Why Travelers Should Be Saying Goodbye To Amsterdam Vacations

Amsterdam is a storied city with incredible sights to see, like the Van Gogh Museum, the Anne Frank House, the charming canals, and the pretty tulips. There are also spicier spots like the Red Light District and cafés that sell marijuana. However, while it can be a wonderful place to visit, there are good reasons tourists should be saying goodbye to Amsterdam vacations, all stemming from over-tourism.

According to a 2024 New York Times report, there were 25.5 million visitors to the city in 2019. The Dutch Daily News reports that 2025 saw 23.7 overnight stays in the city. While that's a decrease overall, the 2025 numbers still surpass the Amsterdam City Council's regulation to limit overnight tourist stays to 20 million per year in this city of just over 1 million residents. That's led to steps like increasing the tourist tax, a licensing system for tourist shops, a ban on marijuana smoking on streets in the Red Light District, and even an ad campaign targeting rowdy British men between 18 and 35.

Visiting a city dealing with over-tourism can make everything more difficult. Aside from crowded streets, you can have issues getting restaurant reservations at popular places like De Kas, which can have a two-month wait. Museum reservations can be tough as well. For instance, you can book tickets to the Anne Frank House six weeks out, but they sell out very fast. The Van Gogh Museum can have a wait between two weeks and a month. Then there's the pollution that can come with overcrowding, and not just garbage on the streets. According to a 2025 article in the NL Times, air quality in the Netherlands exceeds the World Health Organization's recommended limits in some areas, with the worst spot being the city center.

Amsterdam can also be pricey. According to the 2026 Post Office Travel Money report, and one by Radical Storage published in the same year, it's one of the most expensive cities in Europe. In 2026, expenses for travelers in Amsterdam also included a large rise in the VAT for hotels. In a thread in Reddit's r/Amsterdam, one poster says of the city, "It's expensive, overcrowded, and half the city feels like a tourist trap." 

The massive number of tourists has even led locals to file lawsuits to ensure the city enforces its own rules. Over-tourism is a big problem in a number of popular travel destinations, and it has led the governments of countries like Greece and Croatia to take action against it as well. If you're still planning to head to Amsterdam, it's worth staying outside of the touristy canal zone and spending time in areas like the quirky bohemian De Pijp with fun artisan shops and breweries to explore. You can also book your trip during the city's off-season, which is October through March. Finally, here are the best ways to spot signs of over-tourism before you book any vacation.