• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Divergent Travelers

Divergent Travelers

Award-Winning Adventure Travel Blog

CLICK TO OPEN MENUMENU
  • TRAVEL TIPS
    • TRAVEL INSPIRATION
    • HOW TO PLAN A TRIP
    • HOW TO SAVE MONEY FOR TRAVEL
    • CHEAP PLACES TO TRAVEL
    • FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS
    • FIND CHEAP ACCOMMODATION
    • TRAVEL SAFETY TIPS
    • TRAVEL ITINERARIES
    • TRAVEL GEAR GUIDE
    • TRAVEL INSURANCE ADVICE
  • USA TRAVEL
    • USA TRAVEL GUIDE
    • USA NATIONAL PARKS
    • WEST COAST USA
      • ALASKA
      • CALIFORNIA
      • HAWAII
    • MOUNTAIN USA
      • COLORADO
      • MONTANA
      • WYOMING
    • MIDWEST USA
      • MINNESOTA
      • NORTH DAKOTA
      • WISCONSIN
    • NORTHEAST USA
      • NEW YORK
    • SOUTHWEST USA
      • ARIZONA
      • NEVADA
      • UTAH
    • SOUTHEAST USA
      • FLORIDA
      • NORTH CAROLINA
      • VIRGINIA
  • DESTINATIONS
    • WORLDWIDE
    • AFRICA
      • BOTSWANA
      • ETHIOPIA
      • KENYA
      • MALAWI
      • NAMIBIA
      • RWANDA
      • SOUTH AFRICA
      • TANZANIA
      • ZIMBABWE
    • ANTARCTICA
    • ASIA
      • CHINA
      • HONG KONG
      • INDIA
      • KYRGYZSTAN
      • MACAU
      • MALDIVES
      • RUSSIA
      • SOUTH KOREA
      • SRI LANKA
      • TIBET
      • TURKMENISTAN
      • UZBEKISTAN
    • SOUTHEAST ASIA
      • BORNEO
      • CAMBODIA
      • INDONESIA
      • MALAYSIA
      • MYANMAR
      • PHILIPPINES
      • SINGAPORE
      • THAILAND
      • VIETNAM
    • CARIBBEAN
    • CENTRAL AMERICA
    • EUROPE
      • NORDICS
        • DENMARK
        • FINLAND
        • ICELAND
        • NORWAY
        • SWEDEN
      • WESTERN EUROPE
        • BELGIUM
        • ENGLAND
        • FRANCE
        • IRELAND
        • LUXEMBOURG
        • NETHERLANDS
        • SCOTLAND
      • CENTRAL EUROPE
        • CZECH REPUBLIC
        • GERMANY
        • HUNGARY
        • POLAND
      • SOUTHERN EUROPE
        • ITALY
        • SPAIN
      • BALKANS
        • CROATIA
        • GREECE
        • MONTENEGRO
    • MIDDLE EAST
      • EGYPT
      • JORDAN
      • MOROCCO
      • TURKEY
    • NORTH AMERICA
      • CANADA
      • GREENLAND
      • MEXICO
      • UNITED STATES
    • OCEANIA
      • AUSTRALIA
      • EASTER ISLAND
      • FIJI
      • NEW ZEALAND
    • SOUTH AMERICA
      • ARGENTINA
      • BRAZIL
      • CHILE
      • COLOMBIA
      • ECUADOR
      • PERU
      • VENEZUELA
  • TRAVEL STYLES
    • ADVENTURE TRAVEL
    • CRUISING
    • CULTURAL
    • HIKING TRIPS
    • KAYAKING
    • POLAR EXPEDITIONS
    • ROAD TRIPS
    • TROPICAL DESTINATIONS
    • WILDLIFE EXPERIENCES
  • PHOTOGRAPHY
    • MASTER GOPRO PHOTOGRAPHY
    • BEST GOPRO ACCESSORIES
    • BEST CAMERA ACCESSORIES
    • BEST DRONES FOR TRAVEL
    • BEST TRAVEL TRIPOD
    • OUR PHOTO GEAR
  • ABOUT
    • MEET LINA & DAVID
    • WORK WITH US
    • CONTACT

Best Area to Stay in Amsterdam – Best Hotels & Travel Tips

You are here: Home / Europe Travel / Best Area to Stay in Amsterdam – Best Hotels & Travel Tips

By David Stock on March 8, 2020 • Last updated January 2, 2021 • Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our Disclosure here

Amsterdam is a city steeped in history as much as it is seen as a modern, progressive place to visit. People come for the intoxicating cocktails of cannabis and canals, Rijksmuseum and red-light district, hip hangouts and heritage buildings.

