4 Days in Amsterdam with Kids: Our Family-Friendly Itinerary

It is the middle of the fall break here, meaning we have a full TWO WEEKS OFF! Despite being only a 3.5 hour direct train ride form Paris, we had never explored Amsterdam as a family - it was time to right that ASAP!

Amsterdam is such a lovely city to explore as a family, with its beautiful canals, world-class KID FRIENDLY museums, parks and plenty of places to stop for something delicious along the way. Oh, AND there are even space invaders to look out for, which automatically vaults pretty much any city up the kid-friendly chart IMO.

We spent four days in Amsterdam with the kids, travelling by Eurostar and staying at The Hoxton, Lloyd, and managed to fit in a wonderful mix of art, outdoor adventures, history and, of course, lots of good food. The Hoxton had a great family room with bunk beds, and nice breakfast spread with specialty coffees, and was located right at a tram stop. They eve had minis of my fave oat milk in the room:)

One of the things I always try to do when planning a family city break is group activities together geographically. It makes the days feel much more manageable, particularly when you're travelling with children and want to avoid spending too much time getting from A to B.

Here's everything we got up to during our four days in Amsterdam, along with some practical tips to help you plan your own trip, all grouped in a pretty efficient way!

Day 1

We packed quite a lot into our first day, combining two of Amsterdam's most famous museums with some time outdoors and a canal cruise. I was a bit worried about cramming two big museums in one day, BUT they were right next to each other and both so kid-friendly that it was fine!

Van Gogh Museum

We started the day at the Van Gogh Museum, which is a wonderful introduction to one of the Netherlands' most famous artists. We used the children's booklet to help the kids engage with the paintings and make the visit more interactive - ask for it at the desk on the second floor. Don't miss the gift shop - there were really cool Van Gogh themed PlayMobil sets!

I was especially excited to see more paintings in person from Van Gogh's time in Montmartre! If you have been on my tour, you might recognize some of these!

Lunch at Albert Cuyp Market

After the museum, we headed to Albert Cuyp Market for lunch. It's a great place to wander around and try different things, with plenty of stalls selling food and other treats. Must tries in the Netherlands:

Kibbeling - Bite-sized pieces of white fish, usually cod, coated in a light batter and deep-fried until crispy. They're usually served with a garlic or herb mayonnaise-style sauce

Bitterballen - These little golden, breadcrumbed balls have a creamy meat ragout filling and are usually served with mustard for dipping. We went to Bob's stand - so good, and their french fries were perfection.

Dutch herring - For the more adventurous eaters, try Dutch herring. It's traditionally served raw and lightly cured, with chopped onions and pickles. This was definitely not my fave, but you have to try it!

Poffertjes - These tiny, fluffy Dutch pancakes are traditionally served with a generous knob of butter and a dusting of icing sugar.

Oliebollen - These traditional Dutch dough balls are deep-fried and dusted with icing sugar.

Stroopwafels - Obviously:) we qued up at Rudi's stand for a freshly made one.

A walk through Vondelpark

Next, we made time for Vondelpark, Amsterdam's famous city park. After a morning spent in museums, it was lovely to get outside and let the kids have a bit of freedom before our next activity. We stopped for hot drinks at one of the cafes.

Rijksmuseum

We then visited the Rijksmuseum, another of Amsterdam's must-see museums. Once again, we used the children's booklet, which helped give the kids something to focus on as we explored the collections. We were so happy to stumble upon a charcoal drawing activity set up - the kids happily worked for about an hour in the most beautiful setting! No need to reserve (but do reserve the museum tickets in advance - maybe 2 weeks out to be sure!).

Visiting two major museums in one day is definitely a full-on itinerary, so it's worth thinking about how much your children enjoy museums before trying to fit both in. If you'd prefer a slower pace, you could always save one for another day.

Blue Boat canal cruise

After our museum visits, we finished our sightseeing with a Blue Boat canal cruise. Seeing Amsterdam from the water is such a lovely way to appreciate the city's architecture and famous canals, and it gives little legs a well-deserved rest!

We used the children's booklet on the boat trip, too, which was another nice way to keep the kids involved. They also had a kids' version of the audio guide. A canal cruise is a great option for families because you get to see lots of the city without having to walk everywhere. We booked this a couple hours before going, once we were sure the weather would cooperate.

Dinner at Kaasbar

We finished our first day with a snack at Kaasbar, which was a fun way to end a day of exploring. This is a revolving cheese bar - the kids loved it! After all that sightseeing, we were ready to sit down, eat something delicious and relax. We just ordered 3 different cheese and some drinks, and then went out to a real dinner.

Day 2

Day two was all about discovering some of the things that make Amsterdam unique, from its history and houseboat culture to one of the Netherlands' most delicious treats. This was a lovely mix of activities for the kids, with plenty of variety throughout the day.

