Are you visiting Amsterdam for the first time? The city is known to be one of the safest in the world, but you definitely should follow some basic precautions.
Find out about common safety concerns that you might encounter, if you can experience the city at night, and learn about safe areas to book a room.
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General Safety Situation in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is undoubtedly a super safe city, in fact, it's safer than most other cities in Europe. It's low in criminality, well-policed, and very traveler-friendly.
This is the case almost anywhere in Amsterdam, day and night. The people in Northern Holland are chill and as a visitor, you mostly won't have to face any kind of discrimination.
We always felt right at home on all our visits to Amsterdam. I'm also a person of color (POC), and as a woman, my wife never felt threatened by anybody particular.
Generally speaking, you will feel worry-free and non-threatened in Amsterdam.
That includes visitors from the LGBTQ+ community and religious minorities.
That said, you need to use your common sense as a traveler and newcomer to the Dutch capital.
What are some safety concerns that travelers may encounter in Amsterdam?
The areas to be most careful about in the old town include mainly the Centraal train station, the Nieuwendijk shopping street, the main Damrak road, and the red-light district in De Wallen.
- Avoid contact with shady people on the street trying to sell you illegal substances or snake oil. They can scam you too.
- Pickpockets, although less than in Paris and Rome, are more common at night in these crowded places. This also includes the subway platform area.
- Keep away from drunk tourist groups, especially at night.
- Don't fall into a canal. This actually happens more frequently than you think: drunk tourists falling into the water and drowning at night.
- Don't walk on cycle lanes, the cyclists move about at high speeds.
Advice for Exploring Amsterdam at Night
Yes, you can explore the city at night without having to face bad situations, no matter if you are solo, a woman, or a person of color (POC).
You will be fine, none of the old town areas is particularly sketchy, but you need to be street smart and follow your gut feelings when facing unconventional situations.
We have seen police in the city day and night, but all the more at night, mainly to curb bad tourist behavior. Law enforcement is patrolling a lot more in the red-light district.
You can't drink or smoke on the roads of Amsterdam, you'll get fined. Yet, drunks are bar hopping. Ladies might get yelled at or encounter cat-calling situations, and POC can get harassed by other tourists, unfortunately.
Save the emergency 112 number in your phone, this, by the way, is the common European emergency number, and it will work anywhere in the union. The operators speak clear international English.
That said, don't ever leave your drink unattended in a bar or club, and stick to the rules in the red-light district, and you will be fine.
Tip: Trams and Metros are not running at night, but the GVB (public transport) operates a fleet of night buses, which operate between 00:30 and 7:30 am.
Safe Accommodation Areas
When choosing a hotel, stay away from the bar areas if you care about sleeping, and choose a hotel or Airbnb somewhere near the old town so that you don't have to commute all that long.
We have stayed in 3 areas so far:
Zaandam
We loved staying in Zaandam, which is a town to the north bordering Amsterdam, across the bay. It's quiet, clean, and a great place to be near the windmills.
This area is a brilliant option for rooms if you are coming by car, and we stayed in the Best Western Zaan Inn.
Amsterdam is like Venice in Italy, you can't just drive into the old town due to the canals. Parking and getting to hotels in the old town can be a bit of a struggle for first-timers to the city. For safety reasons, I always recommend parking in a well-lit, CCTV-controlled parking lot or garage that belongs to the hotel or is close to the room.
Zaandam is only connected by the regional train, so you will need to get an extended public transport ticket to move around. It takes about 30 minutes to get to the main train station. Keep in mind that trains don't run all night.
Sloterdijk
Sloterdijk used to be a village that is now part of Amsterdam, and it's conveniently located in the northwestern parts of Amsterdam.
Public transport is frequent and easily accessible and will take you within minutes into the city center. Simply put, the area is chill and quiet, perfect for all those who care to sleep well.
If you are traveling by Flixbus to Amsterdam, they have a bus stop in Sloterdijk.
Amsterdam Island
If you want the full Amsterdam waterfront experience, get a room on one of the islands.
We stayed on the Steigereiland island and on the neighboring IJburg in rentals when we traveled by train or flight to Amsterdam.
These islands are just 10 minutes by public transport from the city center, and the peace, views, and quality of rentals are better most of the time compared to the rest of the city.
I highly recommend the islands if you want to stay in a safe area in Amsterdam.
You just have to get confident using the public transport system in Europe and Amsterdam to make the most of your trip to this wonderful city.
Our Additional Tips
The official tourist center and GVB public transport ticket center (IAmsterdam Center) at the Centraal train station are super helpful!
Avoid getting scammed with substances in smart shops and coffee shops.
We noticed shady men standing at certain intersections along the Nieuwendijk shopping street, and we assume they either sell illegals or are lookouts. You might be able to spot them on our 360 walking tour video of Amsterdam.
We ran into a few single guys asking us to buy them food at McDonald's. We did it once, but not twice because we didn't understand the scheme.
Don't buy tulip bulbs in spring from the historical floating flower market in Amsterdam. Tulip bulbs are planted in fall before winter so that they grow out in spring after the snow melts. If they sell you bulbs in spring, these won't turn into flowers.
Read up on the common tourist scams in Europe and the cost of visiting Amsterdam.
In the Netherlands, including Amsterdam, the Dutch language is spoken, but most natives speak and understand English fluently.
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