Gay Amsterdam

Amsterdam has a reputation for tolerance, and its gay scene has been out and proud for a very long time. The Netherlands was the first country to legalize same-sex marriage, in 2001, and the city's queer history goes back much further. Instead of one lonely street where all the bars huddle together, Amsterdam has several gay areas, mixed right in with the rest of the city's nightlife.

The main gay areas

Reguliersdwarsstraat

Reguliersdwarsstraat, just west of Rembrandtplein, is the best-known gay street in the city, with bars and clubs that match the glamour of the neighborhood around them. Start here if you want a busy night out, and wander over to Rembrandtplein's bigger mixed clubs afterward.

Zeedijk and Warmoesstraat

On the edge of the Red Light District, near Centraal Station, you'll find the leather and fetish end of the scene alongside some of the city's oldest queer history. Warmoesstraat is home to Eagle Amsterdam (Warmoesstraat 90), a leather and cruise bar that started in 1979 and has been at its current address since 1994.

On Zeedijk, Café 't Mandje (Zeedijk 63) is a piece of living history. Bet van Beeren, a lesbian and a local legend, opened it in 1927, when being openly gay was a real risk. It was closed for decades before reopening in 2008 with the interior restored, and it's an easy, friendly place for a drink.

Kerkstraat

Kerkstraat, near Leidseplein, is the oldest gay district in town. It's quieter than Reguliersdwarsstraat and less wild than Warmoesstraat, with a comfortable feel that has drawn visitors for decades. Club Church (Kerkstraat 52) is the big name here now, a cruise club with themed and fetish nights through the week.

Opening hours and party nights change often, so check each venue's own site or social media before you go.

Pink Point and the Homomonument

Amsterdam has its own LGBTQ+ information kiosk and gift shop, Pink Point, at Westermarkt near the Anne Frank House. It's open daily from noon to 6 p.m., and from 11 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Stop by for flags, souvenirs and advice on what's on while you're in town.

Pink Point sits beside the Homomonument, three large pink granite triangles set into the ground by the Keizersgracht. Designed by Karin Daan and unveiled on 5 September 1987, it was the first monument in the world to commemorate gay men and lesbians persecuted and killed by the Nazis. The pink triangle recalls the badge gay prisoners were forced to wear in the camps. (This page used to call it the only permanent gay monument in the world. Many others have been built since.)

The monument is a place for gatherings as well as remembrance. On 4 May, the Dutch day of remembrance, there's a ceremony with flowers and two minutes of silence, and there are celebrations there on King's Day (27 April) and Liberation Day (5 May).

Pride Amsterdam

Amsterdam's Pride Canal Parade takes place on the first Saturday in August. Decorated boats full of dancers and performers sail slowly along the canals while hundreds of thousands of people watch from the banks and bridges. According to Pride Amsterdam, the 2027 parade is on Saturday 7 August, from noon to 6 p.m., sailing from Oosterdok along the Nieuwe Herengracht, the Amstel and the Prinsengracht to Westerdok. Amsterdam hosted WorldPride in 2026.

The parade is the highlight of a longer Pride program of parties, street festivals and events. Hotels fill up fast for Pride weekend, so book well ahead. For summer planning, see summer in Amsterdam.

Where to stay

This page used to list two exclusively gay hotels. Neither description holds any more. The Golden Bear on Kerkstraat, which opened in 1948 as the city's first gay hotel, joined the Quentin chain in 2013 and now trades as Quentin Leidse Square, with no mention of its gay history on its own site. Orfeo, on Leidsekruisstraat near Kerkstraat and open since 1969, is now Amsterdam Hostel Orfeo, a budget bed and breakfast that markets itself to everyone.

In practice, you don't need a gay hotel in Amsterdam. Same-sex couples are welcome at nearly every hotel and hostel in the city. If you want to be close to the scene, look at hotels near Leidseplein for Kerkstraat, or budget hotels near Rembrandtplein for Reguliersdwarsstraat. Our main Amsterdam hotels page has more.

Getting here

If Amsterdam is part of a bigger trip, AirTreks, BootsnAll's sister company, has built multi-stop and round-the-world tickets since 1987. One sample route starts from Amsterdam and heads around the world: