In summer, Amsterdam transforms and looks like a different city, having an almost resort-like feeling. In the past years, as temperatures have soared across Europe, summers in the Netherlands have become warmer too. There’s less rain and more sunshine, creating a strong sense of FOMO among locals. We’re used to making the most of every sunny moment, and when several sunny days come in a row, it’s hard not to be tempted to skip work and spend the day on a boat or at the beach. With so many sunny days and temperatures between 20-30 (rarely above 30), summer in Amsterdam is indeed how summer should be. That doesn’t mean the rain is completely off the menu: there are still rainy days, but the summer days are long and there’s plenty of time for two seasons in one day.
So, how to enjoy the summer in Amsterdam? I’ve made a list with 16 things to do, so there’s plenty to choose from. Some of these can be done in other seasons too, but they are the best in summer. Let’s begin!
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What to do in Amsterdam in summer
1. Boat ride or canal cruise
The absolute best thing to do in Amsterdam when it’s sunny is a boat ride on the beautiful canals. As soon as the sun peeks out, the water comes alive: small boats, big boats, locals lounging, tourists snapping pics… it’s like the whole city floats. If you ask me, the smaller the boat, the better. But if you don’t have your own (or don’t feel like navigating a rental), a canal cruise works just fine too; just make sure it’s an open boat, so you can soak in the views properly. I love heading out with friends, turning the boat into a little floating picnic with snacks and a bottle of prosecco. We cruise through the main canals and sneak into the quieter ones, chatting, laughing, waving at other boats. I also love when we get out of the city centre and head onto Amstel river, where there is more space on the open water. The city looks completely different from the water, and you’ll also have a few close-up encounters with the local fauna: graceful swans, nosy ducks, and the nasty coots who always seem to be in a mood.
2. Go SUP-ing on the canals
Standup paddle-boarding has become quite popular in the recent years and there are many companies where you can book a tour. There are tours in various areas of the city and even night tours.
3. Picnic in the park
Amsterdam has a couple of amazing parks that provide a quick nature escape when you don’t feel like leaving the city but still want to be surrounded by green. On a sunny day, it won’t be easy to fins a good spot for a picnic, but it won’t be impossible either. Grab a blanket, food and drinks and you’re all set. Vondelpark and Westerpark might be the most popular ones, but there are others outside of the city centre that worth checking, like: Erasmuspark, Sloterplaas, Oosterpark, Amstelpark or Frankendael park.
And if you’re feeling romantic, you can even try to have a picnic on a canal’s edge, somewhere where there are less crowds. I have a friend who’s an expert at arranging romantic picnics for her friends on the water side. But it’s not easy to find a spot where you don’t disturb others, so it’s more like guerilla picnicking.
4. Swim in the city
Swimming in the city canals is Amsterdam’s worst-kept secret. Officially, it’s forbidden and you’ll see the signs everywhere. But on those hot July afternoons when the thermometer hits 28 degrees, you’ll spot locals bathing, especially around the quieter spots like Entrepotdok or the Amstel near Weesperzijde. There are also a couple of designated spots where you are allowed to swim in the canals, like the Marineterrein close to the NEMO Museum. The water is said to be clean (Maxima, the current queen, swam in the canals herself, so it must be!), though it’s still a murky brown/green that is not very inviting. I never tried swimming in the canals, but I have friends who did it and swear it’s safe.
The best time to swim it’s early morning or early evening. You’ll see groups of friends gathering on the canal edges, someone always plays music, and there’s this unspoken understanding between swimmers and boats: they slow down, you swim close to the sides.
5. Check out the urban beaches
If you want more of a beach experience, not just jumping in the canals from a bridge, check out the urban beaches, because Amsterdam has a few of them. Since there is so much water in Amsterdam, in the form of canals or lakes, it wasn’t hard to create these little patches of sand that invite people to a beach experience without leaving the city. Some of the beaches are part of a bar/restaurant (like Kaap, Pllek, StrandZuid), and others are in parks or residential areas. Here are Amsterdam’s beaches:
- Sloterplas Strand (Beach) – this is a family friendly beach on the lake in Amsterdam Nieuw-West, a very popular spot in the neighbourhood.
- Strand IJburg – in Amsterdam Oost, this is a lovely spot for swimming, sunbathing, or a picnic.
- There are a few others, but more on the outskirts of the city: Diemerpark Beach, Gaasperplas Park, Nieuwe Meer.
6. Enjoy a movie in the open-air
The long summer nights are perfect for open-air cinemas, and Amsterdam has a few on offer. The beach at Pllek becomes one of the best outdoor cinemas in the city, every Tuesday throughout the summer. Pluk de Nacht (Seize the Night) festival in August is another occasion to enjoy watching movies outdoor. They usually bring films successful at large international film festivals that didn’t make it to the Dutch cinemas. H’ART Museum is also screening movies in their courtyard, usually in August (6-26 August in 2025).
7. Relax at a bar by the water
It’s one of my greatest pleasures in summer to meet friends for a drink or a lunch at one of the places that have tables by the water. There are many – from the small canal-side terraces in the city centre, to the bigger ones like Hannekes Boom, Pllek, Kanteen25, Loetje Amsterdam aan ‘t IJ, Edel in Between or De Waterkant. You can try a different one each time, but, from my experience, once you find your favourites, you will keep going there.
