Free things to do in Amsterdam: 5 local picks you’ll actually enjoy
Free things to do don’t just save money in Amsterdam—they unlock the city’s everyday rhythm. Move with commuters across the water, slip into hidden courtyards, drift through markets, and end the day under big skies along the river. This guide focuses on simple, authentic experiences that fit around anything else you’re here to see. It’s walkable, local, and flexible: add one stop or stack all five into a full day without spending a cent.
Free things to do #1: ride the IJ ferries
Just behind Central Station, blue-and-white ferries shuttle pedestrians and cyclists across the IJ from early morning to late night. The shortest hop, Buiksloterweg, takes minutes and delivers a wide shot of the historic skyline; linger by the rail to watch trains slide in and canal boats thread the harbour. For a slightly longer ride, continue to NDSM, where shipyard halls, murals, and open quays make the north shore feel spacious and raw. Ferries are frequent and completely free, so you can treat them as moving viewpoints—step on, step off, and let the waterfront set your pace.
2) Discover layered stories with Roods
As you wander, open Roods to turn passing streets into chapters. Short, place-based stories pop up on the map exactly where they happened—city secrets, architecture details, and moments from history you’d otherwise miss. Choose a theme (City Secrets, History, Architecture, Taste, Nature, People) and drift through the centre, the Jordaan, or along the waterfront. Because the stories are quick to hear and read, they slot naturally between coffee stops and canal views. You’re already collecting free things to do; Roods adds context, so a name on a gable or a date on a plaque becomes a thread in a bigger story. Start here: discover Amsterdam instantly in Roods or take at look at roods.io/amsterdam
3) Step quietly into the Begijnhof and other courtyards
A few steps from busy Spui, the Begijnhof opens like a held breath: a green rectangle framed by townhouses, chapel, and centuries of rules for communal living. Across Amsterdam—especially in the Jordaan—similar inner courts (hofjes) hide behind modest gates. If a sign allows entry, keep voices low, avoid photographing residents, and stay on the paths; if not, read the tablets at the entrance for founders’ names and dates. Courtyards show another side of the city: practical charity, tidy brickwork, and shared gardens that outlast fashion. They’re ideal pauses between sights, and a reminder that the city’s quietest corners are often its most revealing.
4) Browse the markets (you don’t have to buy a thing)
Markets are neighbourhood theatre. On Saturdays, Noordermarkt hums with organic produce, vintage clothes, and stallholders whose banter is half the show. Albert Cuyp runs for blocks in De Pijp, where fishmongers, spice sellers, and snack stands keep the street lively from morning to late afternoon. Waterlooplein, Amsterdam’s longest-running flea market, layers military jackets with vinyl, books, and oddities that feel pulled from attics across the city. Browsing is free; the atmosphere is the point. If you’re building a day around low-cost choices, markets slide neatly between museums and canal loops—and they teach you what locals actually shop for.
5) Take the green way through parks and along the water
Amsterdam’s parks and riverbanks stitch neighbourhoods together. Loop the Vondelpark for lawns, ponds, sculptures, and musicians at the open-air stage in summer. Wander Westerpark, where old gasworks now host cafés, galleries, and wide paths ideal for an unhurried stroll. Follow the Amstel south past boathouses, willow trees, and rowers cutting their lines at dawn or dusk. On the north shore, Oeverpark and the NDSM quays offer big-sky views back to the historic centre. Late-afternoon light turns brick and water golden, and the only ticket you need is time.
One perfect (free) day
Start early at a courtyard near Spui for a quiet reset, then cross the IJ on a ferry and wander the quays. Return for a slow browse at a market—Noordermarkt if it’s Saturday, Waterlooplein any weekday—then spend the afternoon in the Vondelpark or along the Amstel. Thread Roods stories wherever curiosity sparks: a strange façade, a familiar street name, a date carved in stone. By stacking a few well-chosen free things to do, you get a day that feels local, unhurried, and full of the details that make Amsterdam stick.