It is famous for its canals, bike riding, and Dutch tulips. It is considered the “City of Sin” in Europe since it is home to the Red-Light District
Fly into Amsterdam: Airport Schiphol (AMS) (10 miles south of the city centre)
WHAT TO DO
Alcohol Experiences
Heineken Experience: Beer experience within Heineken’s oldest brewery, ending in a tasting room
House of Bols: Interactive cocktail museum, ending in a cocktail lounge
Take a canal boat ride
Many tours on the canal you can hop onto.
Rent a bike:
Amsterdam is a city of bikes! Rent a bike from one of the numerous shops around the city.
Albert Cuyp market: Outdoor street market
Watch locals bargaining for their goods!
Get a stroopwafel from Rudi’s Original Stroopwafels
Westergasfabriek: Former factory turned into bars, cafes, movie theatres, + more
Visit a Coffeeshop (Cannabis bar)
Bulldog Lounge Coffee Shop: Longest-running coffee shop in the city
Grey Area: Iconic hangout patronized by celebrities over the years including Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson
Barney’s: Inside a 16th-century building, laid out like an old-time apothecary
Coffeeshop Smokey: Popular & touristy coffee shop with music and party atmosphere
Visit a magic truffle smart shop
The Magic Mushroom Gallery: One of the oldest smart shops in Amsterdam
Visit Electric Ladyland after- a Museum dedicated to fluorescent art
Walk through the Red-Light District at night: The most curious area of the city where prostitution is legal.
Go to a live sex show!
Casa Rosso: One of the more well-known sex shows
Banana Bar: One of the more famous clubs. Waitresses serve drinks and perform party tricks
Condomeire: Funny little shop with condoms, souvenirs, post cards, etc
Food tour
The 10 Tastings of Amsterdam: 10 delicious and typical tastings that range from sweet to savoury as well as drinks
The original experience: Focuses on Amsterdam’s street food and shares information about the city’s culture, daily life and the people who make the dishes
canal cruise canal cruise
Free walking tour
Shop at De Negen Straatjes (Nine Little Streets):
9 streets that run between the Prinsengracht and Singel canals full of designer boutiques and vintage shops
Proeflokaal A. Van Wees: Brown café located inside a former distillery
Shop on Kalversraat Street:
Amsterdam’s longest shopping street. Head over to Begijnhof after the Garden & courtyard overlooked by a set of medieval houses built for beguines
Relax in Vondelpark:
The Largest green space in the city. Have a picnic or stroll through and people-watch!
Explore the Jordaan neighbourhood:
The trendy area of the city is filled with galleries, eclectic shops, restaurants, and bars
Neighbourhood built in the 17th century
Café Papeneiland: Café that dates back to 1642
Leidseplein:
Centre of Amsterdam’s entertainment scene
Filled with nightclubs, movie theatres, concert venues, casinos, and coffee shops
Go to a museum
Van Gogh Museum: Home to over 700 of Van Gogh’s works as well as paintings by artists who influenced him
Rijksmuseum: Work of Rembrandt, along with other artists from the Dutch Golden Age
Museum Market: Market with crafts and food trucks on 3rd Sunday of every month (near the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum)
MOCO Museum: Modern Contemporary Museum
Anne Frank House: It is nice to read the book before you visit.
Heineken Brewery
Lunch & Dinner
Foodhallen: Food hall with plenty of stalls with restaurants, drinks and live music
BUFFET van Odette: Modern European restaurant with outdoor seating area with views of the Prinsengrach
The Pantry: Hearty portions of house made; traditional cuisine served in a homestyle space with a terrace.
‘Skek: Restaurant and bar that fuses traditional Dutch food with all the newest eating trends
Wilde Zwijnen: 3-4 course Modern Dutch meal in a rustic setting with wood tables, exposed brick & an open kitchen
Moeders: Restaurant with a terrace, serving Dutch classics.
Restaurant Blauw: Modern Indonesian food. You can eat traditional rijsttafels here or an ‘Experience Menu’ to sample many Indonesian street foods
Pesca: Fresh seafood restaurant with an open fish market
BAK restaurant: Modern Dutch restaurant with views of the river IJ
Café De Klepel: Classic French bistro with cheese and wine
De Kas: Luxurious chic restaurant in a greenhouse. Mediterranean dishes made from organic ingredients grown on-site.
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waiting in front of Ann Frank’s house
Breakfast
Bakers & Roasters: New Zealand-style brunch cafe
Dignita Hoftuin: All-day brunch in a secluded courtyard
Greenwoods: English breakfast and brunch
The Cottage: Cozy restaurant with all-day brunch and cocktails
Little Collins De Pijp: Breakfast with Australian twist nestled on a leafy street. Great bloody Mary’s!
Omelegg: The Netherlands’ first omelettery
Scandinavian Embassy: Coffee shop with Scandinavian influenced breakfast Sweets
Lanskroon: Dutch bakery with amazing stroopwafels
Hartog’s Wholegrain Bakery and Milling: Amazing Bakery!
