Getting Around Amsterdam's Canal Ring Without a Car

Amsterdam's centre is small enough to walk end to end in under an hour, and the city is built for two wheels far more than four. Driving into the canal ring is neither necessary nor, in practice, easy.

Trams and the metro

The GVB tram network covers the centre densely, and a single contactless tap-in/tap-out card (or a bank card with contactless enabled) works across trams, buses and the metro. Day passes are worth it only if making four or more trips.

Renting a bike

Bike rental shops cluster near Centraal Station and Leidseplein. Cycling the canal ring is the fastest way to cover ground, but stick to the marked bike lanes — pedestrians and cyclists share tight space, and right-of-way rules aren't always obvious to visitors.

Canal boats

A canal cruise is a genuinely useful way to see the Golden Age merchant houses' facades, which look different from the water than from the street. Hop-on-hop-off boat passes exist but a fixed 75-minute route covers the highlights without the crowds of the open-top bus equivalent.

Walking still wins in the centre

For the Jordaan, the Nine Streets shopping district and the area around the Rijksmuseum, walking is usually faster than any of the above once you factor in finding a bike dock or waiting for a tram.