Amsterdam is one of the wettest cities in our December guides, and it's windy, which matters more than the temperature. The canals and lights are worth it, but you need to dress for sideways rain.
Local advice is unusually consistent: a hooded waterproof jacket, no umbrella and flat, grippy shoes. That's great news for a 40 × 30 × 20 cm free bag.
The weather in Amsterdam in December
Shoulder months for comparison
| Station | November | December | January |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam Schiphol | 10.0 °C / 4.5 °C50 °F / 40 °F · 85 mm | 6.9 °C / 1.9 °C44 °F / 35 °F · 82 mm | 6.2 °C / 1.2 °C43 °F / 34 °F · 66 mm |
Source: WMO 1991–2020 climate normals, published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI accession 0253808). Stations: Amsterdam Schiphol (WMO 6240). Normals are long-term averages, not a forecast. Sunrise, sunset and daylight are calculated for the 15th of the month in 2026 (local time). °F and inches are converted from the metric figures. “n/a” means the station doesn’t report sunshine in this dataset.
- Cool and raw. Average highs are in single figures and lows only just above freezing (measured at Schiphol).
- Wet: about 14 days of at least 1 mm of rain in a typical December, more than Paris or London. Waterproofs aren't optional.
- Under 8 hours of daylight in mid-December, and the sun sets before 16:30.
This week in Amsterdam
The outfit plan in this guide is built from 30-year averages for December. This panel is the real forecast for the next 7 days, turned into packing tips for your cabin baggage.
The live forecast needs JavaScript. Everything else in this guide works without it, and the climate-based plan above covers any December trip.
Weather data from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), adapted into packing tips.
Karen’s tipWeather changes fastLayer it up
Three thin layers from your capsule beat one thick coat in Amsterdam in December: add or peel them off as the day changes.
- Base · next to skin
- Long-sleeve tee or thin thermal top
- Mid · warmth
- Thin packable down or fleece
- Outer · wind and rain
- Hooded waterproof, windproof jacket
☀ When it warms up: Indoors and on mild afternoons the down layer comes off, but keep the shell for wind and showers.
🎒 Stash it: The packable down stuffs into its own pouch; the windproof beanie goes in a pocket.
Check the live “This week” forecast above for big swings between morning and afternoon.
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Karen’s tip On the plane
- Wear your heaviest items on travel day: coat, knit and your bulkiest shoes. They’d take the most space and weight in your bag.
- Planes can be cold with the air con, so take a jacket on board.
- An inflatable cushion that packs into its own small, discreet pouch: a head cushion on the flight and a pillow on beach sunbeds. You choose how much air goes in, so it’s as firm or soft as you like, which a foam neck pillow can’t do.
More comfort tips for flying economy → · Is a lounge worth it? →
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What locals actually wear
Sourced tips summarise or quote the linked source; anything marked editorial is our own advice. We don’t make up “local” style tips.
- "Locals almost universally wear a regenjas", a rain jacket, and umbrellas tend to turn inside out in the wind. The advice is to leave your umbrella at home.Source [1]: Discover Netherlands
- Wear flat, broken-in shoes for the cobbles. There are no real dress codes, so casual is fine almost everywhere.Source [1]: Discover Netherlands
- Local writers recommend a waterproof, windproof hooded coat, a windproof hat and layers, because indoors is warm.Source [2]: DutchAmsterdam.nl (Amsterdam-based authors)
- The same writers suggest grippy, water-resistant shoes and plenty of thick socks (they say 4–6 pairs).Source [2]: DutchAmsterdam.nl (Amsterdam-based authors)
3 outfit formulas
Your style: best fits here are Parisian chic, Relaxed sporty chic and Boho with an edge. Find your holiday style →
Canal walk in the rain
- Hooded waterproof, windproof jacket
- Thin packable down or fleece underneath
- Long-sleeve tee
- Dark jeans
- Grippy waterproof boots
- Windproof beanie
Tip: Wear the down layer under the rain shell. Together they replace a heavy winter coat and pack smaller.
Museum day
- Rain jacket
- Merino or cashmere crewneck
- Wide-leg trousers or jeans
- Clean leather trainers or flat boots
Tip: Museums are warm, so wear a single good knit you can stand around in.
Brown café evening
- Knit midi skirt or black jeans
- Fine knit or silk-feel top
- Thick tights
- Flat boots
- Rain jacket and scarf
Tip: No dress codes, so it's easy to look a little dressed up without packing anything formal.
Swatches are a colour guide for each formula, not product photos.
