Amsterdam

AFAS Live

Formerly Heineken Music Hall

Large-scale music venue with plenty of international stars having performed here. More "headliners" are booked in Amsterdam for AFAS Live than any other venue. Best reached by train or metro (station Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA).

Amsterdam Dungeon

The Amsterdam Dungeon is a horror tour through several dark chambers with live actors.

11:00-17:00 daily, 24 Dec-8 Jan 10:30-17:30 daily, 2 Jul-4 Sep 11:00-18;00 daily·€21

Amsterdam Music Theatre

Het Muziektheater

Opera, dance, ballet and other performances. Holds a free lunch concert on Tuesdays.

Mon-Fri 12:00-18:00, Sat Sun 12:00-15:00

Bimhuis

World-class jazz and improvised music venue, five minutes by foot from Centraal Station.

€14-18

Boom Chicago

The Amsterdam comedy institution since 1993. English language sketch and improv comedy show with extensive use of video, music and the internet. The troupe is sharp and skewers current events, trends and life and local events in Amsterdam. Perhaps the best comedy show in any city. Good food is served before the show and drink service continues all night.

Carré Theatre

When the theatre was founded in 1887, it was meant as a permanent circus building. It is mainly used for musicals, cabaret performances and pop concerts.

Concertgebouw

Famous for its orchestra and its acoustics (among the top ten in the world), this is one of the world's most frequently visited concert halls. Classical music is the main fare, but they also bring other kinds of music on stage. They have a free "lunch concert" on Wednesday from 12:30 till 13:00. In the same building is the "Kleine Zaal" ("Small Hall") for more intimate performances, often top-notch as well. It's worth a visit if only for its architecture.

De Poezenboot

You really like cats? The poezenboot (cat boat) is a refuge for cats awaiting adoption.

EYE Film Institute Netherlands

EYE is an institute dedicated to the preservation of film for future generations. It is the successor of the Filmmuseum. It has four film theatres with alternative screenings such as art films. In April the Imagine Film Festival is held here with screenings dedicated to exploitation, cult and lower-budget films. Well worth it if you're a fan of the genre.

Sun-Thu 10:00-22:00, Fri Sat 10:00-23:00

Electrische Museumtramlijn Amsterdam

Electric Tram Museum Amsterdam

On operating days, the museum runs various vintage trams on two routes. Line 30 runs every 30 minutes along on a 7-km museum rail line to Amstelveen with stops along the route. Station Amstelveen is perhaps the most interesting stop as it is near an attractive small-town area with restaurants. Line 20 runs two trips only around Amsterdam. If you buy a day pass, you can travel both routes.

Sundays, April-November, plus Easter & Pentecost Mon, 11:00-17:00·Adult fares vary from €3.50 to €12.50 with reduced rates for seniors (65+) and children (4-11)

Friday Night Skate

Put on your skates, and join the popular weekly skate tour (since 1997), a different route every week. Starts every Friday at 20:30 from the Vondelpark (near the former Filmmuseum).

Gaasperpark

Recreational area and nature reserve with a lake and water-sports centre. The centre offers facilities for canoeing, swimming, rowing, sailing and a surfing school. Explore the park (5 km around the lake) by foot, bicycle or horseback. On the edge of the park is the Gaasper Camping campsite.

Gassan Diamonds

A guided tour is given that's all about the diamond production process and the history of diamond trade in Amsterdam. Diamonds have been traded in Amsterdam for longer than 425 years, and the city used to be known as the "City of Diamonds". Tours are given in 27 languages. Of course you can also buy Gassan diamonds here, but you don't have to.

09:00-17:00 daily·Free (the tour, not the diamonds)

Hash, Marihuana and Hemp Museum

Opened for over twenty years, the Hash Museum is dedicated to debunking the lies and demonization about one of our most useful plants, the hemp plant. Although small, busy and seriously overpriced, it is a well-done museum where people go to get informed.

10:00-23:00 daily·€9

Ignatiushuis

A Jesuit society that organizes classes and activities. Membership is required, but every Tuesday (Sep-Jul) a free concert is given at 12:30-13:00. Everyone can attend.

