Amsterdam-Noord is the part of the city on the other side of the IJ. You cross on a free ferry from behind Centraal Station, and the F3 to Buiksloterweg sails day and night, so the old centre is a short crossing away rather than a tram ride. In return you get space, open water and a district still shaped by its shipyards and Shell's former laboratories.
Who this area suits
Noord suits people who like to come back to somewhere quieter and more modern than the canal ring, and who do not mind that every trip into town starts with a ferry or the metro. The waterfront at Overhoeks, where Sir Adam and ClinkNOORD stand, is the easiest base: the EYE Filmmuseum and the A'DAM Lookout are on the doorstep and the F3 landing is a few minutes away. It also works well for repeat visitors who have seen the Dam and want to see how Amsterdam has grown north of the water, from the NDSM wharf to Noorderpark.
The trade-off is the crossing. It is short, free and frequent, but it is a step you take every time, with a wait on the quay, and on foot the Dam is about 25 minutes even from the hotels nearest the ferry. Away from the waterfront Noord is a residential and partly industrial district, not a place to wander for an evening between bars and canals. Further inland, at Bunk and the Holiday Inn Express, you rely on metro 52 from Noorderpark or a longer walk to the ferries, and only the F3 runs through the night.
| To Amsterdam Centraal | Ferry F3 from Buiksloterweg, a crossing of about 3 to 5 minutes, day and night; about 12 to 13 minutes door to door from Sir Adam and ClinkNOORD, not counting the wait |
| To Dam Square | About 25 minutes on foot from Sir Adam or ClinkNOORD, including the F3 crossing |
| Metro | Line 52 from Noorderpark, the first stop north of Centraal, continuing to Rokin, De Pijp and Amsterdam Zuid |
| Nearest big sight | A'DAM Lookout and EYE Filmmuseum, 1 to 4 minutes on foot from Sir Adam and ClinkNOORD |
| Best for | Repeat visitors, music and film lovers, hostel travellers, people who like water views and a quieter evening |
| Less good for | Anyone who wants to step out of the door onto a canal, or who would rather not plan around a ferry or metro for every trip |
The hotels we have reviewed here
Sir Adam Hotel
Overhoeksplein 7, 1031 KS Amsterdam
A music-themed hotel on the lower floors of the A'DAM Toren, the tower Shell built as its Amsterdam office in 1971. Every room has a record player, a vinyl selection and a Gibson guitar, and the F3 ferry landing is 3 minutes away. It suits grown-up travellers who want views over the IJ and the shortest possible crossing to Centraal. Read our full guide.
Holiday Inn Express Amsterdam – North Riverside
Motorkade 1, 1021 JR Amsterdam
A large, practical chain hotel of 438 rooms in a 45-metre tower on the north bank of the IJ, opened in July 2020. Breakfast is included in most rates and some rooms sleep three on a sofa bed. It suits families and travellers who want a straightforward room and are happy to take metro 52 from Noorderpark (11 minutes on foot) or the F2 ferry from IJplein (15 minutes). Read our full guide.
Bunk Hotel Amsterdam
Hagedoornplein 2, 1031 BV Amsterdam
A hotel and hostel inside the former St. Ritakerk, a brick church by Alexander Kropholler consecrated in 1922 and a national monument since 1996. You choose between private rooms with their own bathroom and adults-only sleeping pods under the old roof trusses. It suits travellers who want somewhere with character in a residential part of Noord, near Noorderpark and metro 52. Read our full guide.
ClinkNOORD
Badhuiskade 3, 1031 KV Amsterdam
One of the city's largest hostels, in a 1920s Art Deco building that was part of Shell's former laboratory complex on the IJ, opened in 2015. Shared dorms are for over-18s only, and families need a private room. It suits backpackers and groups who want a sociable base 4 minutes on foot from the 24-hour F3 ferry. Read our full guide.
