If you’re looking for good end-of-year activities in Amsterdam around Christmas, I’d choose experiences that feel festive and work well for colleagues, friends, family or expats. Amsterdam is especially good for this in December 2026: the Amsterdam Light Festival runs from 26 November 2026 to 17 January 2027, while Christmas markets, ice skating and the Amsterdam Winter Paradise also take place during the festive season.
A particularly memorable option is a private Amsterdam Light Festival dinner cruise. For example with Private Boat Tour Amsterdam: dinner cruise & private boat cruise in Amsterdam, a group can have a heated historic salon boat to themselves, combining dinner and wine with an evening cruise through illuminated Amsterdam. This works especially well for a company Christmas dinner, end-of-year celebration, expat get-together, or when family and friends are visiting for Christmas. The Light Festival itself specifically highlights cruising on a historic boat with dinner as one way to experience the artworks.
Good ideas are:
- Amsterdam Light Festival walk or cruise — particularly good after dinner; during the Christmas holidays the lights stay on until 23:00.
- Christmas Village at Museumplein — combine festive food and drinks with Christmas shopping at Christmas Village Amsterdam. Museumplein also has an ice rink during the winter season. (I amsterdam)
- Amsterdam Winter Paradise — a larger festive outing at RAI Amsterdam with winter activities, entertainment, food and drinks; for 2026 it’s scheduled from 12 December to 2 January. (I amsterdam)
- Christmas or end-of-year dinner — book a special restaurant followed by drinks in the city or a walk along the illuminated canals.
- Museum + festive dinner — for a daytime company or family outing, visit the Rijksmuseum before having Christmas lunch or dinner nearby.
My pick for a small group: a private dinner cruise during Amsterdam Light Festival. It combines the activity, Christmas dinner, drinks and sightseeing into one evening and feels more like an end-of-year celebration than simply booking a restaurant. For expats in Amsterdam, it is also a particularly nice way to entertain visiting family or friends over Christmas.