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Amsterdam in November 2025

November brings misty canals, early twilights, and a crowd-free version of the city. With low hotel prices and empty museums, it’s the ideal time to explore indoor gems like the Rijksmuseum or duck into a warm café. Pack layers and waterproof boots—rain is frequent and nights come early. Watch for Sinterklaas festivities mid-month and glowing light displays toward the end.

Amsterdam in November 2025 at a glance

🌦️Weather

Avg highs 9°C / 48°F; frequent drizzle and cloudy skies

☀️ Daylight

9 hrs; sunset before 5pm

🎉Key events

IDFA film fest, Museum Night, Light Festival opens

👥Crowds

Low—off-season calm, locals reclaim the streets

🧳What to pack

Warm coat, sweater, rainproof boots, gloves

🍴Seasonal treats

Stamppot, hot rookworst, fresh speculaas

Top things to do in Amsterdam in November

Tour the Rijksmuseum without the crowds

  • When: Daily, last entry 4:30 pm
  • Tags: Tour, Cultural experience

November is ideal for exploring the Rijksmuseum’s masterpieces—Rembrandt, Vermeer, and more—without elbowing through summer tourists. It’s warm, vast, and crowd-free. Arrive at opening for the quietest galleries. Café and gift shop stay open later than exhibits.

Recommended experiences:

  • Rijksmuseum Entry Tickets
  • Rijksmuseum Small-Group Guided Tour
Explore all Rijksmuseum tickets & tours

Cruise the canals under winter skies

  • When: Daily; best 3–5 pm for golden hour
  • Tags: Outdoors, Seasonal, Tour

Short days mean moody afternoon light on the water. Covered, heated canal boats let you float past gabled homes in comfort. Book a 60–75 min cruise with mulled wine for full effect. Check that your boat has windows that don’t fog up.

Recommended experiences:

  • Amsterdam: 1-Hour Sightseeing Canal Cruise
  • Amsterdam: Luxury Open Boat Cruise
Browse all Amsterdam Canal Cruise tickets

Step into Anne Frank’s world

  • When: Daily, timed tickets required
  • Tags: Cultural experience, Tour

The Anne Frank House hits different in November’s quiet. The solemn pace, paired with early nightfall, creates space for reflection. Tickets sell out even in low season—book online weeks ahead. Arrive 15 mins before slot.

Recommended experiences:

  • Anne Frank Story and World War II Walking Tour
  • Life of Anne Frank and Neighborhood - Small-Group Walking Tour
Explore all Anne Frank tours

Sip cocoa at Café Papeneiland

  • When: Daily
  • Tags: Family-friendly, Explorer

One of the oldest brown cafés in town, Papeneiland offers a warm wooden interior, canal views, and legendary apple pie. Come mid-morning to avoid brunch crowds and snag the corner table. Cash is safest here.

Bike the Jordaan’s empty lanes

  • When: Daylight hours only
  • Tags: Outdoors, Explorer

November's misty streets are perfect for slow biking. Rent a cruiser and glide through the Jordaan’s car-free alleys. You’ll see more locals than tourists—and lots of dogs. Avoid post-rain slick cobbles and always lock your bike.

Catch a film at Eye Filmmuseum

  • When: Daily; evening shows recommended
  • Tags: Cultural experience, Family-friendly

Take the free ferry behind Centraal to Eye—Amsterdam’s futuristic film hub. November brings world cinema as IDFA takes over. The café's giant windows offer rainy-IJ views. Buy tickets online for headline films.

Get hands-on at NEMO Science Museum

  • When: Tuesday–Sunday
  • Tags: Family-friendly, Indoors

Warm, interactive, and fun—NEMO is perfect for a rainy day. Kids can play with kinetic machines and giant bubbles while adults enjoy rooftop views or coffee at the cafe. Arrive early on weekends.

