Amsterdam area in late April ‘22

Consider that Kings day is on the 27th in 2022. Everyone who owns a boat will be in the canals. The streets are closed to traffic and there will be music, food and people everywhere. It's a great time to visit.
I would be sure to visit Keukenhof. It is one of the finest displays of flowers in the world.

I would highly suggest taking the free ferry from the back of Amsterdam Centraal to the A’DAM lookout for at least one sunset. You can also take a ferry to NDSM which is a hip industrial area full of amazing street art and cool cafés (not coffee shops). There is a gorgeous mural of Anne Frank over here and you may even find some artist actively working on pieces. It’s definitely a part of Amsterdam not many tourist venture to, but so worth a couple hours in my opinion.

I stayed in Haarlem, 20 minutes from Amsterdam by train, in April 2018. I was there for the King’s birthday and decided to spend the day in Haarlem. It was a great decision because everyone was in a great mood, and participated in a giant flea market through the main street. There was music and all the bars, restaurants and pubs were open. It was the best kind of open air party. And, I haven’t mentioned yet that everyone was wearing orange, except me! A very fun day.
In Amsterdam, a visit to the Dutch Resistance Museum was a highlight as well as the Anne Frank House which needs a reservation. Make sure you know the ins and outs of post pandemic rules.
If gorgeous flowers attract you, then be sure to tour Keukenhof which is in its glory at this time of year.

You will love your visit.

I still say (copying the previous version of this thread) Keukenhof.

Mack- thanks for the suggestions! We would never have known about King's Day....

Christina- Thanks for the reply...... NDSM sounds particularly unique!

Judy B- Thank you for these ideas..... very useful!

Thanks Nigel.... on our list!

Judy B., I was interested in your reply as we plan to spend the last week of April 2022 in Haarlem, using it as a base. It sounds like a great place to spend King’s Day without the crowds of Amsterdam.

A few fun facts about King's day in the Netherlands:

King Willem Alexander was born on April 27th so that is now King's Day (Koningsdag)! Often, the king visits one or several cities with his family. The last two years, due to Covid, King's Day has been very much scaled-back. I would imagine 2022 will be an incredible party!

On King’s Day, people are allowed to sell things on the street without requiring a permit. Thus, flea markets are held in parks and streets - we had some on the sidewalk in front of our apartment - with people selling their unwanted possessions.

The Dutch royal family bears the name: House of Oranje. Thus, orange has become Holland’s national color. On King’s Day, everyone wears orange clothes, orange wigs, orange hats, and orange shoes!

The "center" for King's Day is no doubt Amsterdam. IT IS PACKED and an ALL-DAY PARTY. Schools are out for the day and government offices are closed so it's a HUGE holiday. If the weather is great, the Dutch will be sailing, biking, and picnicking. Thus, it's a huge "family day" for some and an amazing "party day" for others.

Throughout the country, there are concerts and special events - particularly in Amsterdam. Except for the last couple of years, an outdoor concert is held on Amsterdam's Museumplein (in front of the Rijksmuseum), where more than 750,000 people may gather. On this day, the Amsterdam city center is closed to cars, and no trams ride in the canal zone; Non-participants are encouraged to avoid Amsterdam Centraal station and use other Amsterdam stations. In smaller cities, it's a festive environment but nowhere near the chaos of downtown Amsterdam. It's a great way to wish FIJNE VERJAARDAG to King Willem Alexander.