Top 5 Cool and Non-touristy things to do in Amsterdam – Updated 2024
Are you thinking about a trip to Amsterdam and you are not sure what to see? Do you want to do some cool things other than going to smoke to a coffee shop and walking in the Red Light District?
If the answer to any of the questions is YES, then you are in the right place, welcome to the post of cool things to do in Amsterdam
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Our Life in Amsterdam – Cool things to do in Amsterdam –
We lived in Amsterdam for over a year and to be honest, we miss this city a bit. In general, we can share more positive than negative things.
Who knows, maybe when we decide to settle down and stop travelling around the world (when?), we might come back to Amsterdam again. There are definitely so many cool things to do in Amsterdam and we really enjoyed our time.
Well, we just mentioned our trip around the world and yes we are travelling right now when you are reading this post, check out where exactly with this link
Anyway, as we mentioned, we lived in Amsterdam for some time and for this reason, we had a chance to explore this amazing city in a more detailed version.
Of course, we visited all the classic tourist places, however, we also wanted to share with you our list of Top 5 cool and non-touristy things to do in Amsterdam which are also frequently visited by local people.
Whenever our family or friends visited us in Amsterdam, we tried to show them more of ‘our‘ Amsterdam which we discovered over the year.
Clearly, if you are coming to Amsterdam for a few days, first you should definitely visit the most popular places like the Red Light District, Heineken Experience, Jewish Quarter with Anne Frank House , or Rijksmuseum.
However, if you are staying more days and you are a bit bored of doing the same things in Amsterdam, this list can help you.
Our Tip: If you want to help keep the world as clean as possible on your travels, you should use reusable bottles to try to reduce the use of plastic in the world.
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1. Cafe Hoppe– Cool things to do in Amsterdam –
We start our cool list of things to do with one of the oldest coffee shops in Amsterdam, the beautiful Cafe Hoppe.
It was first opened in 1670 and it might seem that you return to the past. Antique wooden furniture, sand on the floor (probably to absorb the liquid or water from the shoes) and good draft beer make this place a must-see destination.
This place is loved by the Dutch themselves and they still frequent it. Even the Dutch Queen visited this Cafe when she was young.
Although Cafe Hoppe is located on one of the main streets in the city, many tourists miss this place since there are a lot of other bars and restaurants around.
The truth is that this is definitely a unique place where you should come for a nice beer and mythical bitterballen.
2. Dappermarkt – Cool things to do in Amsterdam –
If you have already visited the popular market Albert Cuyp and you are a fan of markets in general, this place should be on your list to visit.
Dappermarkt is located in the Oost neighborhood and from our personal experience, you can find better prices for the same products as in other more popular places.
They offer a variety of fruits, vegetables and spices from all over the world. It is located in a very cosmopolitan neighbourhood and thanks to its vendors of different nationalities you can find practically everything from Dutch cheese to Arabic spices.
Moreover, if you continue to walk to the end of the market, you will find our 3rd cool and non-touristy thing to do in Amsterdam.
Tip: If you are visiting this market, a few steps away you can find an authentic gem of this city- Oosterpark Amsterdam. It is a perfect place to take a break or have a picnic during the summer.
3. Brouwerij ‘t IJ – Cool things to do in Amsterdam –
Brouwerij’t IJ is definitely one of our favourite places in Amsterdam and as we mentioned before you can find it just at the end of Dappermarkt.
If you are a beer lover and you want to see classic windmills in Amsterdam, Brouwerij ‘t IJ is the perfect place for you!
Basically, there was a brewery created in the old windmill and as we love beer, we would definitely recommend you to visit this cool place.
Although it is a very popular place by the local people, it is quite outside of the classic tourist routes which makes it a perfect place to enjoy the beer in nice atmosphere.
As it is a brewery, they offer a wide range of beers and you can also opt for the Tasting Beer option, which gives you the opportunity to try the five most popular beers. You can also accompany your beer with some Dutch cheese, salami, and other local delicatessens.
It is definitely a special place as there are only a few windmills in Amsterdam. We believe that overall there are three so if you don’t have time to visit the popular Zaanse Schans, this is a good option for you to see a classic Dutch windmill.
4. Park Somerlust– Cool things to do in Amsterdam –
Park Somerlust is for us an authentic gem if you want to relax a bit being in the city.
It is located between Oost and Zuid neighborhood and it is about 10 minute’s walk from Amstel Metro/train station.
It is a perfect place for sunny days because it has a green area that directly overlooks the Amstel River. We can assure you that you are probably not going to find any tourists, however, during summer weekends it is full of locals and it becomes an awesome party.
Our tip is to bring a drink or something to eat in case you want to have a picnic although there are several restaurants nearby.
We totally recommend this place if you want to rest from the city.
5. Rent a Boat– Travel resources
Being in Amsterdam, you shouldn’t forget to make a turn in its fantastic canals. It is a classic Amsterdam experience so you can explore the city from a different perspective and see all the houseboats parked on the sides.
Most of the tourists take the classic guided boat tour along the canals of Amsterdam. Yes, we also did it when we came the first time.
However, we found a much cooler option to rent a boat and drive it yourself. It is definitely a fun thing to do in Amsterdam when you can rent your own little boat and go around whenever you want.
The best part is when you see all the tourist boats going around the same canals bored from the vocal guidance.
There are several companies from which you can rent a boat in Amsterdam without any problems. The price (2023) is around 95 – 120 EUR/per boat for 2 hours +150 deposit (usually one boat fits up to 7-9 people).
In reality, if you are a group of five people, you are paying the same price as you would pay for a guided tour for one hour.
But trust us having your own boat and driving it whenever you want is much more fun!
Here we leave you two of the best companies for renting a boat in Amsterdam and which we also personally used: Mokumboat and Adams boats
Recommended Tours in Amsterdam– Travel resources
And while you are visiting all these amazing places, hire a professional photographer and keep the memory of your trip forever.
Our tip: When we travel we always make sure to have travel insurance. Our personal recommendation is Truetraveller as they have great support and health coverage around the world. And don’t worry if you forget about it, you can purchase the insurance during your trip!
Conclusions – Travel resources
These are the fun and cool things to do in Amsterdam and we recommend them if you want to have a little adventure and explore the city from a different perspective.
We are sure that there are many other things to do in Amsterdam so feel free to write us an email or comment below with your suggestions and experiences.
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