Enjoy the best of Amsterdam on 2, 3 or 5 day trips!
Observe the beauty of the city on top of a bike! In Amsterdam there are more than 800 thousand bikes and several bridges to pedal between channels.In Amsterdam are bikes and museums that are on the spotlight on a daily basis. Enjoy a visit to the city to observe the charming canals and historic buildings – incredible scenery for your photos!
Depending on your travel time, you can fit in the most famous cultural venues such as the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum, as well as enjoy nightlife in the bars around Dam square and the Joordan district. To make the most of the day, guarantee your tickets well in advance and avoid queuing! Check out our tips and good trip!
Book the first few hours after leaving the airport to relax in the hotel and go out for a stroll through the nearby streets. If you’re staying in the central region, it’s easier to get around the hotel and enjoy the architecture of Dam Square, surrounded by centuries-old buildings from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Alternatively, take a cruise on the canals or scenic buses.
Book early morning and early afternoon to visit some of the more than 40 museums scattered throughout the city. It is worth checking the Anne Frank House, with curious information on the fight against Nazism in the 1940s, and the Rijksmuseum, where is the museum square, the Museumplein – famous for housing the ‘I Amsterdam’ sign!
Late afternoon is a good time to bike and sunbathe near the 9 Straatjes, an area with nine streets full of small shops and charming cafés. If your departure time allows, include dinner in a good restaurant or have fun in the bars of the Rembrandtplein square, near the center.
With the possibility of extending the program, it is worth to include in the itinerary places that go beyond the most traditional tourist attractions. Leisure areas, shopping, Bohemian neighborhoods and train rides are some of the options. In Begijnhof, a garden surrounded by a group of historic houses, take a time to relax and take pictures with the typical Dutch facades in the background. Already in the Vondelpark park, you can relax, go to restaurants and cafes or accompany a performance in the open air theater.
Take time to visit the Red Light district, famous for the half-naked women in the shop windows – for there prostitution is legalized -, bars and pubs in the Jordaan region or play in the 9 Straatjes or Kalverstraat and Leidsestraat streets. If you prefer more landscapes, you can visit the region of the windmills, located in the village Zaanse Schans, accessible by train (40 minutes).
More time to plan means leaving the script your way, no rush! One possibility is to take a new tour of museums. The Van Gogh Museum, the House of Rembrandt and the Museum of Amsterdam perform well. Consider spending at least one afternoon at the Albert Cuyp Market, where it happens to be fair with a little bit of everything from flowers to food. Among the outdoor shopping options, there is also the Bloemenmarkt, a traditional floating flower market, where tents are in the water along the Singel canal. To get to know more bars and restaurants, enjoy the fall of the night around the Leidseplein square, where it is common to find outdoor shows in the summer or fairgrounds and an ice skating rink in the winter.
The Heineken Brewery is also well worth a visit. The Heineken Experience tour includes tasting and touring the factory and the brand’s museum. The Amsterdam Public Library (free admission) is well-ordered to enjoy the interior design and city views from the terrace or glass walls on every floor.
From Amsterdam you can also go by train to nearby small towns, with Rotterdam (Holland) and Bruges (Belgium), or to the capitals London (England), Brussels (Belgium) and Paris (France).
Tip: Best time to see the tulips
The period in which Amsterdam receives most tourists is in the spring (March to May). Get ready for the great movement during the weeks when the city breathes flowers, after all, in addition to the famous Keukenhof Garden Park – which opens only once a year to present its seven million flowers, including hundreds of types of tulips! – The museums, parks, shops and restaurants also prepare special programs on the theme.
To access the Keukenhof, which is about 1h30 from the center of Amsterdam, choose between bus or train. Another option to secure your photo close to the flowers is to visit the city during the Open Tuinen Dagen (June) event, when private gardens throughout the city are open for visits for three days.