Getting into town
The free IJ ferries are the main link with the centre, for foot passengers and cyclists alike. The F3 runs between Centraal Station (the pier on the IJ side, behind the station) and Buiksloterweg around the clock, every day, and is the one to use late at night; Sir Adam and ClinkNOORD are 3 to 4 minutes from its northern landing. The F2 links Centraal with IJplein, a little further east, from about 06:30 until around midnight; it is the nearest ferry to Centraal for the Holiday Inn Express (15 minutes' walk) and Bunk (14 minutes). The F4 to the NDSM wharf leaves Centraal from 06:30 on weekdays and runs until about 02:00, later on Saturday nights. The F1 at Zamenhofstraat goes to the Eastern Docklands, not to Centraal.
Metro 52 is the other way in. It runs from Noord, its terminus, via Noorderpark, which is the first stop north of Centraal, and then under the old city to Rokin, Vijzelgracht, De Pijp, Europaplein and Amsterdam Zuid. Noorderpark is about 10 minutes on foot from Bunk and 11 from the Holiday Inn Express, which makes the metro the quicker choice for those two hotels, especially for Museum Quarter and De Pijp trips.
From Schiphol Airport, direct trains reach Amsterdam Centraal in under 20 minutes. Walk through the station to the IJ side and take the F3 to Buiksloterweg for Sir Adam and ClinkNOORD, or change to metro 52 for Noorderpark for Bunk and the Holiday Inn Express. None of these hotels runs an airport shuttle.
What is around you
| Place | Walk |
|---|---|
| A'DAM Lookout | Viewing deck at the top of the former Shell tower, a separate paid attraction · 1 min from Sir Adam, 3 from ClinkNOORD |
| EYE Filmmuseum | The national film museum, on the IJ waterfront at Overhoeks since 2012 · 3 min from Sir Adam, 4 from ClinkNOORD |
| Tolhuistuin | Cultural venue and garden by the IJ with music, theatre and exhibitions · 3 min from ClinkNOORD, 4 from Sir Adam |
| Noorderpark | Noord's central park, formed in 2014 from two older parks · 7 min from Bunk, 10 from Holiday Inn Express |
| Amsterdam Centraal | Main station, reached on the F3 ferry · 12 min from Sir Adam, 13 from ClinkNOORD, including the crossing |
| Dam Square and the Royal Palace | The heart of the old city, via the F3 ferry · 24 min from Sir Adam, 25 from ClinkNOORD |
| NDSM Wharf | Former shipyard, closed in 1984, now studios, festivals and restaurants; ferry F4 from Centraal · 29 min from Bunk |
Frequently asked questions
Is Amsterdam-Noord a good place to stay for a city break?
Amsterdam-Noord is a good base if you do not mind crossing the IJ for every trip into town. The free F3 ferry from Buiksloterweg to Centraal Station takes about 3 to 5 minutes and runs day and night, and the hotels on the Overhoeks waterfront are a few minutes' walk from it. If you want canals and old streets outside your door, stay in the centre instead.
Does the ferry from Amsterdam-Noord to Centraal Station run at night?
Yes. The F3 between Buiksloterweg in Amsterdam-Noord and Centraal Station runs around the clock, every day, and is free for foot passengers and cyclists. The F2 to IJplein stops at around midnight, and the F4 to the NDSM wharf runs until about 02:00 on weekdays and later on Saturday nights.
How do I get from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam-Noord?
Take a direct train from Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal, which takes under 20 minutes. From there, take the free F3 ferry from the IJ side of the station to Buiksloterweg, or metro 52 one stop to Noorderpark. Sir Adam and ClinkNOORD are closest to the ferry; Bunk and the Holiday Inn Express are closer to the metro.
Which hotel in Amsterdam-Noord is closest to the ferry?
In Amsterdam-Noord, Sir Adam Hotel in the A'DAM Toren is about 3 minutes on foot from the Buiksloterweg landing of the 24-hour F3 ferry, and ClinkNOORD is about 4 minutes away. Bunk Hotel and the Holiday Inn Express North Riverside are 14 to 15 minutes from the F2 ferry at IJplein, so most guests there take metro 52 from Noorderpark.
Compare other areas on where to stay in Amsterdam.
