There are certain things that are almost obligatory on your first visit to Amsterdam: Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank’s House, some sort of canal boat tour and maybe even a stroll through the red light district.
But for those who are visiting the Dutch metropolis for a second or third time, here are some under-the-radar and out-of-the-ordinary experiences that put a whole new spin on Amsterdam.
MOCO
Skip the city’s big three art museums in favor of this small but jampacked gem of modern art.
Located in a sprawling mansion on Museum Square, the collection embraces 20th-century legends like Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Yayoi Kusama as well as more recent phenoms like Banksy and Jean-Michel Basquiat
Although many of the pieces are whimsical, others carry profound political and social messages. Beyond the renowned artists, the most impressive works are immersive or digital. Especially the Diamond Matrix by Studio Irma.
After making their way through the gift shop, patrons exit into a garden filled with playful sculptures that are perfect for selfies or group photos.
Hortus Botanicus
One of the world’s oldest botanical collections, Amsterdam’s small but fascinating garden was founded in 1638 to cultivate commercial plants and medicinal plants that might help cure the Black Death and other ailments afflicting Europe at the time.
Many of the early inhabitants were donated to the garden by the Dutch East India Company, plants and seeds collected at their trading posts in Asia and Africa.
The garden’s most iconic building is the 1911 Palm House, which harbors dozens of exotic plants including a 350-year-old cycad (a prehistoric species that was around when dinosaurs walked the Earth.)
The modern Climate House features an indoor desert and South African landscape. There’s an outdoor Dutch coastal dunescape and small section devoted entirely to carnivorous plants (watch your fingers!).
KattenKabinet
You don’t have to be a feline fan to appreciate a museum that’s dedicated to cats both big and small. But it probably helps.
From statues of the ancient Egyptian goddess Bastet and medieval Japanese paintings to Parisian Belle Epoque posters and modern advertising, the collection shows how cats have featured in many global cultures for thousands of years.
There are comfortable armchairs and sofas to relax as you make your way through the museum, plus an excellent gift shop where reproductions of many of the historic posters are on sale, and a couple of resident felines who may or may not pose for photos (after all, they are cats).
If you’re really into felines, also plan a visit to De Poezenboot, a nonprofit floating cat sanctuary and adoption center on the Singel Canal not far from the central station.
Oedipus Brewing
The interactive Heineken experience attracts larger crowds, but an afternoon sojourn or evening at Oedipus Brewing is a much more local adventure (and maybe even more fun).
In addition to a variety of award-winning craft beers, the Oedipus Craft Space taproom in Amsterdam-Noord features live music, games for adults and children, brewery tours, expansive indoor seating and outdoor picnic tables on those special Amsterdam days when the sun shines.
The brewery’s Beef Chief eatery cooks up mouthwatering burgers and chicken wings as well as more exotic fare like loaded kimchi and kamikaze fries.
Getting there is half the fun. Hop a tram or ride share to Azartplein and take the free ferry across the IJ waterway to Zamenhofstraat. From there, it’s about a nine-minute walk through a neighborhood filled with old industrial buildings now occupied by bars, restaurants, nonprofits and small innovative businesses.
Canal Motorboats
If you’re comfortable tooling around a foreign land in a rental car or bike, then why not a boat?
Several Amsterdam outfitters offer small self-drive boats for exploring the city’s spider web of canals. No nautical experience necessary other than basic knowledge of which vessels (usually larger, less maneuverable boats) have right of way.
Canal Motorboats has been facilitating newbie skippers for nearly 30 years. Their current fleet of all-electric boats are available at four locations including Nassaukade on the canal runs near the city center.
The boats seat eight passengers, cost around US$66 (₤50) per hour to rent, and feature a steering wheel rather than a tiller, which makes them much easier to pilot. Voyages are self-catering, so be sure to bring whatever you want to eat and drink.
You can drive them wherever you want, but Canal Motorboats recommends a two-hour loop that includes the Amstel canal and a home stretch down the historic Prinsengracht past Anne Frank’s House.
Concertgebouw Lunch Concerts
Amsterdam’s legendary Concertgebouw theater has been one of the globe’s leading venues for classical music since first opening in 1888.
While full-blown concerts by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra or the Dutch National Opera Company in the enormous Main Hall are highly prized, locals also flock to weekly free lunchtime concerts in the smaller Recital Hall.
Often featuring young, up-and-coming stars, the shows are billed as half an hour but often stretch longer. The program can range from classical and opera to big band and jazz.
Advanced reservations are highly recommended with tickets bookable on the Concertgebouw website.