RunCity

Amsterdam on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 11 of Amsterdam's best-known sights, including Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge), Rembrandtplein, Bloemenmarkt (Flower Market) and more. It is about 9.5 km on foot, roughly 3 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Amsterdam leaderboard.

  • 11Stops
  • about 9.5 kmDistance
  • 3 hoursWalking
  • about 79 minRunning
Play Amsterdam in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Amsterdam
Photo: Andrés Barrios · CC BY-SA 4.0

This walk crosses Amsterdam's canal ring from east to south, starting at the De Gooyer windmill and ending on Museumplein. The windmill is the bonus stop and stands a little east of the centre, next to a brewery; from there you follow the water to the Magere Brug over the Amstel, then Rembrandtplein, the floating flower stalls of the Bloemenmarkt and the hidden courtyard of the Begijnhof. Dam Square with the Royal Palace is the middle of the walk.

The Oude Kerk, the city's oldest building, stands in the Red Light District on the way to the front of Amsterdam Centraal. Then the route heads west along the canals to the Anne Frank House and south to the Rijksmuseum, whose passage is shared by cyclists, and the lawns of Museumplein. Watch for bikes: bike lanes are red and have right of way. Anne Frank House tickets sell out weeks ahead if you want to go inside.

1234567891011

Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. De Gooyer windmill

    De Gooyer windmill Bonus

    The tall windmill that stands beside a craft brewery.

    Photo: Jvhertum · CC BY-SA 3.0

  2. Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge)

    Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge) Photo

    The white wooden drawbridge over the Amstel.

    Photo: Zairon · CC BY-SA 4.0

  3. Rembrandtplein

    Rembrandtplein

    The square with Rembrandt's statue in the middle.

    Photo: Marion Golsteijn · CC BY-SA 3.0

  4. Bloemenmarkt (Flower Market)

    Bloemenmarkt (Flower Market) Photo

    The floating flower stalls along the Singel.

    Photo: Massimo Catarinella · CC BY-SA 3.0

  5. Begijnhof

    Begijnhof

    A quiet courtyard of old houses off a busy street.

    Photo: Massimo Catarinella · CC BY-SA 3.0

  6. Dam Square

    Dam Square

    The main square with the Royal Palace and the National Monument.

    Photo: Fernando · CC BY-SA 4.0

  7. Oude Kerk

    Oude Kerk

    The oldest building in the city, in the middle of the Red Light District.

    Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0

  8. Amsterdam Centraal

    Amsterdam Centraal Photo

    The red-brick station façade from the harbour side.

    Photo: Slaunger · CC BY-SA 4.0

  9. Anne Frank House

    Anne Frank House

    The canal house where Anne Frank hid, seen from outside.

    Photo: Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0

  10. Rijksmuseum

    Rijksmuseum Photo

    The museum's red-brick façade with the bike tunnel.

    Photo: Trougnouf (Benoit Brummer) · CC BY 4.0

  11. Museumplein

    Museumplein

    The wide lawn between the three great museums.

    Photo: Ank Kumar · CC BY-SA 4.0

Play Amsterdam in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Amsterdam on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 11 stops on this route add up to about 9.5 km, roughly 3 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Amsterdam is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Amsterdam?

    Open Amsterdam in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Amsterdam leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at De Gooyer windmill and finishing at Museumplein. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

    Nearby cities