are long, so make use of them. The Concertgebouw has a busy winter programme, and Amsterdam has some beautiful old cinemas to hide in on a rainy evening; here’s my list of special cinemas and film houses.
Eat and drink like a local in winter
Dutch food was made for cold winter days: greasy, cheesy and high in calories. But why not, after a day of walking, you deserve some bitterballen, stamppot, cheese fondue or an apple pie.
Oliebollen. These greasy, sugar powdered and roughly shaped donuts are a famous Dutch treat that can be enjoyed only during winter time (although the stands appear earlier each year). My favourites are the ones with raisins and the ones with apple pieces. Don’t miss them if you have the opportunity! The Dutch have a tradition to eat them on New Year’s Eve, so if you see long queues on the last day of December, you know why.
Stamppot and erwtensoep
Stamppot is potatoes mashed together with a vegetable (kale, endive or sauerkraut are the classics), served with a smoked sausage (rookworst) and gravy. Erwtensoep, also called snert, is a thick split pea soup with pieces of sausage. The Dutch say it’s only good if a spoon can stand up in it. Both are on the menu in brown cafés and Dutch restaurants all winter, and you can find vegetarian options as well.
Holidays sweets
Around Sinterklaas you’ll find pepernoten and kruidnoten (small spiced biscuits), chocolate letters, speculaas and banketstaaf (a pastry roll filled with almond paste). At Christmas, the bakeries sell kerststol, a sweet bread with raisins and almond paste.
→ Read more about what to eat in Amsterdam: A Taste of Amsterdam: Discover the City Through Its Food.
Winter Day Trips from Amsterdam
Cold days are not a good reason to stop going on day trips. In December, many towns organise candlelit evenings, Christmas markets and light festivals. These are the dates for 2026:
Deventer: Dickens Festijn (12–13 December 2026). Once a year, more than 950 characters from Charles Dickens’s books walk the streets of the Bergkwartier, the old quarter around the Bergkerk in Deventer. It’s very busy, there can be a queue at the entrance, and tickets are cheaper online.
Gouda: Gouda bij Kaarslicht (Friday 11 December 2026). Held every year on the second Friday of December, with activities in the historic centre all day and a ceremony at the Christmas tree at 19:00. The town hall is being renovated, so check the organiser’s site for this year’s layout. Combine it with a walk through Gouda in the afternoon.
Delft: Lichtjesavond (Tuesday 8 December 2026). The evening when the Christmas lights in the centre are switched on, followed by Delft Verlicht until 3 January. Delft is about an hour from Amsterdam by train.
Haarlem: Christmas market (11–13 December 2026). On the Grote Markt, around the Grote Kerk. Haarlem is only 15–20 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal by train.
Dordrecht: Dordtse Decemberdagen (10 December 2026 – 3 January 2027). Three weeks of Christmas market and December events in Dordrecht’s old centre.
Valkenburg: Kerststad (13 November 2026 – 3 January 2027). Christmas markets inside the caves of Valkenburg, in Limburg. It’s a long trip from Amsterdam, so it’s better as a weekend away.
The Midwinterfeest in Graft-De Rijp is one to plan ahead for: takes place every two years, so there’s no edition this winter; the next one is on 11 and 12 December 2027.
The beach in winter. I absolutely love going for walks on the beach in winter! The North Sea coast is empty and wild in winter, and a long walk on the beach followed by soup in a beach café is a very Dutch way to spend a Sunday. See my photos of snow on the beach and an overcast day at Petten aan Zee.
Staying longer? The dark months can be hard if you live here or stay for a few weeks. I wrote about how to survive winter in the Netherlands and how to beat the winter blues.
Planning your trip to Amsterdam in winter? These might help: the best city passes for tourists and locals and 30 things to do on your first visit.
If you’re coming in another season, I have guides to Amsterdam in spring, summer and autumn too.
I’ll stop now, I’m sure there are other good reasons to visit Amsterdam in winter, but I’ll let you discover them when you’re here. Have fun!
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because it’s Amsterdam! See you tomorrow with all the snow forecast, only four weeks since our last visit
Exactly! Please bring the snow with you 🙂
I’m going this weekend. I’ve been in Amsterdam in April and October/November but never in winter. I can’t wait!!!
I hope you’ll have a great time!