The Dutch capital: the 17th-century canal ring (UNESCO), Rembrandt's Night Watch, Van Gogh's Sunflowers, the Anne Frank House and narrow streets full of bikes. For art, history, canal cruises and spring tulips; the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum are free for under-18s. No direct flights from UB — connect via MIAT to Frankfurt, or via Seoul, Beijing or Istanbul. Mongolian citizens need a Schengen visa; for the Netherlands it is issued by the French Embassy in Ulaanbaatar.
🛂 Visa: Visa required · 90 days✈ Flight: 13h☀ Best months: April, May, June, July
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: April, May, June, July, August, September.
Things to see (12)
🧸 for kids
Rijksmuseum
Culture€25 (free under 18)Daily 9:00–17:00
The national museum of the Netherlands: Rembrandt's Night Watch, Vermeer's Milkmaid and 800 years of history. Book an entry time in advance (children too). Free audio tours and a family route in the app; the garden is free.
Culture€25 (free under 18, timed booking)Daily from 9:00 (closing time varies by season)
The world's largest Van Gogh collection: Sunflowers, Almond Blossom, The Bedroom. No tickets at the door — online, timed entry only; in high season slots sell out weeks ahead. On the same square as the Rijksmuseum.
Travel guide
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goSchengen visas for the Netherlands are issued by the French Embassy in Ulaanbaatar. Slots are few and it accepts applications only three days a week, so start early.+
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Schengen visa: French Embassy
The Netherlands has no embassy in Mongolia, so if the Netherlands is your main destination you apply at the French Embassy (there is no VFS). Fill in the form on France-Visas, book on consulat.gouv.fr and go in person Mon, Wed or Fri 9:00–11:30 to give fingerprints (children under 12 give none but must attend). Fee €90 (ages 6–11 €45, under 6 free) — cash in tögrög only, not refunded if refused. Passports come back after 2–3 weeks.
Tip: If you fly via Frankfurt and spend longer in Germany, apply to the German Embassy (VFS) instead — the country of your longest stay decides.
Medical insurance valid in all Schengen states with cover of at least €30,000 is mandatory. Prepare the return ticket, hotel bookings, bank statements and employment letter as listed by France-Visas. You cannot apply more than 6 months ahead; slots fill fast around the summer and winter school holidays.
Instead of passport stamps, the EES system records your fingerprints and face at the Schengen border; the first entry may take longer. ETIAS is for visa-exempt travellers, so it does not apply to Mongolians with a Schengen visa.
🛬Landing and getting to the citySchiphol has a train station right beneath the terminal — the fastest and cheapest way into the centre.+
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From Schiphol by train
NS trains run from Schiphol station to Amsterdam Centraal in ~17 minutes; a one-way 2nd-class ticket is €5.50, and a RailRunner for ages 4–11 is €2.50. Buy from the yellow machines or simply tap your contactless bank card at the gate.
Tip: One card covers one person — each family member needs their own card or ticket.
If you land in Frankfurt with MIAT, Schengen passport control happens there. From Frankfurt you can fly on to Amsterdam with KLM or Lufthansa, or take a direct ICE train. On separate tickets, leave plenty of time to connect.
If your phone supports eSIM, buy and install a travel eSIM from Airalo, Holafly or similar before you leave — it works as soon as you land. A Europe-wide plan also covers Frankfurt or a side trip to Belgium.
Tip: Download Amsterdam in Google Maps for offline use.
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Dutch prepaid SIM
KPN, Vodafone and Odido prepaid SIMs are sold at Schiphol, in city shops and supermarkets; unlike Germany, no passport registration is needed. EU 'roam like at home' rules mean it works in other European countries too.
🚇Getting aroundThe centre is compact — walk or take the tram. Always tap your card both when boarding and when leaving trams, metros and buses.+
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OVpay: pay with your bank card
Tap a contactless bank card or phone (Apple/Google Pay) when you board and leave trams, metros and buses. All GVB trips in a day are capped at €10.50. Forget to tap out and you are charged extra.
A GVB 1-hour ticket is €3.40, a day ticket €10 (child €5), 2 days €16, 3 days €21.50. For Schiphol, Zaanse Schans or Volendam, the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket (1 day €23) includes trains and regional buses.
Renting a bike is the local way to get around, but traffic is busy and rules are strict: stay in the bike lane, signal with your hand and avoid catching your wheel in tram tracks. GVB ferries across the IJ (behind Centraal Station) are free for pedestrians and cyclists.
💳Money and taxes+
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Pay by card
The Netherlands is nearly cashless: many cafés, museums and A'DAM Lookout take cards only. Visa and Mastercard work in most places, but some supermarkets and small shops take debit cards only (Maestro, V Pay), so carry both kinds of card and a little cash.
Tip: If the card reader offers to charge you in tögrög, say no — choose euros.
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Tourist tax
Amsterdam's tourist tax stays at 12.5% of the room price in 2026 — among the highest in Europe — and VAT on hotel stays also rose in 2026. If it is not in your booking price, the hotel adds it at check-out.
Non-EU visitors who spend above a minimum amount in a shop showing the 'Tax Free' sign can reclaim the VAT. Ask the shop for the form and have it validated by customs at the airport where you leave the EU.
