At a Glance
Compared to this destination's peak season The emptiest month on the calendar, with the Light Festival finished and nothing replacing it. The one exception is the Dutch schools’ week-long February holiday, which briefly fills the museums and the skating rinks.
Amsterdam in February — Travel Guide
By Harry Nara · Last updated
Amsterdam in February offers some of the best conditions of the year, ideal for museums, day trips & value. Expect temperatures of 1–7°C, around 11 days of rain, and very low crowds across the city. Daily budgets typically land around €95–145 for mid-range travellers. Rooms are easy to find last-minute and hotel prices stay noticeably softer through the season.
Contents15 sections
#Weather in Amsterdam in February
Amsterdam in February averages 1–7°C (34–45°F) with around 11 days of rain, and crowds are very low.
| Measure | February in Amsterdam |
|---|---|
| Daytime high | About 7°C / 45°F |
| Overnight low | About 1°C / 34°F |
| Wet days | About 11 |
| Sunset | 5:26pm on the 1st, 6:17pm by the 28th |
| Big dates | Chinese New Year, Saturday 6 February 2027; Carnival in the south, 7 to 9 February; Valentine's Day, Sunday 14 February |
| Crowds and prices | Quiet and cheap, apart from the Dutch school holiday week |
Figures are KNMI 1991–2020 normals for Amsterdam Schiphol.
What that actually means for your trip:
- The light comes back fast. The day lengthens by nearly two hours across the month, and the end of February feels like a different season from the start.
- The wind matters more than the cold. Atlantic storms bring gusts that make cycling hard work and umbrellas useless; a windproof coat is the key item.
- A hard freeze is possible but rare. February has the best odds of canal ice, but skating on the canals has become a once-in-several-years event.
- The first flowers appear. Crocuses and snowdrops come up in the parks in the second half of the month.
Is February a good time to visit Amsterdam? Yes, for a city break built around museums, food and cafés. It is one of the quietest and cheapest months of the year, the museums are at their emptiest, and the days are noticeably longer by the end. Bring a coat for the wind and keep plans flexible for showers; if the canals freeze, you will see Amsterdam at its happiest, but do not plan a trip around it.
#February in the city
Chinese New Year begins on Saturday 6 February 2027, the Year of the Goat. Amsterdam's small Chinatown, around the Zeedijk and the Nieuwmarkt, usually marks it with lion dances and firecrackers on the nearest weekend.
Carnival is not an Amsterdam festival. It is huge in the Catholic south, in cities such as Maastricht and 's-Hertogenbosch, and peaks from Sunday 7 to Tuesday 9 February 2027, before Ash Wednesday. Amsterdam carries on as normal, but trains to the south are full of people in costume, and a day trip is possible if you want to join in.
Valentine's Day falls on a Sunday in 2027, so restaurants book up for the whole weekend.
On 25 February, the city commemorates the February Strike of 1941, when Amsterdam's workers walked out in protest at the persecution of Jewish residents; the ceremony takes place at the Dokwerker statue, beside the Portuguese Synagogue.
#What to Do in Amsterdam in February
Solo Travellers
See the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk at their quietest, then take the train to Haarlem for the Frans Hals Museum. In the evening, a brown café is the warmest place in the city.
Couples
A canal-house hotel, a Valentine's dinner booked well ahead and a boat tour with a heated cabin. On a clear evening, the light over the canals after sunset is lovely, and by the end of the month it lasts past 6pm.
Families
NEMO, Artis and the Wereldmuseum, the former Tropenmuseum, suit cold days; the Jaap Eden outdoor rink is open through the winter, and the Hortus Botanicus glasshouses are warm and green.
Groups
A day trip to carnival in the south, a Chinese New Year dinner around the Zeedijk, and an evening at Paradiso or Melkweg.
De Hallen, a former tram depot in Oud-West, has a food hall that suits a group that cannot agree.
#Getting Around
From Schiphol, trains reach Amsterdam Centraal in about 15 to 20 minutes, and a contactless bank card works on the trains, trams, buses and metro.
The free ferries behind Centraal cross the IJ to Noord.
February is a good month for day trips by train.
Haarlem, about 15 minutes away, has the Frans Hals Museum and the Teylers Museum, the oldest in the country; Utrecht, about 25 minutes, has canals on two levels with cafés in the old wharf cellars. Both are compact and easy to enjoy on a grey day.
#Budget & Costs
| Travel style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | €90–140 | Hostel bed or small hotel, soup-and-sandwich lunches, trams |
| Mid-range | €200–310 | Hotel on the canal ring, one museum, a good dinner |
| Luxury | €500+ | Top hotel, chef's menu, a private canal boat |
February and January are the cheapest months of the year in Amsterdam, and a central hotel can cost what a lesser one does in July. Prices rise for Valentine's weekend and during the school holiday.
