This post covers the best things to do in Amsterdam in April, including family-friendly, nighttime, as well as free activities, festivals, and events, all updated for 2023.
Amsterdam is still cool in April with temps in the 50s. Read our April weather post for more details on what you can expect weather-wise.
Here are a few other popular posts where you can learn about year-round attractions in Amsterdam:
- Hop on Hop off Boat and Bus
- Amsterdam Canal Cruises
- Red Light District Tours
- Amsterdam Bike Tours
- Amsterdam Discount Passes
For even more ideas, check out our post covering the best things to do in Amsterdam.
The following list will provide a variety of fun activities in Amsterdam for April 2023.
We include several concerts, sporting events, festivals, and other interesting things happening in the city this month.
1. Go to a Concert
No matter when you visit Amsterdam, there are usually at least a few notable musicians performing each month.
Here are some of the best concerts you can attend this month:
- Roger Waters | April 4th, 6th, 7th
- Stromae | April 13th, 14th, 15th
- Avril Lavigne | April 14th
- Macklemore | April 16th
- Metallica/Inch Nine Kills/Mammoth/Others | April 27th
Also, Eurovision in Concert will be in Amsterdam on April 15th.
For even more great musical performances, check this full list of concerts in Amsterdam.
2. Attend a Sporting Event
The month of April will bring multiple games and matches to Amsterdam.
Their popular home team, the AFC Ajax, will have at least one home game.
Football (Soccer)
If the game dates don’t fit into your schedule, the whole family might enjoy going on an ArenA stadium tour to see where the famous home team spends most of its time.
Darts
For even more great games to attend, check out this list of sporting events in Amsterdam.
3. Take in the Tulip Festival
The Netherlands is known the world over for its bright tulip fields, organized in neat rows.
While you won’t find full fields in Amsterdam’s city centre, you’ll be able to see blooming flowers in more than 80 spots of the city for the entire month of April.
This includes around buildings, in museum gardens, in streetside planters, and anywhere else flowers can conceivably be planted! The entire city helps plant bulbs each autumn.
The Tulip Festival website lists all participating locations and has an interactive map to make the tulips easy to find. The festival will run from March 23rd through May 14th, 2023.
If you’re just interested to see the tulip fields, April is the best month to go! You can find several half-day or full-day trips to Keukenhof, the most famous flower field.
Of course, you can also rent a bike and make your own way!
You might also want to consider a trip to the Amsterdam Tulip Museum, and you can find out more about this attraction on our post covering 60+ Museums in Amsterdam.
NOTE: The Tulip Festival Pass includes admission to the gardens, a transfer from Amsterdam, and a digital guide to the area at a discounted rate!
4. Take a Sightseeing Tour
With the weather beginning to warm up, this is the perfect time to go on a sightseeing tour in Amsterdam, and there are a variety of different outings to choose from.
Here are just a few options you may want to consider this spring:
- Amsterdam City Center
- Red Light District
- Alternative Amsterdam
- Amsterdam Food Tours
- Amsterdam Pub Crawls
While a lot of tours will require a ticket, there are some free tours and audio guides you can take which will make it easier to save some money.
We have a list of pay-what-you-like tours you can take here.
5. Save Money With a Tourist Pass
If you’re planning to visit multiple popular attractions while in Amsterdam, you could save 50% or more off admission prices by using a tourist pass.
There are three different types of passes to choose from, each one serving a different purpose.
While the all-inclusive pass is excellent for anyone planning at least 4-5 activities per day, a preset package might be better for visitors with limited time.
There is also a museum pass you can use which will grant access to all of the best museums in Amsterdam!
Here are a few of the more notable attractions included with Amsterdam tourist passes:
- Hop on Hop off Bus Tours
- Hop on Hop off Canal Cruises
- The Heineken Experience
- Rembrandt House Museum
- Ripley’s Believe it or Not!
- The Amsterdam Dungeon
- Van Gogh Museum
- Stedelijk Museum
- Madame Tussauds
- Rijksmuseum
- Body Worlds
- And more!
For additional information on how to use these services and which one will save you the most money, please read our post covering Amsterdam tourist passes.
