Some of my favourite events in Amsterdam are the ones that open doors that are usually closed and let you take a look inside homes and gardens. One of these is Open Garden Days, a summer weekend when Amsterdam offers that opportunity, inviting visitors into the green spaces usually hidden behind the elegant canal houses.
If you’re looking for practical information about the event, ticket prices and how it works, you’ll find everything in my main guide to the Open Garden Days. This article is simply a glimpse of this year’s edition, a small journey through some of Amsterdam’s most beautiful secret gardens.
The 2026 edition took place under bright blue skies and unusually warm summer temperatures, making every patch of shade feel like a little reward. I managed to visit about half of the participating gardens, wandering from one address to the next with the event booklet in hand, collecting a stamp at every stop. Some stamps were simple, others creative, turning the booklet into a charming souvenir by the end of the day.
There were 28 gardens in the program, and the selection was great, offering a big variety.
Some gardens belong to museums or other institutions, carefully maintained and designed almost as outdoor extensions of the buildings themselves. Others were private family gardens, where you immediately sensed that people actually live there. Garden furniture sitting comfortably under old trees, children’s toys peeking out from behind flower beds, herbs growing next to ornamental plants, and the space feeling wonderfully personal rather than perfectly curated.
Some gardens were meticulously symmetrical, with clipped hedges, geometric paths and immaculate borders. Others embraced a wilder character, allowing flowers to spill over pathways and plants to grow where they pleased. One garden was created almost entirely in containers, proving that even without traditional flower beds, a lush urban oasis can flourish with enough creativity in the middle of Amsterdam.
There are gardens who are on the list every year, like the one at Huis Marseille, Art Zoo Museum, the Canal Museum. But every year there will be new discoveries, new homes that open their doors for the public, like they would invite neighbours for a coffee. Because you can spend some time in those gardens, sitting on a chair, drinking a lemonade or whatever they have to offer.
Moving through the city from one hidden courtyard to another is part of the experience. The contrast between Amsterdam’s busy streets and the peaceful gardens is striking. One moment you’re surrounded by cyclists, trams and café terraces; a minute later you’re listening to birdsong beneath old trees, wondering how such tranquillity can exist just beyond the brick façades.
Not every garden is spectacular on its own; they all come together to tell a story about Amsterdam: its history, its architecture, and the many different ways people create green spaces within a dense city. Some impress with their design, others with their age, their unusual plants, chicken coops (!) or simply their atmosphere.
By the end of the afternoon, after several hours of walking in the sunshine, I still had gardens left unseen. But perhaps that is another reason to keep returning. Open Garden Days for me is more about slowing down, wandering, discovering places normally hidden from view, and seeing a familiar city from an entirely different perspective.
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