Since I moved to Amsterdam from Berlin with my family in 2022, the Dutch capital, like other popular European hubs, has leaned hard into anti-overtourism measures. Among them: bans against new hotel construction and cruise ships; implementing hefty tourism taxes; and, in true Dutch communication style (which is to say, direct), telling certain groups—specifically, rowdy British men looking only to party—to stay away.
And yet, the crowds keep coming. Nearly 23 million overnight tourist stays were recorded in 2024, with similar numbers expected for 2025—surpassing the 20-million annual cap the city implemented in 2021. This storied city remains beloved for many reasons: its remarkable man-made canals, centuries-old architecture, and robust bike culture, to name a few.
Naturally, some residents are frustrated with overtourism and its impacts on local life, but most Amsterdammers like sharing their city with well-behaved visitors. Venture beyond the city center, and you’ll be rewarded with a much more authentic experience: quieter canals, restaurants and bars where you’ll primarily hear Dutch, and a real vibe of gezelligheid, a term that roughly translates to a feeling of coziness and conviviality. If you plan to responsibly visit Amsterdam, here’s how to discover its less-crowded side.
Take a boat tour
To experience Amsterdam’s UNESCO-protected canals without having to sidestep tourists or dodge bikes, book a boat tour. But skip the boisterous party vessels that pack in the passengers in favor of a vintage wooden salon boat. You’ll pay a bit more, but soaking up Amsterdam’s architecture from the water while aboard one of these beauties is sure to be a trip highlight.
“You can basically see centuries back when you sail on the water,” explains Miloe van Bodegraven, who with her husband, Reinhard Spronk, runs Rederij De Jordaan, which offers private tours (starting at around $350) on two historic salon boats. “You can really see the different styles of buildings. It’s just a beautiful way to experience the city,” says van Bodegraven, a singer, who regularly wows guests with performances.
Another recommended operator is Pure Boats, whose fleet includes vessels of various sizes (some have a toilet). Prices start around $38 for a tour of one to two hours and include snacks and drinks (alcohol, too). After a recent tour, I can attest that the 4.9-star rating is warranted. For an adults-only experience, Those Dam Boat Guys is a more laid-back option, with quick-witted guides who love to share Amsterdam’s history in an unscripted, conversational way. Guests are encouraged to bring whatever they want to eat, drink, or smoke, including cannabis, so book accordingly.
Make a plan for popular museums
The Van Loon museum is an underrated gem on the Keizersgracht canal in Amsterdam.
Photo by Wolf-photography/Shutterstock
The perennially popular Anne Frank House is Amsterdam’s most visited landmark—and consequently, tickets are notoriously difficult to score (especially during summer). However, from April to August, the museum remains open until 10 p.m., and these evening hours can offer a quieter atmosphere to take in the deeply moving experience.
Some other popular institutions also have extended hours on certain days year-round, which allows visitors to enjoy world-class artworks without bumping elbows with others. The famous Van Gogh Museum, contemporary art Stedelijk Museum, and photography museum Foam are all open until 9 p.m. on Fridays (Foam is also open until 9 p.m. on Thursdays).
Beyond the heavy hitters, Amsterdam boasts a slew of excellent but lesser-known museums. My favorites include the Rembrandt House Museum, where the Dutch master lived and worked; Museum Van Loon, housed in an ornate 17th-century canal house originally owned by a prominent Amsterdam family; and the Verzetsmuseum (Dutch Resistance Museum), which showcases various Dutch resistance movements during World War II.
Go north, east, and west
The Noord neighborhood has art communities, underground culture, beach hotels, and buzzy restaurants.
Photo by fokke baarssen/Shutterstock
Amsterdam’s compact size along with excellent public transit and cycling infrastructure makes it easy to explore beyond the crowded Grachtengordel, or Canal District. One highly recommended private bike tour is “Discover Amsterdam’s Coolest Neighborhoods” by Sapiens Travel, an Amsterdam-based luxury tour operator that also operates in Belgium and Luxembourg. The seven-hour tour covers several buurten outside the city center, including Oud-West, the Jewish Quarter, and De Pijp; schedule it early in your visit so you can return to your favorite ’hood.
