Best Free Things to Do in Amsterdam
- Sail the IJ Ferry: The short free ferryboat ride across the IJ channel between Centraal Station and Amsterdam-Noord (North) is a great micro-cruise that affords fine harbor views.
- View Golden Age Paintings: Usually it costs a bundle to see paintings from the Old Masters period of Dutch art. A free exception is the multiple images of Civic Guards (Militia) companies hanging in the Schuttersgalerij of the Amsterdam Museum.
- Visit the Begijnhof: Even though admission is free, there's a price to pay for stepping into the cloistered community that for centuries has been a residence for women of "sound character." You need to be tolerably quiet and comport yourself with dignity — or you'll get tossed out by the guards.
- Take in a Lunchtime Rehearsal Concert: If you can live with the occasional duff note and a program that doesn't always follow the script, treat your ears to classical music from 12:30 to 1pm at the Muziektheater (Tues) and the Concertgebouw (Wed), every week from October to June.
- Stroll through Vondelpark: Its 48 hectares (120 acres) of trees, ponds, flower beds, and picnic grounds comprise the city's green lung — even if the fresh air is often spiked with marijuana smoke. In summer, concerts and all kinds of open-air activities take place.