5 Amsterdam videos that will help you get a sense of the place

If you haven't been to Amsterdam yet, or it's been a while, these five videos do a good job of showing what the city is like before you get there. The original version of this post leaned on shaky phone footage from the Red Light District and a coffeeshop, and those embeds stopped working long ago. This set is better: a classic travel-show overview, a long look at how today's Amsterdam gets around, a short film from the Anne Frank House, a canal cruise, and the city turning orange on King's Day.

All five were still online and embeddable when we checked in September 2026.

1. Rick Steves' Europe: Amsterdam (25 minutes)

A full episode of Rick Steves' Europe, posted on the show's official channel. It's a solid first look at the canal ring, the Rembrandts and Van Goghs, and the city's easygoing attitude, and it's the video to watch if you only watch one. Keep in mind it dates from 2014, so prices, rules and a few of the places have changed since. The Red Light District in particular runs under tighter rules now: guided tours past the windows have been banned since 2020, and smoking cannabis on its streets has been banned since 2023. Our Red Light District guide has the current picture.

2. Not Just Bikes: Amsterdam Just Keeps Getting Awesome (32 minutes)

Not Just Bikes is a YouTube channel about city design, made by a Canadian-born creator who lives in the Netherlands, and this video came out in July 2026. It's the most current look on this list at how Amsterdam's streets and bike network work day to day, and at how much the city has changed in recent years. Watch it before you rent a bike, because the old version of this post was right that cycling here isn't all fun and games if you don't know the rules. Our bike rental page covers the practical side.

3. Anne Frank House: A bookcase as a secret door (2 minutes)

A short film from the Anne Frank House's own channel about the movable bookcase that hid the entrance to the Secret Annex. It's a good primer before a visit, and a decent substitute if you can't get in. Tickets are sold only online, for a set time slot, and the museum sells out, so read our Anne Frank House guide before you go.

4. ViaTravelers: Amsterdam Canal Cruise Tour (9 minutes)

Filmed from a canal boat and posted in 2022, this gives you a real feel for the city as you see it from the water. A basic one-hour cruise is still what we recommend to anyone in Amsterdam for the first time, and to anyone with a few hours to kill on an Amsterdam layover. More in our guide to Amsterdam canal cruises.

5. AP: Watch Amsterdam turn orange on King's Day (1 minute)

A quick Associated Press clip from King's Day 2024, when thousands of people in orange packed small boats and sailed the canals for the king's birthday. King's Day falls on 27 April (or the 26th when the 27th is a Sunday) and replaced Queen's Day in 2014, and it's the biggest party of the year in the city, with a citywide flea market thrown in. If your trip lines up with it, book your room early. See our King's Day guide and the Amsterdam holidays calendar.

Want more?

The Anne Frank House's YouTube channel has a whole series of short films on the Secret Annex, and Not Just Bikes has made several other Amsterdam videos over the years. For a closer look at what you'll pass on the water, see our canal cruise video guide. When you're ready to plan, start with our first-time visitor guide.