The top April activities in Amsterdam are covered in this article, which has been updated for 2023 and includes both daytime and evening options as well as free events, festivals, and activities. Here are a few more well-liked articles where you may read about Amsterdam’s year-round attractions.
1. Attend a concert
Every month, there are usually at least a few well-known bands playing in Amsterdam, regardless of when you go.
Some of this month’s top concerts are listed below:
- Roger Waters | April 4th, 6th, 7th
- Stromae | April 13th, 14th, 15th
- Avril Lavigne | April 14th
- Macklemore | April 16th
- Metallica/Inch Nine Kills/Mammoth/Others | April 27th
2. Participate in a Sports Event
There will be several games and matches in Amsterdam in April. At least one home game will be played by their well-liked home team, AFC Ajax.
Soccer (football):
- AFC Ajax
- Feyenoord
The entire family might appreciate taking a tour of the ArenA stadium to observe where the renowned home team spends the majority of its time if the game dates don’t work with your schedule.
Darts:
- 2023 Cazoo Premier League Darts
3. Enjoy the Tulip Festival
The Netherlands is well-known around the world for its vivid tulip fields that are neatly arranged in rows.
For the entire month of April, more than 80 locations throughout the city will have blooming flowers, even if there aren’t any large fields in the center of Amsterdam.
This includes the areas around buildings, the grounds of museums, the planters along the sides of the road, and everywhere else flowers may possibly be grown! Each fall, the entire community participates in bulb planting.
To make it simple to find the tulips, the Tulip Festival website offers an interactive map and a list of all participating places. 2023’s event will take place from March 23 through May 14.
April is the greatest time to visit if all you want to do is see the tulip fields! There are numerous half-day or full-day excursions available to Keukenhof, the most well-known flower field.
4. Take a Tour of the Sights
This is the ideal time to take a sightseeing trip in Amsterdam because the weather is starting to warm up, and there are many varied options available.
Here are a few possibilities you might want to think about this spring:
- Amsterdam City Center
- Red Light District
- Alternative Amsterdam
- Amsterdam Food Tours
- Amsterdam Pub Crawls
While many excursions may require a ticket, you can save some money by participating in some free tours and audio guides.
5. Consider a Tourist Pass to Save Money
Use a tourist pass to reduce entry costs by at least 50% if you intend to visit several well-known attractions while in Amsterdam. There are three main sorts of passes available, each with a distinct function.
While the all-inclusive pass is great for anyone planning at least 4-5 activities each day, travelers with limited time may prefer a pre-packaged itinerary. Also, you may utilize a museum pass to gain entry to all of Amsterdam’s top museums!
The following are a handful of the more well-known attractions in Amsterdam that are covered by tourist passes:
- Hop on Hop off Bus Tours
- Hop on Hop off Canal Cruises
- The Heineken Experience
- Rembrandt House Museum
- Ripley’s Believe it or Not!
- The Amsterdam Dungeon
- Van Gogh Museum
- Stedelijk Museum
- Madame Tussauds
- Rijksmuseum
- Body Worlds
6. On King’s Day, take the family to the Bredeweg Festival
King’s Day, which commemorates the birth of King Willem-Alexander, will be celebrated nationwide on April 26 and 27. Both locals and visitors will be thronging Amsterdam’s city center to enjoy the festivities.
Go to Amsterdam-Oost, which is southeast of the city center, if you want to locate an area to celebrate in that is a little more family-friendly this weekend.
An outdoor opera performance marks King’s Night, the start of the Bredeweg street festival. More live music will be performed throughout the entire weekend, along with street dance, kiddie rides, face painting, street food, a parade, and outdoor markets. Wear orange if you want to blend in with the neighborhood!
7. Check out ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo
As spring approaches, now would be a fantastic time to take the whole family to the Amsterdam Zoo to see a range of unique species, including giraffes, zebras, ostriches, tigers, and more.
There are huge cats, reptiles, and creatures with hooves, as well as a planetarium, an aquarium, and a butterfly pavilion.
At the ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo, there are numerous educational talks and convenient viewing areas, so there is something for everyone. A tourist pass can even help you save money on tickets!
8. The Awakenings Easter Festival
The annual Awakenings Easter music festival will appeal to techno and vintage rave fans. There are other awakenings throughout the year, with the four days surrounding Easter weekend being one of the most common.
The Gashouder location adds to Awakenings’ allure. It was originally the biggest gas storage structure in Europe when it was constructed in 1902. Now that it is round and devoid of inside pillars, it is an excellent location for music festivals.
9. Check out the Dutch Flower Parade
On Saturday, April 22, 2023, if you’re around Amsterdam, you’ll be able to witness the most renowned flower procession in the nation. The 76th anniversary of the occasion is this year!
The 42 km route covers the same distance as a marathon (26 miles). Tulips, hyacinths, and other springtime blooms will be completely covering several of the floats. Each year, it draws tens of thousands of volunteers in addition to over a million spectators.
At 9:30 am, the parade kicks out at the Noordwijk beach, which is about an hour’s train ride from the center of Amsterdam. Around 15:30, it will go through the quaint town of Lisse (3:00 pm).
Lisse is ideal if you want to discover lesser Dutch villages because it has a Parade Market and a great location to watch parades in the town square.
The parade will pass by Keukenhof Boulevard at around 15:30 if you’re considering visiting the Keukenhof Tulip Gardens and are prepared to deal with the crowds (3:30 pm).
It concludes at 21:00 in Haarlem, a straightforward 15-minute train transfer from Amsterdam (9:00 pm).
10. Visit a museum
A trip to one of Amsterdam’s many stunning museums, where you may discover nearly anything from art or history to the present business climate, is always a fantastic idea.
A couple of Amsterdam’s most well-known museums are listed below:
- Rijksmuseum
- Stedelijk Museum
- Van Gogh Museum
- Anne Frank House
- Rembrandt House Museum
- Jewish Historical Museum
- National Maritime Museum
