Sinterklaas arrival in Amsterdam
Intocht van Sinterklaas in Amsterdam52°22′ N 4°55′ EProcessionNov 15, 2026Seasonal
Amsterdam's Sinterklaas arrival brings the city's children out along the Amstel and through the centre, and it suits families with young children who can stand on a cold canal bank for an hour, though it falls in mid-November, two weeks before the Christmas markets open. The 2026 arrival is on Sunday 15 November, with Sinterklaas coming in by boat along the Amstel and then riding through the centre.
Sinterklaas is the Dutch Saint Nicholas, and he arrives each November by steamboat, and Amsterdam has held its own arrival every year since 1934. The morning belongs to the water: in 2025 the boat came down the Amstel past the Omval and Sarphatistraat to the Scheepvaartmuseum, where the city welcomed him. After lunch he rides on horseback from the Stopera through Rembrandtplein and the Utrechtsestraat to the Leidseplein, with bands and dancers along the way. Stichting Sinterklaas in Amsterdam runs the day with about 1,100 volunteers.
The tradition has changed most in how his helpers, the Pieten, look. For decades Zwarte Piet was played in blackface, and since the 2010s the figure has drawn sustained criticism for its association with slavery, alongside defence from people who see it as a children's custom. Amsterdam moved first among the big cities: in 2016 it was the only municipality where no fully blacked-up Pieten took part in the arrival. Its Pieten now appear as Roetveegpieten, with only soot smudges on their faces, and the national arrival broadcast by the NTR has used Roetveegpieten only since 2019.
Worth knowing
- Pick one spot on the land route and stay there; the Leidseplein hosts the closing programme.
- From the arrival onwards Dutch children put out a shoe at night, and the presents come on the evening of 5 December, which the Dutch call pakjesavond.
Quick answers about Sinterklaas arrival in Amsterdam
When does Sinterklaas arrive in Amsterdam in 2026?
Sinterklaas arrives in Amsterdam on Sunday 15 November 2026. The organizer, Stichting Sinterklaas in Amsterdam, publishes the route and times closer to the day.
Are there Zwarte Pieten at the Amsterdam Sinterklaas arrival?
No. Amsterdam's arrival uses Roetveegpieten, whose faces carry only soot smudges, and in 2016 it was already the only Dutch municipality with no fully blacked-up Pieten at its arrival.
Where can I see Sinterklaas arrive by boat in Amsterdam?
In 2025 the boat sailed along the Amstel and arrived at the Scheepvaartmuseum around 11:30. The 2026 route had not been published in October 2026.
What are the opening hours of Sinterklaas arrival in Amsterdam?
Sinterklaas arrival in Amsterdam is open the 2026 route and times were not out when this was checked. In 2025 the boat left at 10:00, passed the Omval at 10:15 and reached the Scheepvaartmuseum at about 11:30; the land procession left the Stopera at 13:00 and reached the Leidseplein around 14:15, where the programme ran until 15:30.