Amsterdam 101

The short version

Amsterdam's gay bars aren't on one street. They're in a few small pockets, all walkable or a short tram ride apart: Reguliersdwarsstraat and the streets off Rembrandtplein, the old center around Zeedijk and Warmoesstraat, and the Homomonument at Westermarkt on the canal ring. Stay anywhere inside the canals and you're close to all of it.

The big week is Pride in early August, with the boat parade on the canals. The Good to know note on our stays page covers the marriage law and the bike lanes (they're fast; don't walk in them), so we won't repeat it here.

Reguliersdwarsstraat and Rembrandtplein

This is the closest thing Amsterdam has to a gay strip, with Rembrandtplein a few minutes east.

• Club NYX (Reguliersdwarsstraat 42): three floors, each with its own music. Go late on a Friday or Saturday, after a drink somewhere nearby.
• Lellebel (Utrechtsestraat 4h, just off Rembrandtplein): a small, cozy drag bar. Sunday is karaoke night, and the last weekends of the month bring drag shows and comedy.
• Prik (Spuistraat 109, a short walk west in the old center): a cocktail bar with prosecco on tap and a terrace, open since 2006. The crowd is relaxed and mixed in age, and the game, trash-pop and karaoke nights keep weeknights busy.

Map pins and tags: our Amsterdam bars page.

Zeedijk and Warmoesstraat

The oldest gay bars are in the medieval center, a few minutes' walk from Centraal Station.

• Café 't Mandje (Zeedijk 63): a tiny brown café that opened in 1927. It reopened in June 2025 after a renovation. Go in the early evening for a beer and a chat.
• The Queens Head (Zeedijk 20): a friendly bar with something on most nights: bingo on Tuesdays, trivia on Wednesdays, drag on Thursdays and DJs at weekends.
• Eagle Amsterdam (Warmoesstraat 90): the leather and cruise bar, men-only on regular nights (trans men and nonbinary people who identify as men are welcome) and free to get in. Some theme nights are for everyone, or for women. More in After Dark.

The Homomonument and IHLIA

• The Homomonument (Westermarkt, on the canal ring): unveiled on September 5, 1987, and, its foundation says, the world's first memorial to people persecuted for their sexual orientation. Three pink granite triangles are set into the square at different heights, linked into one big triangle. Visiting is free, day or night; take tram 13 or 17 to Westermarkt. The community gathers here to remember, protest and celebrate.
• IHLIA LGBTI Heritage (third floor of the OBA Oosterdok, the central library near Centraal Station): the Netherlands' LGBTQIA+ archive, with a small exhibition space and shelves of recent books you can sit and read. It's free, no appointment needed, and keeps the library's opening hours. The view from the library is worth the trip on its own.

One of our stays, the Pulitzer, is a few minutes' walk from Westermarkt. Where to stay.

Getting around

• Trams, metro, buses and ferries: GVB runs them. You don't need a ticket: check in and out at the card reader with a contactless debit or credit card, or your phone or watch. Use the same card or phone both times, or you'll be charged the wrong fare. The same tap works on trains, buses, trams and metros across the Netherlands.
• Day ticket: the GVB Day ticket is €10 in 2026 for 24 hours of unlimited travel in the city, bought online and kept in Apple or Google Wallet. Worth it if you'll take more than a few trams.
• From the airport: the train from Schiphol to Centraal is the easy way in. Tap in and out with your card the same way.
• Walking: the center is small and most of the bars are 15 minutes apart. Watch for bikes at every crossing.

Pride Amsterdam and the Canal Parade

Amsterdam hosted WorldPride in 2026. Pride Amsterdam 2027 runs July 31 to August 8, and the Canal Parade, the boat parade through the canals, is on Saturday, August 7.

• Pride Walk: a march through the center that traditionally ends in Pride Park, in the Vondelpark.
• Street parties: Friday and Saturday, August 6–7.
• Open-air films: two evenings of queer cinema on Mercatorplein, about 400 seats, starting around 9pm.

Rooms inside the canals go fast for parade weekend, so book something refundable early. Where to stay.

Leather & Fetish Pride

Every October, Leather & Fetish Pride Netherlands takes over the city for a long weekend. The 30th edition ran October 15–19, 2026, with the Mr Leather Netherlands and Mr Rubber Europe elections and the big parties in Amsterdam Noord, reached by free shuttle buses from the back of Centraal Station. The 2027 dates aren't posted yet. Eagle Amsterdam, a short walk from the station, is the year-round bar for the same crowd.

When to go

• Late spring and summer: the nicest weather, and the canal-side terraces are open.
• Early August: Pride Amsterdam (July 31 to August 8, 2027), with the Canal Parade on Saturday, August 7.
• October: Leather & Fetish Pride.

Planning a trip? Where to stay, and ask in Travel & Trips what's on that week. Going on to Germany? Berlin 101.

On the calendar

See all on the calendar →