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Selecting where to set up camp in Amsterdam is famously subjective, ask three residents and you will likely receive three conflicting answers. Picking the right spot, however, makes all the difference. Although Amsterdam can be traversed by tram in just twenty minutes, its distinct districts are situated close together yet vary significantly in atmosphere, making your choice of base a important decision.
The best places to stay in Amsterdam depend entirely on who’s travelling: a first-timer wants to walk everywhere, a couple wants somewhere quieter to come home to, and a group here for the nightlife wants neither.
This guide matches five Amsterdam neighbourhoods to five kinds of trip, so you can pick the one that actually suits yours.
At a Glance
- First-time visitors: the Canal District, for walking distance to Dam Square, the Nine Streets and the Anne Frank House
- Couples: the Jordaan, for narrow streets, independent shops and a quieter pace
- Families: Oost and Plantage, for Artis Amsterdam Royal Zoo and green space to run around in
- Young adults: De Pijp, for Albert Cuyp Market and a livelier, more local crowd
- Nightlife: Leidseplein, for the bars, clubs and late-running energy
Table of Contents
- What Are the Best Areas to Stay in Amsterdam?
- Best Area to Stay in Amsterdam for First-Time Visitors: The Canal District
- Best Area to Stay in Amsterdam for Couples: The Jordaan
- Best Area to Stay in Amsterdam for Families: Oost and Plantage
- Best Area to Stay in Amsterdam for Young Adults: De Pijp
- Best Area to Stay in Amsterdam for Nightlife: Leidseplein
- Where Shouldn’t You Stay in Amsterdam?
- Ready to Plan Your Amsterdam Stay?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Best Areas to Stay in Amsterdam?
While the Canal District stands out as the finest overall best area to stay in Amsterdam, the ideal choice ultimately varies by traveler. A first-time traveler, a couple, and a family of four will each seek distinct experiences.
| Area | Best For | Nearest Landmark | Vibe |
| Canal District | First-time visitors | Dam Square, the Nine Streets | Iconic, walkable |
| The Jordaan | Couples | Westerkerk, Noordermarkt | Quiet, romantic |
| Oost & Plantage | Families | Artis Amsterdam Royal Zoo, Oosterpark | Green, easygoing |
| De Pijp | Young adults | Albert Cuyp Market | Buzzy, local |
| Leidseplein | Nightlife | Leidseplein square | Late, energetic |
Thanks to Amsterdam’s compact size and flat terrain, choosing a less-than-ideal neighbourhood won’t derail your trip. A quick 20-minute tram ride conveniently links all five featured districts. However, selecting the perfect neighbourhood upfront minimises travel time and maximises the moments you spend enjoying the city.
Best Area to Stay in Amsterdam for First-Time Visitors: The Canal District
First-time visitors do best in the Canal District. It puts you within walking distance of Dam Square, the Nine Streets and the Anne Frank House, so a first trip can run almost entirely on foot.
Why the Canal District Works for a First Trip
The Canal District, or Grachtengordel, is the ring of 17th-century canals that most people picture when they imagine Amsterdam: gabled townhouses, houseboats, bridges lit at night. The Anne Frank House sits right on the Prinsengracht, and the Nine Streets, Amsterdam’s tightest cluster of independent boutiques and coffee houses, connects the whole area on foot.
It’s also home to The Zetter’s own Amsterdam hotel, in a 1810 canal house on the Prinsengracht built by a sugar merchant, with a 17th-century back house behind it.
Getting Around from the Canal District
Trams run along the edge of the Canal District towards Centraal Station and most other neighbourhoods on this list, and the area itself is compact enough to cover on foot. If you’d rather not walk everywhere, a day pass on the tram network covers the whole city cheaply, and it’s the same network you’ll use to reach the Jordaan, De Pijp or Leidseplein for an evening out.
Best Area to Stay in Amsterdam for Couples: The Jordaan
Couples do best in the Jordaan, just west of the Canal District. It has the same canal-side charm without the crowds, plus a village feel that’s hard to find this close to a capital city centre.
The Jordaan’s Village Character
Narrow streets, independent boutiques, and small bars that look like someone’s front room, because several of them used to be, give the Jordaan its reputation as Amsterdam’s most romantic corner. The Westerkerk, the city’s tallest church tower, marks one edge of the neighbourhood, while the Prinsengracht and Egelantiersgracht canals do the rest of the work.
Where to Eat and Drink as a Couple in the Jordaan
Noordermarkt anchors the neighbourhood’s food and market culture: an organic and general goods market runs there on Saturday mornings, and a general goods and flea market takes over the whole square on Mondays.
Between market days, The square is encircled by cosy cafés and wine bars that suit an evening for two better than a big night out. A walk along the Egelantiersgracht afterwards covers most of what makes the Jordaan worth staying in.
Best Area to Stay in Amsterdam for Families: Oost and Plantage
Families do best a short tram ride out in Oost and Plantage. ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo and Oosterpark give children space to run around that the packed city centre doesn’t.
