Amsterdam nightlife guide
Amsterdam nightlife, area by area
Where you go depends on the night you are after. A guide by neighbourhood and by kind of night, with the practical things worth knowing before you head out.
Amsterdam is small enough to walk from a brown café to a dance floor in one evening, and big enough that the serious club nights mean a ferry or a night bus. In the centre, the nightlife areas sit close together: two squares full of bars and clubs, one street that has been the heart of queer Amsterdam for decades, and the oldest part of town around the Zeedijk. The big clubs with long nights are mostly outside the canal ring.
We run three bars on Reguliersdwarsstraat, so our own street is the one we know best. For the rest of the city we stick to what venues publish themselves and to the sources at the bottom of this page. Opening hours and line-ups change, so check the venue’s own site before you go.
Mood imageChapter 01 · The centre
The nightlife areas in the city centre
Rembrandtplein. A square with terraces, cafés and clubs within a few hundred metres. Busy, easy-going and mixed, with visitors and locals side by side. Escape is the best-known big club here.
Leidseplein. The other big square, and the one with the most stages. Melkweg and Paradiso run concerts and club nights, and the side streets hold clubs such as Chicago Social Club and Jimmy Woo.
Reguliersdwarsstraat. The street between Koningsplein and Rembrandtplein is the city’s best-known LGBTQ+ address. Bars and clubs sit door to door, from drinks with a drag show to dancing until closing time. Our Reguliersdwarsstraat nightlife guide covers it bar by bar.
Zeedijk and Warmoesstraat. The oldest part of the city, home to some of the oldest queer venues in Europe. Café ’t Mandje on the Zeedijk opened in 1927. Warmoesstraat has been the street of the leather bars since the 1970s.
Mood imageChapter 02 · Long nights
Outside the centre: where the club nights run longest
If you want to dance to house and techno until morning, you usually leave the centre. In Noord, Shelter is under the A’DAM Tower, a short free ferry ride from behind Central Station. West has big clubs and warehouses such as Warehouse Elementenstraat, Lofi and Thuishaven, Nieuw-West has Radion and Oost has Doka, in the basement of the Volkshotel.
Several of these clubs hold (or have held) a 24-hour licence from the city, so a night there can run longer than in the centre. Which clubs hold one changes with each licensing round. Our guide to the best clubs in Amsterdam sorts them by kind of night.
Mood imageChapter 03 · Choose your night
What kind of night are you after?
- Drinks first, then see where it goes. Start on a terrace or in a cocktail bar in the centre. On Reguliersdwarsstraat, Bar Blend opens in the afternoon. For cocktails around Rembrandtplein we wrote a separate guide.
- Dancing in the centre, no taxi out of town. The clubs around Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein, or a nightclub on Reguliersdwarsstraat with DJs and shows.
- Techno until morning. The clubs outside the centre, from Noord to Nieuw-West.
- A queer night out. Reguliersdwarsstraat, the Zeedijk and Kerkstraat, each with its own character. See our LGBTQ+ nightlife guide.
- Singing along. Dutch classics, 80s and 90s hits and Eurovision: that is what Montmartre XL is for.
- Live music. Paradiso and Melkweg, both close to Leidseplein.
Mood imageChapter 04 · Before you go
Practical: hours, transport and ID
- Closing times
- Many clubs close around 04:00 or 05:00 at weekends and earlier on weeknights. Clubs with a 24-hour licence can stay open longer. Our own bars close at 04:00 at the latest.
- Age and ID
- Most clubs are 18+, some are 21+. Always bring valid photo ID.
- Night buses
- The regular GVB network stops around 00:30. After that, night buses leave from Central Station, most of them only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Check the current timetable with GVB.
- To Noord
- The ferry from behind Central Station to Noord is free and runs day and night.
- Booking
- At our bars you can just walk in. Groups of 8 or more can book a table.
- Safer nights
- How we look after a safe night out: Safer Nights.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best place to go out in Amsterdam?
It depends on your night. For bars and clubs close together: Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein. For a queer night out: Reguliersdwarsstraat. For long techno and house nights: the clubs outside the centre, such as in Noord and West.
What time do clubs close in Amsterdam?
Many clubs close around 04:00 or 05:00 at weekends and earlier on weeknights. A number of clubs hold a 24-hour licence and can stay open longer. Always check the club’s own site for exact times.
How do you get home at night in Amsterdam?
After about 00:30, night buses run from Central Station, mainly at weekends. The ferry to Noord runs day and night. Check current times with GVB.
Where is the gay scene in Amsterdam?
Mostly on Reguliersdwarsstraat, plus the Zeedijk, Warmoesstraat and Kerkstraat. See our LGBTQ+ nightlife guide.
Sources6
Opening hours and line-ups of other venues change. Always check the official website before you go.
- Best clubs in Amsterdam (opens in a new tab) · I amsterdam
- Hoe laat sluiten de clubs bij uitgaan in Amsterdam? (opens in a new tab) · Bitterzoet
- GVB nachtbus (opens in a new tab) · GVB
- Reguliersdwarsstraat (opens in a new tab) · Wikipedia
- Café ’t Mandje (1927) (opens in a new tab) · Stadsarchief Amsterdam, Canon van Amsterdam
- Gemeente Amsterdam deelt nieuwe 24-uursvergunningen uit (opens in a new tab) · NH Nieuws
Read next
ClubsThe best clubs in AmsterdamBy kind of night, from the centre to Noord and West.
QueerLGBTQ+ nightlife in AmsterdamBars, clubs and areas, beyond our own street.
StreetReguliersdwarsstraat nightlifeThe city’s best-known gay street, bar by bar.
DanceNightclub in central AmsterdamDJs, shows and a dance floor at number 44.