Family-Friendly Amsterdam: Easy Days Out with Children

Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most naturally family-friendly cities. Its flat landscape makes it easy to cycle with children; its compact centre is perfectly walkable; its museums are world-class and increasingly interactive; and the Dutch approach to children in public life — relaxed, welcoming, and completely unsurprised — makes travelling here with kids feel effortless.

The best part? The direct flight from Dublin to Amsterdam only takes about an hour and 40 minutes. That means you’ve taken off and landed before you even know it — ideal for families connecting from the USA, Europe, or further afield.

There’s so much to do in this great capital city, it’s hard to pick just a few key attractions. But here are our top tips for spending time as a family in Amsterdam — from parents who’ve been there, done that, and carried the Trunki through the airport.

Make getting around part of the fun

Amsterdam is exceptionally well set up for family travel. Children under four travel free on all public transport; under 12s travel at a discounted rate.

The tram network is fast and frequent, and the city is pancake-flat, which makes cycling accessible for families with children old enough to ride.

Dedicated cycle paths make it very safe and a whole lot of fun for all the family, especially if you hire a tandem bike or a cargo bike to pootle around in.

Visit the ARTIS Royal Zoo

The ARTIS Royal Zoo in the Plantage neighbourhood is one of the oldest zoos in Europe, and one of the most beautiful. Set within a 19th-century botanical park, its animal collections, aquarium, and planetarium are spread across shaded parkland that feels more like a public garden than a conventional zoo.

The aquarium building — which dates from 1882 — houses one of the finest freshwater and saltwater collections in the Netherlands, and it’s about to be reopened after a four-year renovation. Allow a full day and combine the trip with a walk through the nearby Hortus Botanicus garden. Pick up a seasonal bingo card from the entrance and send your little explorers off to find tree buds, insects, and flowers.

Make time for the NEMO Science Museum

NEMO, the national science museum housed in a remarkable boat-shaped building by Renzo Piano, is one of the best hands-on museums in Europe for children. Little STEM fans can explore five floors of interactive exhibits that cover electricity, light, chemistry, engineering, and the human body — all designed to be touched, operated, and played with.

If you’re flying to Amsterdam in the summer, make sure to pack a change of clothes as the rooftop terrace has a shallow water feature that children love in warm weather and panoramic views over the harbour all year round.

Explore the vast Vondelpark

No matter how great the city, sometimes the countryside comes calling. Vondelpark is the perfect solution, as Amsterdam’s largest and most beloved park.

Playgrounds are dotted throughout; the open-air theatre runs free performances in summer; the rose garden and the pond attract ducks, geese, and determined toddlers in equal measure; and the park cafés are child-friendly without being exclusively for children.

If you want to add an extra activity, hire bikes from a nearby shop and cycle through — the paths are wide, flat, and very safe.

Book a canal boat trip

Seeing Amsterdam from the water is one of the great experiences the city offers, and children usually love every minute of the sailing.

The smaller private canal boats — which can be hired by group, if your family is big enough — are far more enjoyable than the large glass-roofed tourist vessels: quieter, more flexible, and much better for photographs. Some operators offer live music, guided tours, or even pedalo-style boats that older children can help steer, which makes the trip that bit more memorable.

If you have children who love history, combine a canal boat trip with a visit to the old port area, passing the wooden drawbridges and docks that give Amsterdam’s waterways such remarkable character. It’ll feel like they’ve stepped into their own movie or computer game.

Enjoy relaxed meals in family friendly spaces

Amsterdam is refreshingly easy to find great food experiences for kids. Most restaurants welcome families, high chairs are almost universally available, and the Dutch love of food means children’s menus are an opportunity to try new things while also adding comforting favourites into the mix.

For something quintessentially Dutch, a poffertjes stall — tiny pancakes with butter and icing sugar — is always an instant hit. Pancake restaurants (pannenkoekenhuis) are everywhere and usually feature a variety of savoury and sweet options, with liqueur-drizzled versions for the adults in the group.

Treat your family to a trip to Amsterdam this year

From the zoo to the science museum, from canal rides to poffertjes, Amsterdam has something to delight every age group. It’s a city that makes family travel feel easy, enjoyable, and genuinely memorable.

Fly to the Netherlands with Aer Lingus and start your trip off on the right foot, with discounted baggage fees and seat selection for families. That leaves plenty of room to come home with sweet treats and souvenirs from the Dutch capital.