When is King's Day 2027 in Amsterdam, and should you plan a trip around it?
When is King's Day 2027? Tuesday, April 27, 2027, and I'd plan an Amsterdam trip around it only if the street party is the reason you are going. King's Day is the Netherlands' national holiday for the King's birthday, April 27, moved to the 26th only when the 27th is a Sunday, according to the Royal House, checked October 31, 2026. In 2027 it falls on a weekday.
For a trip about the Rijksmuseum, the canals and good dinners, arrive on Wednesday, April 28 instead. On King's Day the center is a citywide street market and party from morning to evening, cars are kept out of the main streets, and the canals fill with boats. It is a good day for a group that wants exactly that, and a lost day for anyone who came for the city itself.
What is confirmed for King's Day 2027?
| What is posted | |
|---|---|
| Date | Tuesday, April 27, 2027 |
| The date rule | April 27 each year; the day before when the 27th is a Sunday |
| Where the King celebrates | Lelystad, not Amsterdam |
| Street market | Allowed almost anywhere, with restricted spots mostly in Centrum, Zuid and West; Vondelpark is a children's market from 9am |
| Cars | Blocked from Prins Hendrikkade, Damrak, Muntplein and Rokin from 4am; center traffic limited from 7:30am |
| Boats | Up to 10 meters on the canals; 6 km/h; keep right; no amplified music |
| Alcohol | One drink at a time in public; none on trains or at stations from 7pm the night before to 5am |
| Rijksmuseum | Open every day, 9am to 5pm, including public holidays |
The market, car, boat and alcohol rules are the city's last posted set, on the iamsterdam rules page last updated April 28, 2025. The 2027 rules were not posted on October 31, 2026, so check that page again in April before you book a boat.
Who should go to Amsterdam for King's Day?
A group of friends who want a day outside, and anyone curious to see the whole city turn into one market. The street market is the part to see: the city allows it almost anywhere that does not block a home or a shop, and the Vondelpark becomes a market for children. The canals are the other half: boats up to 10 meters move at walking speed through the canal belt, keeping right, with the city's ban on amplified music.
I would not bring young children into the center, a first-time visitor who wants the museums, or anyone arriving by car or taxi that morning. With the main streets around Centraal closed to cars from 4am, the train from Schiphol is the way in. The Schiphol transfer guide picks the station for your hotel.
What does a Tuesday King's Day change?
It does not attach to a weekend, so the trip is either Saturday to Tuesday or the day itself. With the holiday on Tuesday, April 27, I'd fly in on Saturday, April 24, spend the weekend on the museums and the canals, rest on Monday and give Tuesday to the party. That keeps the Rijksmuseum and a canal tour on days when the city runs normally.
Going for the museums and not the party? Then plan Wednesday, April 28 onward. The city is back to normal and you avoid the day the center is closed to cars.
What should you book for King's Day 2027?
A hotel inside the canal belt or the Jordaan, booked now for April 24 to 28. On King's Day you will want to walk back to your room, not cross a closed center. Where to stay in Amsterdam compares the neighborhoods. A private boat for the day is the next booking, but wait for the 2027 rules in April before paying for one, since length limits and closed canals decide which boats can sail in the center. For the days around it, the small boat canal tour guide has the operators I'd book.
What else should you read before an Amsterdam trip in April?
Three days in Amsterdam fits the Saturday to Monday before King's Day. Rijksmuseum or Van Gogh Museum picks the museum for the weekend, and the Anne Frank House tickets guide explains how far ahead to book.