Amsterdam Big Weekend

Your weekend, day by day

1. 1

   Day 1

   

   Boat party & cruise

   From about 15:00 · 1.5 hours

   Arrival day. The transfer brings the group from Schiphol to the accommodation, then the private canal boat in the afternoon with the group on its own. Board on time, as the boat runs to a fixed slot, and bring a layer: it is cooler on the water.

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   Boats in Amsterdam are canal boats, not party ships. The usual booking is a private boat with a skipper, picking up in the centre, for 90 minutes to two hours round the Canal Ring with beer, wine and soft drinks included. Variations add a pizza each, a barbecue cooked on board by a chef, or a stop at two Dutch bars along the way. Shared one-hour cruises suit a smaller group. Many operators take a security bond per boat on boarding, and minimums of eight to ten are standard. A late-afternoon slot finishes you in the centre in time for dinner.

   You board at a fixed time and the boat runs a set loop, so latecomers are left on the dock. Onboard there is a bar and usually a DJ or a sound system you can plug into. Some are private charters for your group alone, others are shared with other bookings.

   What is included varies more here than anywhere else: some are entry only, some include a drinks package, some include food. Get that in writing before you pay.

   Deck shoes or trainers, nothing with a heel. It is colder on the water than on land, even in summer, so bring a layer.

2. 2

   Day 2

   

   Beer tasting & brewery tour

   From about 14:00 · 1.5 hours

   A slow morning, then the beer tasting in the afternoon: a walk through how the beer is made, followed by a guided flight at the table. It is a sit-down activity rather than a drinking session.

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   The big draw is the self-guided experience inside the city's famous former brewery, now an interactive attraction in the centre. Allow about two hours, with two beers each at the end. Entry slots run from mid-morning into the evening, but on Saturdays groups must be in by about 11:30am, so it usually works better as a Friday or Sunday plan. The more relaxed alternative is a 90-minute tasting of five Dutch beers, blondes and darks, hosted by a bartender in a central bar or at a working local brewery. Both are 18-plus, with ID checked.

   The tour covers how the beer is actually made, through the mash tun, the fermenters and the cellar, and takes about an hour. Then you sit down to a guided tasting of a flight of their beers, usually four or five, with someone explaining what you are drinking.

   It is a sit-down, talk-to-each-other activity rather than a drinking session, and it works well for a group that has been on it since Friday. Most breweries have a taproom you can stay in afterwards.

   Working sites mean closed-toe shoes and no flip-flops. Some breweries put on food; check before you book dinner elsewhere.

3. 3

   Day 3

   

   Group dinner & restaurant

   From about 19:30 · 2 hours

   The booked group dinner, with one table for the whole group. Confirm final numbers and any dietary needs with the restaurant ahead of the day. If the group is heading out afterwards, dress for the bars rather than the restaurant.

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   Most Amsterdam group dinners are central, with a two-hour table. Options include a traditional Dutch main, a two-course Italian, spare ribs, or a table with its own beer tap, where the tap bill is paid to the restaurant on the night. Around Rembrandtplein there is a sports-bar restaurant that shows Premier League games and turns into a club later, which suits a match weekend. The drag dinner is a three-hour, three-course show at fixed weekend sittings and asks for a drinks deposit on arrival. Send dietary needs ahead; a vegetarian option is usually possible.

   A restaurant taking a large group will usually want a set menu, a deposit and final numbers a few days ahead. That is normal and it works in your favour: the food comes out together and the bill is per head rather than an hour of arithmetic.

   Tell them about allergies and anyone who does not eat meat when you confirm the numbers, not on the night.

   Dress code is the restaurant's. If you are heading to a club afterwards, dress for the club, because the restaurant is the softer door.

4. 4

   Day 4

   

   Go-karting

   From about 11:00 · 1 hour

   Departure day. Go-karting in the late morning: a briefing, practice laps, qualifying and a scored final, with the times on a board. Trousers and trainers, and every driver must be sober. Allow for the transfer back to Schiphol afterwards.

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   Karting for Amsterdam groups happens at a large indoor track on the outskirts, about 30 minutes from the centre, with transfers as an optional extra. The grand prix format gives the group exclusive use of the track for around 90 minutes: a practice heat, a race and a final of roughly ten minutes each, with timing sheets and a trophy for the winner. Shorter sessions with about 20 minutes' driving each may share the track with the public. For something different there is wind-powered blokarting at up to 60km/h, but it relies on the wind and nobody can drink beforehand. Run it in daylight, before the evening starts.

   You get a briefing, race suit, helmet and gloves, then a session that usually runs about an hour: practice laps, a qualifying run and a scored final. Timing is automatic and the results go on a board, which is where the arguments start.

   Indoor circuits run all year; outdoor ones are longer, faster and at the mercy of the weather. Both put a podium and a bottle of something at the end.

   Wear trousers rather than shorts, and trainers. There are height, weight and footwear limits at most tracks, and you have to be sober.