Day to night in Amsterdam
Same capsule, evening version: keep the base, swap one or two pieces. Every swap below stays cabin-bag friendly. How day-to-night swaps work →
01Canal walk in the rain → brown café evening
- Base (stays the same)
- Hooded rain jacket
- Waterproof flat boots
- ☀ Day add-ons
- Dark jeans
- Long-sleeve tee
- Packable down or fleece
- ☾ Evening swaps
- Knit midi skirt and thick tights instead of jeans
- Fine knit or silk-feel top
- Small crossbody
Pieces added to your bag: 1, a small crossbody (or empty your day bag).
02Museum day → dinner out
- Base (stays the same)
- Wide-leg trousers or jeans
- Merino or cashmere crewneck
- ☀ Day add-ons
- Clean leather trainers
- ☾ Evening swaps
- Flat boots instead of trainers
- Statement earrings
- Scarf worn loose
Pieces added to your bag: 1, statement earrings.
Karen’s tipChange your hair, change the look
Swapping my hair from up in the day to down in the evening (or the other way round) gives the whole outfit a different look. Even one piece of jewellery I didn’t wear earlier does the same.
💡 It’s a free trick, and it saves packing extra outfits.
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Preview note: placeholder links to each shop’s normal pages, with no affiliate tracking yet.
What’s underfoot
The ground
- Uneven cobbles and canal-side bricks
- Humped bridges that go up and down
- Narrow canal paths, many with no barrier to the water
- Red-asphalt bike lanes (not pavement)
- Tram tracks
- Wet, slippery bricks; possible ice on bridges in winter
About 8 km to walk all three of amsterdam.org's canal routes, so 12,000–18,000 steps is typical.editorial estimate
Trouble spots
- Canal-ring cobbles and bridge approaches, slippery when wet or icy (Prinsengracht and the Jordaan in rain)
- Red bike lanes: never stand in them, and look both ways
- Tram rails on wet streets
- Crowds around Centraal, 11:00–16:00
☀ Day shoes
Sturdy, flat, waterproof shoes or ankle boots with a grippy sole. Amsterdam.org: 'You will not get far in heels.'
☾ Evening shoes
Waterproof leather ankle boots or loafers. Low block heels only for short hops.
✕ Leave at home
Heels and slick soles on canal bricks. Absorbent canvas trainers in December rain.
Season notes: Wet and windy (a raincoat beats an umbrella). Bridges and shaded paths can ice over, so carry ice grips in a cold snap.
Karen’s tipHeels and cobbles don’t mix. Check the ground before you pack heels: thin heels catch between cobbles, so a wedge or block heel is steadier for evenings.
One pair, day to night: The best space-savers are a sleek waterproof leather ankle boot (Paris, London, Vienna & Prague, Amsterdam, Rome in December), a clean minimalist leather trainer or slip-on loafer (Tokyo, London), and a low block-heel sandal (cruise). Travel day: wear the heavier pair (see On the plane). Break in shoes before the trip.
We may earn a small commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you.
Sources: amsterdam.org · iamsterdam.com · kinboat.com · essentiallyamsterdam.com. Shoe recommendations are our own editorial advice based on these sources, checked 20 Oct 2026.
The free baggage packing list
Your bag: 40 × 30 × 20 cm
Planned for 3–4 nights, using a soft backpack of about 20–24 litres made to the 40 × 30 × 20 cm size. The rule that makes it work: wear your bulkiest items on the plane. The dotted outline is easyJet’s bigger free bag.
Wear on the plane worn
In the bag 12 items
Karen’s tipRoll, don’t fold. I roll my clothes, stuff socks and small bits inside my shoes, and keep socks in a clear bag that comes home full of dirty laundry or wet swimming costumes. How I pack →
Karen’s tipPack a bag in a bag.A foldable shopping bag that folds into its own little pouch, for shopping, dirty laundry and pool towels. It saves buying a bag abroad.Why, and where to get one →
- An umbrella (locals don't bother)
- Heels on cobbles
- Anything that needs dry-cleaning after one rainy day
Liquids: going vs coming home
UK airports vary. Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Belfast International, Belfast City, Bournemouth, Southend allow containers up to 2 litres; most others, including Manchester, Stansted and Luton, are still 100 ml.
- 100 mlAmsterdam Schiphol (AMS), in a 1 L clear bag
Pack your liquids to 100 ml for the whole trip.
