November has rain on 18 days – more than any other month – about 10°C, and darkness by 16:45. It is the least glamorous month in Amsterdam and one of the cheapest. It is also when the city puts on its two best winter things: Museumnacht at the start and the Light Festival at the end.
The weather, precisely
Eighteen rain days is the headline, and it sets the shape of a November trip: you plan indoors and treat dry spells as a bonus. The volume is moderate at about 86 mm, so it is persistent grey drizzle and wind-driven showers rather than storms.
Light is the other constraint. After the clock change at the end of October, sunset falls from about 17:00 at the start of the month to around 16:30 by the 30th. You get roughly eight hours of daylight and much of it is overcast.
Museumnacht
On the first Saturday of November – 6 November in 2027 – around fifty Amsterdam museums open from evening until the small hours for Museumnacht, with special programmes: live music, performances, talks and installations rather than simply late opening.
- One ticket covers all participating museums and public transport for the night.
- It sells out, usually well in advance. It is aimed at locals in their twenties and thirties, and it feels like it.
- Popular venues queue – pick three or four rather than trying to sweep the city.
Sinterklaas arrives
Dutch children’s Christmas is Sinterklaas on 5 December, and the season opens with the intocht – the arrival – in mid-November, when Sinterklaas comes by steamboat. There is a nationally televised arrival in a different town each year and a separate Amsterdam arrival with a parade through the city. Dates are announced annually.
From then until 5 December, shop windows fill with pepernoten, speculaas and chocolate letters, and it is genuinely everywhere. It is a children’s festival rather than a visitor attraction, but the atmosphere is a real part of a November or early December trip.
Sint Maarten, 11 November
A small, local, and rather lovely thing: on the evening of 11 November, children in parts of Amsterdam – particularly the north and some outer neighbourhoods – go door to door with homemade paper lanterns, singing songs in exchange for sweets. It is not citywide and not staged for visitors, but if you are staying outside the centre you may well get a knock.
The Light Festival begins
The Amsterdam Light Festival opens in late November and runs to mid or late January – large illuminated artworks sited along the canals, seen from a boat or on foot. Its opening is the point at which the dark half of the Amsterdam year stops being a drawback and becomes the reason to come. Dates are announced annually.
IDFA, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam and one of the largest of its kind in the world, also runs in mid-to-late November across city cinemas.
Prices and crowds
Along with January and February, the cheapest time of year – with the caveat that Amsterdam is an expensive city in absolute terms and the tourist tax of around 12.5% applies on the room rate whatever the season. Museums are quiet, restaurants take bookings at short notice, and the Anne Frank House is at its most available – though still timed-entry and online-only. See what a trip to the Netherlands costs.
What to pack
A hooded, windproof waterproof above everything else, plus layers, gloves and a hat. Shoes that stay comfortable wet. No umbrella. Plan the day around the light: outdoor things before three, museums and cafes after.
The November 2027 calendar
- Saturday 6 November – Museumnacht; around fifty museums open late on one ticket, including transport. Sells out in advance.
- Thursday 11 November – Sint Maarten; children with lanterns in the outer neighbourhoods.
- Mid-November – the Sinterklaas intocht; parade through the city, date announced annually.
- Mid-to-late November – IDFA documentary film festival across city cinemas.
- Late November – the Amsterdam Light Festival opens, running to mid or late January.
- Through November – rain on about 18 days, the most of any month; sunset down to around 16:30 by the 30th.
- No public holidays fall in November in the Netherlands.
Read alongside
- Amsterdam in October – wetter by volume, and ADE week.
- Amsterdam in December – Sinterklaas, Christmas and the Light Festival in full.
- Amsterdam in January – darker still, and the cheapest of all.
- Best time to visit Amsterdam – all twelve months compared.
- Amsterdam in 3 days – how to structure the days.
- Things to do in Amsterdam – the indoor-heavy list.
- Trip to the Netherlands cost – low-season numbers.
Frequently asked
Does it rain every day in Amsterdam in November?
Nearly – rain falls on about 18 days, more than any other month, though only around 86 mm in total. It is persistent drizzle and wind-driven showers rather than heavy rain.
How dark is Amsterdam in November?
Sunset falls from about 17:00 at the start of the month to around 16:30 by the 30th, giving roughly eight hours of daylight, much of it overcast.
What is Museumnacht?
On the first Saturday of November – 6 November in 2027 – around fifty Amsterdam museums open from evening until the small hours with special programmes. One ticket covers all of them plus transport, and it sells out in advance.
When does the Amsterdam Light Festival start?
Late November, running to mid or late January. Illuminated artworks are sited along the canals and seen by boat or on foot. Dates are announced annually.
What is the Sinterklaas intocht?
The arrival of Sinterklaas by steamboat in mid-November, opening the season that runs to 5 December. There is a nationally televised arrival in a different town each year plus a separate Amsterdam parade.
What is Sint Maarten?
On 11 November, children in parts of Amsterdam go door to door with homemade lanterns singing for sweets. It is local rather than citywide and mostly happens outside the centre.
Is November a good time to visit Amsterdam?
For low prices, quiet museums and the start of the Light Festival, yes. For daylight and dry weather, it is the hardest month of the year.
Is Amsterdam cheap in November?
It is among the cheapest months, with January and February. Amsterdam is expensive in absolute terms regardless, and the tourist tax applies year-round.
You Might Also Love
Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
