We loved rediscovering the city, seeing how some things had changed and how others remained exactly the same. Amsterdam is a very lively city, very lively, with many cafes and restaurants, despite the cold it is in these parts it is a very lively city. Do not miss our list of things to see in Amsterdam and we assure you that you will not have a minute of boredom during your trip! To stay in Amsterdam we chose the Leonardo Royal hotel, it had a metro stop at the door and in a few minutes we were in the center of Amsterdam, 100% recommended.
What to see and do in Amsterdam
#1. Visiting the Anne Frank house museum, we consider it one of the essential museums to see in Amsterdam, the tour becomes even more meaningful if you have read the “Diary of Anne Frank”. Tickets can only be purchased online and two months before they can already be purchased.
They sell out quickly, but 20% of tickets are reserved to sell the same day (also online) at 9 in the morning, you know! What to see in Amsterdam, the Anne Frank house-museum
#2. Stroll through the Jordaan neighborhood. You can take advantage of your visit to the Anne Frank house and visit the “9-straatje” area, which are nine streets full of typical shops and cafes. They are open every day, even Sundays, if you want to know more here we leave you the 9-straatje website.
#3. See a mill on your visit to Amsterdam, such as Gooyer’s Mill, they say it is the tallest wooden mill in the country. You can also go see the Riekermolen mill from 1636, they say that Rembrant used to draw in the surroundings. This mill is a little further from the center.
#4. A good way to get to know the city on your first visit to Amsterdam is by taking a free tour or a tour of the red light district. Remember that although the word free is used, you always have to tip the guide at the end of the tour. Depending on how much you liked the tour or your purchasing power, you can give it more or less. We recommend (as a minimum) to give about € 10 per person.
#5. Strolling through the canals and bridges of Amsterdam without rushing, all the canals have their charm, although the most important are the Keizersgracht, the Herengracht, the Prinsengracht. Did you know that Amsterdam has more than 75 kilometers of canals and 1000 bridges that cross them? Beating Venice!
# 6. Trying a typical Dutch dish is one of the essential things to do in Amsterdam, although we have to admit that we liked Dutch sweets more. Many of you recommended The Pantry restaurant through Instagram, and that’s where we went! It fills up every day and you have to reserve a table on their website. Here we try the famous pea soup alongside other Dutch dishes. We also had Cafe Sonneveld, Jacketz restaurant and Haesje Claes restaurant on the list. If you go to one of them, you will tell us how are you!
# 7. You cannot leave Amsterdam without trying the famous stroopwafels and poffertjes, if with the food they did not manage to conquer you, they will do it with the sweets! We bought the ones in the photo below from Van Wonderen Stroopwafels. The place that you recommended us the most by far, more than anything else to see and do in Amsterdam, were the famous Van Stapele Koekmakerij cookies, for many the best in the world !! The truth is that they were delicious! And beware that when the dough runs out, they don’t make any more that day.
# 8. Going to a Coffee Shop is one of the most popular activities to do in Amsterdam, although we do not smoke and honestly flee from places with smoke, but we know that it is quite an experience for those who enjoy the “freedoms of Holland” and not we could stop including it in this list.
# 9. If you have little time to eat, in Amsterdam it is popular to “eat from the wall” they are a kind of fast food vending machines, the most famous are those of the FEBO chain, with hamburgers, potatoes and hot dogs, but you will also find others more “healthy” options.
Los populares locales FEBO están repartidos por toda la ciudad
# 10. The world known as the Red Light District is one of the places to visit in Amsterdam yes or yes, contrary to what it may seem, it is not an unsafe neighborhood and is frequented by all kinds of people, you will even see families with children … There are tours that explain the history of this neighborhood, we walked during the day and went to dinner at night and it did not give us a feeling of insecurity or that we were out of place.
Although in some alleys there are the famous shop windows with prostitutes (prostitution is legal in Amsterdam) it is not necessary to go through them and you can go through the widest avenues. Taking photos of women is prohibited, penalized and persecuted, there are a lot of security personnel on the street.
#11. Visit the Oude Kerk in the Red Light District, this Calvinist church is the oldest building in Amsterdam, it is more than 700 years old and the ceiling is the largest medieval wooden vault in all of Europe.
