Often called the Venice of the North, Amsterdam’s 165 canals wind through the city centre so naturally that you can wander without a plan and still feel like you’ve seen the best of it.
Its charm lies in getting lost. Wandering down a canal street you didn’t plan on taking. Grabbing a sandwich from a corner shop and eating it on the bank of a canal. Stopping on a bridge just to watch the water for a minute.
These are the moments that make the city feel like yours, even if you’ve only been there a day.
Brouwersgracht
Exit Amsterdam Centraal and head west. Within ten minutes you’ll reach the Brouwersgracht, lined with converted 17th-century warehouses and widely considered the most beautiful canal in the city. It’s quieter than the main tourist routes and a good place to ease into the walk.
Prinsengracht & The Jordaan
Turn south onto the Prinsengracht and follow it into the Jordaan. The streets narrow, the pace shifts, and it starts to feel more like a neighbourhood than a tourist route. Explore the smaller canals branching off to either side. The Bloemgracht in particular is worth a detour, a peaceful secondary waterway sometimes called the “Gentleman’s Canal of the Jordaan.”
Anne Frank House & Westerkerk
Continuing south along the Prinsengracht brings you to the Anne Frank House. It’s one of the most visited museums in Europe, and booking ahead is strongly recommended. Rising above it is the Westerkerk, the tallest church tower in Amsterdam and a useful landmark to orient yourself throughout the day.
The 9 Streets
Just past the Westerkerk, zig-zag your way through De Negen Straatjes — the Nine Streets. These narrow connecting lanes run between the three major canals and are packed with independent shops: vintage fashion, specialist cheese and wine, handmade ceramics, small bookshops.
The narrowest house in the city
If you feel like a short detour after the 9 Streets, head towards Singel 7, about a fifteen-minute walk. It’s the narrowest house in the city, measuring just two metres wide at its facade. Easy to walk right past it, which is part of the fun.
The 15 Bridges
If you have time for one more stop, make your way to the corner of Reguliersgracht and Herengracht. When you stand on the odd-numbered side of Herengracht, you can catch a view of 15 bridges in one go stretching down different canals. It’s one of Amsterdam’s most striking and least-advertised views, and a good place to end the walk.
The beauty of the canal ring is that it’s exactly that, a ring. Keep walking long enough and you’ll end up right back where you started. And if you’re staying at Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam, that means you arrive right at your doorstep.
