Living in a place as amazing as Amsterdam, we’ve had the chance to play Tour Guide a few times for our friends and family that have come to visit. I’ve decided to put this knowledge to use and am assembling a series of itineraries based on the number of days you have in the city, starting with the most common length: three days or a long weekend.
In this post I’ll give my personal recommendations for the best museums, attractions, neighborhoods, restaurants, and bars so you can experience Amsterdam like a local.
What you do (and when you do it) will depend largely on what time of year you visit. The weather here is notoriously unpredictable, so the key is to be flexible. All of my suggested itineraries are therefore flexible and interchangeable — just swap the “Morning” activity from one day with the “Afternoon” one from another based on the forecast.
Recommended Reading:
- Tips for First-Time Visitors to the Netherlands
- 10 Interesting (& Surprising!) Facts About the Netherlands
- Complete Guide to Amserdam’s Museum Passes
- 5 Not-to-Miss Museums in Amsterdam
- All other posts about the Netherlands
If you’re looking to purchase a travel guide, I would 100% recommend Rick Steves’ Guide to Amsterdam & the Netherlands. I am a huge fan of Rick Steves’ guides and have found them to be informative with suggestions of what to do (and perhaps more importantly, what not to do). Plus they’re always accurate and up-to-date, unlike some other guides that can lead you astray with outdated information. Click here to buy Rick Steves’ Guide to Amsterdam & the Netherlands.
Day 1 – De Wallen & Jordaan
Get acquainted with the heart of Amsterdam on your first day with a stroll through the De Wallen and Jordaan neighborhoods.
Morning
Spend the morning walking around Amsterdam’s oldest neighborhood, called De Wallen. The Oude Kerk, or Old Church, is (ironically) at the heart of the Red Light District and a great place to start your tour of this medieval neighborhood. At night, this area is flooded with bachelor parties, but during the day the area feels surprisingly tame with only a few “ladies of the night” working the day shift from their windows.
Some other points of interest in De Wallen include:
- Dam Square – The Amstel river once ran through the city but was dammed in the 11th-century; the town was subsequently named Amstelredamme (Amstel + Dam), which eventually became Amsterdam. Today, Dam Square is located at this point where the river was dammed.
- The Royal Palace – Today’s Royal Palace was built in the 17th-century and originally served as the city’s Town Hall. The building became a palace when Louis Napolean became king of Holland in 1806. Today, this palace is at the disposal of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and is used by the monarch for entertaining and special events.
- The Amsterdam Stock Exchange – At Beursplein 5, you can see the oldest stock exchange in the world, which was originally established in 1602 by the Dutch East India Company.
Two of Amsterdam’s less-visited but really fascinating museums are also in this area: the Rembrandt House and Museum Our Lord in the Attic. If you have time in the morning, I would suggest picking one of these two to visit.
The Museum Our Lord in the Attic lets visitors inside one of Amsterdam’s secret churches that were built during the 17th century
If you’re interested in signing on for a tour, Mark from That Dam Guide does an excellent three-hour walking tour in the morning that covers both the De Wallen and Jordaan neighborhoods. His tour will give you an overview of Amsterdam’s rich and complicated history and is a great way to jumpstart your visit.
Lunch
There aren’t many highly-rated restaurants in De Wallen since the area caters more to tourists than locals. You’re better off heading west to the Jordaan neighborhood, where you’ll have lots of lunch options. Some of my favorites are La Perla Pizzeria, PIQNIQ, and Winkel 43 (famous for their apple pie).
Lunch at PIQNIQ in the Jordaan neighborhood
Afternoon
After lunch, spend some time walking around the beautiful Jordaan neighborhood. This neighborhood dates back to the 17th-century and was originally built for working class families and immigrants, many of whom flocked to the city due to Amsterdam’s reputation for cultural and religious tolerance. The houses in this neighborhood are smaller than those along the main canals and its narrow streets make it a great place to get lost.
