Amsterdam / 20 photo spots
20 Instagram spots around Amsterdam
Amsterdam’s canals and distinctive buildings are joined by parks, former industrial spaces and waterfront architecture. These photo ideas explore the city from several angles.
The first 10 photo spots
Canals, gabled facades and quiet side streets: Amsterdam photographs itself. These 10 spots are the ones worth stopping for.
Explore the map
Photo spots on the map
13 of 20 photo ideas have sourced location coordinates. The initial view is for orientation. An area marker does not indicate an exact photo position.
Select a highlighted number to show its sourced location on the map. Every name links to the photo spot.
If the map does not load, use the OpenStreetMap link or the photo spot list.
All photo spots
- DamrakApproximate area
- W AmsterdamSourced place
- BloemenmarktApproximate area
- BloemgrachtApproximate area
- ZevenlandenhuizenApproximate area
- RijksmuseumSourced place
- Magere BrugSourced place
- ReguliersgrachtApproximate area
- BegijnhofApproximate area
- VondelparkApproximate area
- WesterkerkSourced place
- Eye FilmmuseumSourced place
- Oude KerkSourced place
Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Destination reference: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Spot coordinates: Wikidata, CC0. Selection, association and some calculations by You, Me, Away.
Damrak
The canal view from Damrak, with leaning gabled houses on both sides, is the classic Amsterdam postcard. Come early in the morning for still water and empty streets.
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W Amsterdam
The rooftop pool and terrace of the W look straight across the palace and the old-town rooftops. Best light is late afternoon, when the facades turn warm.
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“Wake me up when I’m famous”
This neon-style lettering on a photo studio window is short, funny and made for portraits. Stand close and let the camera focus on the text behind you.
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Hortus Botanicus
Glasshouses, palm trees and a pond full of water lilies make the botanical garden a green break from the streets. The tall palm house gives the strongest photos.
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Bloemenmarkt
Stalls of tulips and flower bulbs line the Singel at the floating flower market. Shoot along the row of stalls to catch the color.
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Dam
The central square with the Royal Palace and the New Church is wide, busy and full of lines. Early morning keeps the crowds out of wide shots.
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Bloemgracht
A calm Jordaan canal lined with houseboats, small bridges and trees. An easy, quiet frame that shows the Amsterdam most visitors walk past.
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Het Brillenpalais
An eyeglass shop whose facade disappears under hanging ivy. In autumn the leaves turn red and the whole wall becomes the backdrop.
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Zevenlandenhuizen
One row of houses, seven national styles: each facade borrows from a different country. Stand across the street to fit several styles in one frame.
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Rijksmuseum
The brick facade, the gardens and the long gallery passage all photograph well. The passage under the building is the most reliable shot on a rainy day.
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Magere Brug
The white Magere Brug is a drawbridge across the Amstel. Frame it from the riverbank so the bridge stretches across the water, then use the buildings on the opposite bank to give the structure a sense of place.
Search Google MapsReguliersgracht
Reguliersgracht is known for its sequence of canal bridges. Look along the water and line up several arches in one frame, using the repeated shapes to show the depth of the canal rather than focusing on one crossing.
Search Google MapsBegijnhof
The Begijnhof is a historic courtyard enclosed by a group of buildings. Compose with the courtyard and façades together, paying attention to the quiet residential setting rather than treating it as an empty stage.
Search Google MapsVondelpark
Vondelpark is a large green space in Amsterdam with paths and places to pause. Choose a curving path or group of trees as the main shape in your image, using the park’s greenery to build a layered composition.
Search Google MapsWesterkerk
The seventeenth-century Westerkerk stands near the Anne Frank House. Use a nearby canal or street as a foreground and leave room above the church to show its tower within the surrounding neighbourhood.
Search Google MapsNDSM Wharf
NDSM is a former shipyard in Amsterdam Noord that now accommodates cultural uses and street art. Photograph a remnant of its industrial setting beside a newer artwork to make the transformation of the area visible.
Search Google MapsEye Filmmuseum
The Eye Filmmuseum is a contemporary building on the IJ waterfront. A photograph across the water can isolate its angular silhouette, while including the shoreline gives the museum a recognisable position in Amsterdam Noord.
Search Google MapsNEMO Science Museum
The NEMO Science Museum has a ship-like shape and a roof overlooking central Amsterdam. Photograph the exterior from the water’s edge to show its silhouette, or use the rooftop setting as a foreground for city views.
Search Google MapsOude Kerk
The Oude Kerk is Amsterdam’s oldest surviving building and stands in the historic centre. Frame the church from a nearby street, letting the surrounding houses show the scale and close grain of the neighbourhood.
Search Google MapsDe Gooyer Windmill
De Gooyer is a windmill in Amsterdam’s Eastern Islands neighbourhood. Include its sails and the buildings around its base in one vertical frame, showing the landmark as part of a working urban district.
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