Ice Skating in Amsterdam: 5 Rinks for 2026

Essentially Amsterdam · September 29, 2026

Your best bet for a first skate this winter is Schaatsbaan Museumplein, which opens on 24 October 2026 with rental skates and lessons for kids.

For longer sessions and proper laps, Jaap Eden IJsbaan runs a 400-metre outdoor track from 10 October 2026 to 21 March 2027.

Amsterdam’s rink season is short and busy.

Most city-centre rinks open for only a few weeks around the holidays, so knowing each one’s dates, prices and ticket rules helps you pick the right night out.

Gloves are required on the ice at several rinks, so pack a pair wherever you go.

Quick picks:

Best for beginners and families: Schaatsbaan Museumplein
Best for serious laps and lessons: Jaap Eden IJsbaan
Best walk-up city skate: Rembrandtplein Ice Rink
Best holiday day out: Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs

1) Schaatsbaan Museumplein

Right in front of the Rijksmuseum, this rink runs from 24 October 2026 to 16 January 2027 and suits skaters of every age.

Regular hours are 12:00 to 21:00 Monday to Thursday, 10:00 to 22:00 on Friday and Saturday, and 10:00 to 21:00 on Sunday.

From 19 December to 3 January, the holiday opening hours start at 10:00 every day.

Key details:

Skate rental costs €8 per session, and you can add it to an online ticket or sort it out at the rink.
Your own skates are fine if they’re sharp, but figure skates are not allowed.
Gloves are mandatory, and the ticket desk sells them.
A season pass gives unlimited visits.

For kids aged 4 to 10, the Sven Kramer Academy runs weekly lessons, and every Tuesday afternoon a Skating Together session pairs confident skaters with people still finding their feet.

Non-skaters can relax at ‘t Wak, the food and drink spot, which is free to enter without a rink ticket.

You can pick a date in the Museumplein ticket shop.

2) Jaap Eden IJsbaan

Amsterdam’s long-track venue in Watergraafsmeer offers public skating on its 400-metre outdoor track from 10 October 2026 to 21 March 2027.

The indoor hall is reserved for clubs, except during the Christmas holiday.

The Jaap Eden official site lists an opening-weekend deal of €0.65 per ticket to mark 65 years of ice.

For 2026-2027, single tickets cost €10.60 for adults and €6.50 for youth aged 4 to 15.

Children up to 3 skate free.

Off-peak hours give adults, students and over-65s 25% off, and youth tickets cost €1 on Wednesday afternoons outside school holidays.

Public hours change around club slots and private hire, so the public opening times page sends you to the webshop for live availability.

Waterman Sport handles skate rental from €8 per day.

It asks for a €50 cash deposit or a named card, such as an OV-chipkaart.

You can’t use a debit card for the deposit.

English-speaking adults can join weekly lessons taught in English.

Getting there is easy: the train from Centraal to Science Park takes 8 minutes, then it’s a short walk, as the route and parking page explains.

3) Rembrandtplein Ice Rink

This compact square rink is the easiest spontaneous skate in the centre.

For 2026-2027 it runs from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, open 10:00 to 23:00 daily.

On New Year’s Eve it closes at 18:00.

Entry costs €5 for the whole day, and skate rental is €9.

Tickets are sold only at the rink, so you can’t book ahead.

Just turn up and pay at the till.

At the Rembrandtplein rink’s own site, last season’s rules said skates and gloves were both required, with gloves on sale for €5.

Stadspas holders could also skate free at set times with free rental.

Check whether that deal returns this year.

Around the ice you’ll find wooden chalets serving mulled wine, hot chocolate, oliebollen and bratwurst.

The chalets stay open until midnight, or 01:00 at weekends.

Trams 4 and 14 stop at the square, less than 10 minutes from Centraal Station.

4) Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs

Held in the halls and grounds of RAI Amsterdam, this is a full winter festival with skating as one part of the day.

It runs from 17 December 2026 to 2 January 2027 and advertises 4,400 m² of ice, including a separate rink for children.

Your ticket includes most attractions, such as the Ferris wheel and cross-country skiing.

The main exceptions are curling and prize games.

Prices vary by day and arrival time and range from €24.50 to €32.50.

Ticket rules to know, from the Winterparadijs ticket information:

You book an arrival time slot, then stay until closing.
You can’t leave and come back in.
Children up to 2 get in free.
Kids aged 3 to 12 get €3 off, but only for slots before 14:00.
Pricing is dynamic, and early slots are cheapest and calmest.

Gloves are compulsory on the ice, and tracksuit bottoms are not allowed after 18:00.

Europaplein metro stop is right outside, and Amsterdam RAI station is a 3-minute walk away.

5) Winter Village Amstelveen

Just south of the city, this rink goes by the name Stadshart on Ice and sits in the centre of Amstelveen.

It closed its last season in January 2026, and the Stadshart on Ice website says it returns in November 2026.

The open-air rink covers 400 m², a manageable size for young children and nervous first-timers.

