Welcome to the Amsterdam cruise port guide. Amsterdam is a city unlike any other. It is the capital city of the Netherlands and has about 825.000 inhabitants. Amsterdam is a city known for its folklore, tulips and canals, but also has a reputation for its tolerance, people and culture. It enjoys the advantages of the big city, but not too many disadvantages. It is relatively small and good to explore by foot or public transportation. The beautifull canals of Amsterdam are absolutely unique. The Dutch Golden age took place in the 1600’s when the Dutch build a world wide empire. The empire would stretch from the Caribbean to Indonesia, bringing back unknown wealth to their little town. This is the time that the canals were build. Whatever could be brought back oversees would be stacked in these monumental canal houses. Notice how every canal house has 1 of the 6 different top facades. The city centre of Amsterdam is one big reminder of the heyday of this Dutch empire and so much more.

Visiting the canals of Amsterdam is a must on your visit in this city, but there is so much more to see and do in this town. Whether you want to go shopping on the Kalverstraat, wonder behind the bookcase of the world’s most famous writer or take in the atmosphere of this unique city; Amsterdam is your place!

This is the Amsterdam Passenger Terminal complex. The cruise ship is hiding behind these large buildings.

The Passenger Terminal in Amsterdam has all the facilities a visitor could ask for. Find shops, tourist information and wi-fi inside.

Amsterdam cruise passengers rent bicycle

Just outside the Amsterdam cruise terminal is where you will find the electric bicycle and segway rental. This is a great way to explore Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Central Station close to Amsterdam Cruise Terminal

The Amsterdam Cruise Terminal is about 1,5 km from the Central Station. This is the kick off point for any independent traveller in Amsterdam. Find trams, busses, train, canal cruises and the hop on hop off bus here.

Travel Information the Netherlands

Official currency – Euro
Accepts US dollars – no
Creditcards – are widely accepted

Drives on the – right
Timezone – UTC +1

About the Netherlands

Inhabitants – Almost 17 million
Official language – Dutch
Capital city – Amsterdam
Sovereign state – Kingdom of the Netherlands

Dutch language

Good day – Goedendag
How are you? – Hoe gaat het?
Thank you – Dankjewel
Cruise ship – Cruiseschip
Port – Haven

Also visit our cruise port guides for:

Rotterdam
Oslo
Southampton
Copenhagen

Cruise Port Guide Amsterdam – the Netherlands: docked

Many cruise ships will dock at Ijmuiden instead of Amsterdam because it saves the ship time and money. Double check if your itinerary says you will dock in Ijmuiden or in Amsterdam. Should it say Ijmuiden, click here to find the port information for the Cruise Terminal Ijmuiden. If it says Amsterdam, find your information underneath: In Amsterdam your ship will dock at the Amsterdam Passenger Terminal. This is about 1,5 km away from the central station and city centre of Amsterdam. In the cruise terminal you will find a lot of facilities like currency exchange, bicycle rental, luggage storage and tourist information. You can walk to the city centre and explore Amsterdam by foot although all together it will be quite a lot of walking for a day. Therefore choosing a transportation option of your liking is recommended.

Public Transport

Tram 26 connects the cruise terminal (name of the stop: Muziekgebouw) with the Amsterdam Central Station. You will find the tram stops in front of the cruise terminal, see map above. Pay the driver 2,90 euro for a 1 hour ticket or 7,50 for a day pass. You don’t need exact change. At the Amsterdam Central Station you can transfer to another bus, tram or metro on the same ticket. Utilise http://9292.nl/en for any information about public transportation and how to get from point A to B within Amsterdam and the rest of the country. Please know the location of the Passenger Cruise Terminal in Amsterdam is on “Piet Heinkade 72, Amsterdam”.

Amsterdam Central Station

This is your transportation hub of Amsterdam, but it is also where you will find the tourist information centre, bicycle rental, luggage storage and canal cruises. If you are planning to explore Amsterdam independently you will most likely kick off from here.

Amsterdam Hop on Hop off bus

The hop on hop off bus is available in the city of Amsterdam, but it doesn’t come to the cruise terminal. Find the nearest stop at the Amsterdam central station.

Bicycle rental at cruise terminal

Amsterdam is a city known for its bicycles and this is one of the best ways you can explore the city. Find the nearest bicycle rental at the Passenger Terminal or rent one at the Central Station. It is not mandatory to wear a helmet.

Taxis at the cruise terminal

The official taxis of Amsterdam all have a taxi sign on top of the roof and they all have a taxi meter. A taxi to the city centre should cost you around 10 euros one way. Any taxi ride within the Amsterdam city area should cost you between 10 and 18 euro. You can pay cash or with credit card.