I haven't been to the zoo in a very, very long time, and my decision to visit this one was a bit of…read morea surprise. My plane arrived early in the day, so I got to my hotel well before the room was ready. I was able to stash my luggage in the housekeeping area until check-in, but what's to do with myself for five hours? Enter Artis. Located just had a block from my hotel, this was a natural choice. It's probably not exactly what you have in mind when you think of a zoo. Instead, it seems more like a giant, beautifully-maintained park full of gardens that happens to contain animal exhibits, a planetarium, playgrounds, and fun interactive things for kiddos and the young at heart. (I am DELIGHTED that the tulips are still going strong.) As soon as you enter the park, you pass through some absolutely lovely flowerbeds, complete with benches for basking in their beauty. From there, you have your choice: there are so many things to see and do! In addition to the habitats that have multiple layers of fencing (and/or moats, and/or electrical fences, and/or signs warning about sharp beaks, teeth, and claws--I'm looking at you, jaguar and griffin vulture), there are some habitats that let you get up close to the animals, too. There's a lemur zone, where the lemurs lounge in trees just next to the path. There are indoor areas where you can walk right through a primate habitat or bird habitat. There's a butterfly habitat! It's a real treat, and everywhere you go, there are helpful people ready to tell you the funny story about how a bad taxidermy job got the emperor tamirin its name or point out the adorable Pygmy marmoset hanging out right next to you. It really is a wonderful place, ideal for kids and adults, groups and singles, and anyone who loves nature. It's a really nice group of guests--everyone is kind, and people are happy to point out the bird that is hiding behind the bush or the frog that is in that rolled-up leaf, and the youngest guests get super excited when you point out the massive walking stick or the capybara that is taking a nap right next to the fence. I got lots of steps in and enjoyed every minute of it. Absolutely recommend.

Artis Zoo completely surprised me in the best way and ended up being one of my favorite experiences…read morein Amsterdam. From the moment you walk in, it feels less like a typical zoo and more like a beautifully designed park that just happens to be filled with animals. The grounds are stunning, with wide walking paths, old trees, and historic buildings that give it a really unique charm you don't usually get at zoos. The enclosures are thoughtfully done, and you can tell there's a real focus on animal care and creating natural environments. There's a great mix of animals too, from the big, iconic ones to smaller, more unique species that are just as interesting to watch. What really stood out was how peaceful it felt. Even with other visitors around, it never felt chaotic or overcrowded, which made it easy to take your time and actually enjoy each area. It's the kind of place where you can wander for hours without realizing how much time has passed. If you're visiting Amsterdam, I can't recommend Artis enough. It's the perfect mix of relaxing, interesting, and genuinely enjoyable -- whether you're into animals or just want a beautiful place to spend a few hours.

This is known as the children's farm and it's kind of hidden. It took us a few extra minutes to…read morefind it than what our GPS described but it's a cute place. This little zoo is free, but I wished there was a donation box, because I would truly try to keep this place running. They had little ponies, pigs, rabbits, goats, sheep, etc. and a playground outside for the kids to play in. Inside had turtles, gerbils, mice, etc. and activities for the kids to play, almost like a museum on the inside. It's a bit outdated but considering it's free, it was still really cute. My kids and I spent about 2 hours here before leaving and it was a great way to have my kids burn off some energy.

Fantastic Park for little kids!…read more This park is great! We visited Amsterdam with our 7 year old son, and we saw a lot of history and culture. It was good to go to Amstelpark on a warm day and do all the little kid things. We biked to and through the park. We splashed in the big wadding pool, rode the small train through the park, tried to go to the petting zoo but it closes at 3pm (but we still saw some animals), my son played in the playgrounds, and rode on the little rides. He was so happy. (I would say 7 or 8 years old would be the oldest ages that would really enjoy this. Ideal for 3-6 year olds).

Absolutely beautiful park in the south corner of Amsterdam. Plenty of things to do for the kids as…read morewell as the adults. The zoo section is super fun alpacas, ponies, wombats and more. The year round jungle gym is great for the active ones too In the summer the kids park opens up where they have bumper cars, remote control boats, and lots of other fun things to play with.

Wonderful zoo, arguably one of the top in the Netherlands. Each animal has a lovely habitat and…read morelots to see and do there. Great place of families with young kids with several playgrounds in the zoo. In particular the indoor playground is perfect for rainy days. Feels like we go there for the playground, and see animals along the way going there! The baby elephant is adorable, the tigers and the polar bears both very cool. One time we actually say the rhino playing around and a giraffe chasing a goose!