Globally renowned residents of the city like Van Gogh, the great painter Rembrandt, and Anne Frank have made Amsterdam the destination for art history and reflection, while the bohemian and multicultural sides of town make for an exciting and diverse place to explore.

The unique symbiosis of canal and street makes for picturesque wanderings in the narrow lanes and quaint bridges of the city.

What’s more, getting around Amsterdam is made simple thanks to its metro, tram system (one of the largest in Europe) and – most visible of all – a comprehensive infrastructure for cycling. Even so, it’s important to make sure you choose the best area to stay in Amsterdam for you.

You might want to be near a park, or have endless options for food, or be near to main sights. So what’ll it be? Here are a few options to help you decide.

Don’t leave home without: Lonely Planet Amsterdam (Travel Guide)


Where to Stay in Amsterdam: Best Districts & Hotels


De Wallen

Complete Guide to the Best Area to Stay in Amsterdam

This is maybe Amsterdam’s most famous area, or maybe infamous since this is where you’ll find the city’s main red-light district.

There’s a sex museum here, as well as a cannabis museum, and Amsterdam’s well known ‘window prostitution’. However, this is also the oldest district, and in fact, de Wallen contains both the oldest building – and oldest church – in the whole city: the 800-year-old Oude Kerk or ‘Old Church’.

Elsewhere, on its north and eastern boundaries, you’ll find the city’s Chinatown; on Zeedijk, in particular, you can eat at Nam Kee, a famous Chinese eatery popular with local celebrities.

Needless to say, De Wallen is the best area to stay in Amsterdam for a glimpse into a typically Dutch mix of medieval history and modern liberality. It’s also here where you should stay to be close to the city’s main attractions.

Top luxury hotels we recommend in De Wallen:

  • NH Collection Amsterdam Doelen
  • Hotel Twenty Seven

Top mid-range hotels we recommend in De Wallen:

  • Mauro Mansion
  • Misc Eatdrinksleep

Top budget hotels we recommend in De Wallen:

  • Hotel V Nesplein
  • Hotel Luxer

Top hostels we recommend in De Wallen:

  • Shelter Christian Hostel
  • The Greenhouse Effect

Negen Straatjes

Complete Guide to the Best Area to Stay in Amsterdam

Comprising nine side streets of the Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht, Herengracht and Singel canals, Negen Straatjes literally means ‘Nine Streets’ – it’s here where the famous canals of Amsterdam are maybe at their most quaint and pretty.

Part of a larger neighborhood, Grachtengordel (known in English as ‘The Canal District’), is in the narrow lanes of Negen Straatjes – located just to the west of the central De Wallen district – where you’ll find a lot of small and diverse shops and restaurants.

It’s this quirky shopping experience that has turned Negen Straatjes into a must-visit destination when it comes to cool chain stores as well as independent boutiques.

Top luxury hotels we recommend in Negen Straatjes:

  • Ambassade Hotel
  • The Dylan Amsterdam

Top mid-range hotels we recommend in Negen Straatjes:

  • The Hoxton Amsterdam
  • Amsterdam Wiechmann Hotel

Top budget hotels we recommend in Negen Straatjes:

  • Hegra Hotel
  • Hotel IX Amsterdam

Jordaan

Complete Guide to the Best Area to Stay in Amsterdam

Known for its shopping, Jordaan used to be a very working-class area of Amsterdam but has now become one of the most upscale areas in the city, with many art galleries, specialty stores, and restaurants.

Just west of Negen Straatjes, the area is also known for its many hofjes – inner courtyards that act as small oases of calm in the city; in summer some of these are opened to the public for small concerts, making for a decidedly chilled, communal atmosphere.

Renowned painter Rembrandt spent his last years at Jordaan and is buried in the stunning Westerkerk just outside the district. To the southeast is Anne Frank’s house.

To the north, the Lindengracht Market opens up on Saturdays with 232 stands lining 900 meters of the lime-tree-lined street. Jordaan definitely has a lot going on.

Top luxury hotels we recommend in Jordaan:

  • Hotel Mercier
  • AMS Suites

Top mid-range hotels we recommend in Jordaan:

  • Linden Hotel
  • Amsterdam Wiechmann Hotel

Top budget hotels we recommend in Jordaan:

  • Marnix Hotel
  • Green Apple Holiday

Top hostel we recommend in Jordaan: Shelter Jordan – Amsterdam Hostel


De Pijp

Complete Guide to the Best Area to Stay in Amsterdam

This area is a bohemian neighborhood located south of the city center, a roughly square shape bound by the Amstel river to the west, and by canals to the south, east and north.

