Amsterdam is popular with tourists from all over the world. People come to this city with all kinds of different expectations. One thing that everyone knows however is that there are quite a few crazy things to do in Amsterdam. Now not all of these things will catch your fancy but some probably will.
The best part is that these experiences are aimed at all different ages so it’s not all about the red light district or the cafes. There are fun crazy things to do in Amsterdam even with kids. You don’t have to keep circling around the famous Dam square all the time. I know this because I spent a good five days recently combing through the activities. This was the latest of my numerous trips to the city.
Anyways, if you have been to Amsterdam numerous times and want to do something different then I highly recommend checking out this list of crazy things to do in Amsterdam.
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📷 What’s my top suggestion when it comes to crazy things to do in Amsterdam? I would say enjoy the Netherlands in 5D because that way you can catch a glimpse of the whole country in a short time!
Table of Contents
Accommodation In Amsterdam
There are so many options when it comes to where to stay in Amsterdam. Honestly the first time I visited, I found it so overwhelming. If you are struggling to find something and haven’t had a chance to read my detailed article on where to stay in Amsterdam, I would recommend checking these three places out.
- The Flying Pig Downtown Amsterdam (Budget)
- Amsterdam Marriott Hotel (Mid-Range)
- Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam (Luxury)
Crazy Things To Do In Amsterdam
1. Swing On Europe’s Highest Swing
This is something that has been on my bucket list forever but I haven’t had a chance to do it because the weather has been terrible whenever I’ve visited. To take part in this particular item on our list of crazy things to do in Amsterdam, you will have to head to A’DAM Lookout. Head right to the top where you will be treated to some of the best panoramic views of the city.
The swing hovers 100 meters in the air and the experience is supposed to be exhilarating. Not something that you should do if you are afraid of heights though.
Pro Tip: I highly recommend checking out the weather before visiting and dress up warm for the city. Not only can Amsterdam become freakishly cold when the weather is bad, you will find that fog will obstruct your view which would make the experience anticlimactic.
2. Katten Kabinet
⭐️ Rating: 4.2/5 (118 Reviews) Price: $11 per person Duration: Valid for 1 day 📍Meeting Point: KattenKabinet Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
The Dutch love their animals and you will find that many of them have cats. Something that I loved because we moved to the Netherlands with a cat of our own. The Katten Kabinet is a museum that is dedicated to cats. Katten here means cats in Dutch and kabinet is cabinet.
The exhibition is pretty interesting and they also have a guided tour. This tour will help you understand why so many artists over time have included cats in their work.
“This museum is a must see for cat lovers! I even had live cat “guides” for my visit.”
Deborah (read more reviews now!)
Interestingly enough, this museum is privately owned and the owner lives on the second floor of the very same building. You will even find some of his cats wandering around the museum which is really very cool.
3. Visit A Secret Church
Amsterdam has a lot of interesting churches but have you ever heard about the secret churches that were hidden away in houses? Years ago Catholics were not allowed to practice their faith.
That made going to mass almost impossible. In order to circumvent it, people had altars in their houses where mass was often said clandestinely.
One of the most crazy things to do in Amsterdam is to visit the Our Lord In The Attic Museum. It sounds like an odd name but once you visit the place you will immediately know why this hidden Catholic church got its name.
You will first go down a series of steps and then begin to climb up again. So be prepared for a lot of stairs. You will wander through a number of rooms. Each one is themed slightly differently and you will see how the houses were modified to hide a church indoors.
This particular church was constructed by Jan Hartman. The way that the interior was cut through to give the church a wide and open space is remarkable given how these houses were built. If you look closely you will even see how the beams were used to brace the structure.
Even the paintings and the interior decor of the place will take your breath away. In many places you will find that the stone was painted to resemble marble. I honestly would not have known the difference if I had not heard about it from my audio guide.
Oh and did I mention that there is an audio guide for kids too? Our toddlers were obsessed with them.
Visiting this hidden church is definitely one of the cool and yet crazy things to do in Amsterdam if you ask me.
4. Upside Down Museum
⭐️ Rating: 4.4/5 (3,625 Reviews) Price: $29 per person Duration: Valid for 1 day 📍Meeting Point: Upside Down Museum Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
Bored of roaming through the streets of Amsterdam and visiting museum after museum? Feel like you’ve seen everything and done everything? Still looking for some of the crazy things to do in Amsterdam that will get your creative genius working again? Well I have just the place for you! Head to the Upside Down museum.
