Amsterdam Stag Do's

Getting around

There are several ways to get to Amsterdam, but in all likelihood you’ll be flying, with the Schipol Airport just over an hour by plane from London. From the airport into the city centre it takes around 30 minutes by bus from 7 Euros, or 20 minutes by taxi, from 50 Euros. Or, you could let us arrange your airport transfers for you, with the option of a stripper joining you for some spicy in-car entertainment.

You can also get to Amsterdam very easily by train of course - using the Eurostar from London takes under four hours. When you factor in that you’re going city centre to city centre, and avoiding long check-in queues and customs, that’s probably about the same time in total as flying, and much more eco-friendly. Ferry is another option, though it takes longer. The quickest way is the 6.5 hour crossing from Harwich in Essex to the Hook of Holland (14 sailings a week), then a two-hour train to Amsterdam.

Amsterdam city centre is small, scenic and flat, so most groups choose to get around on foot. For instance it’s a 30-minute walk between the three main stag nightlife areas of De Hallen, Leidse Square and Rembrandtplein Square. However if you do intend to make use of the excellent public transport network here then our advice is to get hold of an OV Chip Card, which covers the buses, trams, trains and metro. Just scan it on a reader every time you board.

This is a famously cyclist-friendly city, and you’ll see more bikes than cars on the roads. If you want to join the locals in getting around on two wheels then it’s really easy to hire bikes for the day, or a weekend.

And - if your stag activities are taking you out of town, such as Paintballing or Quad Biking, then don’t forget we can organise convenient, cost-effective door-to-door transfers for your group, so that you can relax and not have to worry about public transport connections or booking taxis. 

Tips and ideas

Amsterdam has for many years been one of the most popular stag do destinations in Europe and, it has to be said, that’s mainly down to two things. The cannabis cafe culture, where you can fire up a joint freely, and the red light district (Rossebuurt) in Den Halle, the oldest part of the city. But the city is cracking down on the cafes due to bad behaviour and to fight organised crime, and it’s likely that tourists will be banned from them in the next few years.

As for the red light district, while it certainly has its charms, it can also be a seedy place where you need to watch out for yourself and your mates. Remember that it’s strictly forbidden to photograph the women behind the red windows, and that if you are tempted to strike a deal for a few minutes of passion, there’s no real way of knowing if the woman is there voluntarily. 

Among this labyrinth of medieval alleyways there are many strip clubs, sex shows and bars, including the legendary Banana Bar. It gets very lairy here, with stag and hen groups roaming around into the night. But Den Hallen is also very interesting during the day, and is home to a couple of excellent museums worth checking out, dedicated to two of Amsterdam stag groups’ most enduring passions: cannabis and erotica.

We can organise a wide range of superb Amsterdam stag do activities for you and the guys to enjoy, with convenient door-to-door transfers where necessary too. These include an Ajax Stadium Tour - great for footie fans, as well as Paintballing, Beer Bikes, Escape Rooms and Indoor Go Karting. Each takes up a morning or afternoon leaving you with plenty of time to explore Amsterdam, or chill in the pub with some day-drinking.

Another always-popular Amsterdam activity is the canal cruise. But rather than climbing aboard a big boat full of camera-wielding tourists, why not rent your own? You don't need a license  to hire and drive one of these electric canal boats, which can seat up to 10 of you, plus your own food and drink. It’s a fun way to discover the lifeblood of Amsterdam, its historic canal system.

The Nine Streets is a picturesque, canal-side district, where you’ll find lots of cosy cafes with outdoor seating, cool boutiques, coffee shops, eateries and bars. This is an area best enjoyed at a leisurely pace on a sunny day, with regular stops for a beer. 

Another brilliant place to grab a bite to eat on an Amsterdam stag weekend, which we’d recommend day or night, is the Foodhallen, where you’ll find over 30 food stalls and bars serving international cuisine. Everything from dim sum to doughnuts, ribs to ramen, and a lively atmosphere as well. 

20 minutes-walk south of the Foodhallen is the Vondelpark, a fantastic big green space ideal for shaking a hangover. The famous IJ Brewery has a tasting room here too, for those requiring a hair of the dog. Alternatively, the Flevopark further east is also good for a wander, with wild swimming available, as well as a microbrewery in the grounds.

If your group fancies a little culture while in town, Amsterdam is home to some of Europe’s most prestigious museums, including the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. And for a different slice of culture altogether: think milkshakes, pinball, arcade shoot-em-ups and burgers, check out the TonTon Club gaming cafe, where you can relive the 80s, or live them for the first time depending on your age.

Nightlife

Stag groups in Amsterdam (and hen groups too) tend to congregate in three main areas, all of which are within a short walk of each other. We’ll take you through each of these, but we would suggest that the best tactic for an Amsterdam stag night is definitely to begin with a Guided Bar Crawl. Led by a friendly and attractive young lady or two, you’ll be shown around several of the city’s finest drinking establishments, and, if you wish, you can finish up in a nightclub with VIP entry sorted for you. And if you’d like to give the groom-to-be a night to remember for a long time, why not opt for a Dominatrix Bar Crawl, with a fearsome, foxy leather-clad beauty putting him through his paces between bars. 

We can also organise a Dutch Beer Tasting session for you and the boys. There’s much more to the brewing scene here than just Heineken, Grolsch and Amstel. If you have a passion for the finer things in life, then this is a great way to explore Dutch craft brewing, as well as to sample a minimum of five of the country’s most prestigious beers along with a selection of traditional Dutch snacks. A good afternoon activity we think, so you know what to look out for at the bar later on.

