Amsterdam is such a charming city. Don’t believe the stereotypes that it is only good to visit for the ‘coffee’ shops or checking out the red light district. That is just plain wrong. Instead, see it for yourself. Explore the wide canals, experience the vibrant bike life, dabble in the expansive cultural opportunities and taste the diverse food scene.
This post outlines our brief trip to Amsterdam last June. It is not meant to be exhaustive by any means. There are so many things you can see, do and eat within this beautiful city. I will highlight just a few of the things I enjoyed and would recommend.
Trip Planning: Before You Go
Amsterdam wasn’t in my original plan for our larger Greece trip. But as I was researching flights to Greece, I found a cheap direct flight from NYC to Amsterdam and decided to add it in as longer layover.
Before we arrived, I booked our flights and our lodging. I’d recommend getting both ahead of time since it is such a tourist destination. Since Amsterdam is so easy to navigate, I didn’t rent a car. If you are planning on taking a train out of the city, you can get your tickets beforehand or upon arrival.
I would, however, recommend booking your museum tickets ahead of time. For example, the Anne Frank House is nearly impossible to get tickets to once you are there. I also made a reservation before we left for the Van Gogh Museum since it is quite popular.
Getting There & Around
We flew into Amsterdam directly on a Norwegian Air flight from JFK. It was about 6-7 hours total. There are a number of airlines that offer direct flights to Amsterdam. Note that most of them leaving US airports will take off later in the evening and arrive in the morning. This can make you quite groggy upon arrival depending on your ability to rest on the plane.
Once we arrived in the city, we were able to take a train directly to the neighborhood where we were staying. Amsterdam has an excellent public transit system to get to basically anywhere you need to go, including the airports and train stations. In addition, once there, we walked almost everywhere. If you are not into walking, you can also rent a bike, or take a train.
Amsterdam Basics
Amsterdam is the capital and the most populated city within the Netherlands. It has a population of around 900,000 in the city proper, with over a million in the urban area. It is known as the ‘Venice of the North’ and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Amsterdam is known for its canals, museums, red light district, cannabis coffee shops and its vibrant bicycle culture. The official language is Dutch, but most people speak fluent English, as well as one or two other languages. The currency is the Euro and ATMs are widely available.
Where to Stay
There are so many options for lodging in Amsterdam. You can pick from budget hostels, mid to high level hotels, to a range of Airbnbs.
We stayed at a fairly basic, but cute Airbnb north of Vondelpark. We enjoyed the location near the park and the many restaurants in the area. It was also very walkable to other parts of the city. When booking, I would recommend looking for the top places you want to visit and finding a place that is within walking or biking distance.
WHAT TO EAT
There are so many food options in Amsterdam. We hardly hit the iceberg of where and what to eat and I’m sure we could have tried so many more places. We stuck mostly to restaurants in our neighborhood and tried some snacks while we were out and about. One of the things you should definitely try are the Dutch pancakes. We tried them at Pancakes Amsterdam, which is a chain located throughout the city.
In our neighborhood we had amazing Ethiopian food at Lalibela Restaurant, yummy Thai at the Golden Brown Bar and delicious ramen at Betsubara. I’d guess that there are amazing food options in pretty much any neighborhood you are in.
What to Do
There are so many ways to occupy your time while you are in Amsterdam. If anything, you will need a repeat visit to fit everything in. Here are just a few ideas that I recommend.
Visit Vondelpark
Vondelpark, for me at least, was a highlight of both of my trips to Amsterdam. It is a beautiful park with nice trails to run, bike, or walk. In summer there are tons of people out enjoying the nice weather and spending time with friends and family. I loved running around the park, as well as strolling through it en route to some other city destination. There are an abundance of little walkways that lead to ponds, fields or unique art pieces. I recommend getting yourself lost in Vondelpark at least once.
Check out the Markets
There are markets galore in Amsterdam. We visited the Albert Cuyp Market in the de Pijp neighborhood and it is filled with all types of food, flowers, produce, souvenirs and clothing for sale. It’s fun just to wander around the markets for an afternoon, especially if you are hungry!
Explore the Museums
There are many museums to choose from in Amsterdam. On my first visit, I spent one full afternoon visiting the Rijksmuseum. This is probably the most popular museum in Amsterdam and it is filled with a diverse collection of exhibits and artwork.
On my second visit to Amsterdam, I made sure to plan ahead. I booked tickets to visit the Anne Frank House, which I had missed out on the first time around due to it being sold out. This is a must see historical spot within Amsterdam and it is extremely powerful to behold. I highly recommend it.
The Van Gogh Museum is another must see while you are in Amsterdam. There are many other museum options, this is just what we had time for. If you want to see other museum recommendations, check out this page.
Wander the Canals
I think one of the most refreshing and lovely things to do in Amsterdam is simply to wander around the canals. This might just be my opinion as an outsider, but taking in all the townhouses lined up along the canals, the houseboats in the water, and the people strolling by, is magical.
Take a Detour to Haarlem
We took a short afternoon trip from Amsterdam out to Haarlem to see my friend Norman. It is a city about half an hour train ride from downtown Amsterdam. It’s a lot quieter than Amsterdam, but filled with impressive architecture and cute streets calling your name to explore.
Running in Amsterdam
Running is a lot of fun in Amsterdam. There are so many options for routes among the vibrant parks, lanes and canals. We were lucky enough to be based very close to Vondelpark, so we did all of our runs through there or to nearby adjoining parks.
Getting Away
We took a flight from Amsterdam to our next stop in Santorini. We flew the budget airline Transavia and it was a relaxed trip out with no issues. There are many options to travel into and out of Amsterdam. You can travel by train, car, and airplane depending on where you are looking to go.