Costs worth knowing:
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| City tourist tax | 12.5% on the room price, excluding VAT |
| Train to Haarlem | A few euros each way |
| Ferries across the IJ | Free |
| Major museum entry | About €20–25 |
| February Strike commemoration | Free, open to all |
- Book hotels for Valentine's weekend early.
- Use a contactless bank card for trains and trams.
- Reserve museum slots online, especially in the school holiday week.
#Food & Dining
Winter food is still on the menu: erwtensoep, stamppot and hachee, a slow-cooked beef and onion stew. February is the easiest month of the year to book a table, even at the restaurants that need weeks of notice in summer, apart from Valentine's weekend.
#Nightlife
Quiet and mostly indoors, with the bars and clubs full of locals.
Paradiso and Melkweg run full concert programmes, and the brown cafés are at their best on a wet evening.
The Jordaan and De Pijp have the liveliest bar streets.
#Shopping
The winter sales finish early in the month, and the new spring stock arrives.
The Nine Streets are pleasant to browse without the crowds, and the Noordermarkt on Saturday mornings sells organic food, cheese and second-hand goods.
#Culture & Etiquette
- Greet staff when you enter a shop or café.
- Book ahead for Valentine's weekend; restaurants fill quickly.
- At the February Strike commemoration, stand quietly; it is a solemn event, not a festival.
- Never walk on a cycle path, and look both ways before crossing one.
#Essential Local Phrases
| Dutch | Meaning | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Het wordt lichter | It is getting lighter | February small talk |
| Mag ik afrekenen? | Can I pay the bill? | Cafés run a tab |
| Lekker warm hier | Nice and warm in here | Coming in from the wind |
| Twee koffie, graag | Two coffees, please | The simplest order |
| Schaatsen | Ice skating | The word everyone hopes to use |
| Tot ziens | Goodbye | Leaving anywhere |
#Packing List
- A windproof, waterproof coat
- Waterproof shoes with good grip
- Gloves, a hat and a scarf
- Light layers for well-heated interiors
- A contactless bank card for public transport
- Sunglasses for the low, bright late-winter sun
- A bag for an umbrella you may not be able to use in the wind
#Backup Plans
If a storm blows in: spend the day in the Rijksmuseum or the Stedelijk, then the Hortus Botanicus glasshouses, small, warm and almost empty in February.
If the school holiday fills the museums: take the train to Haarlem or Utrecht, where the crowds are smaller.
If the canals freeze: skate only where local advice says the ice will hold, or watch from the bridges; the Jaap Eden rink is the reliable choice.
#Safety & Health
Wind and wet surfaces are the main risks: bridges and tram rails are slippery even without ice. Canal edges are unfenced, and the dark still comes early in the first half of the month. Never be the first onto canal ice. Pickpockets work the crowds at Centraal and on the trams.
Emergency: 112.
#What's New for February 2027
- Chinese New Year begins on Saturday 6 February 2027, the Year of the Goat
- Carnival in the south peaks from 7 to 9 February 2027
- Valentine's Day falls on a Sunday
- The Tropenmuseum now trades as the Wereldmuseum Amsterdam
- The tourist tax was 12.5% of the room rate in 2026; check the 2027 rate, set in the city budget
#About This Guide
By Harry Nara (founder of WhenToWander), updated October 2026 for February 2027. Climate figures are KNMI 1991–2020 normals for Amsterdam Schiphol. Dates and prices verified against:
- Rijksoverheid for the Dutch school holidays
- NS for trains to Haarlem and Utrecht
- Wereldmuseum Amsterdam for the former Tropenmuseum
- Hortus Botanicus for opening hours
- KNMI for the climate averages
For the month before, see Amsterdam in January, and for the month after, Amsterdam in March.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is February a good time to visit Amsterdam?
Yes, for a city break of museums, food and cafés. It is one of the quietest and cheapest months, the days lengthen by nearly two hours, and the restaurants are easy to book. Expect about 7°C, wind and showers, and check the dates of the Dutch school holiday week.
Is there Carnival in Amsterdam?
Not really. Carnival is a southern Dutch festival, biggest in Maastricht and ’s-Hertogenbosch, and it peaks from Sunday 7 to Tuesday 9 February 2027. Amsterdam carries on as normal, but the south is an easy day trip by train if you want to join in, in costume.
What are the best day trips from Amsterdam in winter?
Haarlem, about 15 minutes by train, has the Frans Hals Museum and the Teylers Museum, the oldest in the Netherlands; Utrecht, about 25 minutes away, has canals with cafés in the old wharf cellars. Both are compact and good on a grey day.
How much does a February trip to Amsterdam cost?
February is one of the two cheapest months. Allow about €90–140 a day on a budget and €200–310 mid-range, plus the tourist tax of 12.5% of the room rate. Prices rise for Valentine’s weekend and the school holiday week.
What’s the weather like in Amsterdam in February?
Amsterdam in February typically sees temperatures of 1–7°C with around 11 days of rain across the period. Pack warm layers, a waterproof coat, and sturdy shoes — days stay chilly.