I finally made it to Amsterdam and was even happier to spend the time with my long-distance friend Betsey (Her Alaska Travels). After living in London for over 6 months, I was definitely overdue for making the quick trip up to the Netherlands. I flew from Luton to Amsterdam for £25 and took the Eurostar back. Here’s how we spent 4 days!
NOTE: Some of the links in this blog are affiliate’s, which means I will earn a small commission when you use them to book. Thanks for your support! x
Where to Stay
First things first, I have a few recommendations on where to stay. Amsterdam is pretty safe, so if you are staying in central, you should be fine! The thing is it can be noisy if you’re staying right in the middle of things, so it might be a good place to consider an Air Bnb or something similar. Betsey uses Kindred, a home swap app, and she had points to use on the place we stayed. It was the cutest apartment and perfect for 2 people to share! However, since I can’t recommend that place specifically, here are a couple of hotels that might be good options for you.
As always, I like to share a few ranges of affordability, so starting with the highest, Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam. This is next level and the name speaks for itself, but definitely an incredible option if you are looking for something really nice for your stay in the city. Location is very central, so you’ll be able to get to everything I’m listing below easily.
Mid-range, Tivoi Doelen Amsterdam Hotel, also located really centrally and in a more affordable price range. This hotel spouts canal views, in-house restaurant and bar, and even a babysitting service. For the lower cost place, Amsterdam City Hotel is another central location, without any bells and whistles.
Things to Do
There are so many choices for activities and tours when you are visiting Amsterdam. Between the museums, neighborhoods, boats, and bikes, you aren’t short of options. Here are the things I decided to do, and a few things I wanted to do, but didn’t get the chance. Like always, I will let you know if I recommend or not and some of the links are affiliate links!
Canal Cruise
When in Amsterdam this is a must-do. There are so many options for canal cruises, so you’ll find something that sounds good for you. If you like cheese, they have tours with unlimited cheeses. Want a booze cruise, you’ve got it. Looking for something more romantic? Yep, no problem. The tour I did had the option to have unlimited wine, beer, and soft drinks, plus a little snack. It was informative and relaxed, which is exactly what I wanted. You can purchase tickets on site if you prefer. However, if you have a large group I’d recommend pre-booking.
We were there in July, so the sun stayed up very late. I decided to book the 9:30 pm cruise and it was amazing. We had a great sunset, but it was light enough throughout the cruise that we could see. And before we were finished, all the lights on the canal were turning on. Truly gorgeous I’m so happy we did it then and would definitely recommend.
Van Gogh Museum
Did you know Van Gogh was born in The Netherlands? Because of this, the museum there has a very large collection of his works. The story behind his life as an artist is only a decade long – I was able to go through the entire museum in about 2 hours. I felt this was a good thing to do if you are into art. The ticket was €24, which I felt was fair even thought I would’ve liked to spend less. The Starry Night is not on display there since the NYC MoMA owns it. Quite a few other familiar pieces are, however, such as Sunflowers, Irises, many of his self portraits, and The Potato Eaters. I enjoyed going here and on a rainy day it would be the perfect activity to do. Something to note, there is also a MoMA right next door and the Rijksmuseum, which I was recommended but did not end up doing.
Red Light District Walking Tour
This might not seem like something everyone would be interested in, but I seriously recommend doing it. I learned so much about the history of Amsterdam because the Red Light District is such a central part of that history. You learn about how prostitution is today (it is legal, they pay taxes, and they work for themselves), plus you get to walk around in the safety of a group if you are nervous to go on your own. There are women working, so if you are sensitive about seeing that, then it might not be for you, but be aware that any time of day that you go into this area there may be women working. They are behind windows, not just standing in the streets.
Overall I felt like this was one of the best things you can do in Amsterdam to understand the history of the city and learn how things are today in comparison. I went before it was dark, so I didn’t get the views with all the red lights on around the canal, but if I could do it again I would choose a later time.
Heineken Experience Tour
So this tour was recommended by quite a few people, so I decided it was something to do on my last rainy day in Amsterdam. I did this on my own, which was fine until the end when you get a couple of drinks and you’re just drinking on your own! Despite that, I really enjoyed this tour and learning about how Heineken got started. My favorite part was walking through the old bottles and memorabilia and seeing the old brewing equipment. I will say, this tour didn’t hold a candle to the Guinness Storefront, which you can do in Dublin. However, if you’re into beer, it’s definitely something to see!
Comedy Show
So I actually went to 2 different comedy clubs because we booked tickets for the wrong day for one of them. Boom Chicago – we went to a show here for Epic Rap Battles of History, which is apparently a famous group from YouTube! We had no idea, but it was really fun and we really enjoyed it. I’m not sure how their normal shows are, but this one we were standing the whole time like a concert.