Recommended experiences:

  • NEMO Science Museum Fast-Track Tickets
Browse NEMO Science Museum tickets

Warm up in a local sauna

  • When: Daily (some venues adults-only)
  • Tags: Wellness, Seasonal

Amsterdam’s spa culture shines in colder months. Try Sauna Deco or Zuiver Spa for steam rooms, plunge pools, and quiet relaxation. Bring flip-flops and check if swimsuits are optional or required—rules vary.

Offbeat experiences in November

Explore a light-sculpture preview

Amsterdam Light Festival starts late November, but early birds can catch test installations or setup on evening canal walks. A sneak peek before the crowds arrive.
📍Where: Along the Amstel and eastern canals

Tour a 17th-century pharmacy

Museum the’Kleine Witte’ shows how apothecaries once served Amsterdam—creaky floors, hand-labeled jars, and old surgical tools included.
📍Where: Oudezijds Achterburgwal 185

Join a local chess match at Max Euweplein

Watch or play at the giant outdoor board behind Leidseplein. Locals gather here rain or shine—November adds steaming coffee and wet leaves underfoot.
📍Where: Max Euweplein

Wander De Pijp’s indie bookstores

Quiet afternoons are perfect for browsing secondhand Dutch paperbacks or sipping tea while reading near the stove.
📍Where: Gerard Doustraat, De Pijp

Peek into the Houseboat Museum

Step aboard a real converted canal barge for a 1950s look at life on water—compact, cozy, and completely unique to Amsterdam.
📍Where: Prinsengracht 296K

Festivals and events in Amsterdam this November 2025

Museum Night (Museumnacht)

  • Dates: 1 November 2025
  • Event type: Cultural Festival
  • Location: 50+ museums citywide

Over 50 museums stay open late with DJs, pop-ups, and special exhibits. Buy tickets early—locals snap them up fast.

International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA)

  • Dates: 12–23 November 2025
  • Event type: Film Festival
  • Location: Eye Filmmuseum, Pathé Tuschinski, citywide

Top global doc festival with premieres, panels, and prizes. Headline screenings often sell out—book those online.

Sinterklaas Parade

  • Dates: 16 November 2025 (TBC)
  • Event type: Parade
  • Location: Arrives via canal at Scheepvaartmuseum

Dutch “Santa” arrives by boat then parades through town. Families line the route—arrive 30+ mins early for a good spot.

Amsterdam Light Festival (opening week)

  • Dates: Starts 28 November 2025
  • Event type: Art Installation
  • Location: Canal belt

Open-air light art begins late November—walk or cruise past glowing arches and bridge projections. Bundle up!

Highlights for different traveller types

Culture vultures

  • Visit blockbuster museums without queues—November is ideal for slow-viewing Vermeer at the Rijks.
  • Catch the best of IDFA’s global documentaries and director Q&As.
  • Dive into Amsterdam’s literary scene at Athenaeum Boekhandel or independent readings at Perdu.

Couples

  • Cruise the canals at twilight with mulled wine and city lights reflecting off the water.
  • Sip hot cocoa and split apple pie at Café Winkel 43 after wandering Jordaan’s hushed lanes.
  • Unwind at Sauna Deco—art deco glamour, candlelight, and no crowds.

Value hunters

  • Book hotels at rock-bottom rates; November is the cheapest month in Amsterdam.
  • Eat like a local at warm lunch spots like Broodje Bert—soup and sandwiches under €10.
  • Museumkaart (valid 30+ spots) pays for itself fast in November’s museum-heavy weather.

