Amsterdam
52°22′ N 4°53′ ECityPop. 921,468The Netherlands
Amsterdam in December is a city for canal lights and concerts, and it suits couples and first-timers who want an easy arrival and evenings on the water, though its one central Christmas market on the Museumplein is small. The Amsterdam Light Festival runs from 26 November 2026 to 17 January 2027, and Christmas Village on the Museumplein from 3 to 27 December 2026.
Photo Shadowgate from Novara, ITALY · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Who should base here
Amsterdam builds its December around the canals: the Amsterdam Light Festival lights them every evening from 16:30, and the Concertgebouw holds its Christmas Matinee on 25 December. Schiphol and Amsterdam Centraal make it the easiest Dutch arrival point for a longer rail trip south to Maastricht and Valkenburg.
Amsterdam's season starts early with Sinterklaas, who arrives by boat in mid-November, and Dutch families give their presents on the evening of 5 December, which they call pakjesavond. After that the canals take over. The Amsterdam Light Festival places around 20 artworks along the water, and you can see them free on foot or pay for a cruise. Christmas Village on the Museumplein gives you a glühwein and a browse between the big museums.
If your trip is about markets, start in Amsterdam and head south by train. South Limburg holds the Dutch markets most worth the journey, in Valkenburg's caves and on Maastricht's Vrijthof, and the ride down gives you a day in the city for the lights first.
Worth knowing
- The Light Festival switches off at 21:00 on New Year's Eve, two hours earlier than usual.
- Christmas Village opens on Christmas Day and Boxing Day from 12:00 to 19:00.
Quick answers about Amsterdam
Does Amsterdam have a Christmas market?
Yes. Christmas Village Amsterdam on the Museumplein runs from 3 to 27 December 2026, free to enter, with more than 50 stands.
When is the Amsterdam Light Festival 2026?
The Amsterdam Light Festival runs from 26 November 2026 to 17 January 2027, lit daily from 16:30 to 23:00.
What is open in Amsterdam on Christmas Day?
The Light Festival artworks are lit on 25 December, Christmas Village on the Museumplein opens from 12:00 to 19:00, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra traditionally plays its Christmas Matinee that day.
Is Amsterdam a good place to stay?
Amsterdam builds its December around the canals: the Amsterdam Light Festival lights them every evening from 16:30, and the Concertgebouw holds its Christmas Matinee on 25 December. Schiphol and Amsterdam Centraal make it the easiest Dutch arrival point for a longer rail trip south to Maastricht and Valkenburg.