Sapiens Travel founder and Amsterdam resident Erik Sadao especially loves showing clients Noord, a creative, eclectic neighborhood in a former shipbuilding area that’s accessible via a quick (and free) ferry from Centraal Station. “It’s like the new Amsterdam—there’s so much going on there,” Sadao explains. “And it’s my favorite place to see houseboats. You can see the real design [forward] ones. Some have four floors.” Must-do stops in Noord include the STRAAT Museum, featuring large-scale street art and graffiti in an 86,000-square-foot warehouse, and De Ceuvel, a former shipyard transformed into a café, boardwalk, and collection of houseboats. You can even bunk up in a moored boat at the on-site Hotel Asile Flottant (from around $170 per night).
Meanwhile, Oost, which means “east” in Dutch and is where I live, offers scores of restaurants, parks, cafés, and canals—with a fraction of the city center crowds. My top neighborhood picks include 1900 for Dutch-inspired dishes in a cozy setting (try the excellent kapsalon: a hearty salad piled with grilled chicken, sweet potato fries, and avocado); Flevopark, a waterfront park that beckons with paths, trails, and a distillery that makes its own jenever, the region’s juniper-flavored spirit; and Jeugdland, a sprawling nature park catering to young kids. I also love De Vergulden Eenhoorn (the Gilded Unicorn), a charming garden bar and restaurant in a farmhouse dating to 1702, and Brouwerij ‘t IJ, a beloved Amsterdam brewery next to a windmill. On sunny days, arrive at opening time (2 p.m. on weekdays; 12 p.m. on weekends) to snag a patio table.
Enjoy uncrowded green spaces
Beatrixpark is where the locals hang out.
Photo by Edwin Butter/Shutterstock
Vondelpark is Amsterdam’s most famous green space, but because of its location near the Museum Quarter, it’s often packed. Fortunately, there are options like Beatrixpark in the Zuid neighborhood, which has trails, ponds, and a kids water play area in spring and summer. Farther east, Amsterdamse Bos is a forest three times larger than Central Park, with lots of trails and wildlife spotting—and even a ropes-and-zip line course.
For downtime, nearby Zuiver, Amsterdam’s largest spa, is a locals’ favorite, with saunas, steam baths, pools, and relaxation lounges. “I especially love the opgieting ritual,” says Ruurd Hooijer, an Amsterdam resident and founder/owner of Newdam, a sales and marketing firm specializing in luxury hotels. “It’s where a sauna master pours scented water onto hot stones and fans the steam through the room.”
If you visit the Red Light District, do it respectfully
Find art inside a church at Oude Kerk in the Red Light District.
Photo by Mistervlad/Shutterstock
If the city moves forward with a proposed plan to relocate all sex workers to a single, multi-level building across town called the “Erotic Center”, the brothel windows of the Red Light District—known locally as De Wallen—may disappear within a few years. It’s a highly controversial development that some residents and tourism insiders oppose. “I think the city should be proud of what we built, and I love that neighborhood because it shows what tolerance is all about,” Sadao says. “Amsterdam has so much to teach the world right now.”
Sadao encourages first-time visitors to discover the neighborhood’s other notable landmarks, including Oude Kerk, a circa-1250 church-turned-art institute in Amsterdam’s oldest building, and Our Lord in the Attic Museum, a church in the attic of a 17th-century canal house where Catholics practiced when Amsterdam was under Protestant rule. For a straightforward look into how the neighborhood’s centuries-old sex trade has helped shape both Amsterdam and Dutch culture, pop into the Prostitution Information Center (PIC), a nonprofit founded in 1994 by a former sex worker. PIC is open Wednesday–Sunday and offers informal “walk and talk” events on those days at 5 p.m.
As part of the overtourism crackdown, guided tours are no longer allowed in the district, so explore on your own. Plan for midmorning, when those ever-present crowds are sparsest.
