Amsterdam is an international city at its finest. You’ll hear many languages spoken, see tourists and locals from all over the world and eat different ethnic cuisines. Amsterdam is buzzing with young people, and most of them are on bikes. The Dutch are known to be progressive and tolerant, which is one reason it has attracted so many foreigners over the decades. Amsterdam truly is a city for everyone. It has a well known reputation as a party town, which it lives up to. However, Amsterdam can also be a weekend escape for art lovers, food connoisseurs or globe trotters as well. Even if you don’t fall into one of these categories, you most likely will still fall in love with Amsterdam.

We spent 5 1/2 days in Amsterdam, and although we got through many bags of stroopwafels, we didn’t get to do everything the city has to offer. I feel like it’s a mini NYC or London. If visiting Amsterdam, allow yourself at least three full days to give the city justice. You may not hit every sight in three days, but that’s a good reason to return to this lively city.

I lived in the north of Holland for three months but that was 10 years ago and I had forgotten how charming this country is. On this trip to Amsterdam, memories started coming back to me, as well as Dutch words. Even if you don’t speak a word of Dutch, which you mostly likely don’t, you won’t have any problems getting around the city. The Netherlands is such a small country and the Dutch know not many people speak their language. Luckily for us, they speak English fluently and readily.

If you arrive in Amsterdam after a long flight and have a few days in the city, take your first day to just relax. Wander through the narrow streets alongside the canals, watch all the bikers speed by, take a canal boat tour, have an afternoon coffee as the Dutch like to do and just enjoy the vibe of the city. Unlike NYC and London, it’s not a fast paced city. Maybe that has to do with all the coffeeshops?

When you’re ready to tackle the city here are some of the main sights to visit:

Museumplein (Museum Quarter)

This area is an art lover’s dream. It’s the cultural hub of Amsterdam. Here you can find the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art and the Van Gogh Museum. There is also a park that turns into an ice skating rink in the winter. On a sunny day, the Dutch will be out enjoying the weather and enjoying each other’s company. It’s also in the Museumplein where you can find the famous IAMSTERDAM sign. Unless you wake up super early, you won’t be the only one in your IAMSTERDAM photo.

This is why I say to go in the morning. There's a lot of people there by the afternoon

The Rijksmuseum is one of the largest art and history museums in the world. Here you can find works by Dutch artists such as Rembrant, Vermeer and VanDyck. Other world-renowned artists are also here. After 10 years of renovation, it reopened in 2013.

The Stekelijk Museum has one of the richest modern art collections in the world and is an interesting and fun museum to visit.

Van Gogh Museum houses the world’s largest collection of Van Gogh’s works. The museum has his paintings, drawings and letters as well as art of his contemporaries. Each year, 1.6 million visitors come to the Van Gogh Museum, making it one of the 25 most popular museums in the world.

The Moco Museum (Modern Contemporary) features works created by the ‘rock stars’ of the art world, such as Banksy. It is also located in the Museumplein. It is a privately run museum, and the pieces in the museum are on loan. We thoroughly enjoyed the Banksy exhibit while we were there. It was awesome and informative.

Banksy exhibit at the MOCO

Not located in the Museumplein, but still an interesting museum, is FOAM. This is a photography musuem. It exhibits all genres of photography in a beautiful canal-side setting. It’s the hip place to be and photographers often come here to meet and participate in forums.

Other Sights

One of the most visited museums in Amsterdam is the Anne Frank Huis. This is the house where the famous novelist lived and wrote her diary which became a book. The house gets about one million visitors per year. It is here that Anne Frank lived in hiding from the Nazis with her family for more than two years during WWII. Although the attic rooms are empty, you still get a sense of how it was for the family when they were in hiding. Some personal items remain such as pictures of movie stars that Anne pasted to a wall, a section of wallpaper where Anne’s father marked the height of his daughters and a map on which the father recorded the advance of the Allied Forces. Visiting the museum is a moving experience and it shows you how WWII and anti-semitism affected, and continues to affect, so many lives.

If you’re planning on visiting this museum you must purchase tickets online with a specific time slot. You can buy your tickets at https://www.annefrank.org

If you’ve done all of the above, you’re definitely in need of something a little less intense. That’s where The Heineken Experience comes in. This is a tour of Heineken beer, which is still one of the most popular beers of the Netherlands. After Heineken opened a larger and more modern brewery in the outskirts of Amsterdam, they converted their former home into a museum which is now called the Heineken Experience. It’s a four floor museum showing the history of beer and the brewing of Heineken. Of course it has as a tasting bar as well. The Heineken Experience is one of the main attractions while visiting Amsterdam.

