Amsterdam in December 2024 - Weather, Events, What to Pack And More

Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands is a popular city all around the world. Earlier, in the 17th century the Dutch golden age transformed a small fishing village into a beautiful city. Over the years, the city has transformed a lot and the canals are used as a way of living and is now known as “Venice of the north”. In December, nature decorates the city pretty buildings and canals with white fog making it more special. Also, the festive and the winter season starts in December so the city is more vibrant. You can often hear Christmas bells ringing giving the festive vibes to all the people.

Reasons to Visit Amsterdam in December

A cold winter season in Amsterdam and the city is covered with white snow making it White Christmas. Also, the light Festival adds more beauty to the Canal rings making the Christmas lights and trees across the town look more special.

The Christmas festivities run all through December, especially as Sinterklaas comes early in mid-November. You can take a walk through the buzzing streets of the city and experience unique food of the Netherlands.

With the city loaded with many activities such as Ice Skating, Christmas concerts and New Year Eve special parties all these will make sure your vacation in Amsterdam is fully occupied in December. In the first two weeks of December you can experience less crowd which makes an ideal time to visit Amsterdam for budget travelers.

Weather in Amsterdam in December

It is winter season in Amsterdam and you can expect cold weather with a bit of rain and snow. The daytime temperatures are anywhere around 6-7°C, while night time temperatures are around 2-3°C. It offers you the best chilling experience when your visit in December. We definitely recommend you to carry plenty of woolen cloths to keep yourself warm in your Amsterdam Vacation. During this time of year the weather is overcast and cloudy and you can see sunrise around 8:30 AM and sunset around 4:30 PM, leaving you only little time to explore the outdoors.

Events in Amsterdam in December

1. Christmas Markets

The festive season comes in the month of December with Christmas and the entire city goes into the carnival mood. During this festive time, the first thing that comes to your mind is shopping gifts for your loved ones. You can take a walk and explore all the different types of markets to buy the best drinks and cuisines for the Christmas eve.

You can also get clothes from trendy to traditional wears at a reasonable price in the city. The shopkeepers will make sure you get the best quality on this occasion to gift your loved ones.

2. Amsterdam Light Festival

The light festival is one of the highlights of winter which happens in Amsterdam. You can see artist from different parts of world register them self and exhibit there marvelous work in this festival. More than thousands of unique lights in different artforms will be pleasing to watch for the visitors during the night time. You can look at these beautiful lightings from a boat or cruise to get the best experience.

3. Ice Skating in Rembrandtplein

Temperature drops down during the winter season and if you are travelling to Amsterdam during this season, then there is a great opportunity for you to skate in Rembrandtplein. The canals freezes due to cold winter and the water gets fixed giving you chance to ice walk or skate on it 🙂 This activity with your friends and loved ones will give you lifetime experience to cherish for.

4. The Concertgebouw : Main Hall, Amsterdam

One more special place in city is the Concertgebouw. Your Amsterdam trip will be truly memorable if you are concertgoer lover. You can often see the lots of concerts happening in the city’s classical venues and halls. Whole of December month you can hear the authentic and the traditional chorals will organized to give festive vibe around the city.

The famous 3 days concert in Concertgebouwplein is one of the best musical concerts which will give you the most astonishing and royal experience. So be there to get the royal vibes 😉

Also, with the Christmas and new year time coming in December you must visit “The Lobby” and “Doubletree by Hilton” to get the best cuisines in the city.

Other major attraction to explore in Amsterdam are:

Van Gogh Museum
Rijksmuseum
Anne Frank House and Walking Tour
Heineken Factory Visit.
Amsterdam Canal Cruise
Madame Tussauds Amsterdam
ARTIS Royal Zoo

What to pack for your Amsterdam in December

You might experience rain during the December month and the temperature might get cold so make sure you have the below essentials well packed in advance for your trip:

Waterproof jacket
Windcheater
Boots or waterproof shoes
Gloves
Scarves & Sweaters.

Getting Around Amsterdam

Getting around the Amsterdam city during the rains can be quite tricky in the December month. Biking is the easy and popular mode of transport for most people in Amsterdam, but we would recommend you take the public transports during this time of year. All the public transports are well connected from one destination to other making it easy for all the international tourists.

The different modes of transport to explore Amsterdam is through Metro, Bus, Train or Tram. Out of all the 4, Tram being the easiest and cheaper mode to travel.

Note : You can buy an Amsterdam City Card where you can get free across for all public transportation to roam around the city.

Must Eat Food in Amsterdam

Everyone would love to taste and experience the local foods when they travel to there dream destination. Similarly, Amsterdam is place which showers you with many unique dishes for you to experience.

The popular dishes to taste during your Amsterdam visit are Hachee Stew, Oliebollen, Suddervelees, Gluhwein and many more in the bucket list.

Ready to experience the light Festival and go on a boat ride through the elaborated canals of Amsterdam? We at Pickyourtrail.com will plan out a perfect Amsterdam package and Netherlands vacation packages and ensure you have a memorable holiday.