When to go · Amsterdam
Amsterdam in January
Mixed month. Cold, damp and dark; low prices.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 6°C (43°F)43°F (6°C) / 1°C (34°F)34°F (1°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 19
- Crowds
- Low
- Netherlands overall
- Prices
- Low
- Netherlands overall
Verdict
Cold, damp and dark; low prices.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than January?
January is rated mixed. These months rate higher:
Weather in January
- AmsterdamHighs around 6 °C (43 °F), lows around 1 °C (34 °F), rain on about 19 daysHighs around 43 °F (6 °C), lows around 34 °F (1 °C), rain on about 19 days
- Coast and Randstad, Netherlands · Amsterdam, Haarlem, Leiden, The Hague, Rotterdamcool
Windy and changeable; showers rather than all-day rain. Summers 20–25 °C (68–77 °F), occasional heatwaves; tulips late March – mid May.Windy and changeable; showers rather than all-day rain. Summers 68–77 °F (20–25 °C), occasional heatwaves; tulips late March – mid May.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Light festival
Dec–January
Boat tours and canal-side crowds in the evenings.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Netherlands overall
- Low
- Prices · Netherlands overall
- Low
Netherlands overall: Cold, dark and wet; cheapest hotel month. Museums and brown cafés carry the trip.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Amsterdam, side by side.
Verdict
Jan: Mixed
May: Great (better)
Daytime high
Jan: 6 °C (43 °F)43 °F (6 °C)
May: 18 °C (64 °F)64 °F (18 °C)
Night low
Jan: 1 °C (34 °F)34 °F (1 °C)
May: 9 °C (48 °F)48 °F (9 °C)
Rain days
Jan: 19
May: 15 (better)
Crowds
Jan: Low
May: High
Prices
Jan: Low
May: High
Festivals listed
Jan: 1
May: 2
January: Cold, damp and dark; low prices.
May: Mild and long days; book everything ahead.
Amsterdam: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat and gloves for mornings and evenings
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast
- Layers: a fleece or light jacket