I am planning a trip to Amsterdam in late Dec. / early Jan. and am thinking about coming in early for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Would love for others to share favorite restaurants/ activities, knowing things won't be "normal" for Christmas 2021. A friend is there right now and having a lovely time. I know what I would be doing in Paris at Christmas but not Amsterdam.
Thanks!

Here are some links but you will have to use Google Translate, information I think not available on their English pages:

https://www.iamsterdam.com/nl/uit/gr...dagen/kerstmis

This is a general Christmas in Amsterdam page from the point of view of locals. It includes where to see the best Christmas lights and some restaurants.

https://www.iamsterdam.com/nl/uit/mu...achtsoratorium

https://www.iamsterdam.com/nl/uit/mu...olland-baroque

The next two are concerts on 17 and 14 December. I don't know your dates but you might find something even closer to your dates than these.

https://www.iamsterdam.com/nl/uit/gr...kbij-amsterdam

This one is Christmas markets, although they won't be as big a deal as the German ones.

Christmas Day there will be very little happening, things will be closed. The big celebrations in the Netherlands are around St Nicholas (5 Dec), that is the main present-giving festival, Christmas is secondary.

Lavandula

Oh, and there will also be skating. While there are skating rinks, if the weather cooperates there will also be other waterways frozen. And in January, there will be olieballen to eat - scalding hot freeform doughnuts, sometimes with currants or apple in them, dusted with icing sugar. I am pretty sure you will find somewhere to skate and snack!

Lavandula

Thank you!
I have booked tickets for the Van Gogh museum on Christmas Day. I want to book a lunch or dinner. I'm staying near the Van Gogh for those nights.

Thanks for the ideas!

Christmas is celebrated mostly at home, with family, so book somewhere you know will open on Christmas day. Especially 25/12 is a day that a lot will be closed, even in Amsterdam. Also, at the moment you need proof of vaccination to get into a restaurant. I don't know whether that will be still the case in December, so I suggest you keep an eye on Dutch Corona regulations as they develop. I can almost guarantee you that there will be no skating on the canals. The icerinks that were there (there used to be a big one on Museumplein) might not return.

Do try to book a concert on the 26th, or go to a night service on Christmas eve. I can recommend the Dominicus church (protestant) right in the centre of Amsterdam or the Krijtberg (catholic) on Singel. The 2 churches on Begijnhof might also be good options.

But again, there still are Covid restrictions in force. For any venue you'll have to show proof of vaccination through a QR code (at least that's the situation at the moment, it might be that all this has been lifted by end of December, or we might be in a surge of infections, who knows)

Thanks! I checked into Dominicus and will stream if I can't attend (limits).
Just finished booking restaurants for those two days.
Really appreciate the help!

So glad!
Don't know if there still are tickets (and of course, corona volente and all that), but this is very good: https://www.concertgebouworkest.nl/n...aap-van-zweden

Mahler, Beethoven and Matthias Goerne, with van Zweden conducting: really top notch stuff (and an afternoon concert, after a nice lunch and all that, or with drinks after, and of course the world class venue that is the Concertgebouw.)

Glad to see this thread for two reasons:

1. I am gathering Amsterdam info; and
2. I haven't seen any recent posts from you, starrs, so hoping all is ok!

Starrs has cancelled her trip sadly.
Right decision, but a shame it has happened.

deleted

Thanks, T!

Yes, I made the decision over Thanksgiving weekend. I talked to my friend's daughter and she was going to share the announcement on that Friday. The news wasn't good and when I got back into cell service we talked and she understood why I was cancelling. She was depressed about the potential of schools closing again...and now they have. I talked to her mom today and heti too. I hope I get a chance to "live like a local" in the future. Not sure how far out that future will be.

I had tickets to the Van Gogh museum for Christmas day and reservations at the hotel I loved on the last trip for my first two nights, with reservations at the floating Chinese restaurant. I had ideas of where to go for chuch services and had booked (but not paid) excursion trips that I cancelled. The trip to Paris afterwards is off as well. Cimbrone told me about the Van Loon house museum on my last trip but it was closed on King's Day. I got there. Doors were closed. So my plans were to alternate "local" days and excursion days. That's not happening this year. I was really looking forward to NYEve (and the days before) after hearing about the fireworks. Hopefully, another year. I really did love Amsterdam on my first trip. I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination but can share the things I liked. My best bit of advice = do not go over Easter weekend. CRAZY busy!

It was the right call, but I can fully understand the disappointment and frustration.

good call