What It’s Really Like Travelling Alone as a Woman in Amsterdam

There’s a moment, shortly after arriving in Amsterdam, when you’ll be standing on a bridge, watching the water ripple beneath the weight of soft golden light, and you’ll think to yourself: Why didn’t I come here sooner?

It’s that kind of city. At once intimate and cosmopolitan. Calm but buzzing. A place where solo women travellers don’t just feel safe—they feel seen. And not in a performative, tourist-friendly way. In a quiet, grown-up, you-do-you kind of way.

Still, travelling alone is never just about the city—it’s about you in it. And Amsterdam, for all its charm, doesn’t coddle. It trusts you to find your own rhythm. To make your own discoveries. And to know when to follow a local’s advice—especially when it comes from someone who knows the city inside and out. (More on that later.)

Here’s what it’s really like to explore Amsterdam solo as a woman—with the good, the funny, and the gloriously unscripted.

You’ll Learn to Cross the Street With Your Life in Your Hands

Let’s get one thing straight: the Dutch do not mess around when it comes to bikes. Crossing the road is not a passive activity here. It’s a survival skill. 

There are lanes for cars, trams, mopeds, and about a million aggressive cyclists who will not stop for you. They will ring their bells. They will not slow down.

You’ll learn. Quickly. But don’t let that put you off renting a bike yourself. Just don’t try it fresh off the plane. Amsterdam’s bike lanes are an art form, and while tourists are allowed to participate, we’re definitely not the main characters.

The Hotels Feel Like a Second Skin

If you’re travelling alone, your hotel room matters more than usual. It’s not just where you sleep—it’s your retreat. Your reset. Your safe zone.

For something elegant but full of character, The Dylan is tucked inside a historic canal house with wooden-beamed suites and a warm, boutique soul. If you prefer pure elegance, the Waldorf Astoria offers understated luxury, famous guests, and a location so central you’ll practically share a postcode with the mayor.

And for old-world glamour? Hotel De L’Europe is where Dutch royalty chooses to stay. Enough said.

Alone or not, there’s nothing more delicious than sinking into crisp sheets with the sound of canal water gently lapping somewhere nearby.

Your Credit Card Will Whisper, “Maybe Not”—Ignore It

Amsterdam is full of little traps for the solo woman traveller. They look like independent boutiques on the Nine Streets. Or beautifully curated design shops where the scent of sandalwood makes you forget your budget.

You’ll find yourself picking up a €200 linen blouse and thinking, Well, I am in Europe…

That’s part of the fun. On De Negen Straatjes, browsing is an activity. And whether you buy or not, the shopkeepers usually leave you alone to float through their spaces like a well-dressed ghost.

If you’re a book lover, don’t miss Athenaeum Boekhandel, a cornerstone of Amsterdam’s literary scene. The shop is expansive, warm, and multilingual. And just next door—or possibly within the same building—is a boutique magazine collection that might just be one of the most impressive in Europe.

Dining Alone Here Feels Less Like a Pity Party and More Like a Power Move

Wanna hear a secret? Pick restaurants that understand intimacy. Not just in seating, but in atmosphere.

Start with Beulings or De Juwelier—small, beautifully run spaces that feel like insider secrets. If you’re craving something ultra-fresh, Vis aan de Schelde is the city’s ode to seafood, while Yamazato (inside Hotel Okura) offers Michelin-starred Japanese with ritual and reverence.

And for a true escape, Restaurant De Mark in Durgerdam, just outside the city, offers solitude and scenery in equal measure. The wine list is exquisite. The silence, luxurious.

Want something more adventurous? Book ahead for Vuurtoreneiland—a seasonal pop-up restaurant housed on a remote island with a working lighthouse. You arrive by boat, dine by firelight, and wonder briefly if you’ve wandered into a Nordic fairytale.

You Can Sip a Perfect Cocktail—and Still Hear Yourself Think

Amsterdam’s cocktail scene is subtle. No neon signs or velvet ropes. Just excellent drinks in beautiful rooms.

Door 74 is a speakeasy in the best sense—hidden, refined, and made for conversation. Ask for something off-menu and let them surprise you. Or visit the Conservatorium Hotel for their gin & tonic bar, where the menu reads like a botanical thesis and the glassware deserves its own Instagram.

Alone? Good. That just means you don’t have to share.

The Museums Don’t Just Entertain—They Soothe

When you’re travelling solo, museums aren’t just cultural stops. They’re places to breathe. Reflect. Exist.

Amsterdam delivers on both the classics and the quirky. The Rijksmuseum is newly renovated and rightfully world-famous, but if you can, time your visit for Museumnacht—one night a year when the city’s museums open after dark and transform into something entirely new.

In the middle of the city, seek out Begijnhof, once home to a religious order of women known as the Beguines. It’s still a sanctuary today—only older women live there, and the silence feels sacred.

And don’t skip the Amsterdamse Bos, a sprawling forest on the edge of the city, complete with a goat farm where, in spring, you can bottle-feed baby goats. No notes.

You Might End Up on a Boat—and Never Want to Get Off

Amsterdam is best understood from the water. Rent a boat—preferably a private one with wine and a quiet skipper—and drift through the city as it was meant to be seen. The name “Amsterdam” itself comes from a dam built on the Amstel River in the 12th century, and the canals still shape the city’s soul.

Some luxury hotels, like Okura, offer private culinary canal cruises from their own docks. It’s a beautiful way to see the city—slowly, intimately, and without the buzz of traffic.

Add a glass of something cold. Let the city pass by. You’re not in a rush.

You’ll Start to Trust Yourself in a New Way

Here’s the thing about solo travel: you don’t have anyone to blame. If you get lost, it’s on you. If the restaurant’s a bust, well, you chose it.

But that also means every little win feels bigger. You found the perfect gallery. You navigated the tram system. You made it through a three-course meal without once pretending to check your phone.

And if you ever feel off-track, you can always learn from the best, an elite independent escort in Amsterdam—someone who’s built a life on intuition, discretion, and knowing exactly where to go and when. People like that don’t just understand the city—they understand people. And that’s its own kind of map.

Final Thought: It’s Okay to Be a Little Bit in Love

You’ll leave Amsterdam with a few souvenirs—possibly a magazine you’ll never actually read, definitely a new appreciation for goats. But more than anything, you’ll leave with a stronger sense of yourself.

Travelling alone doesn’t mean being lonely. It means remembering who you are when nobody’s watching. And in a city as self-possessed, smart, and quietly rebellious as Amsterdam, you might just fall a little in love—with the place, with your independence, and with the woman you are when no one else is in the room.