3 Days in Amsterdam: The Complete Itinerary

Before you go: what to book

Two visits need planning several weeks ahead; the others can be booked a few days before.

• Anne Frank House: tickets are sold online only, never at the door. Every Tuesday at 10am, all tickets for a day six weeks later go on sale, and high-season slots sell out fast. Expect €16.50 per adult, €7 for ages 10 to 17 and €1 for under-10s (including a €1 booking fee). Tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded.
• Rijksmuseum: €25 per adult, free for under-18s. Every visitor must book an entry time, Museumkaart holders included.
• Van Gogh Museum: €25 per adult, free for under-18s. Each ticket is valid for a set date and entry time, with a limited number of places per slot: book as soon as your dates are fixed.

For details on the collections and time slots, see our guides to the Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum.

The plan at a glance

Fit the Anne Frank House around your ticket: it opens daily from 9am to 10pm, so it also works at the end of the day.

Day 1: the historic centre and the canals

Morning: from Dam Square to the Begijnhof

Start on Dam Square, about ten minutes' walk from Central Station. The Royal Palace and the Nieuwe Kerk line the square: a look from outside is enough if you are saving your energy for the museums. Then walk south down Kalverstraat to the Begijnhof, an enclosed courtyard ringed by old houses where the Beguines once lived. Entry is free, through the gate on Gedempte Begijnensloot, daily from 9.30am to 6pm. People still live here: silence is requested and guided groups are not allowed.

Afternoon: the Nine Streets and the Anne Frank House

Head west along the Singel to the Nine Streets (De 9 Straatjes), nine short streets linking the main canals between the Singel and the Prinsengracht. Independent shops, vintage stores and cafés line them; it is a good place for lunch. Then walk up the Prinsengracht to the Anne Frank House, whose entrance is at Westermarkt 20. Allow about an hour in the Secret Annex, where the Frank family hid from 1942 to 1944. Arrive a few minutes before your slot: the time on the ticket is strictly applied.

Evening: the Jordaan

The Jordaan begins on the other side of the Prinsengracht. A former working-class district that is now one of the most sought-after in the city, it is best explored along the Bloemgracht, the Egelantiersgracht and their side streets, with brown cafés and hidden courtyards. Our guide to the Jordaan lists addresses and a walking route.

Day 2: museums, Vondelpark and De Pijp

Morning: the Rijksmuseum

Take the tram to Museumplein (lines 2 and 12 from the centre, Rijksmuseum or Van Baerlestraat stops). The Rijksmuseum, Museumstraat 1, opens daily from 9am to 5pm. Book a slot at opening time and head straight for the Gallery of Honour, home to Rembrandt's The Night Watch and the Vermeers, before the tour groups arrive. Two to three hours are enough for the main 17th-century rooms.

Afternoon: the Van Gogh Museum and Vondelpark

Have lunch around Museumplein, then cross the lawn to the Van Gogh Museum, Museumplein 6. In October 2026 it opens daily from 9am to 6pm, until 9pm on Fridays, with last entry half an hour before closing. Allow two hours to follow the collection in chronological order. Afterwards, walk five minutes to Vondelpark: ponds, wide lawns and cycle paths, free to enter.

Evening: De Pijp

De Pijp, east of Museumplein, is the district of café terraces and food from around the world. The Albert Cuyp Market sets up its stalls from Monday to Saturday, 9.30am to 5pm (closed Sundays): go before closing if you want a warm stroopwafel or raw herring. De Pijp station on metro line 52 then takes you back to Central Station in a few stops.

Day 3: Amsterdam-Noord or a day trip, then the Jewish quarter

Option 1: the free ferry to Noord

Behind Central Station, on the IJ side, three free GVB ferries cross the river: the F2 to IJplein, the F3 to Buiksloterweg and the F4 to the NDSM shipyard. They carry pedestrians and cyclists with no ticket needed. The F3, which runs day and night, drops you at the foot of A'DAM Lookout, IJpromenade 4. The observation deck costs €16.50 online and €18.50 at the door (children aged 4 to 12: €10.50 and €12.50), and the swing over the edge is an extra €7.50 online. Then head back to the station and take the F4 to NDSM, a former shipyard turned into a district of studios, street art and waterside cafés.

Option 2: Zaanse Schans or Keukenhof

If you prefer the countryside, the local train runs from Central Station to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans station in about 17 minutes, followed by a walk of around fifteen minutes to the windmills. The site is free to enter; the museums and windmill interiors charge admission. Everything is explained in our Zaanse Schans guide. In spring, swap this trip for Keukenhof in Lisse: the gardens will open from 18 March to 9 May 2027, daily from 8am to 7pm (last entry 6.15pm).

Afternoon: the Jewish quarter

Back in the centre, head for the Waterlooplein area. The Jewish Cultural Quarter brings together the Jewish Museum, the Portuguese Synagogue, the National Holocaust Museum and the Hollandsche Schouwburg. The combined ticket for all four sites costs €30 per adult, and the duo ticket for the Jewish Museum and the synagogue €20; tickets bought at the desk cost €2 more. For a lighter last afternoon, the duo ticket is enough: the Portuguese Synagogue, completed in the 17th century, is still lit by candles, with no electricity.

Getting around for three days

Central Amsterdam is easy to cover on foot; trams and the metro are mainly useful for Museumplein, De Pijp and getting back to your hotel. The city network is run by GVB. Prices recorded in October 2026:

• 1-hour ticket: €3.40, valid on trams, buses and the metro for one hour.
• 24-hour ticket: €10.
• 72-hour ticket: €21.50, a good fit for this itinerary if you are staying outside the centre.

You can also tap in directly with a contactless bank card, as long as you check in and out with the same card. Cycling is the other good option: stay on cycle paths, obey traffic lights, park only at bike racks and always lock the frame with a sturdy lock. Our guide to getting around Amsterdam compares every option.

Budget for three days

Prices recorded in October 2026. Skip A'DAM Lookout and choose the Jewish quarter duo ticket, and the total drops to €108. The Begijnhof, the Nine Streets, the Jordaan, Vondelpark, the Albert Cuyp Market and NDSM cost nothing.

Further reading

If your stay is shorter, follow our 2 days in Amsterdam itinerary or our plan for one day in Amsterdam. To make more of the museum day, read our guide to the museum quarter.