Besides regular skating, it runs skating lessons, disco skating, crafts and meet and greets for little ones over five weeks.

Schools can also book school skating outside public hours.

A few extras:

The bar is alcohol-free and serves drinks and snacks.
Groups of 20 or more can book a 1.5-hour curling competition for €17.50 per person, based on last season’s prices.
The whole rink can be hired for €150 per hour.

The operator says its rink system uses 30% to 40% less energy than comparable systems and runs on green power.

Exact 2026 dates and ticket prices had not been published at the time of writing.

Choosing a Rink That Fits Your Plans

Pick Jaap Eden IJsbaan if skating is the main goal, and a square rink or festival if you want a winter outing with food and lights.

Here’s how the five compare:

Rink	2026-2027 dates	Entry	Skate rental	Book ahead?
Schaatsbaan Museumplein	24 Oct to 16 Jan	Online ticket	€8 per session	Yes, online
Jaap Eden IJsbaan	10 Oct to 21 Mar	€10.60 adult	From €8 per day	Yes, webshop
Rembrandtplein Ice Rink	14 Nov to 3 Jan	€5 per day	€9	No, pay on site
Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs	17 Dec to 2 Jan	€24.50 to €32.50	Not listed	Yes, time slot
Winter Village Amstelveen	From Nov 2026	Not yet listed	Not yet listed	Not yet listed

Do you want a public skating session or a winter event?

A public session means open skating on a rink built for it.

Jaap Eden is the clearest example, with public hours spread across the day, lessons and a proper long track.

Museumplein also works well for plain skating, with daily sessions and kids’ lessons.

Winter events put the ice inside a bigger day out.

Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs bundles skating with rides, stage shows and food, and you pay for the whole package.

Rembrandtplein and Amstelveen sit in between: small rinks with chalets or activities around them, good for an hour on the ice plus a warm drink.

What should you check before travelling?

Check live opening times on the day, especially at Jaap Eden.

Its public hours shift when clubs train or the track is hired out, and some hours sell out.

Other points to confirm:

Gloves: Museumplein, Rembrandtplein and the Winterparadijs all require them.
Time slots: at the Winterparadijs, arriving late can cost you entry.
Holiday hours: Museumplein opens earlier from 19 December, and Rembrandtplein shuts at 18:00 on 31 December.
Transport: plan with 9292 for trams and metro, or cycle. Jaap Eden has a large bike park at the entrance.

The Essentially Amsterdam What’s On calendar also lists skating events and winter festivals as they’re announced.

How do skate rental and admission affect the cost?

Rental can double the price of a cheap rink visit.

At Rembrandtplein, entry is €5, but adding €9 rental brings you to €14.

At Jaap Eden, an adult ticket plus rental starts at €18.60, while a child with rental pays €14.50.

If you plan to skate often, your own skates save money quickly.

Jaap Eden’s 10-ride cards start at €44.70 for youth, and Museumplein sells a season pass.

Just remember Museumplein won’t let figure skates on the ice.

Skating on Natural Ice

Only skate on natural ice at places officially marked as safe, such as flooded meadows or natural ice rinks run by local skating clubs.

Even in a hard freeze, the city’s open water stays risky.

Where can you find official advice on ice conditions?

Waternet, the water authority for Amsterdam, publishes ice warnings when frost sets in.

Its advice is to skate only at designated places, such as flooded fields or official rinks.

It also points you to the municipality for a list of safe rinks.

Local ice clubs (IJsclubs) open their tracks only when the ice has been checked.

Follow their announcements and the weather forecast, and never trust a stretch of ice just because other people are on it.

Why should you never assume Amsterdam’s canals are safe to skate on?

Amsterdam’s canals are not safe for skating, even when they look solid.

In a January 2024 warning, Waternet explained that pumping stations keep moving water under the ice.

The current makes the ice unreliable, and as the water level drops, air pockets form beneath the surface.

Canals also carry boat traffic, drains and bridges that weaken the ice in patches you can’t see.

Falling through into cold, moving water is life-threatening, so stick to the rinks in this list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can beginners go ice skating in Amsterdam?

Schaatsbaan Museumplein is the easiest start, with rental skates, a central location and weekly Sven Kramer Academy lessons for kids aged 4 to 10.

Adult beginners can join a 10-week beginners’ course at Jaap Eden IJsbaan, including lessons in English.

Does Jaap Eden IJsbaan have public skating sessions?

Yes.

Public skating runs on the 400-metre outdoor track from 10 October 2026 to 21 March 2027.

Hours vary by day, so check the webshop for live times; the indoor hall is open to the public only during the Christmas holiday.

Which Amsterdam ice rinks offer skate rental?

Museumplein rents skates for €8 per session, Jaap Eden from €8 per day through Waterman Sport, and Rembrandtplein for €9.

Jaap Eden asks for a €50 cash deposit or a named ID card.

Can children skate at Winter Village Amstelveen?