What to do in Amsterdam when it rains: 15 indoor ideas

Planning a rainy day

Three habits make a rainy day easier. First, book an entry time online: most major museums work with time slots, and some sell no tickets at the door. Next, group your visits by area to limit trips in the rain: Museumplein in the south, the historic centre, and the IJ waterfront north of Centraal Station. Finally, take the tram rather than a bike: the I amsterdam City Card, from €67 for 24 hours, includes GVB public transport and entry to many of the museums listed here.

The major museums on Museumplein

The four Museumplein museums are five minutes' walk from each other: you can do two in a row and barely get wet.

1. The Rijksmuseum

The national museum houses Rembrandt's The Night Watch, Vermeer's The Milkmaid and eight centuries of Dutch art. Allow 2.5 to 3 hours. Open every day from 9am to 5pm; adult ticket €25, free for under-18s, Museumkaart and City Card holders, with an entry time to book in every case.

2. The Van Gogh Museum

More than 200 of the painter's works, from The Potato Eaters to Sunflowers. Adult ticket €25, free for under-18s, only with a time slot booked online; it is not included in the City Card. Opens at 9am, with late opening until 9pm on most Fridays.

3. The Stedelijk Museum

Modern art, design and, from 11 September 2026 to 17 January 2027, a major Yayoi Kusama retrospective. During the exhibition the adult ticket goes from €22.50 to €32.50. Open every day from 10am to 6pm.

4. The Moco Museum

In a 1904 villa, Moco shows Banksy and contemporary artists. One hour is enough. Tickets from €19.95 online, depending on the slot; free with the City Card.

A detailed comparison of the four museums, combined tickets and places for lunch are in our museum quarter guide, linked at the end of this article.

Science and beer: two interactive visits

5. NEMO Science Museum

Renzo Piano's large green, prow-shaped building above the entrance of the IJ tunnel holds five floors of hands-on science experiments. It is the obvious choice with children, but adults get hooked too. Ticket €21.50 from age 4, free with the Museumkaart and the City Card; tickets have an entry time. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5:30pm, and on Mondays during school holidays (in October 2026: Mondays 12, 19 and 26). The museum is often quieter on weekdays after 2pm. Address: Oosterdok 2, 1011 VX Amsterdam. See the NEMO Science Museum guide.

6. The Heineken Experience

In the former brewery at Stadhouderskade 78, ten minutes from Museumplein, the tour tells the story of the brand and of brewing, with a tasting at the end. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours. Tickets from €24.95 (one beer included), €29.95 with access to the rooftop bar. Open 10:30am to 7:30pm Sunday to Thursday (last entry 5:15pm), until 9pm on Friday and Saturday (last entry 6:45pm). The visit is part of the City Card Total Experience, with a time slot booked on the brewery's website. Details in the Heineken Experience guide.

History and heritage under cover

7. The Anne Frank House

The Secret Annex where Anne Frank wrote her diary can only be visited with a ticket bought online for a specific time slot: no tickets are sold at the door. Tickets go on sale every Tuesday at 10am for visits six weeks later. Prices: €16.50 for an adult, €7 for ages 10 to 17, €1 up to age 9 (booking fee included). Usually open every day from 9am to 10pm; entrance at Westermarkt 20. Not included in the City Card. See the Anne Frank House guide.

8. Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder

In the heart of the old centre, a 17th-century merchant's house hides a complete clandestine Catholic church in its attic, with organ and altar. The visit, up narrow stairs, takes about an hour. Adult ticket €18, €7.50 for ages 5 to 17. Open every day from 10am to 6pm (from 11am on the first Sunday of the month, September to June), closed on 25 December and 27 April.

9. The Rembrandt House

The house where Rembrandt lived and worked, Jodenbreestraat 4, recreates his studio, kitchen and cabinet of curiosities, with etching demonstrations. Adult ticket €23.50, or €19.50 between 4pm and 6pm. Open from 10am to 6pm until 31 October 2026, then from 10am to 5pm from 2 November to 18 December. Free with the Museumkaart and the City Card.

10. Het Scheepvaartmuseum

The national maritime museum occupies the former 17th-century Admiralty storehouse on Kattenburgerplein, with a replica of a Dutch East India Company ship moored at its quay. Maps, models and instruments tell four centuries of navigation. Open every day from 10am to 5pm; adult ticket €20, free with the Museumkaart and the City Card.

On the IJ waterfront: cinema and panorama

11. EYE Filmmuseum

Across the IJ, EYE brings together cinemas, an interactive permanent exhibition on how film works and its history, temporary exhibitions and a bar-restaurant facing the water. You get there in under five minutes on the free F3 ferry towards Buiksloterweg, which leaves from behind Centraal Station. Exhibition ticket €16.50, free for under-18s, with the Museumkaart or the City Card (at the box office). Exhibitions are open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 7pm; the bar-restaurant and film screenings take over in the evening. See the EYE Filmmuseum guide.

12. A'DAM Lookout

Right next to EYE, the A'DAM tower offers a 360° view over the city from its top floor. The observation deck and the "Over the Edge" swing are open-air: wait for a dry spell in the indoor panoramic bar. Adult ticket €16.50 online (€18.50 at the door), children aged 4 to 12 €10.50 online; swing supplement €7.50 online, minimum height 1.20 m. Card payment only. See the A'DAM Lookout guide.

Seeing the canals without getting wet

13. A glass-roofed canal cruise

Most Amsterdam cruise boats have a glass roof: rain on the windows does not stop you seeing the canal-side façades, and it even adds atmosphere. Departures cluster around Centraal Station, Damrak and Stadhouderskade, near the Rijksmuseum; allow about an hour. The I amsterdam City Card includes one cruise. Avoid small open boats, which are only pleasant in good weather.

Eating and drinking in the dry

14. De Hallen and the Foodhallen

In a former tram depot in the Oud-West district, De Hallen combines a cinema, shops and the Foodhallen, a hall with around twenty street-food counters. The Foodhallen are open every day from noon to 11pm (closed on 25 December), at Hannie Dankbaarpassage 16. Ideal for lunch in a group without a reservation. See the De Hallen guide.

15. Brown cafés

Dark wood panelling, candles, draught beer and jenever: the brown café (bruin café) is the natural refuge on a rainy afternoon. Three historic addresses: Café Hoppe (Spui 18-20), founded in 1670; Café 't Smalle (Egelantiersgracht 12), a former distillery from 1786, in the Jordaan; and In 't Aepjen (Zeedijk 1), set in one of the city's last two wooden houses. Arrive early in the afternoon to get a table.

The 15 ideas at a glance

Prices noted in October 2026.

Further reading

To plan a full day in the south of the city, read our museum quarter guide, which compares tickets and the City Card. And to choose the least rainy season before booking, see the best time to visit Amsterdam.