A tad pricey but it was really one of the best zoo's I've been too. My hubby had to work in…read moreRotterdam so he sent me and our two girls off to find the zoo. We started off with the sealife area, had CA sea lions up first lol being from CA which we've seen but they were really active, swimming and barking. Their aquarium is really beautiful with so many window displays including a large glass tunnel that had the most amazing views of the sharks, stingrays and fish swimming over your head. The kids were so excited to be surrounded like you were underwater swimming with them. We saw so much and everything was so in your face it was amazing. The kids loved seeing the tiger exhibit they came up right up to the window *although there were some middle school kids there on a fieldtrip or something and they were being super annoying banging and yelling at the windows. I wish there was some park employee there to tell them to knock that sht off! In fact, come to thing of it I don't recall seeing any caretakers or park employees in any of the outdoor exhibits. But moving on, my personal favorite and you must see is the Amazon exhibit. You walk into this and bamm the heat hits your face. You are in a jungle of flowers, plants/trees and there are butterflies small and LARGE flying in your face. I had to hold my shreeks and my hands down as my initial inclination was to scream and swat something that is flying in my face. LOL! The butterflies would stop and feed from these large flower feeders, it was really beautiful to see them so close while the fed. I highly recommend you visit this zoo if you're in Rotterdam. It took us 4 hours to go through the zoo and really enjoy it and maybe because we went during the off season and middle of the week but it wasn't crowded at all which made it more enjoyable. They have a cafe, gift shop and snack shops through out.

Fun history of Bols and the distilling of different flavors of alcoholic liqueurs…read more Self-guided tour with audio. After you pay for your ticket at the front desk, you put your jackets and loose items in a locker (free) and pickup an audio tour device and program it for your preferred language (easy). You get a yummy cocktail to savor at the end! And there's a fun gift shop to peruse, where we bought tulip glasses for the purpose of drinking Genever . We enjoyed the Espresso martini and Red Light Negroni at the bar at the end. Both were made skillfully and tasted delicious! The highlight of the experience, honestly, was meeting Lars (aka "Larson") and Julia at the front desk. They were hilarious with each other and delightful with us. They helped us package the 6 tulip glasses in paper within styrofoam boxes for sturdy protection during travel. They are the true stars of this operation.

I enjoy distillery tours when I travel. I browsed the list of attractions that accept the I…read moreAmsterdam card and came across Bols Amsterdam. It's located near Museumplein by all of the major museums which was so convenient. I was interested in doing a cocktail class with the tour, but wasn't sure if I could book the class with the I Amsterdam card. I sent an email through the website and a DM on Instagram and no one responded, which was disappointing. When I arrived, I inquired about it. They offered to let me upgrade my ticket, but I declined. Once I got checked in, I received a vial of a mystery flavored genever to taste at the end of the tour. The tour is self guided and it is truly a sensory experience. The tour starts with the history of Bols, then goes into the process of making genever. There are interactive elements throughout. It was really cool to see Lucas Bols' original recipe book from 1820. Towards the end of the tour, I tried the mystery genever in the sensory booth. I don't remember the flavor, but it was red and it was sweet. The sensory booth contains a camera that records your reaction as you're tasting it. At the end of the tour, guests are able to enjoy a complimentary cocktail. The bar area was really cool. They have a flair booth where you can learn how to spin and throw cocktail bottles. They also had house music playing which created a fun vibe. The bartender that made my drink was Serchan (pronounced "Sar-John"). He was so nice and let me sample a couple of genevers. I ordered the First Aid cocktail. It was citrus forward and refreshing! He also printed out a receipt with the cocktail recipe. I threw some cash in the tip jar and learned that they accept cash in any currency! This was a fun experience! Any activity where I can have a delicious cocktail and learn something new is right up my alley.

We had Captain Andy for our evening canal tour - awesome experience!! Super funny and good size…read moregroup. Definitely ask your tour guide questions, it makes the ride funnier and more interesting.

If you come to Amsterdam and your schedule allows it, book a canal cruise. If you want to book a…read morecanal cruise, and you aren't afraid of an adult-humored, BYOB canal cruise, book it with Those Dam Boat Guys. Their website will give you a preview of what to expect. I love the reviews on here (not many) where people are surprised by the vibe here. We loved it. Captain Lee and her first mate Pixie provided for a very memorable experience during our October 2025 cruise. She gave us some valuable tidbits of Dutch, local, and cinematic (Amsterdamned for the movie trivia score) history. She also gave us relevant information about local current events and social movements. Captain Lee was funny, yet also notably well-informed. All in all, this was one of the highlights of our trip.

The sea life Scheveningen is just like the aquariums everywhere else, sharks, penguins, coloured…read morefishes, etc. but this one is just on the beach side, so kids love it so much!

I guess dolcinarium is best described as the dutch equivalent of sea world…read more It has been here for 50+ years and is an all time favourite for children up to 12. What i like: - close encounter with animals - rhe sealion and dolphin showa - the opportunity of a 2 hour close encounter. - childfriendly, where kids from 8-12 can even sleap overnight with dolphins As a present, i did a 2 hr in the water with dolphins. This included touch a dolphin, learn two instructions for dolphins tricks and see dolphins underwater while snorkeling. All under supervision of a dolphin trainer. A great experience als for grownups. The 5 stars are for the great day many kids have in this park. The park is relatively small, so one daybis sufficient to see all.