The museum is fun, interactive and Instagram gold. You can get as creative as you want with your photographs. One of the all time favorites is the huge ball pool.
Yes kinda like the ones you see kids plunging into but a little different. Here the pool is filled with loads of transparent balls.
You can change the color of the balls by just saying your favorite color in the microphone.
“Amazing! Arrival at 10 am so almost empty rooms, great for taking pretty photos. The staff is top notch!! Ready to take photos as soon as we need them, very pretty spots, very clean Very good unicorn muffin at the snack bar at the entrance in a breathtaking setting Lockers available with code, we took the 5 photos for 15 €, they already have their place in frames at home I recommend +++++ thank you for this moment”
Anais (read more reviews now!)
That however isn’t all. There are numerous other rooms and exhibits. Click a pic and see how you would look if the world was upside down. Make sure to bring some friends along for this activity though because it is best experienced with a crowd.
5. Take Part In Diamond Heist At The Diamant Museum
The Diamant museum is located in the Museum Quarter of Amsterdam and is one of the lesser visited museums but has so much to offer. This museum is home to all different kinds of diamonds and it is super informative. They even have a scavenger trail that kids can take part in which makes it very interactive and suitable for all ages.
The highlight of the Diamant museum however is the Diamond heist. Here you are a thief who tries to steal some diamonds. You have to get past all the security including laser traps and more. It is a load of laughs and fun for all ages.
So what do you think? Does it qualify as one of the crazy things to do in Amsterdam? I think so!
6. Torture Museum
Visiting the Torture museum is without doubt one of the crazy things to do in Amsterdam but it is a must if you are curious about the grim European past where executioners were common and torture methods varied depending on what was the reason for the punishment.
The Torture museum in Amsterdam is home to a collection of many different artifacts. These include all kinds of torture instruments including the guillotine and the gallows. These torture instruments date back to the middle ages.
It is a pretty eerie experience when you understand just how these instruments were used on people. You can see why I say that this is one of the crazy things to do in Amsterdam.
7. Enjoy The Netherlands In 5D
⭐️ Rating: 4.8/5 (1,763 Reviews) Price: $26 per person Duration: 1 hour 📍Meeting Point: This is Holland Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
One of the coolest and yet crazy things to do in Amsterdam is to experience the Netherlands in 5D. I call it crazy because you can actually walk out the door and experience the country with all your senses but it is also freakishly cool because if you’ve traveled across the country, you will get a totally different perspective of it.
For this experience you will have to head to THIS IS HOLLAND. Here you will be seated on a chair which will move about to simulate the flying experience. There are different parts of this experience.
You will learn about Dutch history. See how they modified their surroundings to combat the water levels and witness their ingenuity.
“It was very cool! I would do it again and again, the flight was so real and it was a lot of fun! If you come to Amsterdam, you definitely have to do this. The employees are all very friendly and love their job, you can really tell. I also bought great photos as a souvenir. All in all very successful!!!”
Cheima (read more reviews now!)
It is also a great experience if you don’t have time to visit the length and breadth of the country. You’ll see the south, the north, the east and the west in an hour. It’s pretty amazing but since like many of the things on this list, it is extremely popular, make sure to book your ticket in advance.
8. Visit The Hidden Library In The Rijksmuseum
⭐️ Rating: 4.7/5 (16,799 Reviews) Price: $26 per person Duration: Valid for 1 day 📍Meeting Point: Rijksmuseum Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
The Rijksmuseum is one of the most famous museums in Amsterdam and if you want to visit it, you really have to book your slot in advance. It does not matter if you have a free pass like museumkaart or not. Book your slot in advance. If you are buying a ticket then you need to do it well in advance too!
But how does the Rijksmuseum fit in with one of the crazy things to do in Amsterdam? Well the museum itself is pretty awesome and is standard fare when visiting the city but hidden inside it is an uber cool library. The library is called the Cuypers library and is the oldest and largest historical library in the Netherlands.
Definitely worth your time if you are in the area and it is one of the coolest places to click photographs. If you are posting them on Instagram then I highly recommend pairing it with one of these cool Amsterdam captions!
9. Check Out The Sex Museum
⭐️ Rating: 4.1/5 (1,694 Reviews) Price: $16 per person Duration: Valid for 1 day 📍Meeting Point: Red Light Secrets Museum Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
Bored of art and art and more art? Take a break and head to the Sex museum in Amsterdam. Yes! You heard right. There is a museum that is dedicated to all things sex.
