Tom Coggins

We know what you’re thinking when you hear ‘red light district’, but trust us, ogling outside windows with gaggles of loud inebriated tourists is far, far from the best thing there is to do in De Wallen, Amsterdam’s most famous red light district (yes, there are a few).  So the good news is you don’t have to avoid an entire district of Amsterdam if you’re not interested in the sex shops and strip clubs. You can come here and see great museums and galleries, have chilled-out drinks at a few nice bars, go to the theatre and even see the oldest church in Amsterdam. You heard us! Here are the best things to do in the red light district.  RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in Amsterdam🪩 The best clubs in Amsterdam🌿 The best coffeeshops in Amsterdam🛏 The best hotels in Amsterdam🔑 The best Airbnbs in Amsterdam This guide was updated by Callum Booth, a writer based in Amsterdam. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

Amsterdam might be trying to abandon its party girl image, but that doesn’t mean all the fun stuff has stopped. Far from it. Amsterdam’s best bars are open late, its best clubs are poppin’ as ever, and its notorious coffeeshops? Thriving.  But lets get one thing out the way first: we’re not talking about trendy croissants and latté art in the shape of little seahorses. When we talk about coffeeshops, we mean licenced cannabis cafés, where you can choose from extensive marijuana menus. And they’re more than that, too – these joints are social hubs, creative spaces, and they often have great food menus for your munchies too. They’re intrinsic to Amsterdam’s identity. Here are the best coffeeshops in Amsterdam.  RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in Amsterdam🍷 The best bars in Amsterdam🍴 The best restaurants in Amsterdam☕ The best cafés in Amsterdam This guide was last updated by Callum Booth, a writer based in Amsterdam. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.