Canals, Canal boats and beautiful architecture throughout the city

Canal Tour- I mentioned this before and it’s a perfect way to spend 1.5 hours. You’ll especially appreciate this if you’ve been walking around all day so keep it for an afternoon excursion when your feet need a break. You’ll see canal boat tours throughout Amsterdam and even if you think it’s cheesy, I promise you, it’s a great way to see the city from a different perspective. The audio guide that come with your ticket gives you a wealth of information about the history of the Netherlands, the architecture of the houses and the different neighborhoods. You’ll see the Dancing Houses which is a row of houses that are shifting due to the soft ground they’re built on. You’ll learn facts and tidbits about the Netherlands which you may not hear elsewhere. You can catch these canal tours in front of the Central Train Station or you can also pick it up in front of the Anne Frank House.

Bloemarket is the biggest flower shop on water. With stall after stall of vendors selling fresh flowers, fake flowers, bulbs and souvenirs, it’s worth strolling through. I actually expected to see a lot more fresh flowers being sold but we were there at the end of October so maybe it’s better in the spring? Either way, it’s centrally located and worth visiting.

Cupje Market is one of Amsterdam’s biggest street markets that’s open 6 days a week. The market goes for many blocks and you can buy anything from cheese to backpacks. It’s a great spot for some shopping and nibbling.

Vondelpark is the biggest park in Amsterdam. If you’re a runner, this is where you’ll find yourself for your early morning or early evening runs. If it’s a nice day, come here for a picnic. If it’s Queens Day or another National Holiday, think twice about going since it will be packed with people ready to party.

Body Worlds Exhibit. This exhibit which has been touring the world has made a home in Amsterdam close to the Central Train Station. If you know nothing about this exhibit, it’s an exhibit showcasing human specimens including whole-body plastinates, organs and translucent body slices. The specific exhibit in Amsterdam is called the Happiness Project and it explains the effects of happiness on health. This is a very cool way to spend a few hours. Young children may be a little scared of the exhibit so be warned.

De Wallen One of Amsterdam’s claim to fame is the Red Light District. De Wallen is the neighborhood where it all happens. Once you start seeing the sex shops, you know you’re in the right area. Just wander down any street where you see red lights and make sure to look in the window but don’t take out your camera!

That's a coffee with a view!

Coffee Shops- Some people come to Amsterdam thinking everyone is high and that you’ll smell weed all throughout the city. It’s really not like that. Even though you can find coffeeshops scattered throughout the city, the center close to De Wallen and the Central Train Station is the area where most of the marijuana coffeeshops are found. The Bulldog is the first and longest running coffeeshop in the city but there are a number of other popular coffeeshops you can visit. Even if this is not your thing, it definitely is part of the city.

Although it’s not world famous, Amsterdam does have a theater scene. Leisplein is the place to go if you’re in the mood for a show or even a movie. One night we were looking to chill and a movie was the perfect outing. All the movies in Holland are shown in their original language so we could enjoy a film in English without having to read the subtitles.

Zaanse Schans is a short train ride outside of Amsterdam City Center

When people think of the Netherlands, they think of windmills. Unfortunately, you won’t find any in the city center of Amsterdam but luckily you don’t have to travel too far to see them. The town of Zaanse Schans is home to 8 windmills perfectly positioned on the water, which makes for beautiful photos. Besides seeing windmills, there are artisan workshops where you can see how wooden shoes were made and learn what they were used for. There’s a big cheese shop where you can sample, and buy different types of gouda. Needless to say, there are many picturesque photo ops in this area.

Zaanse Schans is an outdoor museum where you can spend several hours

Get your cheese!

The town itself is very charming

A collection of wooden shoes

Shopping

If shopping is on your mind, you’re in luck. Kalverstraat and the Leidsestraat are the two main shopping streets in Amsterdam. Leidsestraat has the more exclusive shops while Kalverstraat is home to all the shops you would expect to find in a large European city, such as H&M and Zara.

Hema is a Dutch store that’s comparable to our Target. Looking for a sweater, stationary, cookies and a wine opener? Visit Hema. It’s cheap with a varied selection of merchandise so have a look around.

