Is1 January2027 a public holiday in the Netherlands?

Yes. New Year's Day2027 falls on a Friday, creating another three-day weekend. The2027 list also includes Good Friday on26 March, Easter Monday on29 March, and King's Day on Tuesday27 April2027.

Are shops open on King's Day in Amsterdam?

City-centre shops open12:00 to17:00. Outside the centre, many stay closed. Supermarkets and bakeries often open early, from08:00, for street-party supplies but close by mid-afternoon.

Do trains run on Christmas Day in the Netherlands?

NS runs a limited service on25 December. Trains start around08:00 and finish around22:00. Frequency drops to roughly half the normal timetable. The same applies on New Year's Day. Check the NS app for live departures.

What is the difference between Pentecost and Ascension Day?

Ascension Day (Hemelvaart) falls40 days after Easter Sunday:14 May in2026. It is always a Thursday, and most people take the Friday off too. Pentecost (Pinksteren) falls50 days after Easter:24 May in2026. Pentecost Monday (25 May) is the public holiday that makes the long weekend.

Are museums open on public holidays?

All major Amsterdam museums (Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, Stedelijk) open on every public holiday, including Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Most close early, around17:00, and may reduce hours on Christmas Eve (24 December) and New Year's Eve (31 December). Book tickets online in advance: these days are busy.

Does the whole Netherlands have the same holidays in2026?

Public holidays are national. School holidays differ by region. Amsterdam and the North region (Noord-Holland, Flevoland, Friesland, Groningen) share the same break dates. The Central and South regions have different dates for spring, summer and autumn breaks.

The Netherlands Public Holidays 2026

Ten official days off shape the Dutch calendar in 2026, and four of them create long weekends. The dates matter less than what actually closes: a "public holiday" in the Netherlands does not mean a universal day off. Good Friday is a holiday on paper, but most offices stay open. King's Day shuts the city centre to traffic by noon. Christmas Day empties the supermarkets. Here is the full list, plus what to expect on each date.

National Public Holidays 2026

Date	Day	Holiday
1 January	Thursday	New Year's Day
3 April	Friday	Good Friday
5 April	Sunday	Easter Sunday
6 April	Monday	Easter Monday
27 April	Monday	King's Day
14 May	Thursday	Ascension Day
24 May	Sunday	Pentecost (Whit Sunday)
25 May	Monday	Pentecost Monday
25 December	Friday	Christmas Day
26 December	Saturday	Second Day of Christmas

Good Friday splits the country. Banks and government offices close. Schools close. Most private companies do not, though some give the afternoon off. Confirm before assuming the other side is unavailable.

The25 and26 December both land on the weekend's edge: Friday and Saturday. That hands many workers a four-day stretch from24 to27 December if they take Christmas Eve off.

What's open on Christmas Day, King's Day and other Dutch holidays?

Government offices shut completely on every date listed above. Municipal desks (gemeente), the Belastingdienst, and the IND all close. Residence permit appointments and business registrations need a non-holiday slot.

GVB trams, buses and metro switch to a Sunday timetable on all official holidays. First services start later, around07:00 to08:00. Frequency drops to every10 to20 minutes. NS runs a reduced schedule on Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Easter Sunday: trains start around08:00, finish around22:00, and run at roughly half the normal frequency.

Type	Status
Supermarkets	Most closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day; shorter hours on other holidays
City-centre shops	Open Easter Monday, Pentecost Monday, King's Day (12:00-17:00); closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day
Major museums (Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh)	Open every holiday including Christmas Day; close early at17:00
Restaurants and cafes	Open all holidays; a5-10% surcharge on Christmas Day is common
GVB	Sunday schedule on all holidays
Schiphol Airport	24/7 operation; fewer staff, arrive30 minutes earlier
Parking garages	Normal hours; demand spikes on King's Day

School Holidays in Amsterdam (North Region)

School breaks are staggered across three regions. Amsterdam belongs to the North region. The2026 dates:

Period	Dates
Spring break (voorjaarsvakantie)	21-27 February
May break (meivakantie)	25 April,3 May
Summer holiday	11 July,23 August
Autumn break (herfstvakantie)	17-25 October
Christmas holiday	19 December,3 January2027

King's Day,27 April, sits inside the May break. Schools get a full week off. Adults get a three-day weekend: Saturday to Monday.

Working Around the2026 Calendar

The stretch from late April to late May packs three long weekends: King's Day (Monday27 April), Ascension Day (Thursday14 May), and Pentecost Monday (25 May). Many Dutch workers take bridging days (brugdagen) to turn these into full weeks off. Expect thin staffing and delayed replies.

King's Day is the biggest event of the year. The city centre becomes pedestrian-only. Vrijmarkt stalls fill the streets. GVB runs a Sunday-plus schedule: extra trams in the morning, but the network shuts down in the centre from12:00. Cross the city by bike or on foot.

From mid-November through Christmas Eve, Amsterdam shops extend Sunday hours to12:00-18:00 or even20:00 in some areas. The last two Sundays before Christmas, Kalverstraat and PC Hooftstraat shops often stay open until20:00. Standard Sunday hours (12:00-17:00) fill up fast during those weeks.

For international calls, the Netherlands runs on CET (UTC+1) in winter and CEST (UTC+2) from29 March to25 October2026. New York sits6 hours behind on both15 January and15 July. London stays1 hour behind year-round. Tokyo is8 hours ahead in January,7 hours ahead in July.

Public Holidays in The Netherlands 2026