Amsterdam in 2 nights and 3 days: canals, booked museums, Zaanse Schans and getting around

How to split 2 nights and 3 days

The Dutch capital is a city of water whose canal belt, created in the 17th century to keep the sea at bay, is UNESCO-protected. The guide suggests 2 to 3 nights.

Spend the first day around Dam Square and the canal belt, the second at the museums on Museumplein and the third at the Zaanse Schans windmills and in the Jordaan. The Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House all use timed entry, so book tickets as soon as your dates are set.

The tourist board names mid-March to early May as tulip season and July-August as the warmest months (average around 22 °C). Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that rain is frequent and the weather changes often within a day, so bring a jacket in any season.

• Day 1: airport → Centraal → Dam Square and the Royal Palace → Begijnhof → the canal belt around sunset
• Day 2: Rijksmuseum → Vondelpark → Van Gogh Museum → dinner in De Pijp
• Day 3: Zaanse Schans → Jordaan canals → Anne Frank House → airport

• Amsterdam travel guide →
• Choosing your first European city →

Schiphol Airport to the city

According to NS, eight Sprinter trains an hour run to Amsterdam Centraal via Sloterdijk and Lelylaan. The trip to Centraal takes about 17 minutes, and trains usually leave from platform 3.

Buy a ticket online from NS (no booking fee) or at station machines, or simply tap in with a contactless bank card (OVpay). Check in at the poles at Schiphol and check out at the gates at Centraal. Check the single fare officially in the NS Journey Planner. The Amsterdam Travel Ticket, which includes the airport train, is EUR 18 for 1 day.

If you stay in the Museum Quarter, airport bus 397 (Amsterdam Airport Express) is handy. According to the Van Gogh Museum it stops at Museumplein, and the N97 runs at night. The Amsterdam Travel Ticket is valid on both. Check fares and travel times officially.

Take a taxi from the official taxi rank at the airport. The tourist board advises against rides from drivers soliciting inside the airport, as they are not officially approved. Licensed taxis have blue number plates and a roof sign and charge by the meter (starting rate around EUR 4.15; check official info). Ask for a receipt.

• NS Sprinter: 8 trains an hour, about 17 min to Centraal, usually platform 3
• Single train fare: check officially in the NS Journey Planner
• Buses 397 and N97: check fares and times officially (Travel Ticket valid)
• Taxi: official rank, blue plates, metered, ask for a receipt

• Airport to city: train, bus or taxi? →

Getting around: OVpay, the GVB daily cap and travel tickets

On trams, buses, metro and trains, tap a contactless debit or credit card or a phone wallet on the reader when you board and tap the same card again when you get off (OVpay). Check in and out every time you change, including between operators. According to the tourist board, public transport does not take cash.

GVB runs the city's trams, buses, metro and ferries. According to the tourist board (updated June 2026), if you use only GVB with OVpay you pay at most EUR 10.50 a day. GVB unlimited tickets for one to seven days are also available, valid from your first check-in. Check amounts officially.

To include the airport train, look at the NS Amsterdam Travel Ticket (EUR 18 for 1 day, EUR 24 for 2 days, EUR 30 for 3 days); for nearby places such as Zaanse Schans, the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket (2026: EUR 23 for 1 day, EUR 34 for 2 days, EUR 44 for 3 days) fits better. For both, each day starts at midnight and runs until 4 a.m. the next morning.

Trams do not go beyond the city limits, so they do not reach Schiphol. The IJ ferries behind Centraal are free.

• OVpay: tap on boarding, getting off and every change; no cash
• GVB only: at most EUR 10.50 a day (tourist board, updated June 2026; check official info)
• Amsterdam Travel Ticket: EUR 18 for 1 day, EUR 24 for 2 days, EUR 30 for 3 days
• Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket (2026): EUR 23 for 1 day, EUR 34 for 2 days, EUR 44 for 3 days
• IJ ferries: free

• Paying abroad: cash vs card vs travel card →

Day 1: Dam Square, the Royal Palace, the Begijnhof and the canals

From Centraal, head to Dam Square. The Royal Palace is King Willem-Alexander's official reception palace; in 2026 it opens on more than 230 days from 10 a.m., but only on set days, so check the official calendar. Adults EUR 13.50 (audio tour included), 17 and under free.