Family-Friendly Sights Near Oost and Plantage
- ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo: on Plantage Kerklaan, one of Europe’s oldest zoos, with an aquarium and planetarium on the same site
- Oosterpark: a genuine local park, better for scooters and picnics than the busier Vondelpark
- Wereldmuseum: a short walk from Plantage, with more hands-on exhibits than the city’s bigger museums
Practical Notes for Travelling with Kids
While Oost and Plantage are situated further from the city centre than other featured neighborhoods, this additional distance is precisely what makes them ideal for families. They offer peaceful streets, smaller crowds, and a more relaxed environment, traded for a slightly longer tram journey to central hubs like Dam Square or the Museum Quarter. For a trip centered on enjoying the local park and zoo rather than rushing through every major attraction, it is a highly worthwhile trade-off.
Best Area to Stay in Amsterdam for Young Adults: De Pijp
De Pijp suits young adults best. Albert Cuyp Market anchors a livelier, more local scene than the tourist-heavy centre, at a better price than staying right on the canals.
Albert Cuyp Market and De Pijp’s Food Scene
Albert Cuyp Market is Amsterdam’s biggest and busiest outdoor market, a long strip of food stalls, clothing stands and stroopwafel vendors running through the middle of the neighbourhood. It sets the tone for De Pijp as a whole: busy, informal, and built around eating well rather than sightseeing.
Why De Pijp Suits a Younger Crowd
De Pijp fills up with students and young professionals rather than tourists, which shows in the bars, the price of a beer, and the pace of the streets after dark. It’s a sociable base for an evening that starts here and ends somewhere louder, since the area’s own energy runs more early-evening market crowd than late-night club queue. For that, Leidseplein is a short tram ride away.
Best Area to Stay in Amsterdam for Nightlife: Leidseplein
Leidseplein is Amsterdam’s clearest nightlife pick. Bars, clubs and late-running venues cluster around the square itself, with Vondelpark a short walk away for the morning after.
The Bars and Clubs Around Leidseplein
Leidseplein stays busy well past midnight, with a concentration of bars and clubs that the other four areas on this list simply don’t have. Live music venues and late-opening cocktail bars sit alongside each other around the square, and Vondelpark’s edge means the walk home, or the walk to breakfast the next morning, runs through green space rather than traffic. It’s a livelier, later pick than De Pijp, which suits an early drink better than a late one.
Getting Back Safely After a Late Night
A few simple habits cover most of what UK government travel advice for the Netherlands recommends for a night out in Amsterdam.
- Keep an eye on your drink and stay with your group: as in any popular nightlife district, drink-spiking is flagged as a particular risk, especially for young women and solo travellers.
- Stick to the main square: avoid cutting through dark or quiet side streets late at night.
- Take care near the canals: official travel advice notes that the majority of canal drownings happen after a heavy night out, so choose routes a step back from the water’s edge.
Where Shouldn’t You Stay in Amsterdam?
There’s no area on this list to avoid. Where not to stay in Amsterdam comes down to a few practical habits, rather than any one neighbourhood to rule out.
- Look at the walk from your tram stop, not just the neighbourhood name: a hotel that’s technically central can still mean a walk through one of the city’s busiest stretches, around Centraal Station, so it’s worth checking the route as well as the postcode.
- A very cheap rate in the middle of the city is worth a second look: if a price seems well below everything nearby, a quick read of recent reviews may tell you why.
- Weigh up the real cost of staying further out: a lower nightly rate somewhere with a long tram commute can cost more in time than it saves in money.
- Check the latest official travel advice before you go: conditions change, and a blog post is never a substitute for current government travel advice closer to your trip.
All five areas in this guide are comfortable, well-connected places to base yourself. This is general planning advice for Amsterdam as a whole, not a caution against any specific neighbourhood on this list.
Ready to Plan Your Amsterdam Stay?
None of the five areas in this guide is competing for the same trip. A first-timer’s walk to the Anne Frank House, a couple’s evening in the Jordaan, a family’s morning at Artis, a young crowd’s afternoon at Albert Cuyp Market, a night out around Leidseplein: each one works because it’s matched to a specific kind of stay, not a generic one. That match is the real decision worth making before booking anywhere in Amsterdam.
If the Canal District has caught your attention, Hotel 717 is The Zetter’s own address on the Prinsengracht, set inside the same 1810 canal house described above and right in the middle of everything covered in this guide. For the rest of The Zetter’s collection, thezetter.com is worth a look before you book anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Days Do You Need in Amsterdam?
There’s no fixed number, but a single Amsterdam neighbourhood easily fills a full day on its own, between its canals, markets and sights. Covering two or three areas properly, rather than rushing between more, is a sensible target for four nights or longer.
How Many Neighbourhoods Does Amsterdam Have?
Amsterdam is officially split into seven main boroughs (stadsdelen): Centrum, Noord, Oost, Zuidoost, Zuid, West, and Nieuw-West. Operating within these seven areas are dozens of smaller, distinct neighbourhoods, including the Jordaan, the Canal District, and De Pijp.
Where Should You Stay in Amsterdam to See the Tulips?
Amsterdam’s Canal District and the Jordaan both work well as a base for tulip season, since Keukenhof, the Netherlands’ main tulip garden, is a coach or train trip outside the city rather than a neighbourhood within it. Keukenhof runs its season from March to May, and a stay in either of those central, canal-side areas puts you close to the trains and coach pickups that run there.
How Far Is Schiphol Airport from Central Amsterdam?
The train between Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam Centraal Station takes around 15 minutes, with services running roughly eight times an hour, all day and night. It’s the fastest way into central Amsterdam, whichever neighbourhood you’re staying in.