Amsterdam is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, renowned for its historic canal ring, world-class museums, vibrant cycling culture, and liberal atmosphere. Built on a grid of 17th-century canals lined with narrow gabled merchant houses, the city blends Golden Age heritage with contemporary art, cutting-edge food, and one of Europe's most energetic nightlife scenes.
Amsterdam has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) influenced by the North Sea. Winters are mild and wet; summers are warm with occasional heat waves but rarely extreme. Rain falls throughout the year with no distinct dry season. The city averages 1,847 hours of sunshine annually — modest by southern European standards but with spectacular long summer days (sunrise before 05:30 in June). Wind from the southwest is prevalent, making temperatures feel cooler than the thermometer suggests, especially on the open canals.
Best time to visit
Best: April–May and September–October
Peak Season: June–August (highest prices and crowds)
Avoid: November–February for outdoor-focused itineraries (cold, grey, short days); avoid July if large crowds are a concern
Notes: April brings tulip season, King's Day (27 April), and pleasant temperatures. May offers the best weather before peak summer crowds. September and October have mild temperatures, beautiful autumn canal reflections, and far fewer tourists. December is atmospheric for Christmas markets despite cold and dark conditions.
Items:
- Month
- January
- Temp high
- 6°C / 43°F
- Temp low
- 1°C / 34°F
- Rainfall mm
- 68
- Sunshine hours
- 62
- Crowd level
- Low
- Notes
- Very quiet with low prices. Occasionally bitter with icy winds. Good for museum-focused trips. Sales begin in shops.
- Month
- February
- Temp high
- 7°C / 45°F
- Temp low
- 1°C / 34°F
- Rainfall mm
- 51
- Sunshine hours
- 89
- Crowd level
- Low
- Notes
- Quietest month. Rarely snows but occasional frosts. Bulb fields begin showing early crocuses.
- Month
- March
- Temp high
- 11°C / 52°F
- Temp low
- 3°C / 37°F
- Rainfall mm
- 63
- Sunshine hours
- 130
- Crowd level
- Low-Moderate
- Notes
- Days lengthen rapidly. Early tulips and daffodils. Good value. Keukenhof opens late March.
- Month
- April
- Temp high
- 14°C / 57°F
- Temp low
- 5°C / 41°F
- Rainfall mm
- 44
- Sunshine hours
- 175
- Crowd level
- Moderate-High
- Notes
- Tulip season peak. Keukenhof Gardens open. King's Day (27 April) is an enormous street party — the city is spectacular but packed.
- Month
- May
- Temp high
- 18°C / 64°F
- Temp low
- 9°C / 48°F
- Rainfall mm
- 52
- Sunshine hours
- 213
- Crowd level
- Moderate-High
- Notes
- Arguably the best month: pleasant temperatures, green parks, outdoor café terraces open. Liberation Day (5 May) brings free concerts across the city.
- Month
- June
- Temp high
- 21°C / 70°F
- Temp low
- 12°C / 54°F
- Rainfall mm
- 68
- Sunshine hours
- 205
- Crowd level
- High
- Notes
- Long warm evenings; sunset around 22:00. Outdoor festivals begin. Prices rising but before July peak.
- Month
- July
- Temp high
- 23°C / 73°F
- Temp low
- 14°C / 57°F
- Rainfall mm
- 76
- Sunshine hours
- 210
- Crowd level
- Peak
- Notes
- Hottest and most crowded month. Hotel prices at maximum. Book everything months in advance. Evening temperatures perfect for canal-side dining.
- Month
- August
- Temp high
- 22°C / 72°F
- Temp low
- 14°C / 57°F
- Rainfall mm
- 74
- Sunshine hours
- 201
- Crowd level
- Peak
- Notes
- Amsterdam Gay Pride Canal Parade (first weekend). Grachtenfestival classical music on canal stages. Still peak prices and crowds.