Be sure to try their Oliebollen
Van Stapele Koekmakerij: Famous bakery that only makes one kind of cookie–Valrhona chocolate cookie dough with white chocolate filling
Holtkamp Patisserie: Family-owned pastry shop with French and Dutch patisserie, cakes, chocolates, and biscuits. Also known for their kroketten (croquettes). Be sure to try all the traditional Dutch foods!
canal in the city
Sweet
Stroopwafel: Made from two thin layers of baked dough stuck together with caramel syrup
Oliebollen: Dutch doughnuts doused in powdered sugar
Dutch apple pie: Quintessential Dutch dessert with fresh whipped cream
Poffertjes: Puffy pancakes Savory
Bitterballen: Breaded balls filled with gravy and fried – Traditional beer snack available at most pubs
Patat Frites: French fries coated in one of many sauce choices
Kibbeling: Juicy pieces of fried fish
Stamppot: A combination of mashed potatoes and other vegetables like spinach, kale, carrots, or turnip greens
Gouda cheese: Staple of Dutch cuisine
Indonesian food: Dutch food isn’t Dutch at all—it’s Indonesian. The food of the former Dutch colony
Rijsttafel (“rice table”): Meal of 15+ small dishes of everything from eggrolls to satay
WHERE TO DRINK
Bars
Brouwerij ‘t IJ (IJ Brewery): Amsterdam’s original microbrewery housed in a working windmill
Hiding in Plain Site: Classy speakeasy type bar
Cafe Hoppe: Storied old brown cafe. Opened in 1670 as a jenever distillery
Café De Druif: Liquor license that dates back to 1631 and is rumored to have served departing sailors in the 1580s
Bar Rouge: Parisian bar with dancing and shows
Flying Dutchmen Cocktails: Cocktail bar in the centre of Amsterdam. Has a focus on classic cocktails based on recipes up to 400 years old
The Waterhole: Funky old-school tavern with live rock bands
Proeflokall De Drie Fleschies: Café & bar with antique-y vibe. Been around since 1650
Proeflokaal Arendsnest: 50+ Dutch craft beers on tap plus a bar menu with traditional Dutch charcuterie and cheese. Right on the canals!
Waterfront
Hannekes Boom: Dockside restaurant and bar. Great outdoor summertime hangout
Pllek: Beachfront restaurant and bar with live electronic music. Only accessible by ferry! Hop on the free ferry at Amsterdam Central to get here
Nieuwe Diep Distillery: Hidden away distillery on a lake. Has a beautiful terrace for the summer and a tasting room for winter
Rooftop
A’dam Lookout: 22-story building with the best view of Amsterdam
Offers a panoramic view over canals, historic houses, and other gorgeous spots
Sky Lounge: Breath-taking views especially at sunset!
Floor 17: Rooftop terrace with city views
GAPP: Lush rooftop open-air beer garden
W Lounge: Luxury rooftop with views of the Royal Palace.
DJ at nights
Level Eleven: 360 views
Only open in July, August, and September
stayed in IBIS hotel in city centre
WHERE TO STAY
Hotel
Hotel The Craftsmen: Boutique hotel offering individually designed rooms in the heart of Amsterdam’s Canal District.
Lloyd Hotel: Unique rooms in a historic building on the IJ river
NH Collection Doelen: Five-star accommodations in a 17th-century building with a restaurant & bar
The Dylan: Luxury hotel on the Keizersgracht canal
Bar Brasserie OCCO & Restaurant Vinkeles (Michelin star)
Daily wine and bite-tasting
The Pulitzer: Luxury hotel spread across 25 canal houses. Traditional and Modern Dutch craftsman rooms
Jansz: Crafts dishes inspired by modern Dutch cuisine
Pulitzer Garden: Beautiful courtyard garden to relax with a glass of wine in!
Airbnb
Studio Koggeschip Amsterdam BB
Beautiful loft in centre of Amsterdam
Canal House
Luxury Loft Downtown
Penthouse Apartment
Amsterdam Modern HOUSEBOAT with TERRACE
KEUKENHOF GARDENS
DAY TRIPS FROM AMSTERDAM
KEUKENHOF GARDENS
35-minute bus ride Keukenhof Express bus from Amsterdam RAI Station.
See the famous Dutch tulips!
World’s largest flower gardens
Park covers around 80 acres and about 7 million flower bulbs are planted annually.
Only bloom for eight weeks every spring
LEDIDEN
35-minute train ride -from Amsterdam Central Station to Leiden Central
Known for its centuries-old architecture
Greatest quantity of waterways and bridges
Countless great terraces, restaurants and cafés
HAARLEM
20-minute train ride- from Amsterdam Central Station to Haarlem
Was a major North Sea trading port surrounded by a defensive wall
Retains its medieval character of cobblestone streets, gothic cathedrals, and gabled houses
Famous for its outlying tulip fields, art museums, bustling main square, canals, & hofjes (enclosed courtyard gardens)
40-minute bus ride-Bus 391 from Amsterdam Central Station to Zaanse Schans
Full of wooden houses, mills, barns and workshops
Climb windmills, have a cheese tasting, learn about the
history of clogs, & indulge in Dutch pancakes
WATERLAND
35-minute bus ride- Bus 316 from Amsterdam Central Station to Volendam
Home to three picturesque villages: Edam, Marken, and Volendam
Volendam: Typical Dutch fishing village. Tour of a cheese factory, authentic clog-making workshop and souvenir store, or hop on a lake cruise for a windmill tour
Marken: Island famous for traditional wooden houses built on stilts and windmills
Edam: Famous cheese market! Massive wheels of cheese, traditional clothing and many old-timey features (July-August)
