April 8, 2018

Amsterdam Travel Guide

Tulips. Coffeehouses. The Red Light District. Bicycles. Anne Frank. The iconic tourist staples of Amsterdam, and other than the aforementioned, I had no idea what to expect when planning our trip to the Netherlands capital.

When first arriving in the heart of Amsterdam I immediately fell in love with the active and friendly atmosphere of the city. While walking the cobblestone streets, I was captivated by the colorful dark shades of townhouses with white outlined windows that stood perfectly in a row. Canal after canal lay intertwined into the unique design of the city while numerous bikes lined the shoulders of the bridges. Even in the midst of April showers, I was overwhelmed with the city’s distinct beauty.

What to know before traveling to Amsterdam

Currency: Euro

Language: Dutch, but don’t worry English is widely used!

Transport from the airport to the city center: Uber or taxi is always an option, but can be costly to get to the city center from the airport. The cheaper route would be to use public transportation. In the airport follow signs for the sprinter train. There will be kiosks (with English as an option) for you to buy a one way or roundtrip ticket from the airport to the Central Station (Amsterdam RAI). Once at the Central Station you will need to figure out what tram/bus/metro you need to take to your accommodation.

How to get around:

Public transportation- SUPER EASY! Once we arrived in the Central Station from the airport we bought a 72 hour transport ticket that we could use on any method of transportation (bus, tram, metro, etc). You can also buy a ticket on the trams.
Walking- We walked the majority of the time. Just look out for scooters, cars, and bicyclists AT ALL TIMES!
Biking- There was more room on the roads for bikes than people. There are several places to rent bikes. Ask your hotel or wherever you are staying for recommendations on rentals.

Coffeehouses vs. Cafes: Coffeehouses sell cannabis, cafes sell coffee.

Amsterdam is home to more than 60 different museums! Anywhere from the Houseboat Museum, to the Cheese Museum, to most famously- the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. Unfortunately, Russell and I are not big museum people. We chose to explore without any real plan, and tried to delve into a mixture of tourist and local hot spots. Here is how we filled our 4 days in Holland.

Things to See

I Amsterdam sign

Did you even go to Amsterdam if you didn’t take a picture with this sign!? But really, the looking glass pond and spring flowers provided an alternate landscape within the city. Like most tourist attractions try to go in the morning or at night to avoid crowds. The sign is located behind the Rijksmuseum.

Anne Frank House

Purchase a ticket NOW! Unfortunately we were too late purchasing tickets as they were sold out everyday over Easter weekend. We could not figure out if you could actually purchase tickets at the door. Everyone waiting in line already had a ticket, so we opted not to spend hours waiting. I found this blog after our trip with great information about purchasing tickets. This is definitely a site we won’t want to miss next time.

Red Light District

We strolled on by just to say we’d been there. A notable part of Amsterdam, but remember, don’t take pictures!

Bloemenmarkt

The world’s only floating flower market. A pretty site to see but a total tourist trap. Each stand has the same array of touristy souvenirs and bags of tulip bulbs. Take a look at the first stand or two and you’ve seen it all.

Dam Square

Definitely something you can skip. The Dam Square is really just a starting point we used when walking around the city center to shop and explore each day. The palace (below) is located in the Dam Square. The best part of the square is the various quirky entertainment that gathers high-energy crowds. Because we live in Vienna, it takes a bit more to be WOW’d by historic architecture.

Kukenhof Gardens

Located about 45 minutes away from Amsterdam is the famous tulip gardens. This was a big reason we planned a trip to Amsterdam in the first place. Unfortunately, we were a little too early to see all of the tulips completely in bloom.

I was expecting to see fields of tulips, but Kukenhof is set up more like a park. Nevertheless, I was surprised by how big the park was and how much there was to see/do. Locals were dressed in traditional Dutch clothing and grilling herring for the visitors. There were lots of things to do for children, and the park seemed to be a great family destination. We recommend planning a trip starting in late April until mid-May to really get the full affect. During that time frame, the Whisper Boat is up and running, which is a 45 minute canal ride right by the tulip fields. We hope to do this next time!!

Price:

Parking: €6

Adult: Online- €17; Ticket Counter- €18

Children: 0-3- Free; 4-17 – €8

Things to Do

Walk around the 9 streets

You will find lots of independent shops and boutiques, restaurants and cafes, and photo opportunities of the main canals.

Foodhallen

One of my favorite parts of our trip was finding this old train station renovated into a food market. A great place to listen to live music while drinking a beer or cocktail and eating a variety of food. More on the Foodhallen under “Where to Eat.”

Brouwerij ‘T IJ

A local brewery located in an old bath house, and next to the oldest wooden windmill in the Netherlands, the Gooyer Windmill.

Antiquing

I love channeling my inner Joanna Gaines and searching for home decor at flea markets and antique shops. There were several antique shops scattered throughout the city center. Check out Antiekcentrum Amsterdam, which is a massive warehouse of antiques. Even if you’re not into antiquing it is a unique experience alternate to the tourist attractions.

