When someone says “Amsterdam”, a lot of people start forming mental images of a city profound in debauchery. This stereotype could not be more inaccurate. It is true that Amsterdam provides way more freedom to its people than any other city does. But the great thing about the city is that the people know how to enjoy such freedom, responsibly.
To me, however, Amsterdam is special in a very different way. If there was ever a city that you could fall in love with, at first sight, it would be Amsterdam.
A long time ago, I saw a picture of the city in a travel magazine. It showed the canals lined with trees on both sides, a bridge adorned with flowers and a bike resting against it. It symbolized beauty and tranquillity.
This picture was etched in my mind. However, I often wondered if the city would look different in reality. Imagine my excitement when I see this, upon arriving in the city! Amsterdam didn’t disappoint me at all.
READ MORE: 27 Best Day Trips from Amsterdam
Where To Stay In Amsterdam
We had booked our stay at the easyHotel in the city center south area. It had some great reviews on booking.com and was pretty affordable. It is situated in a residential and safe neighborhood. It has lots of shops, cafes, restaurants and even a pharmacy and departmental store nearby.
The staff was extremely sweet and helpful. They’re available 24/7 at the front desk. Rooms were clean, although a bit small. However, TV and WiFi are available only for an extra charge. We didn’t require the TV and our Orange data card was sufficient for the Internet.
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The hotel doesn’t have a restaurant or room service except for a coffee machine at the reception. But we didn’t mind because of the easy availability of cafes and restaurants in the vicinity.
The best part was that it was right next to the Ferdinand Bolstraat tram stop and therefore very convenient.
Getting Around In Amsterdam
The tram is the best and most cost-effective public transport available in Amsterdam. You can rent bikes which might be even cheaper and is a great way of getting around. Unfortunately, I’ve never learned how to ride a bike and hence we had to settle for the tram.
For planning our routes, Google maps proved to be very efficient. It showed us which lines we needed to take and where to change lines etc.
You can buy a one hour ticket or 1 day/multi-day tickets (valid on trams, metro, and buses). These are available with the driver and also at metro stations. The 1-hour ticket costs €2.90 and the 1-day ticket costs €7.50, which proved to be more cost-effective.
What To See
I’ve put together a list of all the major attractions in Amsterdam here. You can decide on the ones who wish to visit depending on your personal preferences. As for example, we skipped both the Van Gogh and the Rijksmuseum (having visited quite a few museums recently). Instead, we took out time for some lovely day trips from Amsterdam. I’ll share more on that soon.
Floating Flower Market
The Dutch call it The Bloemenmarkt, and it is the world’s only floating flower market. It consists of a long series of florist shops along the canal. You can get a variety of souvenirs here too.
We traveled in fall, which isn’t the Tulip season. Most people where buying Tulip bulbs at this time which would blossom next year. These florists export Tulip bulbs and provide international deliveries too.
Waterlooplein Flea Market
This flea market has a variety of stalls selling various kinds of merchandise. Souvenirs are pretty cheap here as compared to any of the other gift shops. You can also buy muffins, ice-creams, lollipops, tea, incense, and chocolates made from Cannabis. We tried a lollipop and no, it doesn’t get you high 🙂
Dam Square
Dam Square is perhaps the most popular area in Amsterdam. It is the historical center of the city and houses many notable monuments and buildings. Some of the most popular ones are the Royal Palace and Nieuwe Kerk.
The area also has a large number of shopping outlets and is usually bustling with activity. Madame Tussauds is also located at one end of the square.
Street performers are a common sight to see at the Dam Square. We encountered Darth Vader and Optimus Prime among many others.
The best time to visit the square is towards the evenings. It is a nice place to sit back and munch on a hot dog while taking in the many sights and sounds.
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Jordaan
Jordaan is a neighborhood in Amsterdam that’s undoubtedly the prettiest. There are a number of cute little cafes by the canals. You can sit in one of these with a beer or read a book in solitude.
The Anne Frank Museum is also located in Jordaan. Right next to it, there is a shop that makes amazing Dutch pancakes! It is called The Pancake Bakery. We tried a traditional Dutch pancake with lemon honey topping. It was delicious!
Anne Frank House
The Anne Frank House is one of the best attractions in Amsterdam. The house, now a museum, is where little Anne spent a few years hiding from the Nazis. She also wrote her famous diary in this very house.
It was on top of our Amsterdam itinerary. But we missed it, due to one simple blunder. Our failure to buy tickets online in advance. It was something that was on my mind, but somehow I missed it totally.
I would strongly recommend you to buy tickets online, at least two months in advance. They get sold out soon. With these tickets, you can enter between 9 am and 3:30 pm. Ticket sales on the spot begin at 3:30 pm and the average waiting time in the queue is 3 hours! We made three attempts but gave up eventually due to the unending wait.
Canal Tour
The canal tours in Amsterdam are a great way to see the city. These tours are usually for an hour and include audio commentary too.
There are various tour operators. We took the one operated by Lovers. One of their starting points is in Jordaan, next to the Anne Frank house. The last tour starts at 6 pm in the evening.