The nearby Begijnhof is a tranquil courtyard dating back to the 14th century, once home to religious women who took a vow of chastity. Entry is free, but the garden door is open only during the day, and people still live here, so please be quiet.

Around sunset, walk the canal belt. It is especially lovely after dark when the bridges are lit up, and a canal cruise takes you past the tilting canal houses and shows the city from the water. Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns of frequent pickpockets around the stations and Dam Square, so watch your bags.

• Royal Palace: check opening days on the official calendar; adults EUR 13.50, 17 and under free
• Begijnhof: free, open during the day only, keep quiet
• Canal belt: bridges lit after dark, canal cruise
• Watch for pickpockets around the stations and Dam Square

Day 2: book the museums first

Start at the Rijksmuseum, home to Rembrandt's Night Watch and Vermeer's Milkmaid. It is open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m., including public holidays. Booking a start time is required; adults EUR 25, 18 and under free. The garden is free to visit.

Take a break in Vondelpark, first opened in 1865, then visit the Van Gogh Museum in the afternoon. Tickets are sold online only, and every visitor needs a ticket with a start time. Adults EUR 25, under 18 free; hours vary by date (usually 9 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m., Fridays until 9 p.m.). The museum warns of fraudulent tickets and asks you to buy only from its official site or official resellers.

Have dinner in De Pijp. The Albert Cuypmarkt, the largest outdoor market in the Netherlands with 260 stands, runs through the neighbourhood and is closed on Sundays.

• Rijksmuseum: daily 9-17, start time booking required, adults EUR 25
• Van Gogh Museum: online-only timed tickets, adults EUR 25, official sellers only
• Tram 2, 5 or 24 or bus 397 to Museumplein
• Albert Cuypmarkt: closed Sundays

Day 3: the Zaanse Schans windmills and the Anne Frank House

Take a morning train to the windmill village of Zaanse Schans. The local train from Centraal to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans takes about 17 minutes, then it is about a 15-minute walk; bus 800 takes about 24 minutes (every 15 minutes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). The village is free to walk around, most locations open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and most windmills are open to visitors from April to October. The Ticket Zaanse Schans, covering museums and two windmills among others, costs EUR 29.50 for adults and EUR 20 for ages 4-17.

Back in the city in the afternoon, walk the Jordaan canal streets such as Prinsengracht and Brouwersgracht. The Noordermarkt hosts a farmers' and flea market on Saturday mornings and a flea market on Mondays.

End with your pre-booked Anne Frank House visit. Entry is by online timed ticket only, with no sales at the door. Every Tuesday at 10 a.m. CEST, tickets for six weeks later are released. It is open daily 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; adults EUR 16.50, ages 10-17 EUR 7, ages 0-9 EUR 1 (including a EUR 1 booking fee), card payment only. The entrance is at Westermarkt 20; take tram 13 or 17 to Westermarkt.

• Zaanse Schans: train about 17 min + walk about 15 min, or bus 800 about 24 min
• Ticket Zaanse Schans: adults EUR 29.50, ages 4-17 EUR 20 (walking the village is free)
• Anne Frank House: tickets released Tuesdays at 10 a.m. for six weeks later, no door sales, adults EUR 16.50
• For trips outside the city: the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket

Checklist before you go, and emergency numbers

In an emergency call 112 (operators speak English). For non-urgent police matters call 0900-8844. Check your government's current travel advice for the Netherlands before you go.

According to the tourist boards, credit cards are not accepted everywhere, so a debit card and a little cash help. Cash payments are rounded to the nearest 5 cents, and smaller shops may refuse EUR 100 and 200 notes.

Smoking cannabis in public is banned in the old centre (Red Light District, Nieuwmarkt and Dam Square), and drinking alcohol is prohibited in most public places in the city; fines can apply. Do not take photos or videos in the Red Light District. If you cycle, use the bike lane on the right-hand side of the road, cross tram rails at a sharp angle and use front and rear lights after dark.

Check official information before travel for entry requirements (visas, ETIAS and so on). Flight availability and schedules between Incheon and Amsterdam can change, so check with the airline. Hotels fill up fast around Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), held every October.

• Emergency 112; non-urgent police 0900-8844
• Debit card plus a little cash; cash is rounded to 5 cents
• No public drinking or cannabis in the old centre; no photos in the Red Light District
• Entry requirements (ETIAS and so on): check official info

• Full Amsterdam travel guide →
• Frankfurt on a layover or in one day →

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