Logistics & Lingo
Amsterdam is in the region of North Holland, in the country The Netherlands.
Currency- Euro €
Part of Schengen zone and the European Union
Transportation- Biking, walking, trains & street cars. They have Uber & Lyft. Renting a car is possible but not recommended or efficient in the city center.
Legalities- Prostitution as a business is legal here although running into it is avoidable since it’s contained in one area called “De Wallen” or “the Red Light District.” Marijuana is legal for those over 18 and can be smoked in coffeeshops or in one’s residence (most hotels do not allow it inside) but not in public. Magic Mushrooms and other psychedelics are sold at Smart Shops. Any hard drugs are illegal and all substances are taken at ones own risk.
Coffeeshops- bars for smoking and buying marijuana, no alcohol allowed
Brown Cafes- Casual pubs that serve Dutch food, beer and spirits
Smart Shops- Sell psychedelics such as magic mushrooms, salvia, DMT, aphrodisiacs, kratom, and also medicinal herbs. They also sell hookahs, bongs, pipes etc.
Food- Amsterdam has the widest variety of food options that I’ve seen yet during my travels. Some good traditional Dutch food that you must try are bitterballen– deep fried balls that typically have beef, cheese, and broth filling, poffertjes– mini light pancakes, stroopwafels– crispy waffle “shells” with caramel in the middle, and gouda cheese.
Thankfully if you’re not interested in traditional Dutch food you can find plenty of other international options. Surinamese, Ethiopian, Argentinian, Italian, Indonesian, vegetarian & vegan places, and wok are super abundant here. Since there are many immigrants from all over the world you can find tons of different cuisines. On one day that I was visiting I had pancakes for breakfast, Afghani food for lunch, and wok for dinner, so come hungry!
Day One: Exploring the Canal Ring City Center
Explore the city center during the day and wander around the different canals taking time to examine shops and alleys. Check out the following buildings: Amsterdam Centraal Station, Oude Kerk (old church), and Sint Nikolaas Kerk. For the non faint-hearted adults visit the fun and campy Sexmuseum (CW: website contains mild cartoon nudity) or the Museum of Prostitution which each take about one hour. 1 hour not including museums
It’s difficult to get tickets to the Anne Frank Museum due to it being one of the most popular destinations with a small space for visitors. Reserve and buy tickets online, otherwise the lines are a couple hours long with no guarantees of getting in. You can reserve no earlier than 2 months in advance so make sure to reserve as soon as possible since tickets sell out quickly. 1 hour
Houseboat Museum- A cute museum showing life in a canal houseboat on the idyllic Prinsengracht canal. It’s only 4.50 euro for adults and worth a stop to see a day in the life of a houseboat Amsterdam resident. There is also a 2 km walking tour if you’re interested in seeing more houseboats and canal information. 30 minutes without walking tour, 1 hour with Canal Route walking tour
Jordaan District- Many locals live in the Jordaan (pronounced Yord-on) area which is filled with lovely canals, eateries, and quirky shops. It’s worth getting lost and wandering around the neighborhood
Electric Ladyland Museum- For an off the beaten path experience, check out the first and only fluorescent art museum in the world (no suntan lotion) owned by a really cool dude who emigrated to Amsterdam from the US. He clearly loves what he does and you’ll learn a ton and have a fun time in this museum where pictures are always allowed! Visits are only Wednesday through Saturday and by appointment only. 1 hour
Jenever Tasting- After (or during) all that walking or biking, you’ll probably want a break. Do a tasting of jenever, a local spirit that can be similar to gin, but with different flavors. In the City Center area, De Drie Fleschjes and Wynand Fockink are good options that have a small traditional setting. There are jenever bars all around the city, just keep in mind that they are open usually afternoon to evening (8 or 9 PM) usually so it’s often done prior to dinner.
In the evening, immerse yourself in Amsterdam culture. Now is the time if you are interested to check out the De Wallen/Red Light District, but keep in mind pictures are not allowed and there is security watching who will kick you out if you attempt. Stroll around the city center at night and check out coffeeshops and brown cafes surrounding the canals.
If you’d rather avoid the city center nightlife take a evening canal tour. There are plenty of options to choose from including express one hour, wine and cheese tasting, and full candlelit dinner tours.
Day 2: Museums & the Outer Ring
Start your day off at the Van Gogh Museum after purchasing tickets online to save time. Even if you aren’t an art fan this museum does an incredible job of telling the artist’s life story and has plenty of his famous pieces including some of his sunflowers and self portraits. Unfortunately you won’t find Starry Night here- that’s at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. 90 minutes
If the weather permits, take a stroll or bike through Vondelpark. Walk through the gardens around the Rijksmuseum which are free, but unless you’re interested in Dutch art history or Rembrandt skip the museum itself. 1 hour
Head to Albert Cuypmarket, the largest outdoor market in Europe. Here you can find all your shopping needs including flowers, clothing, and souveniers, and also have a picnic lunch. 45 min-90 min
The Heineken Experience is not only a brewery tour, but an “experience” with an interactive museum, short film, amusement ride, and comes with two beers to drink at the bar. I am personally not a Heineken fan but there it tastes infinitely better than outside the Netherlands, and it is one of my favorite brewery tours rivaling Guinness. Purchasing tickets online saves you €2. 2 hours
Have a Indonesian rijstaffel dinner- I recommend Indrapura in Rembrandtplein. Rijstaffel or “rice table” is a Dutch-Indonesian inspired banquet meal of rice with multiple small bowls of foods. There are multiple types of meat and vegetarian options and the dishes are eaten along with bites of rice.
Spend the second night away from the touristy city center. If you’re interested in clubs, theatre, or comedy check out Rembrandtplein or Leidseplein neighborhoods, and if you’d rather be more laid back hop to De Pijp or Jordaan.
Note that clubs here tend to open (or at least get the party started) at around midnight and close 5-6 AM, so if you only have a couple days you’ll want to plan accordingly.
Day 3: Day Trip
With a third (or fourth!) day I’d recommend taking a trip to the Dutch countryside to see a smaller town outside the city. Here are some day trip options from Amsterdam:
- If you’re around during tulip season (typically April-June) take a trip to the Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse.
- Zaanse Schans
- The Hague (Den Haag)
- Gouda (from April-August visit Gouda Cheese Market)
- Leiden
I’ve had itinerary questions about combining Amsterdam with a trip to Brussels or Brugge in Belgium, and I’d recommend to skip it if you have 4 or less days. Travel time by train or car is about 2.5 hours each way and there’s so much to see in the Dutch countryside. Besides, Belgium certainly deserves its own visit and Gent and Brugge are both worth at least three days themselves!
