Spring
Amsterdam is something extraordinary in the season of spring.
March
It is March in Amsterdam and he does not know what to expect. One morning you will be riding with brisk sunshine and the next day you will evade rain falls. The temperatures range between 4-9degC, and hence layers are important. Smaller crowds will be found at Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, and at the end of the month the crocuses begin to force their way out of the ground in Vondelpark.
The cafes even prepare their terraces though it may be too cold to sit outside without a blanket. It is real Amsterdam, when there are no tourists in full swing.
April
The month of April is the month that Amsterdam gets its reputation. It is tulip time that makes thousands of people arrive in the city and in the adjacent Keukenhof Gardens. The temperatures rise to 7- 13degC. Pack a compact umbrella.
The Keukenhof Gardens which is within 40 minutes of Amsterdam are open between the end of March and mid May. There are more than seven million tulips that blossom in en masse color that frankly appear surreal. Supposing you are planning on doing Amsterdam in a day, you will have to decide: to spend your day in the city, or rather to make morning trip to Keukenhof and come to spend an evening in Amsterdam.
In the city proper, there is a Tulip Festival which operates throughout the month of April, and there are tulip gardens around the museums as well as along the canals. On the 27th of April, the whole city is laced into an orange day-long street party that is known as the King Day (King day). The largest festival in the year. There will be huge crowds, impromptu music and a citywide flea market.
May
May is my personal favorite. The range of temperatures reaches 10-17 C, days grow in length and the city has that ideal warm not hot climate. The terraces are full of people taking a rest with afternoon and riding a bike is a breeze when you are not battling wind and rain.
The numbers reduce marginally post King day and before the summer vacation period. Some of the queues in the museum are good and can be managed particularly in the morning during weekdays. The streets of the Jordaan quarter are especially lovely, with chestnuts and elms in leaf which make the tunnels along the canals green.
Summer
June
Amsterdam is in a good position in June. The temperatures are between 12-19degC. The days are all impossibly long. The sun does not set until about 10 PM and this will be the most time you have on a one day visit.
You will still have to wait in queues at the Anne Frank House and Rijksmuseum but those are not bad provided you will have to book time-slots online. There is boat traffic in the canals, however, you can still find a secluded place in the Jordaan or on the Brouwersgracht.
Out-of-doors markets were in full swing in June. The Albert Cuyp Market of De Pijp is full of fresh Dutch strawberries and spring time produce.
July
During July Amsterdam becomes one big outdoor cafe. The temperatures reach between 14- 22degC sometimes rising higher especially during heat waves. The gray skies are gone and everybody is out.
However, there is the truth of the matter: July is full. It is practically impossible to move around the Red Light District on weekends evenings. The queues in the Anne Frank House continue even with timed tickets. Tourist groups fill Dam Square. You should have a plan in case you visit Amsterdam on a one-day trip in July.
It is quite another story between 7-9 AM. It is a beautiful light, people are riding to work on bikes and you can actually take a photo of the canal houses without people in every single frame. Go to your must-see museum as early as it opens, spend the midday in less-touristy places, such as Oud-West or the Eastern Docklands.
Vondelpark is turned into the living room of the city during July. Thousands of people picnicking, sunbathing are a common thing every sunny afternoon.
August
August is a reflection of July temperature 14-22degC with a slight variation. The week 1 coincides with Dutch school holidays, which ensure that crowds are high. However, in mid-to-late August, there are lots of locals on holiday making the city a bit emptier despite the number of tourists.
This is festival season. Grachtenfestival is the festival of classical music concerts on the canal side. At the end of August Uitmarkt gives us a preview of the cultural season accompanied by free performances. The cultural calendar in Amsterdam is full of events.
Autumn
September
September Amsterdam is such a gift following the summer mess. It is neither too cold nor too hot, 11-18degC, outside cafe sitting. The number of travelers reduces significantly after the completion of the first week with the conclusion of European school holidays.
It is at this time that locals recover their city. Queues at the museums reduce to manageable sizes. The canals are still thriving with people, yet you are able to talk to people without shoving through the masses.
The low autumn sun casts the canal houses in long shadows making the brick facades of the houses constantly change palette to amber and rust. This is your month in case you are into photography. The house of Anne Frank, the canal district, even the Damrak. All of them appear softer, more romantic somehow.
October
Autumn makes itself heard in the month of October. It becomes 8-14 o C and the trees that border the canals become a glowing yellow and orange. The vondel park is covered with dropped leaves and bicycle riders break through the leaves on the routes.
The length of days is significantly reduced. By late October, the sunset comes approximately at 6.30 P.M. But that is really to your advantage when you are making a one day visit. The city is switched to the evening mode sooner, cafe windows are illuminated and the canal lights are reflected in the water.
The rainfall also increases but it is usually fine Dutch drizzle instead of downfalls. I have come to view it as environmental and not irritating.
November
Yes, it’s gray. Yes, it rains more. Look to have 15-17 days of the month precipitation. The temperatures decrease to 5-9 deg C, and days are not long with nightfall falling at 5 PM.
Riding in the rain, spending hours in the hot cafes, enjoying indoor areas. The city is domestic and inhabited as opposed to being performative. Museums are not perceived as tick-boxes on a tourist list.
Winter
December
The weather is 2-6degC, which is not too cold to wear proper winter clothes but is never very bitter. The blackness is considerable sunset comes at an early 4:30 PM but the city makes it up with thousands of sparkling lights.
Amsterdam Light Festival is organized during the end of November and the middle of January and turns canals into the gallery of light creations. Cruises along the canals in the evening at this time are indeed unique.
The city is covered with Christmas markets. The Museumplein Ice Village is a winter-themed ice rink, holiday huts and festive, but rather tourist. To be more local, there is a smaller neighborhood-oriented market in Haarlemmerstraat.
What guidebooks fail to mention is that Amsterdam is quiet between Christmas and New Year. This week is a time when many Dutch travel, businesses are closed and the city gets a joint inhalation. Visiting Amsterdam during this period and spending the day in the city will mean fewer choices of restaurants and fewer hours of the museum but a very quiet Amsterdam as well.
January
Amsterdam is its best in January. The temperatures stand at 1-5degC and the wind blowing over the canals makes it colder. The daytime lasts between 8.30 AM and 5 PM.
This is the most objective least desirable month to go to Amsterdam. The sky remains perversely gray days on end. Biking, which is traditionally the delight of Amsterdam, turns into the challenge of the strength of will against the wind and cold.
But and this is what is real January Amsterdam. The tourist has been wiped out to a large extent. Museums are nearly empty. The great rooms of the Rijksmuseum are vibrating with your footsteps and not with conversations.
February
The temperatures are still cold 1-6degC, however, the days begin to extend visibly. By the end of the month, Sunset is shoved to 5:30 PM. Every now and then you have a superbly sunny, frosty day with frosty blue skies that stand out the houses on the canal.
This is what is interesting about February, ice skating on the canals. It doesn’t happen often. Perhaps after every few years when the temperatures remain low below the freezing point. But at least this time Amsterdam gets something out of the ordinary.