Leidse Square is one of the key stag do drinking destinations in Amsterdam, as enjoyable just for people-watching as it is for sinking a tray of shots. This is where you’ll find the well-known Bulldog Cafe, on the site of an old police station funnily enough, which has played host to plenty of celebrities over the years. You’ll also find Cafe Amsterdammed here, which is one of the liveliest venues in town, open ‘til 5am on Saturdays. Expect an absolutely buzzing vibe here - a good option to finish up the night, or pre-club.

The Satellite Sports Cafe is another very sought-after bar for our stag groups in Amsterdam: ribs, steaks, beers and sports on the telly - what more could you want? Oh, shots? How about the Chupitos Club, just a minute away, where you can enjoy a huge range of shots as well as expertly mixed cocktails?

And, because we love them, we also wanted to give a shout out to two of Amsterdam’s best live music venues, Paradiso and Melkweg, where you can always catch international bands and DJs, sometimes established names, and sometimes up-and-comers. Book in advance and expect to be partying alongside the locals.

Not far from Leidse Square is another very popular area, Rembrandtplein Square, named for the famous artist, who lived nearby. Highlights for stag groups here include the ever-lively Three Sisters, a fantastic bar with an open air terrace and plush Chesterfield armchairs inside, and Door 74, a Prohibition speakeasy-style cocktail bar that you’re recommended to make a reservation for, so popular is it. Another top place for a few drinks of an evening is the Cooldown Cafe, where local DJs mix the tunes, the bartenders mix the cocktails, and the tourists mix it up with the locals.

You’ll also find Coco’s Outback Australian pub here, which in our opinion is one of the best sports bars in Amsterdam. We can book lunch for your group here if your team is in action, so that you’re guaranteed a table. Expect a huge spread of ribs, buffalo wings, Aussie wedges, nachos and more. And later in the night, Club Air is among the finest late-night venues around Rembrandtplein, a huge, cutting-edge superclub with no fewer than five bars and a multi-tiered dancefloor. 

Close to the Centraal Station, De Wallen is the oldest part of Amsterdam, and its most controversial. This is where you will find the red light district, the streets lined with red windows in which scantily clad women pose, waiting to strike a deal. There are stacks of boutiques selling erotic paraphenalia, live sex theatres and X-rated bars around if that’s your bag, and you’ll see sights here that will make your eyes pop out on stalks. Not an area for the faint-hearted.

But De Wallen isn’t all about sex. There are plenty of nightspots around where you and the boys can enjoy a few drinks safe in the knowledge that it’s beer, and only beer, making the floor sticky. Belushi’s is a reliable place to grab a bite to eat early on in the evening (worth noting it also does a good full English in the mornings too), while Molly Malone’s is your classic Irish pub, with sports on the telly and a brilliant range of whiskies behind the bar. And for those stag groups that have reached a certain point in their evening where there is no coming back: The End is Amsterdam’s best karaoke bar, where you can hire a private room and sing ‘til your voices run out. Rumour has it the staff have a running bet on what time ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ is first heard every evening.

FAQ

Is Amsterdam good for a stag do?

Amsterdam is a legendary stag do destination in Europe for Brits, and while the city is now making an effort to downplay the sex tourism angle as well as the famous cannabis cafe culture, there is still masses to do here. All your favourite traditional stag do activities can be found in Amsterdam, from paintballing to escape rooms, quad biking to brewery tours and guide pub crawls.

And of course, Amsterdam offers a fantastic night out too. Stag groups typically head to the pubs, bars and clubs around Leidse Square, Rembrandtplein Square and De Wallen, where you’ll find the Red Light District. The party goes on ‘til the early hours of the morning, and you’ll find plenty of hen do’s making the rounds as well. Happy days.

Do you offer Amsterdam stag do packages?

Our Amsterdam stag do packages are designed to make things easy, and good value, for you and your friends. Choose from a selection of packages that include accommodation and a handful of brilliant Amsterdam stag activities, and then feel free to add on whatever else you’d like to do. Need some inspiration? Our expert trip planners are full of up-to-date advice.

Where is your Amsterdam stag do accommodation located?

We have a wide selection of Amsterdam stag hotels to suit any budget, and they are always located within a 10-20 minute walk of the main nightlife areas in the city. We know that if you and the lads have had a session around Leidse Square or De Walle, the last thing you want is a long walk back to your hotel, or a pricey taxi ride. 

Looking to stay in a particular area of Amsterdam? Just let us know when you make your enquiry so we can tell you what we have available and make sure it’s priced in to your quote.

Can you organise a beer bike tour in Amsterdam?

Beer bike tours are among our most popular stag do activities in Amsterdam. If you’ve never done one before, basically you and the lads sit either side of a bar on wheels, and can sup a few drinks while pedalling. It’s nice and easy, as Amsterdam is so flat. The hard bit, the steering, is left to a (sober) local guide who will take you around sightseeing, with a few stop-offs at stag-friendly bars along the way. 

Can we do paintball on an Amsterdam stag weekend?

Paintballing is a classic stag do activity in Amsterdam, and one we’ll be more than happy to organise for your group of lads. It takes place around 30 miles out of the city centre, so as well as including 100 free paintballs, a typical package also includes free return transfers. That way you can be sure you’ll be in time for your session, and whisked quickly back into town again afterwards so you can nurse your bruises over a few cheeky pints before the night really gets started.