Celebrate King's Day like a True Dutchman with Expedia.co.uk - Seite 2

Tip 1: Get lost in the orange madness on Museum Square
Head your way to Museum Square via the Amsterdam canals and try to get a lift on a boat! The canals will be packed with orange party boats and party-goers sometimes jump from one boat to the other since everybody is friends on King's Day. Once you arrive at Museum Square in Amsterdam on the 27^th of April you can't help but wonder if orange really is the new black. Nearly a million party-goers gather yearly to dance to famous Dutch music acts, surrounded by world famous museums like the Van Gogh museum and Rembrandt museum. Here you will find that more than patriotism and love for the royal family, King's Day is all about community and bringing all sorts of people with different backgrounds together. Take an orange accessory/prop and you'll be part of it! Everybody belongs and everybody is orange. And that is properly celebrated here!

Tip 2: Take the ferry to the North of Amsterdam for a free festival for all
In Amsterdam North, away from the crowds, the NDSM Vrijhaven festival will take place which is really a fun time for all. Whether you're visiting with mates or a family, you won't get bored. There will be plenty of food stalls, live music, art, theatre, a massive flea market for kids, karaoke and much more. It has the best King's Day has to offer all in one location!

Tip 3: Celebrate King's Day in the home of the royals
The Dutch city that is most linked to the royals is The Hague, where the official royal residence is based. Great King's Day hack: arrive the day before so you can also join the King's Night parties. That's right, the partying already starts the night before! There's no better place to celebrate King's Night than Den Haag, who started the tradition of starting King's Day early. This year, Kings Night is dedicated to the 'Life I Live' festival, that is all about live music. If you're not a huge fan of crowds, this is a good alternative. The city centre is divided into several 'music villages' that all represent a different genre. The setting is celebratory but intimate, a great tip for music lovers!

Tip 4: Hunt for bargains on the street
King's Day is the one day a year where the Dutch government permits sales on the street without a permit. The Dutch love haggling and hunting for bargains, so they jump on this opportunity and the entire country becomes one big flea market. Don't expect to pay more than a pound for shoes or bags and a few pennies for books and toys. You'll also find a lot of kids forming street bands and selling cupcakes and cookies. Fun fact: a few days prior to King's Day you will see duct tape all over the street in squares with the words 'bezet' ('occupied') in it, which is the way locals mark their territory and claim their spot on the street flea market. De Jordaan, Vondelpark and De Pijp are the best areas to shop around.