Shopping in Amsterdam: The Best Streets, Shops and Markets

Amsterdam's shopping streets at a glance

The table below compares the main shopping areas. Price levels are a rough guide: every street mixes affordable shops with more expensive ones.

Information checked in October 2026 on the websites of I amsterdam, GVB and the shops mentioned.

Kalverstraat, Nieuwendijk and De Bijenkorf: shopping around the Dam

Dam Square is the easiest place to start. Two pedestrian streets lead off it: the Nieuwendijk to the north, towards Centraal station, and the Kalverstraat to the south, as far as the Muntplein. Together they form the busiest shopping axis in the city. You will mostly find the fashion chains present in every major European city, such as H&M, Zara and Uniqlo, along with shoe, sports and mobile phone shops. On Saturday afternoons the crowd moves at a crawl: come in the morning or on a weekday if you want to compare at your leisure.

On the corner of the Damrak, opposite the National Monument, De Bijenkorf (Dam 1, 1012 JS Amsterdam) is Amsterdam's historic department store. The business started in 1870 as a small haberdashery. The ground floor brings together luxury boutiques, including Louis Vuitton, Hermès and Gucci, and the upper floors offer fashion, leather goods, homeware, luggage and electronics. The store also has a patisserie, a bar and a restaurant, as well as a tax-free desk for non-EU visitors. It opens on Monday from 11 am to 9 pm, Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 9 pm and on Sunday from 10 am to 8 pm.

The Muntplein and the flower market

At the end of the Kalverstraat, the Munttoren, the Mint Tower, built on the remains of an old city gate, towers over the Muntplein. Right next to it, the flower market, or Bloemenmarkt, lines up its stalls standing on the Singel as far as the Koningsplein. Today it mainly sells tulip bulbs, seeds and souvenirs rather than cut flowers.

Bulbs are no problem if you are returning to a European Union country. For other destinations, check before you buy: the United States, for example, only accepts bulbs free of soil, accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Dutch authority, and after inspection on arrival. Ask the seller whether the packs come with this certificate, and declare them at customs.

From the Muntplein, trams 4 and 14 and metro 52 stop at Rokin, a few minutes' walk away.

The Nine Streets and the canal ring

The Nine Streets, or De 9 Straatjes, are nine short cross streets between the Singel and the Prinsengracht, halfway between the Dam and the Leidseplein. The local shopkeepers' association counts more than 250 shops, cafés, restaurants, hotels and galleries. This is the place for small brands, second-hand clothing, accessories and homeware, set up on the ground floors of old houses. Most shops open every day, from around 10 or 11 am until 6 or 7 pm, and from 12 noon on Sundays.

A little further north, on the Leliegracht, The Otherist (Leliegracht 6) is a cabinet of curiosities that also sells jewellery and accessories. Further west, the small cross streets of the Jordaan, between the Bloemgracht and the Egelantiersgracht, are home to galleries, workshops and neighbourhood shops.

South of the canal ring, around the Nieuwe Spiegelstraat and the Spiegelgracht, the Spiegelkwartier brings together more than 70 antique dealers and galleries, on the way to the Rijksmuseum. Tram 7 stops at Spiegelgracht.

Haarlemmerstraat and Haarlemmerdijk: independent brands

West of Centraal station, the Haarlemmerstraat continues as the Haarlemmerdijk, a long shopping street that runs all the way to the Westerpark. The atmosphere is less touristy than on the Kalverstraat: shoes, independent brands, second-hand clothing, specialist food, homeware, with plenty of cafés and restaurants between the shops. The concept store Atelier Sukha (Haarlemmerstraat 110) sells clothing and homeware handmade in Nepal and India, alongside Dutch brands.

Allow about 10 minutes on foot from Amsterdam Centraal. The street runs along the northern edge of the Jordaan: on Saturdays, combine it with the Noordermarkt market, a few minutes' walk away.

Leidsestraat and P.C. Hooftstraat: fashion and luxury

The Leidsestraat links the Koningsplein to the Leidseplein. Trams 2 and 24 run along it, with stops where it crosses the Keizersgracht and the Prinsengracht. It is home to fashion and shoe chains a notch above those on the Kalverstraat. The pavements are narrow and the trams pass right by the shop windows: take care when crossing.

