It’s always tricky to visit a new city — there’s lots to see and you don’t know enough to make the best decisions. My typical approach is to walk around a lot and try to get my bearings on where the main parts of the city are.
After living in Amsterdam for 2 years, I’ve taken a shot below to orient you. Also keep in mind that, unlike other cities, Amsterdam is remarkably small. You can walk from one end to the other in 30–40 mins. You can easily rent bikes or take trams. Uber also works well, but wouldn’t recommend it to the centre, where the streets are narrow and might be more inconvenient than other methods.
I recommend bringing good shoes and a rain jacket — then figure out what you want to do :)
If it’s your first time, here’s a short list:
- walking along the canals — can be unplanned (you can’t really get lost)
- walking through a park or two — rent a bike to do some outside activity or take a short boat trip to see the city from another angle
- visiting a museum or a couple of foodie places (get a fresh stroopwafel, try some Gouda cheese, go to the Heineken experience or to a gin tasting, etc.)
- take it easy and enjoy people watching from a nice cafe or some nice shopping in the 9 streets area
- take a day trip to Haarlem / Zaanse Schans or a castle if you want to do more
Where to be outside:
- Walking routes in Amsterdam
- Cycle routes around Amsterdam
TRANSIT INTO THE CITY
Easiest transit between the airport and city center is the train (NS) from Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal/Centrum. The train station is in/under the airport — you can buy tickets at the machines or use your contactless card to tap into the train and then out.
The other option is to exit the airport and right outside, in one of the bus bays, take the Amsterdam shuttle bus 397 which will drop you in the centre (and a few other locations). For the bus, it’s helpful to buy the ticket in advance:
- One-way ticket: https://www.connexxion.nl/en/shop/e-tickets/amsterdam-airport-express-single-ticket
- Round-trip ticket: https://www.connexxion.nl/en/shop/e-tickets/amsterdam-airport-express-return-ticket
HOTELS
Higher end
- The Hoxton boutique hotel The Hoxton, Amsterdam
- Banks Mansion on historic canal Banks Mansion
- Stay in a houseboat! 2 Houseboat Suites Amsterdam
- You can also choose a chain, like Marriot or NH (or your own preference)
Medium/Lower end
- 3 hotels next to each other, of similar rating: Amadi Park Hotel Hotel Mosaic Amsterdam City Centre Grand Hotel Downtown
- The Melrose — in the famous “9 streets” shopping district, by lovely cafes, shopping and restaurants Melrose Hotel — similar rating to the 3 hotels above
- Not greatly rated but very close to many attractions Hotel Espresso City Center
MUSEUMS
Highly encourage purchasing digital tickets ahead of time. Especially during peak times (April/May — August), it might be hard (or impossible) to simply walk in and purchase a ticket
- Rijsmuseum — the biggest Dutch museum, lots of exhibitions and space. Special exhibits need to be booked ahead https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl
- Van Gogh Museum https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/nl
- Anne Frank Museum — needs to be booked at least a month ahead https://www.annefrank.org/nl/
- Naval History Museum https://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.com/
- Amsterdam City Museum — https://www.stedelijk.nl/en
ACTIVITIES
Hikes
- Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen https://maps.app.goo.gl/JHvf13uEvLFNWvGt7
- Zuid-Kennemerland National Park- dune park, not recommended in the rainy weather
- Amsterdam Forest Het Amsterdamse Bos
Parks
- Vondelpark (one of the largest parks) Vondelpark
- Westerpark (nice, large park with wild areas + restaurants as well) Westerpark
- Noorderpark (a subway or a walk + ferry away in the North of the city) Noorderpark
- Rembrandtpark Rembrandtpark (very nice, smaller neighborhood park)
Castles
Don’t really recommend them — they’re not like German castles, up on a hill and looking impressive. They’re an experience on themselves but a castle on flat land… is just different and slightly less majestic (my opinion, of course).
Photography spots around Amsterdam: via Velvet Escapes
Boat rides
- Pure Boats. Classy. Can be booked ahead and they have covered spaces https://pureboats.com/ (for small groups, not for individuals)
- Those Dam Boat Guys. Canadians with a good sense of humor. https://www.thosedamboatguys.com
FOOD
- Albert Cuyp Market — similar to Pike Place in Seattle
- De Hallen Market
- Cheese tasting, paired with wine — Abraham Kef (needs reservation, highly recommend)
- A great cookie at Van Stapele! https://vanstapele.com/ — they only do ONE cookie type but it’s amazing and packaged beautifully (show up early or place an order ahead)
- The best apple tart at Winkel43 (gets busy in the weekend, show up early on a weekday or place order ahead)
- Best chocolate treats & hot chocolate Chocolaterie Pompadour
- Gin tasting — any of these spots — may also need reservation
- We’ve had a great jenever tasting at Wynand Fockink Proeflokaal
- Cafe Karpershoek — oldest bar in Amsterdam for vibe and more intimate atmosphere tasting (but probably won’t sample as many as in a typical tasting place).