- Month
- September
- Temp high
- 19°C / 66°F
- Temp low
- 11°C / 52°F
- Rainfall mm
- 68
- Sunshine hours
- 152
- Crowd level
- High-Moderate
- Notes
- Excellent balance of good weather and reducing crowds. Jordaan Festival (second week). Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) mid-October approaches. Autumn colors begin on canal trees.
- Month
- October
- Temp high
- 14°C / 57°F
- Temp low
- 8°C / 46°F
- Rainfall mm
- 76
- Sunshine hours
- 113
- Crowd level
- Moderate
- Notes
- Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) — over 600 electronic music events across the city. Beautiful autumn foliage reflected in the canals. Amsterdam Marathon.
- Month
- November
- Temp high
- 9°C / 48°F
- Temp low
- 4°C / 39°F
- Rainfall mm
- 82
- Sunshine hours
- 69
- Crowd level
- Low
- Notes
- Dark, wet, and cool but very atmospheric. Amsterdam Light Festival begins. Sinterklaas arrives by boat (mid-November). Low prices.
- Month
- December
- Temp high
- 6°C / 43°F
- Temp low
- 2°C / 36°F
- Rainfall mm
- 75
- Sunshine hours
- 52
- Crowd level
- Low-Moderate
- Notes
- Christmas markets (Museumplein, Leidseplein); Amsterdam Light Festival illuminates the canals. Sinterklaas (5 Dec) is the main Dutch gift-giving day. Prices moderate.
Month-by-month weather
Typical conditions throughout the year.
Items
The seasons
What to expect in each part of the year.
Items
Crowds & peak times
When to expect tourists and when to avoid them.
- Items
- Month
- January
- Crowd level
- Low
- Price index
- Very low
- Month
- February
- Crowd level
- Low
- Price index
- Very low
- Month
- March
- Crowd level
- Low-Moderate
- Price index
- Low
- Month
- April (King's Day)
- Crowd level
- Peak (event)
- Price index
- High
- Month
- April (rest)
- Crowd level
- Moderate
- Price index
- Moderate
- Month
- May
- Crowd level
- Moderate-High
- Price index
- Moderate-High
- Month
- June
- Crowd level
- High
- Price index
- High
- Month
- July
- Crowd level
- Peak
- Price index
- Very high
- Month
- August
- Crowd level
- Peak
- Price index
- Very high
- Month
- September
- Crowd level
- High-Moderate
- Price index
- Moderate-High
- Month
- October (ADE)
- Crowd level
- High (event)
- Price index
- Moderate-High
- Month
- October (rest)
- Crowd level
- Moderate
- Price index
- Moderate
- Month
- November
- Crowd level
- Low
- Price index
- Low
- Month
- December
- Crowd level
- Low-Moderate
- Price index
- Moderate
Major events & festivals
Time your visit around what matters.
National holiday. The entire city is orange. Outdoor markets, music stages, and canal boat parties from dawn to midnight. Largest single-day outdoor party in Europe. Book accommodation 3–4 months ahead.
World's largest tulip garden opens 40 km south of Amsterdam near Lisse. 800 varieties of tulips; 7 million bulbs. Bus 858 from Leiden Centraal (30 min from Amsterdam by train). Tickets at keukenhof.nl: €20.50 adult (~$22.35); buy online to avoid queues.
Canal Parade of 80+ decorated boats through the Prinsengracht on Saturday. Street parties, performances, and events throughout the week. One of the world's largest Pride events.
World's leading electronic music conference and festival. 600+ events in 80+ venues across the city. Tickets via amsterdam-dance-event.nl. Hotels book out; reserve 2–3 months ahead.
Free outdoor music festival in the charming Jordaan neighborhood. Local and national artists perform on open-air stages along the canals.
Illuminated art installations along the Herengracht and Keizersgracht canals. Walking route and canal boat tours available. Boat tours from €20/person (~$21.80); book at amsterdamlightfestival.com.
Traditional arrival of Sint Nikolaas by steamboat at Amsterdam harbor, with a city-wide parade through the center. 5 December is Sinterklaasavond (gift-giving evening) — the Dutch equivalent of Christmas Eve.