It isn’t a very big museum but it has a varied collection of artwork, sculptures, paintings and more that are all centered around a sexual theme.
The museum is housed in one of the 17th century buildings in the Red Light district so you can pair it with your walk around the area.
“It’s really interesting, the tour duration is also surprisingly good when you listen to all the stories and read all the panels and posters. All written information can be found in a condensed booklet that is offered after the visit. It makes people change their prejudices and wonders about the prostitution underground.”
Maelys (read more reviews now!)
Just note that the museum closes at 6pm and the Red light district starts up after the sun has set. So make sure that you head here a little early to make it in time to catch the exhibits
10. Enjoy The WONDR Experience
⭐️ Rating: 4.5/5 (1,351 Reviews) Price: $29 per person Duration: Valid for 1 day 📍Meeting Point: WONDR Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
If you are looking for something to jazz up your Instagram feed then the WONDR experience is definitely something that you should consider. They have activities for both adults and children which is pretty cool.
The WONDR experience has a cool maze with amazing interactive exhibits.
The one thing that most of the exhibits have in common is all the colors. These make for great backdrops for some amazing photographs.
Total Instagram gold if you know what I mean.
Other experiences that you can indulge in is the Roller rink and the Pink beach. Though the Pink beach is kinda reserved for good weather days in summer.
“It was fun for everyone. I was even allowed to take my 7-month-old baby with me. It was a great experience for him too. I wasn’t allowed to take a stroller with me, but that wasn’t a problem at all thanks to my carrier. It was kept securely locked. Super nice staff who were always and everywhere ready to take photos with our cell phones or to use the photo machines there for us.
About 2 hours later you can view and download the photos of the boxes online; it is important to enter your email address there. It was a great experience :)”
Mandy (read more reviews now!)
Crazy Things To Do In Amsterdam: Nightlife
11. Get A Robot Made Drink At The RoboCafe
If you are looking for a slightly different experience when it comes to your food and drinks, I suggest heading to the RoboCafe. We kind of stumbled across this on New Year’s day and it was packed. The place centers around a theme aka robots. Here you can punch in a cocktail of your choice and watch as the robot arms move and make it. Pretty cool if you ask me.
The restaurant is also kid friendly so you can easily take your kids in. The moving robot arms provide a lot of entertainment.
When it comes to their food, we loved the sushi. Not sure what to choose? Order a whole platter. Just bear in mind that the platters are pretty huge so you need a large appetite if you are going to finish them.
Oh and since this is pretty popular and one of the really cool crazy things to do in Amsterdam, I would recommend calling and reserving your table in advance.
12. Chill At An Ice Bar
⭐️ Rating: 4.2/5 (5,588 Reviews) Price: $27 per person Duration: 45 min 📍Meeting Point: Amsterdam Icebar Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
If you don’t mind the chill then the next item on our list of crazy things to do in Amsterdam is to visit the Ice bar. Here everything from the walls and the counters is made of ice. To say that it is a frigid experience is an understatement but its also fun. Mind you, this does not matter which season it is.
“Excellent experience, straight in. Free puffer jackets and gloves (great if you are visiting in summer)… Bar tender in the ice Bar was so much fun. The almond vodka is super sweet, cold and delicious! The bar afterwards is a little crowded but very nice cocktail.”
Tracey (read more reviews now!)
Now to get inside you need to pay and entry price but you also get three tokens for three drinks which makes it pretty unique. One of the three drinks can be got in the heated lounge where it is nice and warm.
13. Wander Through The Red Light District
The Red Light District is something that is loved and hated by many. Love it or hate it, this part of Amsterdam is one of the most visited areas in the city and is a place where tourists head to party, ogle at the windows and revel through the night.
One of the fascinating parts about this street is the stark contrast that it offers between the day and the night. When I visited it for the first time, it took me totally by surprise. During the day, life goes on as usual, and you probably wouldn’t even know that you are walking through the area.
At night the streets are thick with people. Many of whom are high on weed and alcohol. So I always recommend keeping your valuables close and your senses present.
As I mentioned before, it isn’t my favorite place in the city because it makes me feel very claustrophobic at night but walking through it is definitely an experience.
