10 Important Tips for Visiting Amsterdam on King’s Day (2025)
April 27th is no normal day in Amsterdam – it’s King’s Day. Imagine Mardi Gras in New Orleans, St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin, or the 4th of July in Washington DC, but everyone’s wearing orange. King’s Day is the biggest day of partying and celebration in the Netherlands and if you find yourself in Amsterdam that day, you’ll want to be prepared. These 10 tips for Americans visiting Amsterdam on King’s Day will help you get in the spirit and have a blast!
Note: King’s Day will be celebrated on Saturday, April 26th in 2025.
I visited the Netherlands for the first time this past April and happened to land in Amsterdam early in the morning of April 27th. The flight attendants on my JetBlue flight were even wearing orange leis to celebrate the occasion. It was a chaotic day (especially after a red eye flight), but a little advanced planning allowed us to have a very fun first day in Amsterdam.
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What is King’s Day?
King’s Day (April 27th each year or April 26th if the 27th is a Sunday, which is the case in 2025) is a national holiday to celebrate King Willem-Alexander’s birthday. The date changes with each reigning monarch. The celebrations take place throughout the country, but the biggest crowds are found in Amsterdam. The king himself spends the day visiting a different Dutch city each year.
While April 27th is the main event (the 26th in 2025), the partying really kicks off the night before on April 26th (the 25th in 2025). However, King’s Day isn’t only for partying. There are also lots of flea markets and festivals catering to various demographics, from EDM raves to family-friendly fun.
Top Tips
Wear Orange!
Wearing orange is fully in the spirit of King’s Day, whether you’re Dutch or not. If you don’t own any orange, not problem – there are plenty of street vendors ready to sell you everything from orange sunglasses to leis to sweaters. While orange is the national color of the Netherlands (despite it not being featured in the flag), locals will give you a strange look if you wear it after King’s Day. It’s a color largely reserved for that one day (and other celebrations of national pride like the Olympics).
Plan Ahead
A lot of services do not operate normally on King’s Day. First off, transit is limited due to many of the streets being closed to trams and cars. Because of this, you may want to pick your hotel accordingly. We stayed at Hotel Fita on King’s Day, which was only a few minutes’ walk from where the bus from Schipol Airport dropped us off and we were walking distance from the festivities along the canal and the much calmer Vondelpark area. Hotels are at peak prices over King’s Day, but Hotel Fita was relatively affordable.
To get from AMS Schipol Airport to our hotel, we took the 397 bus. It’s route diverted from the usual plan due to road closures, but we were dropped off outside Amsterdam Concertgebouw as planned.
Luggage storage is also limited across the country, so don’t count on being able to use lockers at train stations. While some restaurants and shops are open, most are closed for the day.
Here are some resources I used to track transit closures and luggage storage options:
Sleep In: The Party Really Starts in the Afternoon
On the morning of King’s Day, it’s pretty quiet on the streets. Presumably a lot of people are sleeping in after partying the night before. Besides that, the Dutch streets tend to be quiet on any morning – they’re not an early rising culture. The party really picks up in the afternoon.
Bad weather will also keep the crowds away. It was raining in the morning when we visited, but the skies cleared up in the afternoon, only exacerbating the difference in crowds throughout the day.
Consider Taking to the Canals
Amsterdam’s famous canals are a great place to hang out on King’s Day. The waterways become crowded with party boats and onlookers enjoy the views from the sidewalks and bridges. We stayed on land for the day, but if you’re looking to join the party on the water, you’ll want to book in advance.
Here are a couple of companies you can book cruises with. Some only have the option to rent an entire boat, which can be fun if you’re traveling with a group. Others allow you to just book individual spots on a party boat.
If you’re looking for more family-friendly fun, I recommend heading away from the city center. The crowds can become shoulder-to-shoulder with drunk revelers near the canals, and that’s not a great spot for children. However, not far away is Vondelpark, a beautiful spot walking distance from much of the city that is comparatively much less crowded. We strolled through Vondelpark (and checked out the nearby Zevenlandenhuizen or “Seven Countries Houses”) and there were lots of families with small children playing and enjoying the holiday.
There are Ticketed Parties and Events
On King’s Day, there are several festivals and paid events. If you’re interested in these, you’ll want to buy your tickets in advance. Personally, I had more than enough fun celebrating for free along the streets of Amsterdam!
These are some of the most popular King’s Day festivals in Amsterdam:
Some Museums are Open
Although many places are closed on King’s Day, some iconic museums are still open, including the Anne Frank House and Van Gogh Museum. We wanted to pace ourselves on the crowds and partying and spent a couple hours in the Van Gogh Museum.
You’ll definitely want to book any museum tickets in advance, as they do sell out! The Anne Frank House was at the top of my list but I was too late to buy tickets. The Van Gogh Museum was an excellent second choice, though.
If you want to get out of the city entirely, Keukenhof is also open on King’s Day. This fantastic display of tulips is a must-see if you’re in the Netherlands during peak tulip season.
Make Sure You Have Some Cash (Just in Case)
Throughout the streets, there are plenty of food vendors. You’ll want to make sure you have cash on hand, as not all of them take credit cards. We made sure to grab some euros from an ATM at the airport, as I’d read online that ATMs in the city sometimes run out of money on King’s Day.
You don’t need to withdraw much money, though. We took €100 out to be safe, but ended up not using any of it. We ate lunch at a restaurant and for dinner, we bought Indian food to go – both restaurants took credit cards.
Keep a Close Eye on Your Belongings
Any major city and tourist destination is going to have an increased risk for pickpockets, but King’s Day crowds raise the odds even more. You can make yourself less of a target by using things like a phone wrist strap or an anti-theft bag.
Make sure to keep your wits about you on King’s Day. Be mindful of how much you drink, keep your belongings in hard-to-reach places, and don’t hand your phone to strangers. We were standing along the canal and some guy was by himself and asked us to take a picture for him. We did and he then offered to return the favor and take a picture for us. I got a weird vibe from this guy and politely declined. I’ll stick with selfies instead of risking my phone being stolen!
Don’t Be Surprised by the Public Urinals
With the large crowds on King’s Day and so many shops and restaurants closed, it’s a good thing that the city puts Porta Potties all around. However, they also put out public urinals for men, which is something I’d never seen before. The more I think about it, the more genius it is, as it keeps the line for the Porta Potties down and decreases the number of people peeing directly on the street or into the canals.
If you want to avoid using Porta Potties, utilize free restrooms where you can. A restaurant, museum, and your hotel are all good options.
Give the City Grace
Amsterdam may not be the cleanest city in the world, but it looks particularly rough in the aftermath of King’s Day. It takes the city a few days to clean up all the trash and broken glass from King’s Day celebrations. If it’s your first visit to Amsterdam, frame your view of the city with this in mind. And if you’re riding a bike around the city, be extra careful of all the glass or you may pop a tire!
Final Thoughts
When I booked my flight to Amsterdam, I had no idea we’d be landing on King’s Day. At first, I was nervous because I don’t like big crowds and rowdy parties, but I ended up having an incredible time. If a trip to the Netherlands is on your mind for 2025, consider planning it around visiting Amsterdam on King’s Day on April 26th.
If you’re in the Netherlands the week after King’s Day, know that Liberation Day is the following week on May 5th and stores close then too. However, Liberation Day honors the end of WWII and is a much more somber holiday than King’s Day.
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