Kraaiennest Outdoor Gym

A well-equipped outdoor gym with permanent workout stations, made out of green plastic & metal. If you spend some time in Bijlmer, this is a good spot to workout for free during the daytime, and talk to locals. Just beside the running tracks and tennis court which you will see from the metro station and the Kraaiennest Winkelcentrum.

24 hr·Free

Madame Tussauds

The well-known franchise of wax museums also has a branch in Amsterdam. It's a major tourist attraction so expect a steep entry fee and long queues. Unique to this branch are waxworks of famous Dutch people including Willem-Alexander, Beatrix, Tiësto, Rafael van der Vaart, Doutzen Kroes, Vincent van Gogh and Rembrandt.

10:00-18:30 daily·€22

Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments

The latest gimmicky tourist attraction near the Centraal Station, it's a small museum about medieval torture and torture devices. In the Middle Ages, torture was a widely known punishment for almost all crimes committed, ranging from rape to murder, and above all for heresy. The type of punishment depended on the victim's crime and social status. The Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments displays over 100 devices used to torture people. Before its make-over, it used to be the Vodka Museum; the vodka shop is still open in the basement with free entry.

09:00-22:00 daily·€12.50

Muziekgebouw aan't IJ

Modern music concerts and classical music with a twist. A free concert is given every second Tuesday of the month at 12:30.

Mon-Sat 12:00-18:00·€20

NEMO

Above a tunnel overseeing the IJ, NEMO is the largest science museum in the Netherlands. It's a showcase of how scientific phenomena influence daily life. Different sections of the museum deal with technology and engineering, ICT, and bio- and behavioral sciences. This is a place to take kids and is best for those ages 11 and below—teenagers will probably get bored. And it is usually definitely full of children on weekends. During summer it has a panorama roof terrace on its roof with deckchairs with free entry.

Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00·€11.50

Pathé Arena

One of the largest cinemas in the country, and it also has IMAX movies.

Pathé Tuschinski

Since its opening in 1921, Tuschinski has been the country's most breathtaking film theatre. It's worth a visit if only for its interior, a spectacular mix of Art Nouveau, Amsterdam School and Art Deco styles. If possible, get a tour of the building, taking in the sumptuous private rooms upstairs. If you're going to watch a film, pick the one that's in the big auditorium. With the exception of some animated films, all English films are subtitled and not dubbed, so you should be able to enjoy the standard Hollywood fare the way it's meant to be seen.

11:30-00:30 daily·€11.50

Rialto

For all art-house cinema lovers. All films are shown in their original language with Dutch subtitles. They have late-night and classic showings too. Just a short walk from the Albert Cuyp Market/Heineken Brouwerij, in the nice non-touristy neighborhood De Pijp.

M–Th EUR 9, F–Su EUR 10

Sexmuseum

The largest and most prestigious museum for sex art and sex history in the Netherlands. It shows a lot of sex oddities. Only ages 16 and up are allowed entry.

09:00-22:00 daily·€4

Stadsarchief Amsterdam

This institute maintains the archives of the municipality and other organizations that are closely related to Amsterdam. The archives are open to everyone. Most interesting for travelers are the exhibitions and events, see the website.

Tue-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat Sun 12:00-17:00

Torture Museum

You'd think one museum about torture would be enough, but no, not in Amsterdam. However, this was the first torture museum in the city centre, and is at least somewhat more authentic than the copycat. The museum depicts the history of different torturous techniques used over the centuries. The lighting is bad, the corridors are small and the price an absolute rip-off. You can walk through it in 15-30 minutes.

Open now · closes 11 pm·€7

Adam's Boats

Rent a boat without the need for a licence. The Amstel river can be reached within 2 minutes from the hire place.

Amsterdam Boat Experience

Amsterdam Boat Experience was founded in 2015 and has been steadily expanding its fleet and now offers exclusive private charters while also operating a fixed route from the Anne Frank house. Tickets for the 1 hour cruise on the luxurious electric open boats with live narrating are EUR 15. while you relax the hostess serves drinks on the boat.

09.00-22.00

Amsterdam Boats B.V.

Personal rental of a wide variety of boats. You can rent a gondola, hand made by a girl from Amsterdam. She traveled to Venice to learn the craft, then built her own Gondola which she brought back to Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Booze Cruise

A boat trip through the canals of Amsterdam is always a good idea. Discover Amsterdam from the water while enjoying a drink.