The Jordaan neighborhood is one of the most charming in Amsterdam
The Anne Frank House is also in this neighborhood. Tickets must be purchased before your visit via their website. Be sure to get your tickets well in advance of your trip as it tends to get booked up early!
Westerkerk, the church where Rembrandt is buried, is right next door to Anne Frank and free to visit. For €7 you can climb the Westerkerk Tower for a view of the neighborhood. The tower tours are offered June to September; both the church and tower are closed on Sundays. Click here for more info.
Dinner
If you’d like to have dinner in the Jordaan neighborhood, I would suggest Salmuera, Fou Fow Ramen, or La Perla Pizzeria (if you didn’t go there for lunch). If you’re looking for a bar in the area, Proeflokaal Arendsnest serves over 100 Dutch beers and has some nice outdoor seating along the canal for warm-weather days.
Octopus Ceviche at Salmuera
Day 2 – Museum Day & Vondelpark
You could easily fill an entire week just visiting the museums in Amsterdam, but with only a few days you’ll have to pick and choose which to visit. My two favorites, the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum, are right next door to each other, making it easy to visit both in one day.
Note: If you plan to visit a few museums on your trip, it’s worth considering a museum or city pass. Click here to read about the various options as well as my personal recommendation for which is the best for you.
Morning
Grab a quick breakfast and start the day at my favorite museum in Amsterdam: the Van Gogh Museum.
You’ll need to make a reservation in advance via their website. The earlier you can get to the museum, the better, since crowds pick up later in the day. There’s an option to add an audio tour, but it’s really not necessary in my opinion. The museum is organized chronologically with excerpts from letters and other biographical information that will give you a great overview of Van Gogh’s life, work, and influence. Be sure to check out the temporary exhibit on the ground floor, which is easy to miss but sometimes includes a few paintings from the permanent collection.
The Stedelijk Museum (Amstedam’s modern art museum) with the Van Gogh Museum in the background
Lunch
Take a lunch break before visiting the next museum. Museumplein doesn’t have a great selection of restaurants, but the nearby neighborhood of De Pijp has some of the city’s best and is just a 5-10 minute walk away. Some of my favorite lunch and brunch spots are in this neighborhood, including Bakers & Roasters, Coffee & Coconuts, and Little Collins.
Waffle Hollandaise from Little Collins in the Pijp
Afternoon
The Netherland’s largest museum, the Rijksmuseum, is right next door to the Van Gogh Museum. This one houses many famous works by the Dutch masters Vermeer, Frans Hals, and of course Rembrandt. The museum is massive and is therefore best experienced over a few separate visits in order to avoid museum fatigue. Since you have just one afternoon, I would suggest focusing on the 1st and 2nd floors, which house the “greatest hits” from the Dutch Golden Age (spanning from the 17th- to 19th-century). If you have a little more time, there’s also a nice collection of religious art on the ground floor.
If you have a spare hour or two before dinner, a nice afternoon activity is a bike ride through Vondelpark, which is very close to Museumplein. There are several rental bike companies in the area, but my personal favorite is A-bike, which has a location just a block from the park. There is a main loop that goes around the park and takes only about 20 minutes to bike. Be sure look for the rose garden toward the center of the park, which has around 70 different rose species that bloom throughout the spring and summer.
Amsterdam’s Vondelpark: a great place to spend a sunny afternoon
Dinner/Drinks
There are a few restaurants in Vondelpark if you’d like to grab a drink or bite to eat. The largest is a restaurant called Vondelpark3, which has a full food and drink menu. My second favorite is at the opposite end of the park and is called De Vondeltuin. This one has more of a laid-back beach bar vibe and serves beer, wine, and cocktails.
If you’d like to have dinner in the area just west of the park in the Oud-West neighborhood, a couple of my favorite restaurants are Pastis and Taqueria Tacobar. The Seafood Bar has a location right next to the park as well. You could also head back to the Pijp neighborhood, which has many fantastic restaurants and bars, including Bar Fisk, Pho 91, and Restaurant Floreyn.
