Home / Travel / Netherlands · Campus tours
University of Amsterdam campus tour: the city-centre university
How to visit the University of Amsterdam: the University Quarter, Oudemanhuispoort, Roeterseiland, Science Park, student life, open days and where to stay.
The University of Amsterdam (UvA) is woven into the city rather than set apart from it. Its oldest buildings line the canals of the medieval centre, its social sciences have a modern campus a short walk east, and its science faculty lives in a research park on the edge of town. For prospective students, that means a visit doubles as a tour of Amsterdam itself. Below you'll find the main sites in walking order, an honest picture of student life, how open days work, and practical advice on transport and places to stay.
Four sites to know
| Campus | Where | Mainly for |
|---|---|---|
| University Quarter (Binnenstad) | Old centre, between Dam Square and Nieuwmarkt | Humanities, the university library, historic buildings |
| Roeterseiland | East of the centre, near the Plantage | Economics and business, law, social and behavioural sciences |
| Amsterdam Science Park | Eastern edge of the city | Science, including computer science and physics |
| Amsterdam UMC | South-east | Medicine |
Don't confuse the UvA with Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), a separate university in the south of the city. The two do run some programmes together, including Amsterdam University College at Science Park.
The University Quarter
The UvA grew from the Athenaeum Illustre, a school founded by the city in 1632; it became a university in 1877. The founding lectures were given in the Agnietenkapel, a 15th-century former convent chapel on Oudezijds Voorburgwal that still belongs to the university.
A few steps away is the Oudemanhuispoort, an 18th-century former home for elderly men. Its covered passage between two canals is lined with small wooden book stalls, a second-hand book market that has been part of the city for generations, and its quiet inner courtyard is one of the loveliest spots in the centre. Nearby are lecture buildings and the University Library on the Singel.
End this part of the walk at the Allard Pierson, the university's museum of its heritage collections, by the Rokin, with archaeology, maps and books.
Roeterseiland
Walk east over the Amstel and through Waterlooplein to Roeterseiland, a modern campus of glass and brick buildings on a small island between canals. It's the busiest UvA site, and its plazas and cafés show everyday student life. The Plantage neighbourhood around it is green and calm, with the Hortus Botanicus and Artis zoo a few minutes away.
Science Park
Amsterdam Science Park is a purpose-built campus in the east, shared by the UvA's Faculty of Science, research institutes and companies, with student housing on site. It has its own train station, which makes it easy to reach, but it feels more like a technology park than an old university. Visit if a prospective student is heading for a science programme.
What student life is really like
There are no US-style dorms in the centre. Students live in rooms from student housing providers, in shared flats across the city, or in nearby towns, commuting by train. Amsterdam's housing shortage is serious and well known, so incoming students should start looking as early as possible and watch out for rental scams.
Everyone cycles. Students gather in the cafés around the University Quarter, on the Roeterseiland plazas and in parks such as Oosterpark and Vondelpark. There are study associations for each programme, a university sports centre and a big international community. A good number of bachelor's programmes are taught in English, alongside Dutch-taught ones; check the language of each programme.
Open days and taster days
The UvA holds bachelor's open days, where departments give presentations and students answer questions, and "student for a day" programmes that let prospective students join real classes. Master's programmes run their own information events, many online. Check the university's official pages for future students for dates and registration.
Getting there and getting around
- From Schiphol: trains reach Amsterdam Centraal in about 15 to 20 minutes; the University Quarter is a short walk or tram ride from there.
- Roeterseiland: metro lines 51, 53 and 54 stop at Weesperplein, a few minutes' walk away; trams also serve the area.
- Science Park: local trains stop at Amsterdam Science Park station, a few minutes from Amsterdam Centraal.
- Payment: trams, metro and trains generally accept contactless bank cards; tap in and out every time.
Choosing a base for the visit
The Canal Ring and the area around Nieuwmarkt put you on the doorstep of the University Quarter. Oost and the Plantage are calmer and close to Roeterseiland and the Science Park train. The Museum Quarter is quieter and elegant. See our guide to where to stay in Amsterdam for each area's pros and cons, and book early, as the city fills up in spring and summer.
Making the most of the trip
- If you have one free day, follow our Amsterdam in one day route, which passes close to the University Quarter.
- Many families combine the UvA with a technical university visit; our TU Delft campus tour is about an hour away by train.
- Watch for cyclists: step off the red bike lanes when you stop to look at a map.
Bloiq is reader-supported. Some links may earn us a commission; it never affects what we write. How we make money.
Cover photo: Txllxt TxllxT, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
