In short: which season to choose?
- For tulips and atmosphere: mid-April to early May. It is the season of Keukenhof, of King's Day on 27 April and of terraces reopening. It is also the most expensive and busiest time of spring.
- For sunshine and evenings outdoors: May to August. May is the sunniest month of the year; July and August are the warmest, but also the busiest and, contrary to popular belief, fairly wet.
- For a good compromise: September, still mild, with fewer people than in summer.
- For tight budgets: January to March, outside school holidays, when hotels lower their rates and museums are quieter. The Light Festival lights up the canals until mid-January.
Amsterdam weather month by month
The figures below are the 1991-2020 averages of the KNMI station at Schiphol, the closest reference station to the city: average maximum and minimum temperatures, total rainfall, hours of sunshine. About 850 mm of rain falls each year, spread over all twelve months: each month has between 9 and 14 days with at least 1 mm of rain. The wind, often strong in winter, makes the cold feel sharper, especially on a bike and along the IJ waterfront.
| Month | Max / min | Rain | Sunshine | Crowds | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6 / 1 °C | 67 mm | 69 h | Low | Light Festival until 17 January 2027, sales |
| February | 7 / 1 °C | 55 mm | 94 h | Low | Quietest month, low hotel prices |
| March | 10 / 3 °C | 52 mm | 146 h | Medium | Keukenhof opens on 18 March 2027 |
| April | 14 / 5 °C | 40 mm | 198 h | Very high | Tulips, King's Day on 27 April 2027 |
| May | 18 / 9 °C | 54 mm | 231 h | High | 4 and 5 May (Remembrance and Liberation Day), Keukenhof closes on 9 May |
| June | 20 / 11 °C | 65 mm | 217 h | High | Longest days, terraces |
| July | 23 / 14 °C | 82 mm | 225 h | Very high | Summer holidays, Pride starts on 31 July 2027 |
| August | 22 / 13 °C | 99 mm | 204 h | Very high | Canal Parade on 7 August 2027, wettest month |
| September | 19 / 11 °C | 84 mm | 154 h | Medium to high | Mild late season |
| October | 15 / 8 °C | 87 mm | 117 h | Medium | Amsterdam Dance Event (21-25 October 2026) |
| November | 10 / 5 °C | 85 mm | 67 h | Low | Museumnacht (7 November 2026), Light Festival from the 26th |
| December | 7 / 2 °C | 82 mm | 58 h | Medium | Light Festival, festive markets, New Year's Eve |
KNMI 1991-2020 averages (Schiphol); event dates checked in October 2026. Spring is the driest season: April gets only 40 mm of rain on average, less than half as much as August.
Spring (March to May): tulips and King's Day
Spring is the most popular season in Amsterdam. Days lengthen quickly, sunshine rises from 146 hours in March to 231 hours in May, and the city fills with flowers. Temperatures stay cool: 14 °C on average in the afternoon in April, 5 °C early in the morning. Bring a warm jacket and a windproof layer, even on sunny days.
Keukenhof and the flower fields
Keukenhof, the large flower park in Lisse, only opens for a few weeks a year: from 18 March to 9 May 2027, daily from 8am to 7pm. Tulips usually peak from mid to late April, depending on the winter weather; hyacinths and daffodils bloom earlier, from late March. Around the park, the fields of the bulb region (Bollenstreek) form long strips of colour that you can see from the road and by bike. In the city itself, the Tulp Festival brings tulips to parks and gardens throughout April. Buy your Keukenhof tickets online in advance, especially for April weekends.
King's Day on 27 April
King's Day (Koningsdag) falls on Tuesday 27 April 2027. The whole city dresses in orange, the vrijmarkt turns the pavements into a flea market and the canals fill with boats. It is a unique day, but also the busiest of the year: hotels fully booked and pricier months ahead, the centre closed to cars, public transport disrupted. If you are after peace and museums, avoid the week of 27 April.
In early May, on the evening of 4 May, the Netherlands observes two minutes of silence in memory of the war dead, with a ceremony on Dam Square; on 5 May, Liberation Day, free festivals are held across the country.
Summer (June to August): long evenings and Pride
In June the sun sets after 10pm and daylight lasts almost 17 hours: it is the best season to stroll along the canals, rent a boat or picnic in the Vondelpark. Highs are around 20 to 23 °C; days above 30 °C remain rare, 3 to 4 a year on average.
Summer is also peak tourist season: museums fully booked at peak times, queues at the best-known sights, expensive hotels. Book your museum tickets online several days ahead. August is also the wettest month of the year, and July gets twice as much rain as April: showers are often short, but keep a fallback plan in mind; our list of things to do in Amsterdam when it rains suggests about fifteen.
Amsterdam Pride runs from 31 July to 8 August 2027, with the Canal Parade, a boat parade along the Prinsengracht and the Amstel, on Saturday 7 August 2027. That weekend the centre is packed and accommodation prices soar.
Autumn (September to November): festivals and golden light
September extends summer with highs close to 19 °C and crowds that thin out once schools go back. It is often the best balance of weather, crowds and prices. From October the weather becomes windier and wetter, and the days get noticeably shorter.
Autumn is still full of events: the Amsterdam Dance Event, an electronic music festival in hundreds of clubs and venues, takes place from 21 to 25 October 2026 and fills the hotels; Museumnacht opens dozens of museums in the evening on Saturday 7 November 2026, with a single ticket. November is one of the quietest months, ideal for museums, until the Light Festival opens.
Winter (December to February): Light Festival and low prices
Winter is grey, damp and short on daylight: the sun sets around 4:30pm in December, and there are barely 58 hours of sunshine in the whole month. On average there is frost on about ten days a month in January and February, but severe cold is rare and snow usually does not settle. On the plus side, museums are quieter and hotels much cheaper, especially in January and February.
The Amsterdam Light Festival lights up the canals from 26 November 2026 to 17 January 2027, every evening from 4:30pm to 11pm; the artworks can be seen for free on foot, or on a cruise from €29.75. At the end of December the city fills up for the holidays and New Year's Eve: prices then rise sharply.
Budget: when hotels are cheapest
Room prices closely follow crowd levels and the events calendar. The lowest rates are found in January and February (outside school holidays), then in November; the highest cluster around King's Day, April and May weekends, summer, Pride, the Amsterdam Dance Event and New Year's Eve. In Amsterdam, the tourist tax is 12.5% of the room price excluding VAT, and since 1 January 2026 VAT on accommodation has risen from 9% to 21%: check whether the price shown includes these taxes (prices checked in October 2026).
- Book early for event dates: three to six months ahead is not excessive for King's Day or Pride.
- Favour midweek stays: Sunday to Thursday nights are often cheaper than weekend nights.
- Compare neighbourhoods: our guide on where to stay in Amsterdam covers well-connected areas outside the very centre.
To estimate the total cost of a stay (transport, museums, meals), see our article on the budget for a trip to Amsterdam.
What to pack
- A waterproof jacket with a hood, handier than an umbrella in windy weather, in every season.
- Several layers: even in summer, evenings by the water are cool.
- Good closed shoes for cobblestones and bridges, and footwear that can handle rain.
- In winter, a hat, gloves and scarf, especially for a cruise on an open boat.
Further reading
To plan your stay once you have picked your dates, follow our Amsterdam in 3 days itinerary and prepare a plan B for rainy days. If you are aiming for spring, read our page on Keukenhof to book at the right time; in winter, our page on the Amsterdam Light Festival details the route and the cruises.
