King's Day Tours & Trips

Grab your breakfast and make your first stop the Vrije Markt (or Free Market) which begins as early as 7:00 am. This is an incredibly unique market experience as everything you’ll find is typically no more than a knick-knack from the seller’s home. Pick your favourite second-hand treasure and begin negotiating. Don’t be diswayed if the seller suddenly raises the price on you...that’s part of the fun! It is of course possible to find some great items hidden amongst the average ones as professional traders also show up on this day to sell their wares. The lively haggling typically peaks around 11:00 am and the market clears out around 4:00 pm.

You can spend your afternoon on the Prinsengracht Canal, watching thousands of decorated boats float by. There’s a happening party on nearly every boat and if you’re lucky you may even be invited by some merry locals to climb aboard and join in the fun. An important tip to note is that most boats don’t have a bathroom so keep an eye out for a docked plasboot (bathroom boat).

If music is your passion, you have plenty of options to fill the rest of your day with! Head to Museumplein, a big open air pop and disco music festival. This particular location is very popular with young people who hang out on the grassy square all day, dancing and partying. You can also head to Jordaan, a trendy spot to shop while enjoying the musical stylings of local folk singers performing popular Amsterdam songs. 

Amsterdam comes alive with celebrations the evening before King’s Day, referred to as — you guessed it — King’s Night. The bars and clubs of the city organize a plethora of special parties and concerts to kick off the birthday celebrations that continue on into the morning, typically not stopping until the end of King’s Day.

Of course a birthday party isn’t complete without an abundance of confectionary treats to satisfy your sweet tooth! There are hundreds of street food vendors lining every road and it’s highly recommended you sample the local speciality: tompouce, a sweet pastry covered in orange icing and packed with cream.

When you need a break from the chaos of the street-filled parties, you can check out one of the few museums that are still open despite the national holiday. Your options include The Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum(the only museum in the world you can ride your bicycle through), the Stedelijk Museum and the world famous Anne Frank House.