Karen’s tipWater bottle: keep it full through a 2-litre UK airport, or take it empty through a 100 ml one. Flying home: Amsterdam Schiphol is 100 ml, so empty it and refill airside.Check your airport →
Karen’s tipDecant, don’t buy mini. I decant sun tan lotion into clear 100 ml spray bottles, and my day cream, night cream and cleanser into one squashy three-section silicone pot for trips of up to 4–5 days (separate pots if longer). Far cheaper than minis. How to do it →
Karen’s tip Check your room first
Read the hotel, Airbnb or hostel listing, or message the host, and ask whether they provide:
- Iron or steamer
- Hairdryer
- Toiletries: shampoo, shower gel (conditioner often isn’t supplied)
- Towels, plus beach or pool towels
- Washing machine or laundry service
- Plug adapters or USB sockets
- Kettle, tea and coffee
- Slippers and a robe
- A safe
Hostels often don’t provide towels or padlocks.
Karen’s tip Bring your own hair products. Most hotels supply shampoo but often not conditioner. Decant favourites into leak-proof travel bottles under 100 ml (fill them about ¾ full), or switch to solid bars, which don’t count as liquids. Amazon UK: Lericttor 100ml Silicone Travel Bottles ↗Check price · Amazon UK: Friendly Soap Travel Bar 95g (hair & body) ↗£4.72, price checked 20 Oct 2026 Every item they provide is one you don’t carry.
Karen’s tip No-iron packing
Pick fabrics that don’t crease. Woven cotton and linen crease; knits, merino, jersey and most polyester blends barely do.
- Hang creased clothes in the bathroom while you shower.
- Pack a small crease-release spray under 100 ml (it counts as a liquid).
- Roll clothes, and keep crease-prone pieces in a packing cube on top, not in a vacuum bag.
- Check whether your hotel or Airbnb has an iron.
Karen’s tip Buy it there?
Adding a checked bag typically costs around £60–80 return on a budget airline. So if your bag is full, buying bulky or liquid items when you arrive is often cheaper.
Think sun cream, full-size shampoo, insect repellent, a beach towel or flip-flops.
Usually yes in this destination: Supermarkets and chemists are easy to find, at roughly UK prices.
Tick items off as you pack (your ticks aren’t saved). Liquids rules depend on your departure airport and change from time to time. Check your airport’s current security rules before you decant your toiletries (see liquids rules by airport).
Flying there on Ryanair, easyJet or Wizz?
- Flying Ryanair, Wizz Air or Transavia Basic? Your free bag is 40 × 30 × 20 cm (Transavia counts handles and wheels).
- On easyJet you get 45 × 36 × 20 cm, enough to add the trainers without a squeeze.
- A rain jacket and packable down jacket together are much smaller than a winter coat, which frees up room for extra socks.
Duty-free bag: Ryanair: extra bag allowed · easyJet: extra bag allowed · Wizz Air: extra bag allowed. It still has to fit under the seat or in a locker, and gate staff decide. Duty free and your free baggage →
Sizes come from each airline’s official page (see our free baggage reference for links). Rules change, so check your booking before you fly.
Baggage picks
The ticks compare each bag’s stated outer dimensions with each airline’s free-bag size. A struck-through name means the bag is too big for that airline. Soft bags squash a little; hard cases don’t. We haven’t tested these bags ourselves yet.
Want to fit more in? Compression cubes and packing cubes that store more in a free bag →
Pieces that fit the formulas
- M&S (Mountain Warehouse)Mountain Warehouse Pakka II Waterproof Hooded Jacket£32 · checked 20 Oct 2026
- M&SM&S Feather & Down Padded Puffer Jacket£68 · checked 20 Oct 2026
- QuinceSupersoft fleece half-zip
- QuinceMongolian cashmere oversized crewneck
- Clarks UKClarks Hencroft Step Waterproof Chelsea Boots£75 · checked 20 Oct 2026
- M&SM&S Knitted Beanie Hat£12 · checked 20 Oct 2026
- M&SM&S 2 Pack Heatgen Medium Thermal Socks with Wool£14 · checked 20 Oct 2026
- M&SM&S Set of 3 Packing Cubes£12 · checked 20 Oct 2026
We may earn a small commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. Prices are shown only where we confirmed them on the retailer’s page (checked 20 Oct 2026); otherwise check the current price.
Sources
- Packing and weather – Netherlands essentials, Discover Netherlands
- Amsterdam weather in December, DutchAmsterdam.nl (Amsterdam-based authors)
Airline free-bag sizes: see the free baggage reference. Climate: see the source under the weather table. Live forecast: weather data from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), adapted into packing tips. Photos: Unsplash, credited on each image and on the photo credits page. Last checked October 2026.
