Amsterdam from a plane window. It’s a view I’ve always wanted to capture on camera but the chances of flying directly across the centre of Amsterdam on a commercial airliner are quite small considering that Amsterdam Schiphol Airport has five runways fanned out in different directions. Then you have to take the weather into account! My dream came true on a flight from Amsterdam to Valencia. It was a late-afternoon flight and the plane took off in a northerly direction before quickly banking to the east. The sun was already way in the west (perfect!) and there wasn’t a single cloud to obstruct my view from row ‘A’. The aerial views of the Amsterdam canals (UNESCO World Heritage listed) from the plane window were phenomenal!

Plane window views of Amsterdam

The concentric ring of Amsterdam canals that are so characteristic of the historic city centre can clearly be seen. The body of water in the upper left is the Ij Harbour.

In the photo above, you can clearly see the city’s famed Vondel Park in the bottom right.

In the photo above, you can see the famous Rijksmuseum and the Museumplein (Museum Square) in the bottom right. Many other landmarks such as the Leidseplein (Leidse Square), the Maritime Museum, the city’s Central Station, Nemo (Science Museum) can also be seen if you know where to look!

The photo above shows the Amstel River (the wide body of water that stretches horizontally across the middle of the photo from the right) that flows into the heart of the city and from which Amsterdam derives its name. The river makes a sharp bend (centre left in the photo) as it enters the city centre. Amsterdam’s City Hall (Stopera), the white curvy building, is located in the bend. The park in the centre of the photo is the city’s Artis Zoo.

I’m thrilled that I finally managed to capture these views! Hope you enjoyed them as much as I have! 🙂

If you’re connecting, read about things to do on a layover at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. If you’re visiting Amsterdam, check out my Amsterdam travel guide and my post on day trips from Amsterdam.

Read other Velvet Escape posts from the Plane Views series:

• Incredible views from a plane window
• Plane views: the Himalayas and Mount Everest
• Plane views: Dubrovnik
• Plane views: Sydney Harbour
• Plane views: Rio de Janeiro
• Plane views: Santiago to Punta Arenas (Chilean Andes & Patagonia)
• Plane views: Bora Bora, French Polynesia
• Plane views: Lisbon