Resistance Museum: Junior

We started with the Resistance Museum, visiting the Junior area, which is designed to help children understand what life was like in the Netherlands during the Second World War. This was so well done, and we all really enjoyed the experience. We did not reserve this in advance, and had the space mostly to ourselves in the morning.

Stroopwafel-making class at Melly's

Next up was something a little sweeter: a stroopwafel-making class at Melly's!

Stroopwafels are one of the Netherlands' best-known treats, made with thin waffle layers and a delicious caramel-like syrup filling. We booked the class the day before. It is 45 minutes long, and was about 100 euros for our family. We left with tins and a couple cookies each. The class was fine, but there might be some higher quality classes if you research some.

Houseboat Museum

We also visited the Houseboat Museum, which gives you a glimpse into what it's actually like to live on one of Amsterdam's famous houseboats.

The canals are such a big part of the city's identity, and seeing a houseboat from the inside helps you appreciate how people make use of the water in everyday life. We just walked up, and it was about 30 euros for a family of 4. Count about an hour if you sit down and relax some.

Cheese Museum

No trip to the Netherlands would feel complete without a little cheese exploration, so we also visited the (FREE) Cheese Museum. Dutch cheese is famous around the world, and this is a fun stop if you're interested in learning more about one of the country's best-loved foods. It's also a good opportunity to pick up a few edible souvenirs if you're looking for something to bring home. Bonus - you can try all the cheeses before deciding!

Dinner at Mama Makan: rijsttafel

We ended the day with dinner at Mama Makan, where we enjoyed rijsttafel.

Rijsttafel, which translates roughly as rice table, is an Indonesian-inspired feast of rice served with an assortment of smaller dishes. It's a wonderful way to try lots of different flavours in one meal, and a great reminder that Amsterdam's food scene reflects its rich history and international influences. My local friend said this type of meal is a MUST!

Day 3

Our third day gave us a chance to escape the city center for a little while before returning to Amsterdam for one of its most significant historical sites.

A private countryside bike tour with We Bike Amsterdam

We spent four hours on a private countryside bike tour with We Bike Amsterdam. Cycling is such a big part of everyday life in the Netherlands, so getting out on bikes felt like a brilliant way to experience a different side of the country.

One of the things I love about travelling beyond a city center is seeing how much the landscape can change in a relatively short distance - we hopped on a ferry and were out in a rural feeling part of town in about 10 minutes! Our guide Lynn was so lovely, especially with the kids. The private tour was not that much more than booking for 4 people, and I felt it was a great deal at 250 euros!

Lunch at FEBO

After all that cycling, we stopped at FEBO for lunch. FEBO is famous for its Dutch automatiek vending-wall concept, where you can buy hot snacks from individual little compartment - the kids LOVED this and we went back again actually! We went out for ramen soup afterwards.

Anne Frank House

We then visited the Anne Frank House, one of Amsterdam's most important and moving historical sites, very near the bike tour.

The museum tells the story of Anne Frank and her family, who hid in the Secret Annex during the Nazi occupation. It's a deeply thought-provoking visit, and one that brings an important part of European history to life in a very personal way.

Visiting with children requires a little preparation, depending on their ages and what they already know about the Second World War. It's worth talking about Anne's story beforehand and allowing time afterwards to discuss what you've seen. We read a couple books on Anne beforehand, and also booked a 30 minute program before going in the house. NOTE - this museum is small and popular and fills up fast! Put areminder in your calendar for this one! Tickets are released every Tuesday at 10:00 AM for a visit six weeks later.

For dinner this night we went to Thai House - a little hole in the wall restaurant that was really authentic thai! The Asian food in Amsterdam was all really good.

Day 4

This was our last morning, and I was alone with the kids, so I booked a morning at the NEMO Science Museum - the kids deemed this one of the best museums they have ever visited! It's a hands-on science museum where children can experiment, play and discover how things work. It's the sort of place where you can easily spend several hours, so I'd allow plenty of time rather than trying to squeeze in too many other activities around it. We were there 3 hours, and I had to drag the kids away! We booked the day before for the morning slot. You can bring your own food, or there is a reasonable cafe on premises.

The building itself is also worth seeing, with its distinctive green, ship-like shape overlooking the water. If the weather is good, the rooftop terrace is a lovely extra to explore.

There you have it - 4 full FUN days in Amsterdam. I feel like this was a wonderfully balanced city vacation with plenty of culture, yummy treats, some hands' on activities and some sports. Since it is so easy to visit from Paris and London, this would be a perfect little city trip to add on if you can get a couple extra days on your vacation!

Have you been to Amsterdam? Do you have any other family friendly recs to add to this list? We would love to hear!