Why You Should Visit Amsterdam in the Winter — Destination Dreamer Diaries

Amsterdam. It’s on pretty much everyone’s Europe-adventure-to-do-list… right?

Well, it always one of the cities I was itching to see first in Europe – and now, I’ve been there three times.

While I could give you a whole run down list of what you should and shouldn’t do when you’re in the magical city of bikes and canals… for now, I want to give a list of reasons why you should visit this Dutch capital…

…in the winter.

Yes.

Winter.

The season of snow and freezing your toes off; you read that right.

Now, let me tell you all the reasons why…

1. There are no lines… for anything.

Now, this is true of a lot of places you go when it’s off season, but let me tell you – that there are few cities where you will truly feel that tourism is scarce.

Going to Amsterdam in January was the best, because anything I wanted to do museum and tourist wise was easy and empty.

For instance, on a Sunday midday – I got to go up the A’dam tower (also known as the location of Europe’s highest swing) with no line.

While it isn’t the most beautiful view of the city I’ve seen, I recommend making the trip up Noord at least once just to ride that swing. It’s a true pinch me moment.

View from inside the A’DAM Tower; January 2018

Now, there are some cons to this. For instance, some things you might’ve been hoping to avoid the line for might be completely closed. I wanted to go up the Westertoren that trip I went in January, but it wasn’t open and I had to put it on my list for next time… and make sure it was a trip between the months of May and October.

Parks aren’t going to make for the prettiest of pictures or smoothest of strolls. My European friend once told me that Europe is cold and wet in the winter… and it’s true. In Geneva, Brussels, Berlin… any park I went to, I had to be careful to avoid slipping in mud or a sudden shower.

The pros to this are if you don’t have your heart set on lesser known, inside things (like the A’dam or Westertoren tower or even just going for the weed + clubbing experience); you’re going to enjoy this city off season. The Anne Frank museum always has a line every time I walk buy it, but places like the Rijksmuseum… you’re good to go.

2. You get to see the city in its natural setting; tourist free.

This brings me to point number two: is that because there are barely any tourists around (and any that you do find, will most likely be British kids on a weekend escape), you really get to see and feel Amsterdam in its truest light.

There were times on the tram I got lost and I got to talk to locals who routed me the right way. I could linger the popular spots for pictures, without having to wait where a girl would usually be posing for Instagram, and get as many shots of the beautiful bikes against the canals as I wanted.

Honestly, my best pictures of that city are from that trip in January.

One of my favorite pictures I have ever taken; Amsterdam in January 2018

The other two times I went to Amsterdam were May & June, and even though those months are still before July & August (the worst months of all in terms of travel), they are still flooded with tourists. Walking through the Flower Market, The Red-Light District, Dam Square, or any congested, tourist place in Amsterdam from January to June are like night and day.

If you go in the winter, you can get the actual vibe of Amsterdam: not the vibe of being in another European city with too-many-tourists-for-its-taste (I’m referring to you, Rome!)

3. It’s cheaper.

Let me tell you… every time I’ve gone back to Paris alone, I stay at a hostel in the 10th arrondissement right next to Gare du Nord for $30 U.S. dollars a night. Pretty damn good, right?

I have never been able to score a deal that well in Amsterdam, even with hostels. Ever.

However, when I went in January, I was able to find hostels for no more than $30 USD a night, and I went on a weekend.

Amsterdam on a quiet Sunday night in early January

When I just went to Amsterdam this past June, I was paying $50 a night… even on a Monday night! I should just be thankful my trip back wasn’t on a summer weekend… never visit Amsterdam on a weekend. It’ll cost you through the roof no matter where you stay, and the nightlife around you will be… untamed, to say the least. Unless of course, you’re into that sort of trouble (you do you)!

Whichever way you cut it – a trip to Amsterdam in the winter is going to save you big bucks in comparison to going in the summer.

4. There’s something different about it.

When people ask me why I liked this city so much better in the winter than I did in the spring or summer, I tell them all of the logical reasons – but the truth is… there’s just a je ne sais quoi about the essence of Amsterdam when the sun isn’t there.

The pale sky and grey clouds somehow shifts the palette of paint on all of the multi-colored houses that butt-up against one another. It’s like you’re in a real-life-water-color-book… it’s hard to explain unless you see it for yourself.

5. The lights, only in the winter, are something you MUST see.

Amsterdam is a magical place… no matter what time of year you decide to see it.

But there’s no denying that the light festival is a sight to be seen… and that there is an unspoken beauty to the way the sparkling beams hug the naked trees.

My friend made fun of me for taking this picture of Spiegelgracht, claiming how touristy it was… but my snappy & sassy response was,

“I don’t care. It’s beautiful.”

After I snapped that shot, I asked,

“What does speigelgracht mean?”
“Direction translation: mirrors.”

Those lights against the water… the Dutch did a good job giving this canal a name, didn’t they?

It’s like everywhere you turn, even though the city gets dark by five o’clock – there are little pockets of light, hope – everywhere that you turn.

That’s the biggest reason why you need to see this city in the winter time at least once in your life.

And there you have it! I hope it was convincing enough for you to book your plane ticket over in the middle of February. If you’re looking for a more detailed list of things to see and do in Amsterdam, click here.