Red Light District
De Wallen or the RLD needs no explanation. Contrary to popular belief, it is one of the most crowded areas, bustling with tourists. It isn’t shady at all and is perfectly safe for women.
There are also a number of cannabis coffee shops in this locality. The Bulldog is the most popular one. We bought a pre-rolled joint here (the mildest one) for €5, to go with a hot chocolate. Divine!
READ MORE: A Guide to Amsterdam’s Coffee Shops
Some of the other popular attractions in Amsterdam are:
- Heineken Experience – An interactive tour through the oldest Heineken brewery in Amsterdam. Great for beer lovers!
- Rijksmuseum – A museum featuring Dutch art and history from the Middle Ages to the present day.
- Van Gogh Museum – It houses the largest collection of the works of Van Gogh and his contemporaries.
- Icebar – A uniquely themed bar where everything is made of ice, even the glasses and walls.
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Final Thoughts
We spent four days in Amsterdam, out of which, two were spent on some amazing day trips nearby.
As for just the Dutch capital, 2 days are more than enough for you to cover most of the attractions. However, the beauty and romanticism of the city will leave you hungry for more. It definitely makes to my list of favorite cities in the world and is a place I would love to revisit many more times.
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Love this post!! Literally makes me want to visit
Thank you so much 😊
Your photos are amazing and takes us back in time! I agree with you.. It’s such an amazing city and no matter how many times you go, you always want to come back..
I couldn’t agree more! And thank you so much 😊❤️
Can’t wait to go here next month now! You’ve made me so excited, thanks lovely x
You are so welcome! I hope you have a great time in Amsterdam 🙂
Thank you!
I got exactly the same feeling about Amsterdam when I first visited- it’s a stunning city and I can’t wait to go back! I’ve just written an article about Amsterdam’s canal tours. It’d be great if you could have a look at my site and let me know what you think! http://themapprojectsite.wordpress.com
Thank you so much! I’ll definitely go through yours 🙂
I am in love with amsterdam from years and you have summerized this city very beautifuly.keep doing good work
Thanks so much 😊
I love Amsterdam but have only spent one day there, so definitely need to go back. Great tips, will use them when I next visit x
Thanks so much 😊
Very insightful article, thank you for sharing. When we went last April we booked a free walking tour so they showed us all the important places and then we spent the rest of the day just getting lost in the beautiful streets. There’s a chicness to Amsterdam that really surprised me.
https://2weekendwanderers.com
True. Even walking about aimlessly in Amsterdam is so much fun 😊
very nice.
I have been wanting to go to Amsterdam for awhile. Great post, pinning this for future reference!
Thank you so much Jacki 😊
Amsterdam is my favorite city in Europe and it’s breathtaking. I’ve lived there for 2 year and I couldn’t agree more with your post. This is the ultimate travel guide for Amsterdam!
Thank you so much Agnes! This really means a lot.Thank you 😊
Thinking about visiting soon! Thanks for sharing!
You totally welcome 😀
Great guide!:) I’ve been to Amsterdam several times and I like it! It’s a little too small for this big city girl though:P my favourite memory of Amsterdam is cycling around with my friends from uni, I think there were around 15 of us and we kept almost getting into accidents:P
OMG! Yes I can imagine what you’re referring to 😁 thanks for your appreciation!
Love this! I’ve only visited Amsterdam as a backpacker, but I’d love to try a luxury trip there someday and see how different it feels.
Thank you! And that’s something I would love to try as well 😊
Great Ideas! I’ll be sure to remember these when i go!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you found it useful.
I have been here but I missed cycling around the city , looking at these pictures I want to revisit.
I think biking is a great way to explore the city. Too bad I couldn’t 🙁
Amsterdam is so high on my bucket list. I find every nooks and crannies so romantic.
It is indeed a very romantic city! You’ll love it 🙂
Nicely done! Thanks! I’m still planing to see more museums in AMS – it’s not too far away from The Hague:)
Thank you so much!
Amsterdam is actually next on my list – this was such an informative read so thank you. I would definitely visit the Anne Frank museum, looks like a must
Thank you so much! Yes indeed the Anne Frank museum is a must. I will need to go back for it too!
My itinerary so much similar to what you have written when i visited Amsterdam couple of years ago! And i totally loved the Cannabis lollipop so much so that i wanted to carry it back home but i feared it will get confiscated due to the typical smell and so refrained. Great article 🙂
Haha! Yeah even I refrained from getting some of those back. Thanks for your kind words 🙂
I never got to visit Amsterdam when I was living in the UK (weird I know) and this post has made me even more excited to visit Amsterdam! I cannot wait!
Oh you should visit! Totally!
I have visited Amsterdam a couple times and loved it. My favorite thing is the Anne Frank Museum – it is just so moving. Next time I go I want to visit the floating flower market.
The Anne Frank house was a bad miss for us. But gives us a reason to go back! 😀
I was thinking about visiting Amsterdam in spring – now I have a reason more to go!
Thank you for sharing your experience 🙂
You’re welcome! Thanks for your appreciation 🙂
What a lovely post! Will definitely keep these in mind when I visit Amsterdam.
Thank you so much!