14. Visit A Coffee Shop
To many that may sound like a weird suggestion. How is visiting a coffee shop one of the crazy things to do in Amsterdam? Well in Amsterdam the coffee shops don’t just provide you a bite to eat and a hot coffee. The coffee shops are also licensed cannabis dealers so you can take your pick from an extensive list of marijuana menus.
But if you wander in one and aren’t looking for the hit that cannabis gives don’t worry. You can still get a cup of coffee and see what a legal cannabis café looks like.
Crazy Things To Do In Amsterdam: Food
Some of the crazy things to do in Amsterdam involve food. This should come as no surprise because the city is huge and packed with loads of foodies. It is a very multicultural place, you will also find that the food here is as authentic as you can get since it is often prepared by natives.
15. Craft Your Cocktail At The House Of Bols
⭐️ Rating: 4.8/5 (162 Reviews) Price: $35.60 per person Duration: Valid for 1 day 📍Meeting Point: House of Bols Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
If you are a fan of different kinds of alcohol, you will find that the House of Bols is one of the coolest an the craziest things to do. Not only do you get to learn about the history of the fermented beverage, you get to see how the cocktails are made. Plus, you can even pick a cocktail making experience where you will be taught the subtle art of cocktail making by some of the inhouse experts.
One of the cool things to do is to take part in the tasting sessions. Here you will get a chance to taste different kinds of cocktails and figure out which ones suit your palate the best. If you are a pro at making cocktails, you can even consider upping your skills with one of their more intensive courses.
16. Beer + Biking Is A Fun Experience
⭐️ Rating: 3.3/5 (83 Reviews) Price: $274 for 6 people Duration: 75 min 📍Meeting Point: Rhoneweg 1, 1043 CT Amsterdam, Netherlands Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
Another one of the really cool and a tad bit crazy things to do in Amsterdam is to head out on a beer cycle. Well it technically is not a cycle but more of a wagon where everyone has to peddle to move about. There is a table in the center and it has a beer tap where you can fill up your mug. There’s a whole keg of beer that has about 20 liters of beer in it that can be poured out during the trip.
The best part? Well you can have about 15 people who sit on this contraptions and its fun because its like a moving party. The ride is for about an hour and it goes through some of the iconic streets of Amsterdam.
“Booked this for a hen party. Highly recommend Arthur the guide who was fun and accommodating”
Catrin (read more reviews now!)
Did I mention that you will have an English speaking guide who will guide the bike along so you don’t have to worry about staying sober because he will. This is definitely one of the popular crazy things to do in Amsterdam for the younger generation.
17. De Carrousel Pannenkoeken
When it comes to crazy things to do in Amsterdam when it comes to food is De Carrousel Pannenkoeken. As the name suggests, this place serves up pannenkoeken which is the Dutch pancakes. While Dutch pancakes in itself is not a novel experience, the restaurant itself is based in an old Carousel. You will see a lot of the horses and other structures of the carousel indoors.
The thing about visiting this place is that it is always packed. You can’t even make your reservations in advance. I know this because I arrived with my toddlers and couldn’t wait because they were antsy. The best thing to do is to visit during non peak times. That means definitely not during lunch hours.
If you don’t mind waiting in lines for some pancakes and cool Instagram pics then this particular item on the list of crazy things to do in Amsterdam maybe perfect for you.
18. Catch Food And The Vibe At Foodhallen
One of the coolest places in Amsterdam is Foodhallen. This place has been on my bucket list for so long. Foodhallen is like a huge indoor food court. There are loads of different places where you can catch a meal and rows of tables where you can sit and enjoy your food.
A couple of things that you should keep in mind is that it is very crowded so getting a table may take a while. The benefit is that you can order a variety of different cuisines and it is a great place to hang out if you are visiting with friends. Plus its a great activity on one of the cold winter days in Amsterdam. Definitely one of my fav crazy things to do in Amsterdam.
📷 What’s my top suggestion when it comes to crazy things to do in Amsterdam? I would say enjoy the Netherlands in 5D because that way you can catch a glimpse of the whole country in a short time!
As you can see, there are loads of crazy things to do in Amsterdam. Some are a bit more crazy than others but all in all, the city does not fail to disappoint. I have found that the city has some unique experiences for people of all ages.
At first, I honestly was sceptic whether I found find interesting things to do with my toddlers. After multiple visits to the city, I have found that if you truly know your way around and know what you enjoy, Amsterdam is a lot of fun! The trick is to wander away from the tourist hotspots.
Do you have any favorite crazy things to do in Amsterdam? Let us know in the comments below.
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