🍜FoodDutch food is simple but tasty; thanks to colonial history, Indonesian and Surinamese food is everywhere.+
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What to eat
Stroopwafels (syrup waffles), poffertjes (tiny pancakes — a children's favourite), bitterballen (fried meat-ragout balls), fresh haring (salted herring), Gouda cheese and patat (fries with mayonnaise). Indonesian rijsttafel — many small dishes with rice — is good for sharing as a family.
Tip: Tipping is not required; round up a little for good service.
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Markets and groceries
Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Lidl and Dirk are the cheap supermarkets; 'AH to go' in the centre stays open late. Try the Albert Cuyp Market (closed Sundays), the Noordermarkt and Foodhallen — an indoor food hall with many stalls, good for a rainy family evening.
Police, ambulance and fire — 112, free, 24 hours, answered in English. For non-urgent police matters call 0900-8844. For non-urgent illness, phone the out-of-hours GP service (huisartsenpost) first.
Most accidents involve bikes: don't walk on the red bike lanes, and look both ways for bikes and trams before crossing. Pickpockets work Centraal Station, Dam Square, De Wallen and trams. Ignore street dealers offering 'cannabis' or 'cocaine' — the substances are often fake or dangerous.
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Drug laws
Cannabis is only tolerated inside coffeeshops; smoking it on the street around De Wallen, Dam and Nieuwmarkt is banned and fined. Hard drugs are fully illegal. Taking cannabis out of the Netherlands is a serious crime in other countries, including Mongolia — don't try.
De Wallen is a residential neighbourhood: photographing or filming the people in the windows is strictly forbidden, don't stand in big groups blocking the way, and keep the noise down. With children it is better to go around it.
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Respect the city
Public drunkenness, urinating, littering and swimming in the canals are fined. Drinking alcohol on the canal side is banned in parts of the centre. Be quiet and respectful at the Anne Frank House.
The Dutch are direct and to the point — don't take it as rudeness. 'Hallo' and 'Dank je wel' (thank you) go down well in shops and restaurants. Punctuality matters; arrive late for a timed museum slot and you may not be let in.
📱Useful apps+
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Transport
NS app — train times, tickets and delays. GVB app and 9292 — trams, metro and buses. Google Maps works very well in the city and gives cycling routes too.
Buy Anne Frank, Van Gogh, Rijksmuseum and Keukenhof tickets only on the official sites — beware of fake resellers. The I amsterdam site covers events and the City Card. Google Translate's camera translates Dutch menus and signs.
The train from Centraal to Schiphol takes ~17 minutes. Schiphol is one of Europe's busiest airports — allow plenty of time for security, the EES exit check and the customs stamp for Tax Free. If you connect to MIAT in Frankfurt, account for checking in again there.
Leave the Schengen area no later than the date on your visa — EES records your exit day automatically, and an overstay will hurt your next application. Carry Tax Free goods unopened and show them to customs before check-in.
Culture€16.50; ages 10–17 €7; ages 0–9 €1Daily (check times on the website)
The secret annex where Anne Frank and her family hid for two years during the war, and her diary. Tickets ONLY on annefrank.org, released every Tuesday at 10:00 for six weeks later — they go very fast. Best for ages 10 and up.
One hour around the 17th-century UNESCO canal ring: narrow 'dancing' houses, bridges and houseboats. Many companies leave from in front of Centraal Station; small open boats get closer. The easiest option for children and tired feet.
A quiet district between the canals: small galleries, antique shops, 'brown cafés' and the Noordermarkt (Monday morning and Saturday). Walk the boutiques and cafés of the Nine Streets and combine with the Anne Frank House.
The city's best-loved park: ponds, paths, playgrounds and a summer open-air theatre. Walking distance from Museumplein — the place to rest and play after the museums.
City€16.50 online / €18.50 at the desk (ages 4–12 €10.50 online); swing +€7.50Daily (check times on the website)
A rooftop deck on a tower on the north bank of the IJ with views over the whole city and harbour. The 'Over the Edge' swing hangs over the edge 100 m up (minimum height 1.20 m). Five minutes on the free ferry behind Centraal Station; card payment only.
Kids€21.50 (free under 4)10:00–17:30; closed Mondays outside April–September and school holidays
Five floors of hands-on experiments in a green ship-shaped building: chain reactions, water, light, the human body. The rooftop terrace is free with great city views. The number one rainy-day choice for families.
Founded in 1838, one of Europe's oldest zoos: elephants (two calves born in 2026), lions, the restored aquarium and a planetarium included. In the city centre, reachable by tram.
Nature€21 online in 2026 (ages 4–17 €10)Spring only: 18 Mar–9 May 2027, 8:00–19:00
The world's largest spring garden with over 7 million tulips, hyacinths and daffodils. Open only for 8 weeks in March–May; book a timed ticket with the bus in advance. Mid-April is usually the most colourful time for the bulb fields.
CultureVillage free; each windmill and museum chargesVillage always open; windmills and shops in the daytime
A historic village of green wooden houses, working windmills and cheese and clog workshops. A short train ride from Centraal to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans, or bus 800. People live here, so keep the noise down.
The Netherlands' largest street market (De Pijp): warm stroopwafels, fried fish, Dutch cheese, fruit and clothes. The Heineken Experience (18+) is close by, and there are plenty of Surinamese and Indonesian eateries.