Shopping

The two main shopping streets in the city center are Nieuwendijk and Kalverstraat street. Popular fashion chains such as H&M, Zara, Urban Outfitters, and Nike, are located along the streets. If these common shops don’t interest you then wander over to Haarlemmerdijk street and Haarlemmerstraat street in the Jordaan area for local boutique stores and cozy cafes.

My favorite stores found.. & Other Stories and Restored

Local Markets

I am a sucker for local markets, which brings me to Albert’s Culpymarkt. If you are looking for any cheap souvenirs, such as packages of stroopwafels, this is your one stop shop. Fresh fruits and vegetables, cheap freshly made smoothies, mini pancakes, and raw herring provides the ultimate local ambiance. Another local market is located right beside the Foodhallen.

Vondelpark

This 120 acre park is the perfect spot to enjoy a picnic lunch and a bottle of wine during the warm weather months.

Catch sunset

Stay around the three main ring canals that circle Amsterdam’s oldest streets (Herengracht, Prinsensgracht, and Keizersgracht), and take a seat on the edge of the canal with a bottle of wine (yes, I like wine) and a stroopwafel as the lights on the canal bridges come on!

Canal boat ride

There are several boat companies available to take trips through the canals of the city. Many serve food and beverages, and provide some history of the city.

Explore outside of Amsterdam

Rent a car and venture outside the city into the Holland countryside. Here are the stops we did for the day:

Zaanse Schans- Located 20 minutes away from Amsterdam. Within this cute wooden village are several windmills aligning the Zaanse waterways, a local cheese shop, a clog workshop, and more.

Rotterdam- One of our local friends suggested having dinner at the White Huis, which is in a historic building right next to the marina. Unfortunately, it was closed because we went on Easter. However, we had a great meal right across the marina at Apartt where we enjoyed Dutch beer and cheese fondue. Also worth mentioning that we saw men in a hot tub moving throughout the marina. We will definitely look into this if we go with a group of friends next time!

Kinderdijk– Similar to Zaanse Schans, but not as much to do. More of a quaint and quiet town with a compelling history. People of the town actually live in the windmills! Kinderdijk is located south of Rotterdam, and we decided to go for sunset. Unfortunately, it was a little cloudy, but we still saw some sunset hues.

What to Eat

Stroopwafels (Dutch for syrup waffle)- You can find these delicious local waffles with caramel filling at just about every local market, but these fancy puppies are located at von Wonderen Stroopwafels in the heart of the city. Wait to go around 6PM to avoid long queues.

Cheese- Gouda, goat cheese, feta cheese, Dutch Gold, and pretty much any cheese your heart desires can be found fresh in Amsterdam. At the Amsterdam Cheese Company, cheeses are packaged to take back with you on the airplane. Another prominent Dutch cheese shop is Henri Willig.

Bitterballs- Try some at the Foodhallen! Choose from an assortment of fillings like pork, truffle cheese, spinach and cheese, and more.

Fries– Not just any fries. Dutch golden fries slathered with cheese and mayonnaise sauce in a paper-shaped cone perfect for an on-the-go snack!

Pickled herring– Dutch fish cuisine

Poffertjes– Little pancakes

Where to Eat

Breakfast & Brunch

Coffee & Coconuts- A COCONUT BRUNCH. If you know me – you know I am obsessed with coconut! This hipster spot had coconut coffee, coconut pancakes, and coconut smoothies. Aside from coconut, other brunch items to choose from included: avocado toast with scrambled eggs, fresh squeezed juices and smoothies, breakfast burrito, etc. Their menu also covers most dietary restrictions.

The Breakfast Club- Cozy interior inspired by the movie, The Breakfast Club.

Stroom- Located in De Pijp, close to our hotel. We enjoyed great coffee and breakfast sandwiches.

Other spots for next time…

The Happy Pig

Ivy & Bros

Lunch & Dinner

Foodhallen- We went here for two different meals, and enjoyed some great local beer! Every cuisine you can think of under one roof. From dim sum, to pizza, to tacos, to falafel, they have it all.

SAL- Located a little outside the city center, but we enjoyed some tapas and AMAZING sangria. Honestly worth the trip just for the sangria.

The Butcher- Burger joint that also serves sweet potato fries (my fav)! The Butcher also has a stall located in the Foodhallen.

Other spots for next time…

Casa Nostra (Italian)

Skek (Dutch and variety)

Pancake Bakery (brunch)

Toastable (toasties)

Dessert

Melly’s Cookie Bar

Winkel 43- Known for their Dutch apple pies

Creperiele Berger

Pepper Mango

Where to Stay

Houseboat from AirB&B

This is what we hope to do next time we visit. What better way to immerse into the Dutch culture than to experience sleeping in a houseboat on a canal!

Flying Pancake B&B

Due to taking our trip over Easter weekend, this cozy accommodation was sold out, but was recommended by several friends.

Hotel Okura

We stayed at this hotel in De Pijp. For a getaway weekend we loved having access to a quality gym, spa, sauna, and indoor pool. The hotel was close to several boutiques and restaurants (like Coffee & Coconuts and Stroom). Although we were not in the city center, Hotel Okura is located right beside tram stops and only 2 stops away from Dam Square. We would spend all day walking around and return to our hotel in the evening. With public transportation being so easy, you really do not need to stay in the center of the city!