Museumplein Amsterdam — What to Do Before and After the Van Gogh Museum

Visiting the Van Gogh Museum rarely fills an entire day — and it shouldn’t have to, because Museumplein and its surrounding neighbourhood offer some of Amsterdam’s best cultural, culinary, and outdoor experiences within a short walk. Whether you want to extend your cultural immersion, find a good restaurant for lunch or dinner, or simply enjoy one of Amsterdam’s most attractive public spaces, this guide covers everything the area has to offer.

What Is Museumplein?

Museumplein — literally “Museum Square” — is a 400-metre-long open square flanked by some of the most visited museums in the Netherlands. It functions simultaneously as a cultural hub, a public park, and a gathering space for Amsterdammers and tourists alike. The square has an open grass area, a shallow reflecting pool (which becomes an ice rink in winter), and broad walking paths connecting the museums on its perimeter.

The neighbourhood surrounding Museumplein is one of Amsterdam’s most affluent and attractive residential areas. The streets of Oud-Zuid feature elegant early-20th-century architecture, independent cafés, and good restaurants at a range of price points.

The Other Museums on Museumplein

Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum is the Netherlands’ national museum and one of the great art collections in Europe. Its permanent collection covers eight centuries of Dutch art and history, with masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Frans Hals, and Jan Steen alongside applied arts, historical objects, and an extensive collection of Delftware. The building itself — a monumental 19th-century neo-Gothic structure with a bicycle path running through its ground floor — is an Amsterdam landmark.

The Rijksmuseum entrance is approximately a 5-minute walk from the Van Gogh Museum, on the opposite side of Museumplein. Combining both museums in a single day is one of the most popular activities in Amsterdam and is entirely manageable with good timing — 90 minutes in Van Gogh and 2 hours in the Rijksmuseum leaves time for lunch between them.

For visitors who want guided access to both museums, the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum combo tour covers both in a structured half-day with an art historian guide.

Stedelijk Museum

The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam is the city’s museum of modern and contemporary art and design. Its collection spans from the late 19th century to the present, with strong holdings in Dutch and international modernism — including works by Mondrian, Malevich, Matisse, Warhol, and Lichtenstein. The museum is housed in a 19th-century building with a striking contemporary white extension, directly adjacent to the Van Gogh Museum on the south side of Museumplein.

The Stedelijk is a good complement to the Van Gogh Museum for visitors with an interest in the trajectory of modern art from Post-Impressionism through the 20th century. Admission is separate from the Van Gogh Museum. During some collaborative exhibitions, a wristband from the Van Gogh Museum grants access to related programming at the Stedelijk — check the current schedule for any joint-exhibition arrangements.

Moco Museum

The Moco Museum (Modern Contemporary Museum Amsterdam) is located on Honthorststraat, a 3-minute walk from the Van Gogh Museum. It houses a collection of modern and street art including works by Banksy, KAWS, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. It is a smaller, more commercially oriented museum than the Rijksmuseum or Stedelijk, but its Banksy collection is one of the largest publicly accessible in Europe and is popular with visitors looking for a contrast to the classical and post-impressionist focus of the main Museumplein institutions.

Vondelpark

Vondelpark is Amsterdam’s main public park, an 8-minute walk west of Museumplein through the quiet Oud-Zuid streets. The park is 47 hectares of landscaped gardens, ponds, and open lawns — a genuinely beautiful space for a walk, picnic, or rest between museum visits.

In summer, the park’s open-air theatre (Openluchttheater) hosts free performances of music, theatre, and dance. The park is busy on warm weekends but never uncomfortably crowded. It is one of the most pleasant ways to spend an hour in Amsterdam after an intensive museum morning.

Shopping Near Museumplein

P.C. Hooftstraat

P.C. Hooftstraat, directly adjacent to Museumplein, is Amsterdam’s most prestigious shopping street — home to international luxury brands including Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Hermès alongside Dutch design stores and art galleries. A 10-minute walk covers the full length of the street.

Van Baerlestraat

Van Baerlestraat, the street running alongside the Van Gogh Museum’s entrance, has a good selection of independent shops, delicatessens, and cafés at more accessible price points than P.C. Hooftstraat. It is worth a short walk for those who want to browse locally.

De Negen Straatjes (The Nine Streets)

A 15-minute walk north of Museumplein, De Negen Straatjes is Amsterdam’s most characterful shopping district — nine narrow canal streets lined with independent boutiques, vintage clothing, books, and specialty food shops. It is a significant contrast to the museum district’s more tourist-oriented retail and is recommended for anyone spending a full day in the area.

Eating and Drinking Near the Van Gogh Museum

On Museumplein Itself

The Van Gogh Museum café on the ground floor serves hot drinks, light lunches, and snacks during museum hours. The Rijksmuseum also has a café and restaurant within its building.

The Cobra Café, on the north side of Museumplein facing the Rijksmuseum, is a convenient outdoor café for drinks or lunch between museum visits. It is also the standard meeting point for guided tours departing from Museumplein. The terrace is particularly pleasant in good weather.

Van Baerlestraat and Surrounding Streets

The streets immediately surrounding Museumplein have a good concentration of cafés and restaurants:

• For Dutch brown café atmosphere (bruine kroeg), the side streets off Van Baerlestraat have several traditional options for lunch or an afternoon beer.
• For Indonesian food — reflecting Amsterdam’s colonial history — the area between Museumplein and De Pijp has a number of well-regarded options.
• De Pijp, the neighbourhood immediately south of Museumplein (a 10-minute walk), has the highest concentration of independent restaurants in Amsterdam at mid-range prices. The Albert Cuyp Market, running through the heart of De Pijp on weekday and Saturday mornings, is the largest street market in the Netherlands and excellent for a post-museum lunch of Dutch street food.

Getting Around the Neighbourhood

Museumplein is flat and very walkable. All the destinations listed in this guide are within a 15-minute walk of the Van Gogh Museum entrance. Trams 2, 5, and 12 run along Van Baerlestraat and connect the area directly to Amsterdam Centraal and to Leidseplein.

For full transport options including routes from Schiphol Airport and central Amsterdam, see our guide to getting to the Van Gogh Museum.

Suggested Day Plans Around the Van Gogh Museum

The full cultural day

• 9:00 AM — Van Gogh Museum (90 minutes)
• 11:00 AM — Coffee at Cobra Café
• 11:30 AM — Rijksmuseum (2 hours)
• 1:30 PM — Lunch in De Pijp or at the Rijksmuseum restaurant
• 3:00 PM — Stedelijk Museum or Vondelpark walk
• 5:00 PM — Dinner in De Pijp or the Nine Streets area

The relaxed half-day

• 10:00 AM — Van Gogh Museum (2 hours, including audio guide)
• 12:00 PM — Lunch on Van Baerlestraat
• 1:30 PM — Browse P.C. Hooftstraat or walk to Vondelpark

The canal and culture combination

• 9:00 AM — Van Gogh Museum (90 minutes)
• 11:00 AM — Canal cruise departing from the Europakade dock near the Rijksmuseum (the Van Gogh Museum and canal cruise combo bundles entry and cruise in a single ticket) — Buy This Ticket
• 1:00 PM — Lunch and afternoon exploring central Amsterdam