Amsterdam with kids

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Amsterdam has long been synonymous with it’s red light district and it’s numerous coffeeshops. However, most visitors soon realise that there is much more to the city than this. If you’re visiting Amsterdam with kids there is lots to do to keep everyone entertained and it’s a great city break destination. We had just 2 days there at the beginning of a longer summer train trip around Europe but managed to pack lots in.

Getting to Amsterdam with kids

Amsterdam has great transport links to the rest of Europe, whether you’re arriving by air, over water or by train.

Arriving in Amsterdam by Plane

Schiphol Airport is a major international hub so easy to get to from wherever in the world you are flying from. The quickest and cheapest way to get to central Amsterdam from the airport is to catch a direct train, which takes around 20 minutes.

Arriving in Amsterdam by Ferry

There are three ferry options from the UK to the Netherlands. From Newcastle on DFDS you can travel overnight directly to Amsterdam. If you don’t have transport there is a bus transfer to take you to central Amsterdam in around 30 minutes.

Stenaline run a service from Harwich in Norfolk to the Hook of Holland. To get from the hook of Holland you would then need to either drive or get a metro train to Rotterdam and then change for a train to Amsterdam.

Our closest UK port is Hull so we chose the Hull- Rotterdam overnight ferry with P&O. Arriving as foot passengers we pre-booked a transfer bus to central Amsterdam from the port which took around one hour.

Arriving in Amsterdam by train

Amsterdam has a well connected rail network with the rest of the Netherlands and numerous European cities. This includes the Eurostar direct to London. Check out the all-time guru for anything related to train travel, the man in seat 61 to look at routes and how to book them. We left Amsterdam on an overnight train to Vienna with OBB nightjet. The trainline is a great website for booking trains all over Europe.

Getting around Amsterdam with kids

Central Amsterdam is pretty walkable so once in the centre we managed to walk everywhere. If possible we like exploring on foot in cities as you get to see more of the sights.

The hotel we were staying in was slightly outside of the city centre but was easy to get to on the train. The commuter trains are quick and frequent so it only took us 10 minutes. The only downside of this was that the trains weren’t particularly cheap and for a family of five the costs did add up. We did work out on the second day that it was cheaper for us adults to just tap in and out with a credit card than buy a physical ticket. The only children’s ticket option was a day pass, which again was cheaper to buy online rather than buying a physical ticket in a machine.

What to do in Amsterdam with kids

There is lots to choose from when trying to decide what to do in Amsterdam with kids. It may partly depend on the age of your kids and your family interests. Some activities need booking ahead of time, particularly if like us you are visiting in peak season.

Wander central Amsterdam and see the canals

A wander on foot around central Amsterdam is a must for any visitor. We did this on the day we arrived after the overnight ferry crossing. I didn’t have a set itinerary other than a couple of way points that I wanted us to see. The main points of interest to see include Dam Square, which features the royal palace and the National monument. Other notable sights are the Jordaan district and the floating flower market. We went out of way to see the ‘skinny bridge’, but weren’t amazed by it so it wouldn’t be top of my list next time.

In hindsight, wandering Amsterdam with kids in super hot and humid weather wasn’t the best option. We ended up with hot and grumpy kids (and adults), which was possibly why everyone was so unimpressed by the time we got to the skinny bridge. If I were to do it again I would probably book a walking tour to give more structure to our walk and help the kids to know how long the walk would be. It would also add interest to what we were seeing.

If organised walking tours aren’t for you, I have since discovered GPSmyCity, a great app which allows you to tailor your own walking tour and follow it yourself. I didn’t use it in Amsterdam but have used it since then in other European cities and it worked well.

Anne Frank House

This was my one non-negotiable for our Amsterdam trip. Having been to Amsterdam a couple of times previously but never made it to this infamous museum. It is very popular so definitely needs booking ahead. Tickets go on sale 6 weeks ahead of time and if you are going in peak season sells out really quickly. I had set myself a reminder to book tickets when they came out.

We all really liked the museum. The two girls had studied WW2 at school and read about Anne Frank so had a bit of an idea about it. Benjamin didn’t really know anything about it beforehand but he was really engaged throughout the whole visit. Audioguides are included in the entry and they have different options for children which helps to keep the information at the right level for them.

Canal Cruise

We were undecided initially whether to spend the money on a canal cruise. However we were so pleased that we did as our cruise with Flagship turned out to be one of our favourite activities. The cruise was an hour which is the perfect amount of time if you are in Amsterdam with kids. The boats weren’t too big and are really comfy. The guide was excellent with just the right level of information to keep everyone engaged. She even checked with us at the beginning of the tour as to whether it would be ok to include any information on the red light district.

