11 Things to Do in Amsterdam in February

February is an ideal month to visit Amsterdam, full of shows, attractions and entertainment in the shelter of the winter that hangs over the city's streets. These celebrations are often enjoyed by tourists, but also by locals. As it's not yet the season, you can take advantage of discounted hotel and flight fares.

In fact, February in Amsterdam is less crowded with tourists, but you'll find plenty of locals at a variety of attractions to suit all tastes. You can get to know the city at your own pace, and without feeling like you don't have room for anything. For that, I bring you this list of the best things to do in Amsterdam in February.

Another great thing to do if you're travelling in February is to visit Amsterdam's best museums, which are beautiful, varied and cater for all tastes and interests. If it's really cold, you know it's always great to have an excuse to stay indoors. Here are a few suggestions:

• You can visit the Anne Frank House or take the Anne Frank tour of Amsterdam's Jewish quarter -from £28 -and get to know the environment in which the young woman lived when she was hiding from the Nazis in Holland.
• Another good alternative is to buy tickets for the Van Gogh Museum and canal cruise -from £32 and visit the best museum with the work of this great artist, as well as enjoying a boat trip.
• Of course, one suggestion is to take a guided tour of the Rijksmuseum -from £58, which traces the history of art in the Netherlands, and has over 8,000 works of art for your enjoyment.
• You can also plan a visit to the Madame Tussauds Museum -from £18, where you'll see wax figures of international celebrities.
• Another proposal is to buy tickets for the Canals Museum -from £15, where you can enjoy a tour of the most splendid period of the city and appreciate the beauty of its mythical canals, what they represent in the history and development of the Dutch economy and culture.

But there are many more. Visit our post about the best museums in Amsterdam and soak up the culture in the Dutch capital.

If you're travelling to Amsterdam in February you should definitely enjoy the Heineken Experience, which is a must-see when you travel. It is an experience located inside the original bre wery of this beer.

The Heineken Museum offers an interactive, audio-guided tour that invites you to learn about the origins, secrets and processes that lead to Heineken ending up on the tables of groups of people all over the world.

The tour lasts an hour and a half and is visited by the millions year after year. For this reason, I recommend you get skip-the-line tickets, and don't miss it for the world: you don't want to be the only person not to be immersed in this beer tour.

If you want to crown your trip to the Netherlands, you should consider taking the plunge and venturing to Bruges, the queen of the neighbouring country. In this Belgian city, you'll feel like you've stepped out of time, and you'll come back from your holiday with the nostalgia of a time you never even knew.

If you want to know how to get from Amsterdam to Bruges, you should read this article about it, and add it to your itinerary.

Bruges is a small, medieval city, only three hours away from Amsterdam. So you can visit it and come back in the same day. Isn't it tempting?

It's not only dreamy, it 's fairytale-like. The attractions in this city are more than varied, so don't even think about it, and save yourself a day to travel back in time to this fictional postcard.

What better way to spend Valentine's Day than on a canal cruise in Amsterdam. It's a very romantic and inexpensive plan. What's more, you'll get a totally different perspective of the city and you'll be able to see emblematic places and monuments while you learn all about the history of the capital of the Netherlands through the audio guide.

And if you're a photography enthusiast, don't forget to bring your camera because you'll be able to take some dreamy snapshots as you pass by some of the city's most iconic landmarks such as the Magere Brug swing bridge, the rich Golden Curve, surrounded by elegant 17th and 18th century buildings and the Red Light District. Here are some other options:

• Amsterdam Canal Cruise -from £14.
• Amsterdam Canal Cruise bynight -from £22.
• Luxury boat trip on the Amsterdam canals -from £18.
• 1 hour Amsterdam canal cruise -from £17
• Panoramic Amsterdam canal cruise -from £19
• Guided Amsterdam canal cruise -from £18
• Amsterdam canal cruise with aperitif and drinks -from £51.

Don't hesitate, include this plan in your list of initiatives for February, you won't regret it!

In February in Amsterdam, with the cold weather, you'll see some amazing postcards that few have ever seen. Not the typical snapshots of Amsterdam that you will see everywhere, but others that are also dreamy. For example, the sea between Volendam and Marken completely frozen.

In this situation, I recommend you to experience something that few have experienced, as this is not the most touristic time in the region: experience the experience of walking between villages, without taking the ferry due to the total freezing. Don't tell me that's not a great anecdote to tell when you get back.

If you want the most wintry experience possible, consider the Amsterdam Canal Cruise with tickets to the XtraCold ice bar, where everything, even the glasses, is made of ice. It's mind-blowing.

A good plan for the month of February, especially if you are travelling with your family, is to visit the Artis Royal Zoo in Amsterdam, the oldest zoo in the Netherlands. Hundreds of species await you there, from penguins and jaguars to anteaters and wolves.

