How to have the BEST King's Day in Amsterdam [5 Steps]

Samudraki's Saturdays

King's Day (which was earlier celebrated as Queen's Day) is celebrated on the 27th of April and marks the birthday of King Willem-Alexander. This day is recognised as a bank holiday in the Netherlands. However, the reality is that it's just another excuse for Dutchies to have an all-day city-wide party on the streets LEGALLY! Yes, you heard me right. Infact, the Dutch celebrate the eve of King's Day, - known as King's Night - with much more energy and dancing in the city center and clubs. Each city celebrates this day but for some reason Amsterdam is chosen by the public to be the ultimate party spot for this special weekend. I visited Amsterdam for King's Day last year and I wanted to share a few tips for this year's celebrations if you plan on heading towards Amsterdam. The timing of this blog cannot be more apt as we're just a few days from the biggest birthday party of the Netherlands!!! Be prepared to see the whole city drowned in orange, streets full of music, laughter and cheer. Don't forget to check out the free markets too!

Check The Weather and Orange Outfits 

The Netherlands is notorious for it's windy, sunny and rainy weather that has a personality like a hormonal teenager. So before you plan your ORANGE outfit and essentials that you might need, please check the weather on multiple apps to be sure. As for your outfit, it's not a rule to wear orange but you'll definitely feel left out in the Dutch festivities if you don't. Amsterdam on King's Day is a pickpocket's heaven, so be sure to carry minimum baggage and money. So girls, no flashy and big bags. And guys, please don't stuff your pockets (fanny packs are 'in trend' again!). 

Choose Your Transportation Wisely

Since this event is celebrated on such a large scale, transportation to Amsterdam can be quite tricky. This is because public transportation is limited, the city center is pretty much blocked off, there is no locker service available at the Central Station, bikes is not a good idea as EVERYONE is on foot and will just give you death stares for causing an inconvenience and finding car parking is impossible. So how do you get there? Buses and trams run only to the outskirts of the city center. Trains from other cities have a different timetable than the regular, so make sure to check ns.nl for the updated routes and times. Metro stations Nieuwmarket and RAI are closed. If you're travelling by boat be aware that there is a one-way traffic rule and that boats longer than 10 meters are prohibited on the canals. However, the best and cheapest way is to explore the city by foot. There will be signs specially made to help navigate you to major events and points of interest. Download the King's Day app by Woov to help you find parties, markets and toilets (trust me, you'll need it) to make your day manageable.

Alcohol: DO's and DONT's

You might think that public drinking on this day is allowed but actually it's still prohibited as if it were any other day. You are allowed to have one drink in your hand and preferably only beers. You can carry your own liquor in your bag if you want to but I wouldn't recommend it as you can easily buy drinks from the licensed vendors on the streets. Besides, most supermarkets would have sold out their alcohol on King's Night itself so if you want to stock up, then I recommend buying your booze well in advance. Be aware that the free market's sale of beer and outdoor beer taps end at 20.00 (8 PM). 

Free Events in the City

On this day Amsterdam has an influx of people from neighbouring cities and even from abroad, making crowd control very difficult in the city center. Thus, alot of the music events have been re-located to the outskirts. However, there are still a few free entry parties around town this year at NDSM Vrijhaven, Amstelveld and Westerkerk. There are also plenty of pop-up DJ's at almost every junction and street parties in the parks. My suggestion would be to just walk around and enjoy all the flavors the city has to offer. Last year I was super pumped to celebrate King's Day in Amsterdam and we started the partying pretty early in the morning which drained our energy by evening. So learn from my mistake, and start LATER!!!

Dutch Delicacies that are a MUST

On this day Dutch cuisine goes to a whole other level. You will find vendors along the street selling food that will fulfil your sweet and savoury cravings as you party through the town. Be sure to have a refreshing glass of lemonade made so lovingly by the children for as cheap as 1 EURO! This refreshing drink will help you beat the heat and give you that much needed sugar dose. My next favorite is the traditional Bitterballen which is just the perfect deep fried snack you need after consuming alcohol like the Dutch for the whole day. If you have a big sweet tooth like me, you definitely need to try Tompouce with a special bright orange icing for King's Day. Other than these you can always try the tourist's-favorite Kibbeling, Fries with Mayonaise and ofcourse, Stroopwafels. 

I hope these few pointers help you out on your upcoming party. I am coming to Amsterdam again this year so let me know if you're going to join me in the festivities. If you have any cool tips and places that are a MUST for King's Day in Amsterdam, let me know in the comment section below! 

XO, Samudraki