Amsterdam Swimming Pools

Top Amsterdam Swimming Pools

Essentially Amsterdam Reader's Choice 2026

De Mirandabad

4.1★★★★★

(2218 reviews)

Essentially Amsterdam Reader's Choice 2026

De Mirandalaan 9, 1079 PA Amsterdam

Claim this listing

Leisure center with a heated outdoor pool & glass-domed indoor pool, plus slides & artificial waves.

View Details

Sportfondsen Mercator

3.4★★★★★

(413 reviews)

Essentially Amsterdam Reader's Choice 2026

Jan van Galenstraat 315, 1056 CB Amsterdam

Claim this listing

Sportfondsen Mercator is a public swimming pool in Amsterdam.

View Details

Zwembad de Meerkamp

4★★★★★

(1514 reviews)

Van der Hooplaan 239, 1185 LN Amstelveen

Claim this listing

A public swimming pool in Amstelveen offering pools for recreational and lesson swimming. It provides a place for the local community to swim, with some pools closed for maintenance over the summer.

View Details

Noorderparkbad

3.9★★★★★

(916 reviews)

Sneeuwbalweg 5, 1032 VS Amsterdam

Claim this listing

Noorderparkbad is a public swimming pool in Amsterdam.

View Details

Zuiderbad

4.2★★★★★

(688 reviews)

Hobbemastraat 26, 1071 XK Amsterdam

Claim this listing

Zuiderbad is a public swimming pool in Amsterdam.

View Details

Sportfondsenbad

3.7★★★★★

(574 reviews)

Land van Cocagneplein 44, 1093 NB Amsterdam

Claim this listing

Sportfondsenbad is a public swimming pool in Amsterdam.

View Details

Optisport Bijlmer Sports

3.7★★★★★

(539 reviews)

Anton de Komplein 157, 1102 DR Amsterdam

Claim this listing

De Smagtenbocht, run by Optisport, is a swimming pool in the Bijlmer area of Amsterdam. Visitors can train or relax in the pool, with a café on site, offering swimming for all ages and abilities.

View Details

Houtvaart swimming pool

4.4★★★★★

(340 reviews)

Piet Heinstraat 12, 2014 AR Haarlem

Claim this listing

A public swimming pool in Haarlem operated as part of the local SRO facilities. Houtvaart offers swimming for residents and visitors in the area.

View Details

Brediusbad Outdoor Pool

4.2★★★★★

(235 reviews)

Spaarndammerdijk 306, 1013 ZX Amsterdam

Claim this listing

Brediusbad Outdoor Pool is a public swimming pool in Amsterdam.

View Details

AGO Swimming pool

4.2★★★★★

(214 reviews)

Kriekenoord 17, 1111 PT Diemen

Claim this listing

AGO Swimming pool is a public swimming pool in Diemen.

View Details

Zwembad De Breek

4.5★★★★★

(162 reviews)

Sportpark 7 Navigatie: Sportlaan 13 in, 1121 MS Landsmeer

Claim this listing

Zwembad De Breek is a public swimming pool in Landsmeer.

View Details

Het Oosterbad

4.3★★★★★

(63 reviews)

Mr, Mr. Jac. Takkade 1, 1432 CA Aalsmeer

Claim this listing

An open-air swimming pool in Aalsmeer offering swimming lessons in naturally purified water. A licensed Zwem-ABC training and exam centre, it teaches children from the age of four.

View Details

How to choose a swimming pool in Amsterdam

Start with what you actually need: laps and open swim, or a structured lessons track for a child working toward a Dutch swimming diploma. The city's municipal (gemeente) pools tend to be the cheapest option for both, but registration for children's diploma lessons can carry a long waiting list.

If a shorter wait or an earlier start matters more than price, a private swim school is usually the faster path — some accept children from around age four, well below the typical municipal starting age. Our Amsterdam Swimming Schools and Amsterdam Baby Swimming Schools directories cover providers focused specifically on lessons rather than general pool access.

Most lessons here run in Dutch, so if you need English instruction, confirm that before booking rather than assuming it. For a wider look at what each pool in the city offers, see our guide to Amsterdam's swimming pools, and if you'd rather swim outdoors in a lake or canal instead, our guide to nature in and around Amsterdam covers those options too.

Questions people ask

How old does my child need to be to start swimming lessons?

Municipal (gemeente) pools set their own minimum age for registering children in diploma lessons, and six years old is common, so check your local gemeente's website for the exact rule. Private swim schools often start younger, with some accepting children from around age four.

What is the Dutch A-B-C swimming diploma system?

Zwemdiploma A, B and C is the national framework Dutch children work through to learn water safety, run under a standard set by the Vereniging Sport en Gemeenten (VSG) and backed by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. Diploma A covers basic strokes and water confidence, B adds endurance and swimming in clothes, and C is considered the real safety standard for open water, given how many canals, ponds and coastline surround Dutch cities.

How long does earning a diploma take?

Timelines vary by provider and lesson frequency, but earning diploma A alone typically takes somewhere in the range of 12 to 18 months of regular lessons. Working through the full A-B-C track can run from roughly 14 months at two lessons a week up to about 22 months at one lesson a week, though intensive "turbo" courses compress that to as little as nine weeks.

How much do children's swimming lessons cost?

Lessons at municipal pools are the cheapest option, historically around €4 to €5 per lesson, but that low price comes with the waiting list mentioned above. Private swim schools charge more — packages on record include roughly €125 to €150 for a ten-lesson group pass, €60 to €70 a month for weekly group lessons, and €45 to €55 for a 30-minute private session — so ask each provider for its current rates before committing.

Are lessons available in English?

Most group swimming lessons in Amsterdam are taught in Dutch. A smaller number of providers offer lessons fully in English for expat families, so it is worth asking directly rather than assuming a class will be in English.

Do Amsterdam schools still teach swimming during school hours?

School swimming, known as schoolzwemmen, used to be widely supported by Dutch municipalities, but participation fell sharply as towns cut the program to save money — from about 90% of schools in 1991 to roughly 42% by 2012. Every child finishing basisschool is still expected to hold a zwemdiploma under the VSG's Waterdicht agreement, but the Ministry treats teaching a child to swim as ultimately the parents' responsibility.