Opened in 1838, the zoo has several historic buildings, including its own planetarium, a library and perhaps one of the most popular is the Butterfly Garden. If you're heading to Amsterdam as a family, book your tickets in advance and don't miss out on a Dutch favourite.

As I said, February in Amsterdam is still a harsh winter. Although it will be cold inside the ice skating rinks too, you'll warm up with a bit of physical activity, with an activity more wintry than any other.

There are plenty of options for ice skating in Amsterdam all day long. Even, if the temperature is low enough, you can skate on the canals of the capital itself, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

If you're wondering what's the point of getting out of the cold and into another equally cold room, dismiss these doubts. It's not a contradiction in terms, as it's the movement that will drive the warmth in your body, and you'll feel like you're in a movie as you skate around Amsterdam's incredible ice rinks.

February is the month of love. So if you are travelling as a couple, I recommend you to try the Wed & Walk experience, where you can get married for a day in Amsterdam. This incredible plan includes a change of clothes for the bride, a brief ceremony, exchange of rings and photographs. The scope of each of these elements varies depending on the plan you book, which can be bronze, silver or gold.

In addition, you can choose the song that will play as you walk down the carpet, and guests may attend. You can keep the ring, and you will also take home a nice collection of photographs of the moment with your loved one as a souvenir.

Of course, what you will experience here is an experience, and it is not a binding contract. If you want to get married, you will have to do it by other means. In this case, you will only experience a moment to remember.

In February in Amsterdam you can attend the Chinese New Year celebrations. These celebrations are usually held in Amsterdam's Dam Square and around the Nieuwmarkt/Zeedijk neighbourhood.

However, perhaps you're looking for something quieter, and Amsterdam offers another ideal option for this: the Fo Guang Shan Holland Tempel, which is a Buddhist temple with a programme specifically designed for this time of year.

Another option is to choose a gastronomic celebration. In this case, you can choose to dine at the Sea Palace, which is the first floating Chinese restaurant on the continent. However, this is not the only option, so if you are looking for a land-based alternative, there are plenty of possibilities.

Can you think of anything more wintry than eating chocolate? Not for me! In Amsterdam in February, you can't miss the Chocolate Festival.

Every year at the end of February, more than 80 stalls are set up in Amsterdam to make you lose your mind tasting chocolates from all over the world. As for me, I wouldn't miss it for the world. I think you should imitate me, because you might regret it.

It's like travelling to Amsterdam in February with a Hansel and Gretel passport: an injection of endorphins that I can't even tell you about.

If you're travelling to Amsterdam as a couple in February, be sure to make special Valentine's Day plans. Nothing is more beautiful than getting to know a city through the eyes of love, and that's why I bring you this recommendation: organise a romantic dinner at the A'Dam Tower, specifically at the Moon restaurant, which rotates on its axis for an hour so you can enjoy the best views of Amsterdam.

This tower used to belong to Shell, but is now available for tourists to go up to see the scenery, enjoy a tasty meal, visit interactive exhibitions and swing high up, with views across the city.

Ticket prices will vary, depending on your choice of experience:

• Ticket to enter the tower: From €16.5. Discounts are available for minors and for online ticket purchases.
• A'Dam Lookout + swing: from 27,50€.
• A'DAM Lookout + Moon Restaurant: Depending on the type of meal you choose, prices range from €38 to €68.

The tower is open daily from 10:00 to 22:00, with last admissions at 21:00.

As I have already told you, Amsterdam in February is in the middle of winter. The chances of temperatures dropping below freezing are high, so it is essential to pack warmly.

However, precipitation, both snowfall and rainfall, is much lower. This is great, as it's harder to activate walking plans when it's raining. The cold is combated with good clothing, while the rain gets in the way of your hair, glasses... a nuisance.

Generally, the sky will be cloudy. But don't worry: the scenery will be as fascinating as you'd expect to see. You won't see many sunny days, though. Well, maybe you don't want to: you decide whether this is a good or a bad thing.

Due to the weather, it is still low season in Amsterdam in February. As a result, you will be able to access Amsterdam's most popular tourist attractions without having to queue for hours at a time.

Of course, you will come across people, both locals and foreigners. However, it won't be a crowded city that greets you when you arrive in Amsterdam in February.

You should take advantage of low prices on hotels, flights and tourist attractions if you decide to travel to Amsterdam in February. Due to the season and the low tourist influx already mentioned, you will have access to great discounts, promotions and benefits to visit the best tourist attractions in Amsterdam.

Most of the plans mentioned in this article, such as visiting the best museums in Amsterdam, will help you keep out the cold when travelling to Amsterdam in February. Above all, you should consider the best museums in Amsterdam and the ice skating rinks, which are wonderful options.

Walking and cycling tours are also good options, as they keep you warm while you can also be outdoors and look at the beautiful sights Amsterdam has to offer.

Of course, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you should bring warm clothes for these occasions: several layers of clothing, gloves, hat, scarf and all the accessories.