What is the Amsterdam Light Festival like over Christmas 2026?
The lights stay on through Christmas: from 16:30 to 23:00 on Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, and on both Christmas days, Friday, December 25, and Saturday, December 26, which are public holidays in the Netherlands. The Dutch school holidays run from December 19 to January 3, and the festival's information point at Amstel 1 opens daily in that period, except on December 25 and 31. Last year NS ran a Sunday timetable on both Christmas days, so book cruise slots, dinner and your rides ahead.
Last updated:
Fixed rides and a driver by the hour: prices per vehicle
| Option | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Business Class, ride inside Amsterdam up to 10 km on a Christmas evening | €50 | fixed at booking, detours included · E-Class, EQE, EQE SUV, BMW i5, BMW 5 Series · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
| Van Class, ride inside Amsterdam up to 10 km on a Christmas evening | €70 | fixed at booking, detours included · V-Class, EQV · up to 7 passengers, 7 bags |
| First Class, ride inside Amsterdam up to 10 km on a Christmas evening | €90 | fixed at booking, detours included · S-Class, EQS, EQS SUV, BMW i7 · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
| Business Class, for a Christmas evening | €65 / hour | per hour · minimum 2 hours · 40 km included per hour · E-Class, EQE, EQE SUV, BMW i5, BMW 5 Series · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
| Van Class, for a Christmas evening | €80 / hour | per hour · minimum 2 hours · 40 km included per hour · V-Class, EQV · up to 7 passengers, 7 bags |
| First Class, for a Christmas evening | €100 / hour | per hour · minimum 2 hours · 40 km included per hour · S-Class, EQS, EQS SUV, BMW i7 · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
Rides inside Amsterdam up to 10 km have a fixed price per car (€50 in Business Class); a detour around closures does not change it. Longer rides are priced per kilometer and shown before you book. By the hour: minimum 2 hours, 40 km included per hour, and the day starts and ends in the same city. The driver waits between stops. Prices are per car, not per person, with 9% Dutch VAT included, and the same day and night. During ADE week (pickups October 20 to 26, 2026) fixed ADE-week prices apply, shown before you book; promo codes cannot be used that week. Booked less than 12 hours before pickup: +10%. At an airport or an intercity station the first 60 minutes of waiting are free, elsewhere 15 minutes; after that waiting is charged per minute at the class's hourly rate (Business €65 an hour). Free cancellation up to 1 hour before pickup.
Christmas evenings
| Date | Lights | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Thu Dec 24 | 16:30 to 23:00 | Christmas Eve; restaurants busy |
| Fri Dec 25 | 16:30 to 23:00 | Public holiday; info point closed |
| Sat Dec 26 | 16:30 to 23:00 | Public holiday |
| Thu Dec 31 | 16:30 to 21:00 | Last year transit stopped at 20:00 |
Sunset is at 16:31 on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Getting around
With trains and trams on a holiday timetable, a pre-booked car from the hotel to the jetty and on to dinner saves the waiting. A ride inside Amsterdam up to 10 km is fixed at €50 in Business Class; a driver for the whole evening costs €65 an hour, minimum 2 hours.
Related questions
Are the boats sailing on Christmas Day?
The lights are on, but each boat company sets its own holiday sailings; check yours before you book.
Are museums open on Christmas Day?
Most are closed on December 25 and 26, according to I amsterdam's holiday page, so check before you plan around one.
What about New Year's Eve?
The lights go out at 21:00 on December 31, earlier than on other nights.
Sources
- Amsterdam Light Festival: dates and hours (checked October 20, 2026)
- I amsterdam: opening hours during holidays (checked October 21, 2026)
- Rijksoverheid: school holidays 2026 to 2027 (Dutch) (checked October 20, 2026)
- Treinreiziger.nl (December 19, 2025), NS: no trains after 20:00 on December 31 except Schiphol → Amsterdam Centraal until 22:00; night trains from 01:00; Sunday timetable on both Christmas days (checked September 29, 2026)
- Rijksoverheid, official public holidays in the Netherlands, including Christmas on December 25 and 26 (checked September 29, 2026)
- NOAA Solar Calculator, sunset times in Amsterdam (local time) (checked October 8, 2026)
Book it, or ask dispatch first
Book online in a few minutes (no account, no app), or send your flight number and address on WhatsApp and dispatch replies in English, 24 hours a day.