Beyond the Singelgracht, near the Museumplein, the P.C. Hooftstraat has been the luxury street since the 1970s. Over a few hundred metres you will find houses such as Hermès, Gucci, Ralph Lauren and Max Mara, as well as jewellers. The neighbouring streets, the Van Baerlestraat and the Willemsparkweg, are home to Dutch designers. Tram 2 stops at Van Baerlestraat; the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum are five minutes' walk away, so you can combine a museum and shopping in the same half-day.

Utrechtsestraat: concept stores and record shops

East of the canal ring, the Utrechtsestraat runs from the Rembrandtplein down to the Frederiksplein. Quieter than the streets of the centre, it is lined with concept stores, fashion boutiques, homeware shops and restaurants. Two addresses are easy to spot:

• Concerto (Utrechtsestraat 52-60): a record shop on the street since 1955, which now occupies five neighbouring houses. New and second-hand vinyl and CDs, from pop to classical.
• MaisonNL (Utrechtsestraat 118): a small shop selling objects, ceramics and home accessories.

Tram 4 serves the Frederiksplein, at the southern end of the street; to the north, the Rembrandtplein is five minutes' walk from the Muntplein.

De Pijp, De Hallen and Amsterdam-Noord: shopping outside the centre

In De Pijp, the Albert Cuyp market fills the Albert Cuypstraat from Monday to Saturday, 9.30 am to 5 pm, with around 260 stalls: fresh produce, cheese, fabrics, clothing, accessories. The neighbouring streets, such as the Gerard Doustraat, have designer and homeware shops; ANNA+NINA (Gerard Doustraat 94) sells colourful ceramics, homeware and jewellery. The De Pijp metro 52 station comes out at the end of the market.

In the Oud-West neighbourhood, De Hallen, a former tram depot, brings together a food hall, a cinema and shops under one glass roof. You will find Denim City, devoted to jeans, The Maker Store, which sells craftspeople's work, and The Gathershop (Hannie Dankbaarpassage 19), with handmade jewellery and objects from small design studios. The passage is open every day and regularly hosts themed markets. It is a good option on a rainy day.

For vintage and flea markets, look elsewhere: the Waterlooplein flea market, the Monday flea market on the Noordermarkt and the IJ-Hallen at NDSM in Amsterdam-Noord, covered in our guide to second-hand and vintage shops, listed at the end of this article.

Opening hours, payment and tax-free shopping

When to go shopping

In the centre, most shops open every day, including Sundays. Typical hours run from 10 or 11 am to 6 or 7 pm on weekdays; on Monday mornings, some shops only open at midday. On Sundays, shops generally open around 12 noon. Thursday is late-night shopping (koopavond): many stores on the Kalverstraat and the Nieuwendijk stay open until 9 pm. Independent shops set their own hours, and those in residential neighbourhoods are more often closed on Sundays.

Opening hours checked in October 2026; they may change on public holidays.

Paying

Bank cards and contactless payment are accepted almost everywhere, including for small amounts and at most market stalls. Some shops even accept cards only. Still, keep a little cash for the markets. The details are in our guide to money, payment and tipping in Amsterdam.

Tax-free shopping for non-EU residents

If you live outside the European Union, you can reclaim VAT (21% at the standard rate) on purchases you take home in your luggage:

• the amount paid must be at least €50, including VAT;
• since 1 January 2026, the invoice is registered digitally in the shop, with your name and passport number: ask for tax-free when you pay;
• the claim is validated by Dutch customs via the NL Customs VAT app when you leave the EU, with the goods on you;
• it must be made within three months following the month of purchase.

Not all shops offer tax-free shopping: ask before you go to the till. Department stores such as De Bijenkorf have a dedicated desk.

Further reading

Shopping combines easily with sightseeing in the centre: the Nine Streets, the Kalverstraat and the flower market can all be covered on foot in the same day. To pick the right market day, see our guide to Amsterdam's markets. To hunt for second-hand clothing, follow our selection of second-hand and vintage shops. And if you are mainly looking for cheese or bulbs to take home, the Albert Cuyp market and the Bloemenmarkt are the most convenient places.