Amsterdam in December 2026: weather and what to do

Is December a good time for Amsterdam? Yes, if you come for the canals at night, the museums and the cafés rather than for bike rides in the sun. Daytime highs average 8.0 °C, nights 3.7 °C – mild for northern Europe – but 81 mm of rain falls in the month, the wind can be strong, and you only get about 7 hours 40 minutes of daylight around the solstice. What makes up for it: the Amsterdam Light Festival, which turns the canals into an open-air gallery after dark from 26 November 2026 to 17 January 2027.

Weather in Amsterdam in December

Averages 2015–2024 from the ERA5 reanalysis (via Open-Meteo), rounded. Daylight: astronomical day length on 21 December at Amsterdam's latitude, about 7 h 40 min (sunrise to sunset).

In practice: expect grey skies, showers and a damp wind off the water rather than hard frost. Snow is rare, and frozen canals are an exception, not something to plan for. It gets dark in the late afternoon – which suits the Light Festival perfectly. Use the short daylight for walks through the canal ring and the Jordaan, and keep the museums for the rainiest hours.

What's on in December 2026

The Amsterdam Light Festival runs from 26 November 2026 to 17 January 2027, according to the festival's official website. Light artworks by international artists are installed along the canals and in the city centre; you can see them from the water on a canal cruise or follow the walking route on foot. Looking at the artworks along the route is free; the canal cruises and some guided walks are ticketed. The festival's own website publishes the route and the evening hours.

Canal cruises in Amsterdam^*, including the Light Festival route, are on Tiqets; book a time slot for a weekend evening early.

Around Christmas, the city is lit up, and many neighbourhoods, hotels and venues hold their own winter events. Their 2026 dates were not all confirmed when we checked, so we do not list them here.

What to do on a rainy day

• Rijksmuseum: Rembrandt's "The Night Watch", Vermeer and the Dutch Golden Age; open every day of the year, including public holidays, according to the museum.
• Van Gogh Museum: the world's largest Van Gogh collection; tickets are sold online for a time slot.
• Anne Frank House: the secret annex; tickets are released online only, so book as early as possible.
• Stedelijk Museum: modern art and design, next to the Rijksmuseum on Museumplein.
• Brown cafés: the old wood-panelled pubs of the Jordaan and the canal ring are the Dutch answer to a wet afternoon.
• Indoor markets and food halls: good for a warm lunch out of the rain.

Tickets for the Rijksmuseum and other museums are on Tiqets. If you plan several museums and a cruise, compare the Go City Amsterdam Pass^* with single tickets.

Christmas and New Year: what is open

In the Netherlands, 25 December (first Christmas Day), 26 December (second Christmas Day) and 1 January are public holidays. Many shops close or open for shorter hours on those days, and on 24 and 31 December they often close early. Many restaurants serve special holiday menus that need a reservation.

The Rijksmuseum stays open every day, including public holidays, according to its website. Other museums, attractions and the Light Festival's cruises set their own holiday hours, which can include closed days or early closing around Christmas and New Year; we do not list times because they change, so check each official website before you go. Public transport runs on the holidays, sometimes on a reduced timetable, especially on New Year's Eve evening.

What to pack

• A waterproof jacket with a hood – umbrellas often lose against the wind.
• Shoes that stay dry; cobblestones and canal-side streets are slippery when wet.
• A warm hat, a scarf and gloves for evenings on the Light Festival route or on a boat.
• If you cycle: waterproof trousers and lights; the Dutch ride in all weathers.

YesTrip shows the forecast for your actual travel days and suggests matching clothes in the packing list.

How many days, and getting there

Three days are a good December length: the canal ring and the Jordaan on day one, the museums on Museumplein on day two, and the Anne Frank House, the old centre and the Light Festival in the evenings. Our article on how many days in Amsterdam has plans for one to four days, and our Amsterdam trip plan has the route with a map. With more time, the best day trips from Amsterdam include Haarlem, Utrecht and the Zaanse Schans.

From Schiphol, trains take you to Amsterdam Centraal – our guide Schiphol airport to Amsterdam centre compares all options. A transfer from the airport to your hotel^* can be booked with Welcome Pickups. Travelling from outside the EU, a travel eSIM for the Netherlands^* (Airalo) is usually cheaper than roaming; our eSIM price index compares prices.

With YesTrip you copy our Amsterdam plan into the app with one tap, add your hotel, a museum slot and an evening on the Light Festival route, and get the weather for your travel days and an offline map. YesTrip is free.

Amsterdam trip planDay by day, with map and tips

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