The second show was at Comedy Cafe. The Venue was really cool because it’s right on the water, so has really pretty views. The comedy here was alright. I only wish they’d had more than 3 comedians. They do shows in English and Dutch, so be careful to book the right show!
Anne Frank House + Museum
Note: The only place to get tickets for the Anne Frank House and Museum is on the website linked above. If you wish to go into the house, you need to go online 6 weeks before your visit on the Tuesday at 10am Amsterdam local time. You will be put into an online queue and, if you’re lucky, you will have a chance to book your date. This requires planning ahead so being on top of this is the best way to ensure you get to go. I was not aware of this with enough time, so I didn’t get to go. It’s something I will definitely go back to Amsterdam for.
Where to Eat
From what I researched, Amsterdam isn’t particularly known for their food scene. However, we did find some good places that I can recommend to you when you visit. Something to note: if you are looking for a coffee shop in Amsterdam, you will inevitably walk into a little place that sells marijuana. In Amsterdam they are technically the only places you can legally smoke – though you will see and smell it all over. You can (technically again) get a fine for €100 if the police decide to stop you.
Brasserie Bink Amsterdam
This is a great place for breakfast or brunch, although they serve lunch foods as well. Betsey and I ended up here twice and both times we ate the same thing: Mini pancakes with Nutella and strawberries and a bacon and mushroom omelette. We shared both so we could enjoy something savory with protein, but also indulge our sweet tooth! The mini pancakes are actually very Dutch food according to the guys who were driving our canal cruise and something everyone should try. In Dutch they are called poffertjes (which might be what it says on the menu!)
Coffee Tales
A great place for a coffee and/or quick breakfast, this place has a really nice chai latte. I also ordered the açai bowl which was so good! (Both pictured above). Betsey had a cortado and one of their smoothies which she said was really nice. The inside here was really cute and kind of small, but there is an upstairs with nice seating if you want to stay to eat.
Moeders
This was one of the highlights of our entire time in Amsterdam for me! I absolutely loved this restaurant and the people working inside. It is entirely dedicated to mothers (the name is Dutch) and the decor is just photos of the guests mothers that have been brought in over the years. The food is very Dutch, so also great option if you want to try Dutch food. We decided to show up without a reservation and got seated after about 20 minutes or so, but it was raining and less busy for that reason. It is highly recommended to have a reservation here.
We ordered dessert first, and I am so glad we did! We shared a slice of apple pie and also got the stroopwafel ice cream (SO GOOD! JUST ORDER IT OK?). For dinner, we split the sirloin steak and one of the day’s specials, carrot and onion hotchpotch. Hotchpotch is basically mashed potatoes with whatever vegetables or meat they add in. It’s really basic, but I loved it. Betsey wasn’t a huge fan of the food, so not everyone might like what I like. Despite this, she was so glad we went and loved the people there.
Castillo Tapas and Steak
This is a Spanish restaurant, but we both saw steak and thought, yeah we want steak! Funnily, we ended up ordering the fajitas to share (it is huge, definitely share!). They have steak and chicken in them, so technically we did eat steak! This was in a great spot off the main road and the outdoor seating was perfect for people watching and enjoying the weather.
Myrabelle Cafe
Wandering around Amsterdam, you’ll find tons of little cafes and restaurants with outdoor seating. This was one that I thought was worth mentioning because they had great service and delicious pork schnitzel. Being from the midwest, this reminded me exactly of a breaded tenderloin. Highly recommend!
Snacky Foods
One thing you have to have while in Amsterdam are the frites (also known as French fries, but don’t call them that in Amsterdam!) Fabel Friet is a great spot to stop in. Don’t let the long line discourage you, they are super quick and have lots of options for toppings and sauces. We were recommended to stick to the classic parmesan cheese and truffle mayo. They were delicious!
If you like raw fish, trying some pickled herring is a must while in Amsterdam. You can find it at a little stand near the city center called Haring & Zo. I did try it because it came as a recommendation, but it wasn’t for me. It cost less than 3 Euros if you’re open to trying it!
Need something cool to eat? Grab a gelato at IJscuypje! Or, for something more on theme, a few of the good stroopwafel places like FA. Stroop Stroopwafles. This one is the best priced from what I could tell, so I’d recommend them versus van Wonderen Stroopwafels, literally on the same block. I didn’t take a photo of the one I bought, but they sell all different sizes and you can add different toppings.
After leaving Amsterdam, I took the train down to Belgium for a few days! Until that blog is up, read more about London city breaks.
A word to the wise, beware of the cyclists! The bikes are charming, but if you aren’t wary of bike lanes, you’ll be in trouble. Amsterdam is definitely a place I’ll be returning to! Anything I need to make sure to do for my next trip? Let me know below!