Since this was month three of our travels, we were needing to replace some essentials such as socks and jeans. We stumbled into Primark which is a European chain that started in Dublin. I recognized the name from my time living in Dublin, but I didn’t remember how cheap it is. Again, you can find great prices on clothing, shoes, bags, lingerie and coats. If you’re wanting some European fashion at affordable prices, this is the place for you!

Albert Heijn is the main grocery store of the Netherlands and they’re all over Amsterdam. You can also find Albert Heijn Express which is similar to a convenient store. Albert Heijn is a great place to stock up on your stroopwaffles, dutch cheese and beer. It’s also a great option if you’re looking for a fast and healthy lunch. They have a large selection of pre-made salads.

Many people live on houseboats in the Netherlands

Food & Restaurants

Speaking of food, let’s eat!

Amsterdam is full of wonderful restautants. I dream about the rijsttafels we enjoyed while there. Rijsttafel, or rice tabel, is the Dutch term for a meal consisting of multiple Indonesian dishes. Some dishes are meat and some are only vegetables but all dishes are spiced to perfection. Think peanut sauce, curries and cilantro. Bring your appetite since you get several dishes and they’re too good not to finish. We ate at two different Indonesian Rijsttafels- Kartika and Sampurna. Both were amazing and I would highly recommend either. Kartika was more casual but still delicious. Sampura was more intimate and more expensive but we had a wonderful dining experience. Whichever one you choose, I know you’ll be happy. But really, why choose just one when you can go to both?

Daidokoro Umaimon Kitchen has some of the best Ramen I’ve tasted. It’s in the heart of Leidsplein so it’s the perfect place to go before you hit the clubs, bars or theathers. That’s probably why we had to wait 45 minutes to get a table on a Saturday night.

Moeders (which means Mother in Dutch) is all about Dutch dishes such as stamppot (mashed potatoes with veggies and meat) and erwtensoep (similar to split pea soup). Make sure to bring a picture of your mom and add it to the wall of mothers.

Happy Tosti- we stumbled upon this place after walking around Cupje Market. Toasties are a thing in Holland- they are warm sandwiches found in bars and other snack places. This restaurant has a great selection of vegetarian, vegan and non vegetarian sandwiches but the decor is what makes this place memorable. It has several unique design choices such as swings for chairs, turf on the wall and a “shit room” where you can sit on a non-working toilet and enjoy your toastie. We noticed that the staff was super friendly and eager to talk to us. Only when we were leaving did we find out that all the staff have disabilities. The restaurant employs people with special needs to give them the opportunity to work, learn how to manage a restaurant and interact with the outside community. It was a memorable experience and I wish more employers would do this!

The Hallen- This is a food hall in Amsterdam and it’s the hip place to go. With a wide selection of food ranging from dumplings, pizza, burritos, and tapas, there’s something for everyone. However, the only thing missing is enough seats and tables. If you go with friends, have one friend hold a spot while you order. Otherwise, you’ll end up standing while eating.

A Dutch specialty you can’t miss is the Dutch Pancake. Much larger and thinner than an American pancake (but thicker than a crepe), the dutch pancakes are served either sweet or savory. You can eat them at breakfast, lunch or dinner and they’re sure to delight everyone. Luckily, there are numerous pancake restaurants throughout the city.

We really enjoyed the food in Amsterdam. The international selection was amazing but we also loved the traditional dutch food. If you’re a foodie like me, read my blog Dutch Delicacies to learn more about what to eat while in the Netherlands.

Running and Fitness

Amsterdam marathon is a party in the streets

While I was in Amsterdam I ran the Amsterdam Marathon. If you’re interested in doing this as well, it’s held on the third Sunday of October. The marathon starts and finishes at the Olympic Stadium and the course is completely flat, making it a fast marathon. There is also a 1/2 Marathon and 8K you can sign up for if running 26.2 miles is not your cup of tea. Both the 1/2 Marathon and 8K are held the same day as the marathon but later in the afternoon.

Packet pickup

The start and finish of the marathon is at the Olympic Stadium

Amsterdam is a fun city to explore. People are friendly, there is an easy and convenient tram that will make getting around the city a breeze and all the bikes and canals make the city charming and unique. Let me know what you think of Amsterdam!

Quick Facts

Language: Dutch although most people speak English extremely well

Currency: Euro

Electrical Voltage: 220-240V; European two-pin plugs (C, E & F plugs usually work)

Visa: No visa needed for travelers coming from USA, Canada and UK. All other passport holders should check to see if they need a visa

Vaccinations: No vaccinations required

Time: Central European Time (NYC +6 hours)

High on Amsterdam