Or, passes can be purchased here: All Inclusive - Amsterdam GoCity | Explorer - Amsterdam Go City
6. Take the Family to Bredeweg Festival on King's Day
On April 26th and 27th you'll find celebrations throughout the country for King's Day, which celebrates the birth of King Willem-Alexander.
Amsterdam's city centre will be packed with locals and tourists alike to take part in the festivities.
If you want to find a slightly more family-friendly neighborhood to celebrate in for the weekend, head to Amsterdam-Oost to the southeast of the city centre.
The Bredeweg street festival begins on King’s Night with an open-air opera performance.
Over the full weekend, you'll find more live music, dancing in the streets, rides for kids, face painting, street food, a parade, and open-air markets.
If you want to blend in with the locals, wear orange!
Check the Amsterdam Bredeweg Festival website for more details.
7. See ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo
With spring right around the corner, this would be a great time to take the whole family to Amsterdam’s zoo to see a variety of different animals such as giraffes, zebras, ostriches, tigers, and more.
In addition to all the hooved animals, large cats, and reptiles, there is also a butterfly pavilion, an aquarium, and even a planetarium!
There are plenty of educational talks and easy viewing points at ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo – which means there's something for everyone. You can even save some money on tickets by using a tourist pass!
We have more suggestions for entertaining the kids in our full family-friendly post.
8. Awakenings Easter Festival
Fans of techno and old-school raves will enjoy the annual Awakenings Easter music festival.
Awakenings happen multiple times throughout the year, and one of the most popular times is the four days over Easter weekend.
The Gashouder venue is part of Awakenings' charm. Built in 1902, it was once the largest gas storage building in Europe.
Now, its circular construction - free of interior pillars - makes it a fantastic music festival spot.
Tickets are sold for the full weekend as well as for individual nights.
- Dates: April 7th - 9th, 2023.
- Location: Gashouder in Amsterdam
- Find tickets here.
The lineup for each date can be found on the website.
If you're looking for more evening events, check out our full post covering things to do at night in Amsterdam.
9. See the Dutch Flower Parade
If you’re near Amsterdam on Saturday, April 22nd, 2023, you’ll have the chance to see the most famous flower parade in the country.
This year marks the 76th anniversary of the event!
The route covers the same amount of ground as a marathon - 42 km (26 miles).
You’ll see floats covered entirely with tulips, hyacinths, and other spring flowers. It draws over one million spectators and thousands of volunteers each year.
The parade begins at the Noordwijk beach at 9:30 am, which is roughly an hour away from Amsterdam’s city centre by train.
It will pass through the charming flower town of Lisse at 15:00 (3:00 pm).
If you’re looking to explore smaller Dutch towns, Lisse is perfect with its Parade Market and prime parade viewing spot in the town square.
If you’re planning a visit to Keukenhof Tulip Gardens and are willing to deal with the crowds, the parade will pass through Keukenhof Boulevard around 15:30 (3:30 pm).
It ends in Haarlem, an easy 15-minute train ride from Amsterdam, around 21:00 (9:00 pm).
Looking for more budget-friendly activities? We have a full post about free things to do in Amsterdam.
10. Go to a Museum
It’s always a good time to visit one of the many breathtaking museums in Amsterdam, where you can learn about almost anything from art or history to the current local industry.
Here are a few of Amsterdam's most popular museums:
- Rijksmuseum
- Stedelijk Museum
- Van Gogh Museum
- Anne Frank House
- Rembrandt House Museum
- Jewish Historical Museum
- National Maritime Museum
If you’re interested in visiting more than one of these museums, keep in mind that each one on this list is included at a discount with several available tourist passes.
Honorable Mentions
Coffee lovers will be excited to visit the Amsterdam Coffee Festival.
The festival, which includes tastings, live music, and much more, runs from March 30th through April 1st at Westergas.
If you have kids, you might find the Kaboom Animation Festival interesting.
They are home to all things animated, with "cutting-edge experimental arthouse to colorful stories for families and kids."
The show takes places March 30th - April 2nd at their headquarters at 25 De Wittenstraat.
Electronic music connoisseurs will be the DGTL festival outstanding, with over 80 performers appearing across several stages.
The show is invested in an impressive light show and visuals. The festival takes place April 7th-9th at NDSM Docklands.
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