Your perfect 3-day Amsterdam in November itinerary

Exhibition room with paintings at Van Gogh Museum, Museumplein, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
  • Morning: Start at the Rijksmuseum —arrive by 9 am to enjoy the masterpieces without crowds. Follow with the adjacent Van Gogh Museum.
  • Breakfast: Grab coffee and croissants at Blushing Amsterdam near Museumplein.
  • Midday: Head to the Anne Frank House for a timed-entry visit. Pre-book weeks in advance.
  • Lunch: Enjoy classic Dutch stamppot and smoked sausage at Moeders (Rozengracht 251).
  • Afternoon: Explore FOAM Photography Museum or pop into Huis Marseille for contemporary visual art.
  • Evening: Have a relaxed Indonesian rijsttafel dinner at Restaurant Blauw.
Outdoor cafe table by canal in Amsterdam's Jordaan District with flowers and bridge.
  • Morning: Cross the IJ on the free ferry to Eye Filmmuseum—catch an early doc screening (IDFA runs all month).
  • Breakfast: Sip strong coffee at Public Space café near the ferry dock.
  • Midday: Visit the Light Festival’s early installations on foot or by bike—maps available online.
  • Lunch: Warm up at Foodhallen (De Hallen)—try bitterballen, dim sum, or veggie curry.
  • Afternoon: Browse indie shops and record stores in De Pijp.
  • Evening: Book dinner at De Kas for a seasonal greenhouse-to-plate meal.
Jordaan district canal view in Amsterdam, featuring historic buildings and houseboats.
  • Morning: Bike the quiet streets of Jordaan—stop for photos of misty canals and houseboats.
  • Breakfast: Eat apple pie and sip mint tea at Café Papeneiland.
  • Midday: Tour the Houseboat Museum or visit the hidden courtyard of Begijnhof.
  • Lunch: Try hearty erwtensoep (pea soup) at Café de Reiger.
  • Afternoon: Soak at Sauna Deco—reserve ahead for peak hours.
  • Evening: Wind down at Boom Chicago or a jazz session at Bimhuis.

Best day trips from Amsterdam in November

Haarlem

🚆 Travel time: ~20 min by train

Charming and close, Haarlem offers cobbled lanes, a towering cathedral, and the Frans Hals Museum. November’s calm means galleries are blissfully quiet. End with craft beer at Jopenkerk, a church-turned-brewpub.

Zaanse Schans

🚆 Travel time: ~40 min by train + walk

See classic windmills and Dutch houses under gray November skies. It’s mostly outdoors—bundle up and bring gloves. Off-season quiet makes it feel more authentic.

Utrecht

🚆 Travel time: ~30 min by train

A smaller canal city with a cozy vibe. Climb the Dom Tower, duck into museums, and shop along the illuminated streets. Weekday visits are especially peaceful.

Leiden

🚆 Travel time: ~40 min by train

Leiden’s old university town charm shines in cold weather. Visit the National Museum of Antiquities or duck into cafés near Rapenburg canal. Perfect for history buffs and rainy-day strolls.

Go shopping in Amsterdam in November

Woman browsing colorful souvenir clogs and windmills in a shop.
  • When: Year-round
  • Where: Canal belt (near Jordaan)

Charming boutique strip with vintage stores, leather goods, and cafés. November’s quiet lets you shopwithout elbowing through tourists.

Cruise boat passing in front of Amsterdam Central Station under a bridge.

A local-favorite shopping stretch with indie shops, bakeries, and sustainable goods. Great for gifts and fashion finds.

Pouring mulled wine into a festive mug at a Berlin Christmas market.

Seasonal pop-ups offer mulled wine, crafts, and cozy stocking stuffers. Some have food trucks and live music.

Dam Square with National Monument and Royal Palace in Amsterdam.
  • When: Year-round
  • Where: Dam Square

Amsterdam’s high-end department store gets its holiday window displays in late November. Good for designer brands and festive mood.

Pro tips for visiting Amsterdam in November

  1. Museums close early (most by 5 pm)—start sightseeing in the morning to fit more in.

  2. Bring moisture-wicking layers and warm socks—chilly dampness sneaks in fast.

  3. Ferries across the IJ are free and run late—perfect for night views during Light Festival.

  4. Many brown cafés only take Dutch debit or cash—always carry €20 just in case.

  5. Watch tram timetables on weekends—some routes run less frequently after 8 pm.

  6. Biking is doable but slippery—rent only if you’re confident in wet conditions.

  7. November hotel rates are lowest—splurge on that canal-view room or spa stay.

Frequently asked questions about visiting Amsterdam in November

Yes—low crowds, cheap hotels, and cozy vibes. Just pack for rain and plan mostly indoor activities.