Free walking tours
Instead of wandering aimlessly along the Unesco-lauded canals, get your bearings courtesy of a complimentary walking tour. Sandemans New Amsterdam offers three-hour ambles twice a day, covering staples such as the gentrification of the Red Light District and the Begijnhof Convent, an inner courtyard leading to the Civic Guards Gallery, where a collection of paintings by old masters is on permanent display. The Original Amsterdam Alternative Tour, which starts daily at 2pm, at Spuistraat, features a more eclectic selection that can often include street art squatter areas and hidden graffiti.
Eat on the cheap
Start your budget food odyssey around central Amsterdam with pannenkoeken, crepes that deliver most of your daily caloric intake in a sweet or savoury pizza-size package. If you can’t snag one of the four tables at Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs then Pancakes Amsterdam offers equally tasty options, albeit in a charmless, fluorescent-lit space. A classic pannenkoeken will cost around €6, but it’s worth the €9.80 splurge on a spinach variation topped with pine nuts, pepitas and a slab of molten goat cheese. The more atmospheric Pancake Bakery has crepes (from €6.25) slathered with everything from Thai red curry to Indonesian peanut sauce, as well as poffertjies – diminutive, butter-fried confections made from yeasted, buckwheat-tinged batter. For lunch, grab sandwiches with fillings like Taleggio with tomato-rosemary jam and walnuts (€3.50) at De Laatste Kruimel, a grilled Gouda-and-ham (€5) at one of Toastable’s three city centre spots, or one of the rotating dishes (from €4) at InStock, a recent addition, which salvages edibles that grocery stores would otherwise discard.
Take in an art deco theatre
A wide array of Dutch and international movies screen for free in personal booths at the EYE Film Institute, but for a brush with history, treat yourself to the big-screen version at the Pathé Tuschinski Cinema, a grand old building near Rembrandtplein where stars such as Judy Garland and Marlene Dietrich have performed live. Decked out in sumptuous Moroccan carpets, intricate bronze detailings and art deco ceilings, the theatre is a lavish affair. Current showings range from avant-garde indie hits to popcorn flicks, but you don’t need to buy a ticket to bask in the opulent 1921 ambience.
Art for free
To peruse world-class works of art without the hefty admission fee (€17 for the Van Gogh Museum’s Munch exhibition; €17.50 for Asia > Amsterdam at the Rijksmuseum), ditch Museumplein for the dozens of galleries in Spiegelkwartier or Jordaan. Weave your way down Prinsengracht and its side streets, stopping at smaller places such as Keren de Vreede, where the local artist is happy to chat about her textural floral canvases. There are also carefully curated collections in larger galleries such as Galerie Ron Mandos, Gabriel Rolt, Annet Gelink Gallery, and Torch, then consider stopping for a single-origin espresso and more local exhibitions at Cloud. Finish your tour back in the centre with an aperitif at Art’otel Amsterdam’s slick 5&33 bar, which features a cavernous, subterranean gallery open to customers and passing viewers alike.
Picnic in the park
Of the green oases sprinkled throughout the city, Vondelpark is the largest, but the public gardens at the Rijksmuseum make for an even more scenic option with their meticulously tended flowerbeds, impressive sculpture collection, and pieces of historic Dutch architecture. Alternatively, pack your lunch and spy on some of the feathered inhabitants at the Artis Zoo. There’s an admission (adults from €19.95) to gawk at the 900 species of animals inside, but the shady Artisplein nearby costs nothing and has an unimpeded view of the flamingo pond.
Explore the mini-museums
Amsterdam’s 50-plus museums feature some fantastically funky, affordable gems, including Electric Lady Land (€5), which is the world’s first fluorescent museum and every bit as trippy as it sounds. The Houseboat Museum (adults €4.50, children €3.50) provides a glimpse of life on one of the city’s 2,500-plus live-aboard watercraft. At €10, the just-renovated Our Lord in the Attic is a bit steeper, but is worth it for a glimpse of a secret 17th-century church ensconced in a historic canal house. Check out the Cannabis College, too, an information centre where helpful staff advise visitors on everything from how to use a vapouriser to how to avoid the ire of police and locals. On your way in or out of town, have a look at the interactive science exhibits at NEMO Schiphol – yes, at the airport. The museum, in the city centre, has a €15 entry fee, but this smaller outpost doesn’t cost anything.
Budget bunks
Once a derelict, industrial zone, Noord is now one of Amsterdam’s hottest neighbourhoods, thanks to the addition of the revitalised shipyard NDSM Wharf, the EYE Film Institute, with a number of free exhibits, and Tolhuistuin, a multipurpose dining and events space in the former Shell factory canteen. Steps from the latter two attractions is the stylish new hostel ClinkNOORD (dorm rooms from €18, doubles from €76), in a refurbished 1920s building with art exhibitions and gratis stays for bands willing to perform. The 24/7 reception staff are as friendly as can be and the cosy ZincBAR and spacious library encourage travellers to set aside their smartphones and mingle. Free ferries make the five-minute ride across the IJ to the historic city centre a snap, but should you prefer to stay closer to the canals, Ecomama (dorms from €23, doubles from €84) has environmentally conscious digs – opt for the aptly named El Cheapo dorm – right by Waterlooplein. Keep an eye out for Generator Amsterdam, another design hostel opening up near Oosterpark in 2016.
Watch a canal house being 3D printed
A 15-minute stroll from NDSM Wharf, molten squiggles are being transformed into the building blocks of what will someday be a 13-room 3D Printed Canal House. Visitors can watch technology evolve during the building process; the giant KamerMaker (“room maker”) has tripled in speed since the beginning of the project and is being joined by an even more massive sibling printer. It’s a unique attraction that, at €2.50 a visit with audioguide, is also a steal.
Free live music
Get your classical music fix for free every Tuesday with a lunch concert at the Dutch National Opera and Ballet, which celebrates its 50th anniversary next March with even more freebies. The Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ only has complimentary concerts once a month, but they are worth seeking out for the performances and the modernist, glass-faced structure with a sweeping panorama of the waterfront. After dark, head to Bourbon Street for rhythm and blues. Entrance is free on Mondays and every evening before 11pm, there’s a €3-€5 cover. Amble five minutes down the road to Jazz Café Alto, where performances spanning genres from salsa to soul are free all night every night. Sensibly priced drinks, a lively multigenerational crowd and a laid-back vibe make this a popular local choice.
Shop for Dutch design and vintage finds
For price and sheer utilitarianism, the ubiquitous Dutch HEMA chain is hard to beat. To give fledgling designers a boost, the retailer hosts an annual competition in which fashion students enter for a chance to have their creations mass-produced and distributed. The city offers an abundance of vintage threads that even budget backpackers can afford. At Kiloshop wares are priced by weight, with retro Parisian dresses and other finds often coming in at under €10. Out of the string of trendy shops on Haarlemmerstraat, Rumors Vintage is a favourite for stylish coats capable of withstanding the country’s soggy weather. True bargain-hunters will want to prowl the local flea markets; head east for Dappermarkt, a grand bazaar of food and garments from the city’s Surinamese and African communities, or north for the monthly flea market at Noord’s IJ-Hallen Vlooienmarkt.
