< Amsterdam in August | Amsterdam Travel by Month | Amsterdam in October >
September in Amsterdam, at its best, mixes the mild weather of late summer with the perks of the off-peak travel season (which it isn't -- just yet). Summer crowds thin out, and competition for the best hotels and hostels isn't as fierce; airfares and other travel costs can be much lower in comparison with summer rates. Major attractions become the province of those intrepid tourists who will risk the (considerably better) odds of rainy days in order to experience Amsterdam in the fall; yearly festivals and events, while somewhat fewer, are still potent distillations of the local cultural scene.
Pros
- In some years, the September weather can be positively summery -- but see below for caveats
- Amsterdam in September, while still a popular time to visit, is visibly less crowded than in the summer months
- September ushers in a new cultural season for performance venues in Amsterdam and nationwide
Cons
- Fall weather, as a rule, is unpredictable in the Netherlands; while there can be days or even weeks of pristine weather, there can also be endless spells of rain
- As the crowds haven't disappeared entirely, it can still be a wise idea to allow extra time for travel, and to make reservations and/or order advance tickets to avoid waits
September Weather
- Average high: 66°F (19°C)
- Average low: 49°F (9.4°C)
- Average precipitation: 2.6 in (66 mm)
Yearly Festivals & Events in September
- Amsterdam Fringe Festival
2011 Dates: September 1 - 11
80 performances, ten days, no limits -- this less conservative cousin of the Netherlands Theater Festival is the yearly event for Dutch independent theater. - Netherlands Theater Festival
2011 Dates: September 1 - 11
As the past year's cultural season draws to a close, the best Dutch theater performances of the season are reprised at the Netherlands Theater Festival. - Festival 5D
2011 Date: September 10
The former NSDM Whorf is the water-side venue for Festival 5D, which strives to stimulate all the senses with its combination of theater, music, workshops, food and more. - Draaiorgelfestival (Barrel Organ Festival)
2011 Date: September 10
Love them or hate them, barrel organs or draaiorgels are a Dutch tradition, and Dam Square teems with enthusiasts and their organs at the yearly Draaiorgelfestival. - Open Monumentendag (Open Monument Day)
2011 Dates: September 10 - 11
Each year on the second weekend in September, some 4,000 Dutch monuments invite the public to explore their historic premises on Open Monument Day. - Taste of Amsterdam
2011 Dates: September 22 - 25
Join 16,000 fellow food lovers at Taste of Amsterdam, where top local restauranteurs show their stuff to a broad public at the Amstelpark. - Rode Loper (Red Carpet Festival)
2011 Dates: September 24 - 25
The Rode Loper celebrates the art and culture of Amsterdam East with a weekend full of theater, dance and fine arts.
