Amsterdam is one of the world’s most popular destinations for bachelor parties. The city’s lax approach to drugs, prostitution, and general hedonism has made it a hotbed for visitors looking for one last hurrah – or just the chance to get absolutely wasted with their friends. Locals have raised a few eyebrows, and the city has implemented strict new fines for typical bachelor behaviour like urinating in canals, littering, and indiscriminate puking.
You deserve an awesome stag do in Amsterdam. You don’t deserve to get run over by a furious Dutch cyclist, or get arrested while handcuffed to a half-naked man dressed and painted like a smurf (this is a real thing that happens here, more frequently than you might think).
With that in mind, here are some top Amsterdam stag party ideas that will keep you in good spirits and out of too much trouble.
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Embark on a violent rampage – in virtual reality
Amsterdam is quickly making a name for itself as one of the world’s biggest virtual reality hubs. There are several great places to try some of the world’s most cutting-edge technology, but our favourite is the one with the coolest name: The Virtuality.
Work as a team to defeat an invading army of zombies, or ruthlessly crush your friends at virtual paintball (don’t worry, they’ll still feel it when you snipe them). It’s active, it’s fun, and you can also get a couple of sneaky drinks in before or afterwards to add to the experience.
If the bachelor in question is more of a pacifist, The Virtuality has plenty of other options too. They can race a Formula One car at over 300km/h, play some Mario, or go on a meditative trek through nature. Look, it’s their stag, and they can roam peacefully through a forest if they want to.
Take your Amsterdam bachelor party over the edge
A time-honoured stag do tradition is some mild to severe humiliation of the husband-to-be. Walk through the centre of Amsterdam for a day and you’ll see reluctant men in pink tutus, facepaint, T-shirts with embarrassing slogans, and other unoriginal ideas.
Take things to the next level, and put the fear of God into the groom-to-be by forcing them to confront one of Amsterdam’s most exhilarating attractions. The ‘Over the Edge’ swing at the Amst`erdam Lookout Tower is a true exercise in bowel control, over 100 meters up from the cold, hard ground.
You don’t really know your friends until you’ve spent some quality time together screaming for your lives as you swing towards oblivion. There’s also a very decent bar up there, with some of the best views of the city around.
Do what the locals do
Luckily for you, the locals love drinking Heineken on boats and cruising around the canals. It’s honestly pretty great. Many boat rental companies also offer a personal captain along with unlimited drinks to avoid a Titanic-style crash. Amsterdam’s canal ring is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it’s not often that you get to kick back with a beer while someone chauffeurs you through one of those.
The cruise provider you pick is going to depend on what you want – how many people you bring, how much they want to drink, and whether or not they want to listen to The Vengaboys’ greatest hits. You’ll see some of the best parts of the city along the way, and a private boat with your friends is much more fun than a shared one with a bunch of strangers who don’t appreciate ’90s playlists.
Unleash your inner Jason Momoa
Look, you may not be as handsome, muscular, famous, popular, rich, charming… or, well, anything really, as Jason ‘Khal Drogo’ Momoa. But he threw an axe once, and you can too! Axe throwing seems pretty bizarre at first. Why is it so popular? Why would anyone do this? Then you throw your hatchet, smash it right into a bull’s-eye, and understand immediately.
Amsterdam has a couple of good axe-throwing spots, perfect for a slightly alternative stag do activity. Prove to your friends that you’re the ultimate warrior, and wield your weapon while everyone admires your accuracy – or shields themselves in terror as you completely miss the target. We recommend doing this prior to any drinking.
Foot golf and bubble football
Lastly, there’s nothing like a bit of friendly competition. And by ‘a bit of friendly competition’, we mean furiously smashing into your friends from the safety and comfort of a protective bubble. Bubble football is some of the most fun you’ll ever have, whether it’s the thrill of scoring a goal or just sending someone absolutely flying.
Foot golf is pretty similar, but features a bit less action and a bit more actual skill. Finally discover once and for all who the best footballer in your circle is, with incontrovertible proof. Feel free to make the results part of your wedding speech, assuming they go your way. There are plenty of great places in Amsterdam to try these activities – and if you’re not all footballed out, check out the famous Johan Cruijff Arena where you can pay tribute to an actual legend of the game.
