Christmas holiday outings in Amsterdam
Two weeks off, kids who are done with the Christmas tree by day three, and outside it's four degrees and grey. The Christmas holidays in Amsterdam are perfectly doable, as long as you know what's open and what to book ahead. Here's the list, including the days when half the city shuts.
First things first: what's actually closed?
On Christmas Day itself Amsterdam is quieter than people expect. Plenty of museums close, nearly all the shops do, and restaurants make up their own minds. Boxing Day is the opposite: that's when half the country finally goes out. Between Christmas and New Year the city mostly runs as normal. Always check the venue's own site for the day you're going, because holiday hours differ from the rest of the year and Google rarely has them right.
Skating on Museumplein, and the rest of the season
The ice rink on Museumplein is the first thing most people think of, and fairly so: it's there from late November into January, you can hire skates and the kids will happily burn an hour on it. It does get busy in the holiday weeks, especially in the afternoon. Go early or go near closing. If you'd rather skate indoors, the Jaap Eden rink in the east has a covered track and far fewer tourists.
An afternoon indoors in Noord: VR, racing and escape rooms
This is where we are, so read it with that in mind. A'DAM VR sits at the top of the A'DAM Tower, right by the ferry behind Central Station — a five-minute crossing, and the ferry is free. Inside you walk wire-free through a free-roam arena, race each other in the simulator with a live leaderboard, or take on one of the VR escape rooms. It works well for mixed groups, because grandad doesn't have to run around to enjoy it. No experience needed, the crew explains everything. We're open between Christmas and New Year too, and it's dry and warm regardless.
Museums that hold up better than you'd think
NEMO is close to unbeatable with kids, and the roof is open in winter too. The Maritime Museum is next door and small enough not to drag. The Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh are at their busiest of the entire year during the Christmas break, so if you're going: book a timed slot, and take the earliest one available. Micropia and the Tropenmuseum are the calmer options you can still walk into.
Seeing the lights without queuing
The Amsterdam Light Festival runs right through the holidays and you can walk it for free — the canal route takes an hour and a half or so. A boat tour along it is more comfortable with small children or cold hands, but book well ahead, because the evening boats fill up in the holiday weeks. If you'd rather walk it: start at the Amstel and go anticlockwise, and you'll have most of the crowd coming towards you instead of with you.
Swimming, climbing and bowling when energy needs burning
After three days indoors the elastic snaps and somebody needs to run. Sloterparkbad has slides and a big indoor pool, and the tropical Aquadome in the southeast was built for exactly this weather. Klimhal Amsterdam and the bouldering halls stay open through the holidays and rent shoes on site. Bowling still works with a mixed group, and in the Christmas break you'll want to book that a little ahead.
What to book ahead, and what you can just do
Rule of thumb: anything with a timed slot, book ahead; anything without, decide on the day. Museums, evening boat tours and bowling lanes fall in the first group. Walking the lights, taking the ferry to Noord and an afternoon in town fall in the second. And leave one day completely empty. Every Christmas holiday has a day when it rains, everyone's grumpy and the plan collapses — you'll want that day.