Expect narrow streets, Middle Eastern eateries, cafes with sidewalk seating and old-school pubs. If lively diversity is what you want, then multicultural De Pijp is the best area to stay in Amsterdam.

This area features the busiest and largest street market in the city. The Albert Cuyp Market and the compact Sarphatipark are among the top areas to visit.

Sarphatipark is an English style park and garden named after Samuel Sarphati who helped plan the new, late 19th-century district then known as ‘Neighborhood YY’ – today’s De Pijp – but died before its full completion.

Top luxury hotels we recommend in De Pijp:

  • Hotel Okura Amsterdam
  • Pestana Amsterdam Riverside

Top mid-range hotels we recommend in De Pijp:

  • Sir Albert Hotel
  • Ibis Styles Amsterdam City

Top budget hotels we recommend in De Pijp:

  • Bicycle Hotel
  • Ibis Styles Amsterdam Amstel

Top hostel we recommend in De Pijp: Amsterdam Guesthouse Sarphati


Westerpark

Complete Guide to the Best Area to Stay in Amsterdam

Northwest of central Amsterdam is Westerpark. It’s named after the biggest park in the neighborhood, a green urban space where, on sunny days, you’ll find locals chilling out and enjoying their time in nature.

If you like the idea of recreational green spaces as much as cool creative spaces, while being based just outside the center of the city, this is the best area to stay in Amsterdam. The park began life in 1890.

The historic late 19th-century industrial buildings of Westergasfabriek now house cool spaces for creative and cultural entrepreneurs.

Elsewhere in the Westerpark area are great examples of 20th-century Dutch buildings, characterized by red bricks and flowing curves, dubbed Amsterdamse School architecture.

Top luxury hotels we recommend in Westerpark:

  • Morgan & Mees
  • Yays Zoutkeetsgracht Concierged Boutique Apartments

Top mid-range hotels we recommend in Westerpark:

  • WestCord Art Hotel Amsterdam
  • Conscious Hotel Westerpark

Top budget hotels we recommend in Westerpark:

  • Kith & Kin Boutique Apartments
  • Hotel Schroder

Top hostel we recommend in Westerpark: B&B Westerpark


More on the Netherlands:

  • 3 Day Weekend in Amsterdam Itinerary (Plus What NOT to Do!)
  • 10 Best Day Trips from Amsterdam (That Are Worth the Trip!)
  • 15 Amazing Things to Do in Brussels (IN A DAY!)
  • 3 Day Bruges City Break Guide
  • 15 TOP Things to Do in Ghent, Belgium
  • 15 BEST Things to do in Luxembourg

Did you like this story? Share it!

Article by David Stock

I have always been an outdoorsman so becoming an adventure traveler was just the next natural step. I love nature, I love to get off the beaten path and I like to explore. I enjoy scuba diving and cars. And yes, Lina and I have a naked dog.
0shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Trip Planning Resources

TRAVEL GEAR & PACKING
Check out our packing lists and  travel gear guide to ensure you’re bringing the right items on your trip.

BOOK YOUR FLIGHT
Ready to fly? We use Skyscanner to compare prices and book flights. You should also check out our tips for finding cheap flights.

CAR RENTAL
We use Discover Cars to compare car prices, find deals and book rentals.

FIND ACCOMMODATION
Compare prices and book with our custom-built hotel search engine. You should also check out our tips for finding cheap accommodation.

TRY OUT AIRBNB
Get a discount with AirBNB and learn how to maximize your savings with up to $100 in discounts.

PROTECT YOUR TRIP
Don’t forget your travel insurance! Protect your investment and yourself. Read Is Travel Insurance Worth It?

Divergent Travelers - Adventure Travel Blog

Disclosure: In accordance with FTC guidelines, we disclose that we may be compensated if consumers choose to utilize links located throughout the content on this site. Some posts might be sponsored to support this blog.
Divergent Travelers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hello & Welcome to Divergent Travelers

Divergent Travelers - Adventure Travel Blog

We are David & Lina Stock, a married couple from NW Wisconsin who have been traveling together since 2001. We’ve visited nearly 100 countries on all 7 continents. You can learn more about us here.

Looking for something?

AirBNB coupon

Latest Posts

  • Hiking at Bryce Canyon: 15 Amazing Trails To Explore
  • Tips for Hiking the Emerald Pools Trail in Zion NP
  • Hiking Angels Landing in Zion NP (A Survival Guide)
  • Best Time to Go to Zion National Park (A Guide to Zion Park Weather)
  • 2020 Travel Review: The Year of a Global Pandemic

Divergent Travelers

© 2021 Copyright · All Rights Reserved
Privacy Policy · Disclosure · Terms

BLOG / PRESS /  WORK WITH US  /  CONTACT