Tony’s Chocolonely Superstore

We are big chocolate fans in our family and my ultimate favourite is Tony’s Chocolonely. This meant a visit to the Tony’s superstore was a non-negotiable for our visit to Amsterdam. Centrally located, just 5 minutes walk from central station, it’s pretty easy to find. Sometimes there is a bit of a queue to get in when busy. There are steps down into the shop too so it would be tricky with strollers. The shop itself is quite small but packs a visual punch with wall to wall chocolate. There are also information boards around the shop telling the Tony’s story about their mission to end exploitation in cocoa.

The fun bit for the kids obviously involved being able to design their own chocolate bar. On an iPad you can design a personalised chocolate bar by picking out your own ingredients and even choosing the colours and some of the wording on your packaging. From ordering it’s around a 2 hour wait before you can pick up your personal chocolate bar so make sure you don’t plan this for just before you leave!

A’dam Lookout

This was another attraction that we were undecided about and ended up loving. The A’dam tower is just north of central station. Get the free ferry F3 across the water from just behind the station. You can book tickets in advance online but we turned up on the day and were fine.

There is a fantastic bar/ restaurant with wall to ceiling windows allowing fantastic views across the Netherlands. Don’t miss the small window in the floor from the corner of the bar allowing you to look down onto the street below. Above is an open air observation deck which also had a small bar.

Beyond admiring the views the lookout also boasts other attractions including a VR rollercoaster and a giant swing. These can be booked as extras or you can book combo deals if you wanted to try all the options. Our two youngest kids tried the VR rollercoaster which they loved- we just booked that upstairs when we arrived. Chloe and I had a go on the giant swing which was brilliant. You do get timed slots for this and we booked it on entry to the tower as the receptionist informed us it was busy. It felt quite unique to be swinging so high up taking in the view of the city.

Van Gogh Museum

We missed out on this as we failed to book tickets in time. The teenager in particular was disappointed about this. It would definitely be on our radar for our next visit. For a family it is pretty good value as under 18s are free. I have also heard good reports about how engaging the teenager audio guide is. If you want to go, don’t make our mistake and make sure you prebook on the website. I think it sold out about 2 weeks before our visit in August. Annoyingly I had been on the website and seen tickets but not booked. Going back a week later they were gone!

What to eat in Amsterdam with kids

When I think of Amsterdam the first thing I think of is chips and Mayonnaise! Like all big cities Amsterdam is packed with restaurants of all shapes and sizes (and quality!). We found a small takeaway with a couple of tables for lunch on our first day to satisfy the chips urge! The one we tried was just off Kalverstraat near the Lego store but there are loads around.

The other food item we wanted to make sure we had was pancakes. For pancakes we tried the Happy Pig. They have a great menu with some set options or you can design your own fillings. It was busy so we had a bit of a wait but the pancakes were worth it! It’s more of a takeaway restaurant but does have some benches outside and some stools inside to perch on. Definitely recommend The Happy Pig- it was delicious!

Where to stay in Amsterdam with kids

When staying in a city with kids we usually try and stay somewhere reasonably central to all the main attractions. When I started researching where to stay in Amsterdam I soon realised that central hotels were out of our price range.

Instead we opted for the MEININGER Amsterdam West which was 1 train stop from Amsterdam central. The hotel is right next to the train station and trains are every few minutes meaning it was really quick and easy to get into central Amsterdam. The only downside was the cost of buying train tickets, although it was still easily much cheaper than any other central hotel. Although quite basic, the MEININGER Hotel chain are hostel style meaning there is a shared kitchen where you can prepare meals as well as social areas. They do offer dormitories but we had a private room with our own en suite which was really spacious.

Haarlem, a small town just outside Amsterdam is also a popular place to stay if you are wanting to get more value for money for you accommodation.

General Tips for Amsterdam with kids

• Don’t spend your money on buying bottles of water. Carry a refillable one and top up at the many free water taps dotted around. This was a life saver for us as it was sooo hot and humid when we were there. This website shows the location of all the water points which we found really handy.
• Be aware that you have to pay for most public toilets. If you’re somewhere with a free toilet make good use of it!
• The lego shop on Kalverstraat makes a good break for the kids. When we were there you could even design your own lego figure which was then made up for you while you waited.

There are lots of other attractions in Amsterdam that we didn’t have time for on this visit. The Rijksmuseum would definitely be on the list but we weren’t sure that the children we be engaged enough at the moment. I have also heard really good reports of the NEMO science museum. Our travel resources page has loads of useful websites and resources to help with trip planning. Let us know if there any other gems that should be on the list for our next visit.