- Best stroopwaffel — many good options for fresh stroopwaffels. We don’t really have favorites here, pick one that speaks to you as you walk by :)
- Pretty much any bar will have multiple gins on hand though (jenever) https://maps.app.goo.gl/JUoXX4hiWmS2qDnSA
Breweries
- Heineken Experience (needs tickets) — nice rooftop view (can also just go up to the roof for the price of the full admission ticket) https://maps.app.goo.gl/VcsRvxn3WuqiiHxy9
- Brewery in a Windmill Brouwerij ‘t IJ https://maps.app.goo.gl/MU3FJV4af8BgHWyB6
- Oedipus Brewery — our favorite beer https://maps.app.goo.gl/F2m8tS6RfDUVbfHw8
Our favorite restaurants
- Cafe Amsterdam — can be done with a trip to Westerpark
- Gollem Beer bar (next door to us) https://maps.app.goo.gl/EzvAPSUK2m23Vp5r9
- Staring at Jacob — possibly best brunch in town. Needs reservation ahead if possible (especially on Fri — Sun) https://maps.app.goo.gl/xp82QwpPBRb433j9A
- Brut de Mer — https://maps.app.goo.gl/kEZ5cvyoDKhtUK14A
- Bacalar — Mexican Street food and amazingly handcrafted cocktails https://maps.app.goo.gl/9WcjJNf2hoLMhgRA8
- Almost anything in De Pijp neighborhood (by Albert Cuyp market)
Our favorite cafes (not coffee shops, those are the ones that serve weed — you want a cafe if you’re looking for coffee)
- Monk’s https://maps.app.goo.gl/w3jQEUyhSwnjjZLs6 can be done on the way to WesterPark
- Coffee District https://maps.app.goo.gl/nT7xd1pNVsCbLyY29 — can be paired with long walk in Vondelpark
- Kofie Academy https://maps.app.goo.gl/Lr5b4bBmAELZNjL99
- Lot 61 https://maps.app.goo.gl/csAKDsoWksKaiBEz6
- Five Ways https://maps.app.goo.gl/wbaLE41DbAHvepfX9
ENTERTAINMENT
Theater /Movies
- Pathé Tuschinski cinema (Reguliersbreestraat 26–34, near Rembrandtplein), arguably one of the most beautiful movie theaters. The Art Nouveau interior in the main foyer and Hall 1 is simply stunning! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuschinski_Theatre
Music
- Outdoor shows in the forest — Amsterdamse Bos — https://www.liveatamsterdamsebos.nl
- Milk factory turned culture space and music venue — https://www.melkweg.nl/en/
- Live jazz every night — https://www.jazz-cafe-alto.nl
Comedy
- Live shows at Carre Theatre, Melkweg, and other venues — check calendars and buy tickets in advance
FUN DAY TRIPS FROM AMSTERDAM
- Alkmaar on a Friday morning to see the biggest cheese market https://www.kaasmarkt.nl/en-gb (short train ride away)
- Zaanse Schans — old/ reenactment Dutch town with pretty windmills. Short train ride + 30 mins walking on the other side https://maps.app.goo.gl/CYJ8WnVNLc4FKC9G7
- Delft — quaint, cute little town. Home of blue and white ceramics that are iconic for the Dutch.
- Utrecht — 20 mins train ride. Quieter, cute Dutch place with excellent cafes & restaurants + walking areas
- Hoorn — https://maps.app.goo.gl/Xsc6VJf9q4wgUvzA6 — very quaint and less touristy
- Scheveningen/The Hague — Seaside resort on the North Sea (good if there’s good weather)
- Don’t recommend Rotterdam but if you like zany modern architecture, it could be worth a trip.
MORE
The Amsterdam reddit channel is one of the best organised, with a wide range of information and a weekly Q&A as you get closer to your trip.
One day soon, I’ll also add activities to do with kids, since we have lots of nieces and nephews we’ll eventually entertain :)
