Evening Canal-Boat Tours
Even if you took a daytime canal-boat tour, come back after dark for a cruise on the inky waters. Special evening jaunts are available from all of the city's canal tour-boat lines. Drinks, snacks, dinners, and music are served as you glide through the canal district, which is quiet and calm at night. It's a leisurely, convivial, and romantic way to spend an Amsterdam evening. The price of these special evening cruises varies from company to company, and depends on the particular offering.
Through a Glass, Clearly
One of the city's simplest, and cheapest, evening activities is walking along the canals and looking into the houses as you pass. You may think I'm making the shocking suggestion that you window-peep, but in Amsterdam, it's not peeping. The Dutch take great pride in their homes and keep their curtains open in the evening because they want you to see how tidy and gezellig (cozy, homey, warm, and inviting) their living quarters are. This doesn't mean you should linger on the sidewalk gawking, but a leisurely peek inside at the decor is okay.
Movies
In Amsterdam, you'll find a dozen or more first-run features, most of them Hollywood's finest, in English with Dutch subtitles. You can find showtimes in various publications available free from movie theaters -- in Dutch, a movie theater is called a bioscoop -- as well as hotels and cafes. Most of the information is in Dutch, but the movie titles and screening times are hard to get wrong. A string of commercials and trailers always precedes the main feature (except at art-house cinemas).
Note: If all of a sudden there's a break in the movie, which happens at some movie theaters, don't fret; this is a pauze and it lasts about 15 minutes. It can be incredibly annoying, especially as it seems always to come during an arresting on-screen moment, but at least it gives you time to visit the toilet, buy an ice cream, or grab a smoke.
Multiplexes are to be found around Leidseplein, on Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen, Marnixstraat, and Lijnbaansgracht; around Rembrandtplein, on Vijzelstraat and Reguliersbreestraat; and in Amsterdam-Zuidoost on ArenA Boulevard.
Amsterdam's Casino
Holland Casino Amsterdam, in the Lido, Max Euweplein 62 (tel. 020/521-1111; www.hollandcasino.com; tram: 1, 2, 5, 7, or 10), at Leidseplein, is the only legal casino in town. This place deals in European gambling, with an emphasis on roulette, baccarat, punto banco, blackjack, and others, though there are also abundant one-armed bandits, which the Dutch call "fruit machines." You need correct attire to get in (jacket and tie or turtleneck for men), and you also need to bring your passport to register at the door. The minimum age is 18. The casino is open daily (except May 4 and Dec 31) from 12:30pm to 3am.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
