Where to Stay in Amsterdam: Canal Ring, Jordaan, De Pijp or Museum Quarter?

The short answer. For a first trip, stay in the canal ring or the old centre, so most sights are a walk away and Centraal Station is close. Pick the Jordaan if you’d like calmer canals with cafes and small shops, De Pijp for markets and food, the Museum Quarter if the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum are the point, and Oost or Noord if you’d rather pay less and take a tram or a ferry.

Roam Amsterdam read 12 guides on this, in English, French and Dutch. The old centre is named by all 12 and nine of them put the centre or the canal ring first for a first visit. The Jordaan comes next with 11, then the Museum Quarter and Oud-Zuid with 11, the canal ring with 10, De Pijp with 9, Plantage with 8 and Oost with 7. Roam Amsterdam is a data platform as well as a guide, so the transport facts below come from the city’s tourism site and not from those guides. No hotel is named and no price is printed, because Amsterdam has no hotel price index here yet and no hotel has been checked against its own page. Look at rooms on the map and on a booking site for your dates, and see what’s on during your stay on the events page and the live music page.

The short list

The old centre

Named by 12 of 12 guides read.

Every guide names it, and most call it the easiest base for a first visit. The centre sits between Centraal Station and Dam Square, so it suits you if you’re arriving by train or leaving on one early. The Amsterdam tourism site says four metro routes start at Centraal Station and that most tram routes serve it.

The catch is crowds and noise. One guide warns that the streets east towards De Wallen can be very noisy, and four advise against staying in De Wallen itself, one of them especially with children. One guide says the centre is fine for a single night before an early train and no more. Ask for a room away from the busy streets.

Canal ring

Named by 10 of 12 guides read.

The canal ring, or Grachtengordel, is the half-moon of 17th-century canals around the centre. It’s the pick most guides give for a first visit when they want you to wake up to canal views. Hotels here cost more, and one guide adds that rooms in old canal houses can be small and the stairs steep. The Nine Streets shopping area sits inside it.

Jordaan

Named by 11 of 12 guides read.

If you want canals and a village feel without the main tourist crush, the Jordaan is the area guides reach for. It’s described as charming and walkable, with galleries, independent shops and brown cafes. The warnings are few. Hotels are scarce, so you’ll find more apartments and small guesthouses, and three guides call it pricey. One adds that the streets near the Anne Frank House get busy at midday.

Roam Amsterdam’s things to do in Amsterdam guide puts the Jordaan in a walk with the Westerkerk and the Noordermarkt.

Museum Quarter and Oud-Zuid

Named by 11 of 12 guides read.

This is the green base next to Vondelpark. The Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Concertgebouw are all within walking distance, which is the main reason to choose it. Guides call it calm and green, and one adds that evenings are sleepy enough that you’ll travel in for dinner. One guide calls it the most expensive area of the city and another says it can be pricey. The side nearest Leidseplein is busier. If you’re deciding which museum to do first, the Rijksmuseum or Van Gogh Museum guide has the verdicts.

De Pijp

Named by 9 of 12 guides read.

De Pijp is south of the canal ring and is where guides send you for food. The Albert Cuyp Market runs through it, and Sarphatipark is close. One guide says it can be hectic and noisy near the market, and another says it’s lively at night. It has no canal views to speak of, and guides describe it as a short tram ride from the centre.

Plantage and Oost

Plantage: named by 8 of 12 guides read. Oost: 7 of 12.

Plantage is the leafy part east of the centre, with ARTIS Zoo and the Hortus Botanicus. Guides call it calm and good for families, and the cost is little nightlife and fewer restaurants. Oost is further out around Oosterpark, with lower prices and local restaurants. The warning is distance. One guide puts it 20 to 25 minutes on foot from the canal ring, so check the tram stops before you book.

Oud-West and Noord

Oud-West: named by 6 of 12 guides read. Noord: 5 of 12.

Oud-West is the middle ground, with local cafes and a walk to the Jordaan and Vondelpark. One guide says it has fewer restaurants and less character than the Jordaan. Noord is across the IJ from Centraal. The tourism site says the ferry across the IJ is free for pedestrians and cyclists and that the Centraal Station to Buiksloterweg route runs all night. Guides say beds are cheaper there, and the A’DAM Lookout and the NDSM wharf are on that side. It doesn’t feel like the old city, and you’ll plan around the ferry.

What the guides split on

Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein. Six guides name Leidseplein and it’s the nightlife pick. They also say it’s loud late, so ask for a room off the square.

Westerpark. Four guides name it as a green, calmer base with a bit of nightlife, and note there are few places to stay.

Outside the city. One guide suggests Haarlem as a budget alternative, about 15 minutes by train. The Haarlem day trip guide has the details. Three guides say to skip the far suburbs and the Docklands, because the commute eats your evenings.

Verdicts by type of visitor

First visit, a few days. The canal ring or the old centre. Pick the canal ring if you want canal views and the old centre if you want Centraal close.

Canals and cafes without the main crush. The Jordaan.

Food and markets. De Pijp.

Museums. The Museum Quarter or Oud-Zuid.

Families. Plantage, Oost or the Museum Quarter, which guides call calmer.

Lower prices. Oost, Oud-West or Noord, and check the transport before you book.

Nightlife. Leidseplein or the streets near Rembrandtplein, with a room off the main square.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where should you stay in Amsterdam on a first visit?

The canal ring or the old centre. Nine of the 12 guides read put one of them first, and all 12 name the old centre.

Is the Jordaan a good place to stay?

Yes, if you’d like canals and small shops without the main crush. Eleven of 12 guides name it. There are few hotels, so expect apartments and guesthouses, and some guides say it’s pricey.

Is De Wallen a good place to stay?

Four guides advise against it, especially with children, because of the noise. One says it’s fine for a single night before an early train.

Is the free ferry to Noord reliable for getting back?

The tourism site says the Centraal Station to Buiksloterweg crossing runs all night and is free for pedestrians and cyclists.

Can you stay outside Amsterdam?

Haarlem is about 15 minutes by train and one guide suggests it as a budget alternative. Three guides say to skip the far suburbs and the Docklands.

Rest of the trip: things to do in Amsterdam, best day trips from Amsterdam and Amsterdam travel tips.

Places in this guide

Photos show the actual places, licensed under Creative Commons and credited to their photographers.

Houseboat Museum Jordaan Photo: Kristina D.C. Hoeppner Heineken Experience De Pijp Photo: daryl_mitchell EYE Filmmuseum Noord Photo: Fred Romero Hermitage Amsterdam Plantage Photo: Fred Romero