June in Amsterdam: Weather, What to Pack, and What to See

Fine weather and the start of the summer festival season make June an attractive month to be in Amsterdam, Netherlands. However, with an average monthly temperature of 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius), Amsterdam is slightly chillier than many other popular summer destinations in Europe—especially those further south along the Mediterranean Sea.

Fortunately, June is also one of the sunniest and driest months of the year in the city, which makes it one of the most popular months to visit Amsterdam. There are also plenty of indoor and outdoor events and attraction you can experience exclusively in June including tours of 30 of the best canal houses in town for Open Garden Days and screenings at the MidzommerZaan Festival in Zaanse Schans.

Because of Amsterdam's Northern Europe location, the days are longer in June, which includes the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. However, Amsterdam is also relatively colder than most summertime destinations, especially at night. 

• Average high: 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius)
• Average low: 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius)

Expect around 10 rainy days throughout the month, but most rain showers are typically brief and clear up within a few hours, and only 2.6 inches (68 millimeters) of rain falls over the course of June. For most of the month, the sun rises before 5:30 a.m. and sets around 10 p.m., giving guests plenty of time to enjoy the pleasant weather and seasonal events of summer.

You are not likely to need what you think of as summer clothes, like shorts and sandals. Pack jeans or long pants; long-sleeved shirts and tops; and a sweater, blazer, or lightweight jacket for layering. A cashmere pashmina or poncho might come in handy for women.

Bring comfortable and closed walking shoes; even ankle boots would be fine for this weather. Additionally, Amsterdam's summer, with its humid days and city-wide waterways, is an ideal environment for mosquitoes, so be prepared with insect repellent.

June offers some of the best seasonal perks. From being able to enjoy convivial cafe terraces to attending some of the much-anticipated summer festivals and events, you're sure to find plenty to do in Amsterdam this month.

• Holland Festival: With an international line-up of performers in an almost boundless variety of disciplines—theater, dance, music, and opera—the Holland Festival treats Amsterdam to almost a month of world-class performance artistry throughout June.
• ITS Festival Amsterdam: The International Theatre School Festival Amsterdam invites more than 200 theatrical talents to perform in more than 70 diverse productions in its nine-day run.
• MidzommerZaan Festival: Music, literature, and fine art meet in and around the Verkade Chocolate Factory in ​Zaanse Schans, a tradition-oriented Dutch town, for three days of indoor and outdoor events (several with free admission).
• Open Garden Days: Amsterdam's Open Garden Days welcomes the public into the backyards of more than 25 of the finest canal houses in town.
• Aalsmeer Flower Festival: This village southwest of Amsterdam hosts its annual celebration of summer blooms during a weekend-long event dedicated to flowers and plants and featuring music performances, street theatre, and a variety of refreshments.
• Pay Respects at the Anne Frank House and Museum: Seeing the house where Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis during World War II and wrote her diary is a must in Amsterdam.
• Free Shows at Vondelpark Open-Air Theater: Catch a range of free performances—from theater, dance, and cabaret to stand-up comedy and music—each week all summer at the Vondelpark Open-Air Theater, an Amsterdam institution.

• June is peak tourist season, so expect crowds at attractions, restaurants, and cafes, as well as airports and train stations.
• Make reservations and buy tickets in advance wherever possible to avoid surge pricing and to ensure you have a table at popular restaurants, flights on a good airline, and rooms at nice hotels during your trip.
• For fans of classic art, the Van Gogh Museum displays the largest collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh in the world and is open for extended hours in the summer. 
• Additionally, the world-class art museum, The Rijksmuseum, holds 8,000 objects and works of art that tell the story of the Dutch from 1200 to the current time. If you are an aficionado of the art of the Dutch Golden Age, you can't miss this. There's even a gallery entirely devoted to Rembrandt's "The Night Watch."
• Amsterdam also has several city beaches—including Blijburg aan Zee, Pllek, and StrandZuid. However, the average sea temperature this month is 57 degrees Fahrenheit (14 degrees Celsius), so you may get a bit chilly swimming in Amsterdam in June.