DAM I love this city! Amsterdam is a place I will go back to time and time again.
The locals are SO nice, the city is so clean, and the vibes are so high! 😉 I have been twice, but both on short occasions, either way I feel like I’ve been able to see a lot and here are my top recs:
Stay
We stayed in this airbnb right on the canal. The location was fabulous, central but quiet. The room was adorable and the hosts were so nice and always responded right away!
Activities
-Canal cruise: definitely do a cruise through the canals! We loved this one we booked through airbnb experiences 🙂 The tour guides were very funny and they provided unlimited wine & cheese for the hour. There were about 30 people on our tour, but there are options if you want it to be more private
–The Heineken Experience! If you like beer, this is a must do activity 🙂 You get to learn about the history of Heineken where the original brewery once stood & 2 beers are included at the end. We bought the rooftop tickets, which gives you access to the rooftop after the whole tour & an addition drink (they pour beer-cocktails up there.)
-Art museums! If you want to do the Van Gogh, make sure to get your tickets in advance! We didn’t, but went into the Moco Museum instead, which was modern art & I was so impressed!
–Anne Frank House: Seeing where Anne Frank and her family hid during WWII is not the most upbeat activity, but it is very profound, and I highly recommend going.
-Shopping: there are some great thrift stores & a huge designer store district.
-& obviously walk the redlight district & go to the coffee shops & I loved Barneys Coffeeeshop.
Food
Brunch
–bakers & roasters– super yummy the De Pijp location is right near the art museum & Heineken tour area
-ivy & bros- we didn’t make it here, but it was recommended by a friend, good reviews on google & centrally located!
Lunch
Small Talk: it doesn’t have good google reviews, but I ordered the french onion soup, and it was delicious! It’s resembles a cute French cafe from the outside & is also close to the art museums
Dinner
–Restaurant De Belhamel– OMG this was one of the best meals I’ve had! They serve authentic French food. The escargot & the beef tartar are must orders!! Also, if the weather is nice you can sit outside on their waterfront terrace. They take online reservations 🙂
–Barrica: If you’re on the west side, you should check this place out! We got a bottle of wine & 4 delicious tapas to split!
–Moeders: We didn’t make it here, but If you want good and authentic Dutch food, this was high on other’s recs list!
There is so much late night street food! Make sure to get some mayo fries!
Transportation, etc.
From the airport we took the train into the central station. All the people working at the airport (and everywhere in Amsterdam) speak English very well so they’ll help you navigate correctly!
I recommend getting tickets for the tram! We bought a three day pass. The trams uses a hop on-hop off system that takes you all around town. It can be confusing to navigate at first, but google maps will usually tell you the right one to get on to get to your destination. I used the GVB app to buy and use my tickets!
**If you plan on biking, I would only do so in a professional tour group, I would not just rent a bike and ride around. The locals #1 way of transportation is by biking, so it is unsafe if you’re not used to the area.
Which also brings me to: be very aware of the bike lanes!! There are walking lanes and bike lanes!! The bikers are going so fast and they could run you over if you accidentally step out in lane, so please be very aware of where you’re walking 🙂
Have so much fun!
