A cultural travel guide to the world

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Understanding local customs is where a journey begins. Find the topics that matter to you and feel at ease wherever you go.

Netherlands

2 rules found

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersPlace-specific guidance · 荷兰

Netherlands: cannabis is tolerated only in designated places

Do

  • Understand that 'tolerated' does not mean legal

Don’t

  • Smoking cannabis in public places
  • Buying or possessing drugs outside designated places

Using it in public is illegal; buying or possessing it outside designated places can mean prison.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Netherlands travel advice

Site-specific notes 11

Taken from the "don'ts" on each site page here. Open a site for its full etiquette and background.

Zaanse Schans

  • Don't climb windmill sails or enter areas that aren't open
  • don't peer into or photograph residents' windows for long
  • note: some Dutch 'coffeeshops' are something else entirely — visitors should know the difference.

Keukenhof

  • Stepping into the flower fields for photos is strictly forbidden (growers detest it)
  • drones are banned
  • don't pick flowers or take bulbs away.

King's Day in the Netherlands

  • Mooring boats in no-mooring zones
  • blocking the way in front of stalls for a long time
  • throwing things into the canals
  • causing trouble after drinking

Delft

  • At the pottery factory, do not touch unglazed pieces or works whose glaze is still wet
  • do not be noisy around the royal burial vault
  • do not cycle on footpaths

Kinderdijk Windmills

  • Do not enter mills or private areas that are not open to visitors
  • keep away from turning sails
  • do not park on the dikes or go into the water

Cube Houses and Markthal

  • Most cube houses are private homes, so do not knock on residents' doors
  • do not photograph residents' windows at close range
  • do not block the aisles of the Markthal

Giethoorn

  • Do not enter private gardens without permission
  • do not make loud noise next to homes

Van Gogh Museum

  • Do not photograph in the galleries or use flash — raising a phone toward a painting outside the atrium will draw staff intervention
  • do not carry a large rucksack into the galleries — check it first (free storage is provided)
  • do not treat the museum as a quick photo stop ending at the shop — the collection is extremely dense, and allowing under 2 hours will make the visit very rushed

Anne Frank House

  • Don't make noise, laugh or take selfies in the annexe
  • don't queue for long at the door blocking the canal-side pavement

Rijksmuseum

  • Don't touch the paintings or exhibits
  • don't use flash
  • don't hog the best spot in front of the Night Watch

The Amsterdam Canal Belt

  • Don't jump into the canals to swim
  • don't throw rubbish into them
  • don't press up against houseboats or house windows to use them as photo backdrops