The Jordaan is the neighbourhood people picture when they imagine living in Amsterdam: narrow streets, small canals, courtyard gardens and no attractions to speak of. There are forty places to stay in it, almost all of them small.
Who this area suits
The Jordaan was built in the seventeenth century as a working district for the people who could not afford the canal ring, and the street plan still shows it: it is denser, the canals are narrower, and the houses are smaller. That is exactly why it is pleasant to sleep in. You are five minutes from the Prinsengracht and the Anne Frank House, but the street outside your window belongs to the people who live there.
Because the buildings are small, the hotels are small. Expect ten to thirty rooms rather than two hundred, and expect to book directly with a family rather than a chain. That is a feature until you arrive at midnight and reception has closed — check arrival times before you book.
| Accommodation in this district | 40 properties, mostly small |
| Booking.com district | Jordaan |
| Walk to the Anne Frank House | 5 minutes |
| Walk to the Dam | 15 minutes |
| Best for | Second visits, longer stays, anyone who wants a neighbourhood |
| Less good for | Late arrivals and travellers who want hotel facilities |
Three hotels that show what the Jordaan is
None of these is a chain. That is the point of the district.
Mr. Jordaan
Bloemgracht 102
Grew out of a single guest room let through the local tourist office in the 1960s, expanding room by room and then into the house next door. It was called Hotel van Onna for most of its life.
Linden Hotel
Lindengracht 251
Occupies a small flatiron building on the corner of the Lindengracht, later extended into the house beside it. Formerly Hotel Acacia.
Amsterdam Wiechmann Hotel
Prinsengracht 328–332
Family-run since 1940, on the Prinsengracht at the edge of the Jordaan. In the 1970s it was a regular base for touring musicians, from Emmylou Harris to the Sex Pistols.
How much choice you have
Forty properties, spread over a district you can cross in fifteen minutes. The northern half around the Lindengracht and the Westerstraat is quieter and more residential; the southern half near the Rozengracht and the Elandsgracht is busier and closer to the tram.
Compare what is available: all 40 places to stay in the Jordaan.
Getting around from here
- Tram 13 and tram 17 run along the Rozengracht, the district’s southern spine, towards the Dam and Central Station.
- The Anne Frank House and the Westerkerk are five minutes on foot.
- Central Station is a twenty-five minute walk, or ten minutes by tram.
- The Nine Streets are directly across the Prinsengracht.
What is around you
Read the full guide to the Jordaan for the markets and the hidden courtyards. The Noordermarkt has a farmers market on Saturday and a flea market on Monday, and the markets page covers the rest of the week.
Frequently asked questions
It is the best central option if you want a residential neighbourhood rather than a tourist one, and it is still a five-minute walk to the canal ring.
Booking.com lists 40 properties in the Jordaan district, most of them small and independently run.
Mostly yes, especially north of the Rozengracht. It is residential, and the bars are neighbourhood bars rather than clubs.
About twenty-five minutes on foot, or ten minutes on tram 13 or 17.
