The best day of the year in the Netherlands!
King’s Day is technically a celebration of the Dutch King, but basically, it an excuse for a huge celebration across the entire country. There really is nothing quite like it in the states. The closest is maybe Chicago on St. Patrick’s Day or the 4th of July but that doesn’t even compare. This is our 4th year celebrating King’s Day and you can find older posts from previous years 2022 and 2021.
We are getting to be old pros after so many years! To put a little twist on the post this year, I thought I would some tips for celebrating King’s Day. Of course, there are tons of ways to celebrate, but this is what I suggest in Amsterdam.
Tip #1: King’s Day or Kongingsdag in Dutch is April 27th, but there are huge celebrations on Koningsnacht or King’s Night as well. The night before there are huge festivities particularly in the Jordaan neighborhood. They have live music with large stages set up all throughout the neighborhood. Some people stay out quite late and since everyone goes to one specific neighborhood it can get really crowded. Last year a friend that lives in Jordaan had a rooftop party and it was perfect! The best option is when you have friends around to host so you can take it all in, but not be apart of the crowds on the streets.😝
Tip #2: Get up early on King’s Day! This might seem counterintuitive to the previous tip, but I think it is nice to be out and about by around 9-10am in a city like Amsterdam for King’s Day. The entire city turns into a giant garage sale with people selling goods, food, and kids particularly selling toys. It is so fun to wander and take in all of the deals. I like to see it earlier in the morning as the kids make it really cute and fun. The day really flies by, so I like to maximize the fun by starting early. Although, if you want the really really good deals, people can be out of the streets as early as 6-7am.
Tips #3: Part of the appeal for me of King’s Day is that it is a holiday for adults, but also fun for the entire family! As I mentioned above, kids often can be found selling toys, setting up food booths, and creating games for people to play to make a buck. In the chaos on Amsterdam, I suggest for a slightly quieter experience to take everything in earlier in the day (before 5pm) and to wander through the parks such as Vondelpark or Westerpark to see even more of the games & festivities.
Tip #4: Wear orange and comfortable shoes! Wearing orange is a no-brainer so that doesn’t even count as the tip, but the wearing comfortable shoes is key! I do not suggest biking if you are in city center and most trams around the city don’t run on King’s Day. Therefore, you need to plan to pretty much walk everywhere. On the outskirts you can bike, but the closer to the center you need to be careful. Plus, there is so much glass around I keep my bike parked at home. I typically do 20,000+ steps on King’s Day!
Tip #5: Eat your way through town! You will have no problem finding all sorts of food around town from pofferjes, beer, sandwiches, baked goods etc. We try to bring cash and then munch all day around town based on what looks tasty. We normally leave with a backpack with a couple of beers and then just buy them from vendors around town. You can expect to pay about 3 euros for a Heinken.
Tip #6: To boat or not to boat. As you see in the pictures online the canals are filled with boats and everyone partying in orange on King’s Day. Personally, I have never done a boat before so I can’t speak to the experience, but I don’t think it is worth it. They tend to run for 100 euros, not including drinks and you have a 3 hour time slot. There is already so much going on in the city that I think you can save your money and have just as much fun walking around.
Tip #7: King’s Day is a great time with people, music, and energy, but over the years I have learned that the cut off for my limit is around 6pm. At least in city center Amsterdam is gets crowded and people have for sure overconsumed. My ideal day is starting early and then finishing early as well. Then, I can enjoy the quiet of my own home and look out the windows to the craziness going on below.
Tip #8: Take in all in! From the DJs out the windows, games, stages, and move! One of my favorite things from King’s Day 2024 was this swing that was set up on the Brouwersgracht. Basically, some guy threw a rope up and over the bridge and set up a swing and charged people 5 euros a piece. This would never happen in the US. It was so fun and is one of my favorite memories from the day!
Are you excited for King’s Day 2025? I know I already am. Note, since King’s Day (April 27th) falls on a Sunday the celebrations will be on Saturday the 26th. Hopefully these tips help you have an awesome day celebrating!
🧡Mel
Smiles from Miles Away 