8. Listen to music on the canals with Grachtenfestival (canal festival)
The Grachtenfestival turns Amsterdam’s canals into the world’s most gorgeous concert hall every August, for about 10 days. Floating pontoons are built in the city center, and classical music mixes with the sounds of bycicles and seagulls cry.
The concerts are in various locations throughout the city, not only on the canals: on cruise ships, under bridges or in underground tunnels. But there are also living room concerts in the monumental mansions along the canals, gardens or rooftop terraces. The high-point of the festival is the Prinsengracht Concert, held on a floating platform on Prinsengracht, in front of the Pulitzer Hotel.
9. Summer festivals
Summer is the best time for festivals, and you have a good selection of them. A few of the most popular ones are: Vondelpark Open-air theatre (from June to September), Sail Festival (every 5 years in August), Open Gardens Days (in June), Milkshake Festival in July, Loveland (August), Kwaku Summer Festival (July-August), Holland Festival (in June).
10. Nemo terrace
NEMO Science Museum has a lovely rooftop square with a great view over the city. You can spend time here simply enjoying the view, having a lunch at the restaurant or attending one of the many cool events they are organising, from live music and karaoke to lectures.
11. Surround yourself with flowers: gardens of Amsterdam
While many of Amsterdam’s gardens are hidden behind the house facades, there are a couple of gardens that are accessible to the public. You can have a walk, relax or read on a bench, admire some art. Let’s start with one of my favourites, right in the city centre: the Rijksmuseum gardens. You don’t have to buy a museum ticket to enter the exquisite gardens, featuring tulips, summer flower beds, water fountains and decorated with sculptures.
Every year, the Rijksmuseum gardens are hosting an open air exhibition, free to access for everyone who’s passing by. Also, on occasion, there are painting workshops organised in the garden, where people can create art in this beautiful and quiet spot.
All over the city there are hofjes, the hidden courtyards that you can visit – some of them are accessible, others private. Then there are the volkstuinen: allotments that are cared for by locals, and open their gates to the public to wander through the alleys and admire the gardening skills of the lucky ones who got an allotment in the city. The beautiful garden at the Merkelbach restaurant in Frankendael park is a place where you can sit and relax on a bench, admire the cherry tree (you don’t need to go to the restaurant, you can just enter the garden). Also in this area there are a couple of gardens maintained by volunteers, with wild and medicinal plants.
12. Visit a museum – if it’s raining
Museums in Amsterdam when it rains? Absolutely. But here’s the thing – skip the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh queues. On rainy summer days, they’re packed with every tourist who had the same brilliant idea. Instead, try the Wereldmuseum, all colonial history and contemporary culture, H’Art Museum for special art collections. Or Het Schip, this Amsterdam School architecture museum that looks like a brick spaceship.
My rainy day move is the Huis Marseille photography museum. A gorgeous canal house, creaky wooden floors, and photo exhibitions that change every few months. There’s a secret garden in the back where you can drink coffee between downpours.
The best part about Dutch summer rain is that it rarely lasts all day. When you’re done with the museum, you might find the sun shining on the canals again. The city smells like wet pavement, puddles reflect the sky, and everyone’s on their bikes like nothing happened.
13. Celebrate Amsterdam Pride
Amsterdam Pride takes place end of July – beginning of August, and it brings many events to the city. The most spectacular is the Canal Parade, usually on the first Saturday of August. Eighty boats floating past, each one more colourful than the last, music thumping, confetti everywhere. The energy is unmatched. Every bridge is packed, people are hanging out of windows, boats full of spectators along the parade route.
Tip: always check the route, to know where the parade starts and where it ends, to find the best viewing spot. If you want to walk around thats fine, but keep in mind that it’s veeery crowded and it will be difficult to squeeze through to see the boats. A good viewing spot is on the Amstel near the Magere Brug, and the crowds seem to be thinner there.
14. Experience a different side of Amsterdam at Ruigoord
Ruigoord is a green village where artists in studios and workshops not only work for themselves but also participate in the community. They organise various events where creative people will feel at home. This is a free spirits community. For example, you can celebrate Midsummer’s Eve, or Solstice, with a psychedelic festival, or celebrate the moon every month with Maanzin (a gathering, a ceremony, a dance, and a dinner). But there are many other activities and you should definitely check them out on their website, if this sounds like your thing!
15. Visit a petting zoo with kids
If you have kids and are looking for something interesting for them to do, why not go meet some animals? There are a couple of petting zoos in Amsterdam, some right in the city centre, like De Dierencapelon Bickersgracht or the one in Westerpark. There are more, in various areas, and to name only a few: the Petting Zoo in De Pijp, Kinderboerderij De Buiktuin in Amsterdam Noord, De Werf. Your kids will definitely have some fun!
16. Visit Amsterdamse Bos
Amsterdamse Bos (Amsterdam Forest) is the closest forest to the city. You can cycle there or take the public transport. This forest is large enough to offer a variety of options: walkingm cycling, having picnics or a barbecue, swim in the lake or rent a canoe. Paddling around the lake (at sunset) is also pretty magical.
Then there’s this goat farm that’s randomly in the middle, part petting zoo and part educational centre, and a farm where you can have some of the best pancakes in the city: Boerderij Meerzicht.
Sometimes there’s live music at the open air theatre or a festival. There is always something for everyone.
What are your favourite things to do in Amsterdam in summer?
P.S. You might be interested in this article too: How to Explore Amsterdam. The Best City Passes for Tourists and Locals
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