# 12. Beer lovers cannot miss the Heineken Experience tour, you can book your ticket here. We are not very beer lovers and we have not been either of the two times we have visited Amsterdam, with visiting the Guineess Brewery in Dublin we had enough
# 13. Touring the canals by boat is a different way of seeing Amsterdam and we recommend it 100%! We can do it on a one-hour tour with an audio-guide in Spanish (it was the one we did) or take a “Hop on Hop off” boat in which for 24 hours we can get on and off as many times as we want.
# 14. One essential thing to do in Amsterdam is rent a bike. We rent it near the Central Station for a whole day, specifically on Mac Bike, a normal bike € 9.75 and an electric bike € 25. It’s not really worth renting an electric bike because Amsterdam is a very flat city, but we had never rented an electric bike and wanted to give it a try.
#15. The OBA Public Library is located near Central Station and is a great place to eat or relax on its covered terrace with views of the city. They say it is the largest library in the Netherlands.
# 16. The Rembrandt monument, the representation of his most famous painting is located on the Rembrandtplein. The area is very lively and is full of cafes, restaurants, surely you will pass through it without looking for it. You can also visit the Rembrant house-museum, it opens every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and costs € 14, if you have the I Amsterdam City Card you have the entrance included.
The I AMSTERDAM City Card gives you access to practically all the museums in Amsterdam with the exception of the Anne Frank house-museum and discounts on some activities. Essential museums to see in Amsterdam:
# 17. Visiting the Rijksmuseum, the National Museum of Holland, where some of Rembrandt’s most famous works such as the “Night Watch” are located, the entrance costs 19 €.
# 18. The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam houses the world’s largest collection of the most international artist from Holland. Works such as “Los Girasoles” or “Los eadores de patatas” are found here, and although you cannot take photos inside, it is well worth a visit. Admission costs € 19 and it opens every day from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. except on Fridays when it closes at 9:00 p.m. Tip: We recommend you book in advance to ensure your entry and also to save the queue, you can book it on the official website or in a joint ticket that includes skip-the-line entry + canal cruise.
# 19. Other museums to visit in Amsterdam: Moco museum of modern and contemporary art. Stedelijk museum museum of modern art.
Diamant Museum, they say that it is the only diamond museum in Europe and they explain curiosities about this precious stone. House of Bols, the Cocktail & Genever Experience, an experience for lovers of gin and cocktails.
Amsterdam Museum, about the history of the city.
Rembrandt’s house-museum, where the Dutch artist lived. EYE Film Institute, Amsterdam film institute.
The vast majority of museums are located in the so-called “museum square” in Museumplein, where years ago the I AMSTERDAM poster was also located, now you can only see it at Schiphol airport. All of them have access included with the I Amsterdam Card. More info about the I Amsterdam Card and the Amsterdam Pass in this post.
Exteriors of the Moco Museum, Amsterdam
#20. One point that you will go through on your visit to Amsterdam is the Central Station, it is very large and you would not be the first to get lost! Trains, metro trams, buses and even ferries arrive at this station, everything is quite signposted and organized. The original building dates from 1882, by the same architect as the most important museum in the Netherlands, the Rijksmuseum.
#21.The Begijnhof private garden, they say is one of the most beautiful and oldest in the city, is free and can be visited from 9:00 to 17:00.
# 22. If you go in spring or summer to enjoy the Vondelpark (in winter it is not so enjoyable), the lung of Amsterdam, you can have a picnic or cycle around it. It is next to the museum square, on the map below you can see the exact location of all the places.
#23. The unmistakable Dam Square is one of the most important points to see in Amsterdam, in it is the national monument to the Second World War, the Royal Palace of 1808 and the New Church, which is not used for worship, but for concerts and exhibitions.
Don’t miss our list of the 10 essential places to visit in Amsterdam.
# 24. Go shopping or simply stroll through the Bijenkorf department store, the building with more than 140 years reminds us of the Harrod’s department store in London or the Lafayette galleries in Paris. It is located in the center of Amsterdam, on the map below you have all the exact addresses.
We hope you have even more desire to visit Amsterdam and help you with the planning of your trip.
Leave A Comment