Steaks all around at Pastis in the Oud-West neighborhood
Day 3 – The 9 Streets & Canal Tour
Have a more leisurely end to your trip with a stroll around the picturesque 9 Streets neighborhood, followed by a cruise on the canals in the afternoon.
Morning
Start the day with a walk around The 9 Streets neighborhood, the non-touristy shopping district in Amsterdam. As the name suggests, this neighborhood is contained within 9 streets (3 blocks by 3 blocks) and is packed with boutiques, galleries, and cafes. Even if you’re only window shopping, this area is worth a visit for its picturesque canals and bridges.
After walking 9 Streets, head back toward the southern part of the De Wallen neighborhood for a sweet treat at Van Stapele Koekmakerij. Their dark chocolate cookie with a melted white chocolate center has gained quite the reputation. In the afternoon the shop will have a long line down the block, so you’re better off getting your cookie during off-peak times. If you’re wonder if the cookie is worth the hype, believe me… it is.
Van Stapele’s bakers hard at work making Amsterdam’s best cookie
One of Amsterdam’s most well-known hofjes, called Begijnhof, is just around the corner from Van Stapele. This hofje was founded some time around the 12th-century and served as a home for elderly women. There are two catholic churches within the courtyard and a beautifully-restored wooden house from 1528, one of only two that remain in the city.
Begijnhof: a quiet retreat in the middle of Amsterdam’s city center
The famous floating flower market called Bloemenmarkt is also nearby. It’s definitely touristy but easy to tack on if you’re already in the area. If you’re interested in bringing back some of Holland’s iconic tulip bulbs as a souvenir, then this might be a good place to go.
Lunch
Some nearby lunch restaurants are Gartine, Greenwoods Keizersgracht, and Cafe de Klos.
French toast at Greenwoods Keizersgracht
Afternoon
Hands down the best way to experience Amsterdam is by boat. And no, I don’t mean those long, flat boats packed with sad-looking tourists listening to piped-in commentary. There are many other ways to float down the canals, including:
- Small Boat Tour – An excellent alternative to the aforementioned tourist-trap boats is to take a ride around the city on one of the smaller boats. The company Booot comes highly recommended and offers 1-hour guided tours for just €15 per person with the option to purchase beer, wine, and cocktails on board. Boats leave regularly from the Anne Frank House so no need to book in advance.
- Motor Boat – Chart your own path through the canals on your own private motor boat. There are several options for rental companies, but our go-to is a company called Mokumboot, which has six locations around the city. The boats are very easy to drive and no special license is required. The company will teach you the basics of navigating the canals and will also provide a map with suggested routes. The boats cost €90 for two hours, €110 for three hours, or €140 for four hours and can accommodate up to eight passengers. Reservations can be made on the Mokumboot website.
- Paddle Boat – Paddle boats are a fun option if you’re looking for a little adventure without renting a motor boat. A company called Stromma rents paddle boats by the hour and will let you pick up and drop off the boats at their various stations around the city. The boats hold up to four people but only the front two have to do the paddling. A 1-hour rental is €10 per person; a 1.5-hour rental is €15 per person.
Dan captaining our rental boat from Mokumboot
Dinner
Where you have dinner on your last night will largely depend on where you end up after your boat ride. I’ve made a map of my favorite restaurants (with cafes and bars as well) that you can use on-the-go.
With one more day…
If you have one extra day, I would suggest taking one of the many excellent day trips from Amsterdam. If you’re visiting in April or May, a visit to the tulip fields and Keukenhof gardens is a must-do. A visit to the Waterlands (Edam, Volendam, and Maarken) is a great option for the summer months. The small but lovely town of Haarlem is a great option any time of year with its impressive church, famous windmill, and a couple of great museums. Or if you’re looking to explore the great outdoors, the De Hoge Veluwe National Park is just an hour away by car or two hours by public transport.
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