Free Things to Do in Amsterdam

None of this replaces the big-ticket sights covered in the best things to do in Amsterdam, but mixing free activities in between paid ones is how locals actually spend their weekends here.

A quick note before you start: 'free' in Amsterdam usually still means you will want a few euros for a coffee or a snack along the way. Budget loosely, as covered in is Amsterdam expensive and our tips for Amsterdam on a budget.

Take the free ferries across the IJ

The GVB ferries behind Centraal Station are free for pedestrians and cyclists and run frequently, some 24 hours a day. The short hop to Amsterdam Noord takes about four minutes and gets you to NDSM Wharf, EYE Film Museum, and a string of laid-back waterside cafés.

Begijnhof and the Civic Guard Gallery

Tucked just off the busy Kalverstraat shopping street, the Begijnhof is a quiet, tree-lined courtyard of historic almshouses that feels miles from the crowds outside. Entry is free, though visitors are asked to keep noise down since people still live there.

Right next to it, the Amsterdam Museum's Civic Guard Gallery is a covered passage hung with huge seventeenth-century group portraits, and it is open to the public at no charge during museum hours, even without a ticket to the main collection.

Markets, parks and gardens

Wandering a market costs nothing unless you decide to buy something, and Amsterdam has good ones. The Saturday organic market on Noordermarkt in the Jordaan and the sprawling Albert Cuyp Market in De Pijp are both worth an hour, even if you leave empty-handed.

• Vondelpark: Amsterdam's best-known green space, free to enter, occasional free open-air concerts in summer
• Westerpark: a more local alternative with regular free events and markets
• Sarphatipark: a smaller, quieter park in De Pijp
• Amstelpark: less central but good for a genuinely peaceful walk

Free (or nearly free) culture

The Conservatorium van Amsterdam and Sweelinck Academy host free student concerts fairly regularly, and several churches, including the Westerkerk and Oude Kerk, offer free organ recitals at set times. Check listings the week you visit, since schedules shift.

The OBA Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam, the main public library near Centraal Station, has a top-floor café with a genuinely excellent panoramic view of the city, and you do not need a library card to go up and look.

Walk the routes that cost nothing to enjoy

Some of the best things to do in Amsterdam are simply walks. The canal ring itself is free to explore, as is the Jordaan, whose hidden courtyards and narrow streets reward slow wandering more than any paid tour.

In De Pijp, walking from Sarphatipark through to the Albert Cuyp Market and on to the Amstel river gives you a good, free cross-section of a genuinely local neighbourhood. See the neighbourhoods guide for how the districts fit together.

Best times to go for each spot

Timing matters more for free attractions than paid ones, since there is no ticket system to spread crowds out. The ferries queue up badly around evening rush hour on weekdays as commuters cross to Noord, so aim for mid-morning or after 8pm if you want the deck to yourself. The Begijnhof is calmest before 10am, before tour groups pass through from Dam Square. Vondelpark and Sarphatipark are pleasant any time on a weekday, but fill up fast on the first sunny Saturday of the season.

What isn't actually free

A few things get mistaken for free activities and are worth flagging before you turn up expecting no cost. Church interiors like the Oude Kerk and Westerkerk usually charge for entry to the main nave, even though walking past outside and hearing occasional free recitals costs nothing. Canal boat tours, the Amsterdam Dungeon-style attractions around Dam Square, and most 'free walking tours' advertised on the street run on a tips-expected model rather than being genuinely free. Treat any tour badged as free as one where a reasonable tip is the actual price.

Combine free stops with your itinerary

If you are following the 2-day itinerary or 3-day itinerary, it is easy to slot a free activity into a gap between paid museum visits, for instance a Noordermarkt browse before Anne Frank House, or a ferry ride to Noord after an afternoon at the Van Gogh Museum.

A simple free day in Amsterdam

1. Morning: walk the Jordaan and browse Noordermarkt
2. Midday: cross on the free ferry to Amsterdam Noord for lunch you buy yourself
3. Afternoon: wander NDSM Wharf and the EYE terrace
4. Evening: catch the view from the OBA library rooftop before dinner