Budget tour of Amsterdam

Curious how you can visit Amsterdam affordably? Plan a low budget trip to Amsterdam with these tips.

A day trip to the Dutch capital of Amsterdam can be quite pricy. In the vibrant centre of Amsterdam, transport, food and admission to popular attractions don’t come cheap. How can you keep the trip affordable without having to avoid the city centre? Plan a low budget tour in Amsterdam with the following tips.

Amsterdam by foot and by bike

Forget about canal cruises and expensive cab rides. Amsterdam is an ideal city to explore by foot. For instance, it only takes 20 minutes to walk from the Central Station to the Waterlooplein, the Westerpark or the ‘Jordaan’ district. You can find free walking tours of the city’s most popular districts and attractions online, and at VVV (Tourist Information) offices in the city. It is even more fun to explore the city by bike. Because rental bikes are widely available, prices are relatively low. Do watch out for busy traffic and the treacherous tram rails!

Free boat ride

Don’t want to miss out on the chance of taking a trip by boat? Free ferry services leave from the Central Station several times per hour. These ferries can take you across the IJ river and back. A fun and low budget alternative to the expensive canal cruises. One of the destinations that can be reached by ferry is the impressive old NDSM shipyard, which was once the largest in all of Europe. Nowadays this industrial site hosts many events throughout the year.

Churches and a secret courtyard

Many of Amsterdam’s most beautiful buildings can be visited free of charge. Amsterdam has an abundance of lovely churches which are more than worth a visit, like the Westerkerk and the Noorderkerk in the famous ‘Jordaan’ district. Also impressive are the canal houses which can, of course, be found alongside Amsterdam’s many canals, particularly the larger Prinsengracht and Herengracht. Between the Spui, the Kalverstraat (a large shopping street) and the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal you find the Begijnhof, a courtyard surrounded by typical townhouses of Amsterdam. The restored ‘Houten Huys’ (Wooden House) from the 16th century has a genuine wooden house front.

The advantages of the Amsterdam City Card

If you want to make the most out of your trip to Amsterdam and visit as many attractions as you can, the I Amsterdam City Card is exactly what you’re looking for. The City Card gives you access to all the best attractions Amsterdam has to offer, for a fixed price. This way you can visit the Van Gogh Museum and the Artis Royal Zoo, take a canal cruise or even go on excursions outside the city. Moreover you can use your City Card for unlimited travel by bus, tram and metro within the city. There are three types of cards for different durations. You have a choice between a 24, a 48, or a 72 hour card. Want unlimited public transport, but don’t need tickets for attractions? In that case you can buy a one day or multiple day ‘OV chip card’ (Public Transport chip card), and save yourself some money. Enquire about the different options at the station.