Amsterdam is so stunning, and a must-see for any European travel bucket list! It was built on a marsh, which is why they built the iconic canals all throughout the city.
I visited in the spring, which is the perfect time to see the tulip fields in full bloom. Tulip season runs from mid-March through early May.
This Amsterdam Travel Guide will help you plan your trip to Amsterdam, with recommendations for the best things to do, where to stay, where to eat, and how to get around.
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1. Canal Cruise
I would highly recommend starting your trip with a boat cruise around the canals! This way you’ll get to see the city from the water, and also learn more about the history of Amsterdam.
We booked an Open Boat Cruise with Flagship Amsterdam so that we could really see all around us. If the weather is nice out, I would 100% recommend doing an open boat tour – otherwise your view will be blocked by the top of the boat.
2. Anne Frank House
The Anne Frank House is a must-see when you are in Amsterdam. There’s a free audio tour that does a great job explaining everything, the original bookcase is still there, and you can actually walk through the secret annex which is wild.
It’s very moving experience and really puts things into perspective.
And make sure to book your tickets in advance on the official website. Ticket sales open 6 weeks in advance, on Tuesday at 10 AM Amsterdam time.
What do I do if all of the Anne Frank House tickets are sold out?
Do not panic!! This actually happened to me, but I was able to get tickets still on the exact day and time I wanted to go. There are two ways to get tickets to the Anne Frank House, even if they are all sold out:
- Download Ticketswap. This is only legitimate place where people resell tickets for the Anne Frank House. I recommend setting an alert for the days/times you want to go, so that you will be notified right away if tickets are available.
I had this app downloaded for 4 weeks and unfortunately was always too late to jumping on available tickets. They will literally get scooped up in less than half a second! - Set your alarm for Tuesday at 10 AM Amsterdam time THE WEEK before your visit. The museum releases additional tickets the week before, for all days and times.
This is how i scored my tickets! When I went on the website, there was a bit of a queue to get in, so I recommend entering the site ~10-15 minutes before 10 AM CET. However, I had zero issues getting tickets and there were tons available.
3. Keukenhof
The Keukenhof Tulip Garden is open from mid-March to early May, depending on tulip season. It is so stunning and you can see hundreds of different types of tulips, it’s truly amazing.
Make sure to reserve your tickets online in advance.
We purchased the combined Keukenhof ticket + KeukenhofBuzz bus ride, which made getting to Keukenhof really easy. We hopped on the shuttle bus in downtown Amsterdam, which brought us straight to Keukenhof.
The busses were running back and forth constantly, and we had no issues getting back to our hotel at night.
Can I see the rows of tulip fields here, like you see on Instagram?
This is the biggest mistake I made on my trip to Amsterdam. I thought that you’d be able to see the tulip fields at the Keukenhof Botanical Garden, but this is incorrect.
Photo for reference of what I was envisioning at Keukenhof:
If you want to get your Instagram-worthy photos, you’ll need to also book an entry ticket at the Tulip Barn or at the Tulipfarm De Tulperij.
This is just 5 minutes away from the botanical garden, and absolutely worth the visit. If I could go back and do it over again, I wish I had known to book a ticket here!
Don’t get me wrong, the botanical garden is still worth the visit, but wanted to share my mistake so you can learn from it!
4. Vondelpark
I recommend ending your night with people watching and the sunset at Vondelpark. It’s so pretty and peaceful, and THE place to be on a sunny day.
Alternatively, you should absolutely walk or bike through here during the day. When I was here in May, the weather was perfect, and it felt like everyone was at this park, it was so lively and fun!
5. De 9 Straatjes (the 9 Streets)
This is a popular area with tons of designer boutique shops, vintage stores, cafes and more. It spans across a couple canals and is worth wandering for a few hours, especially if you love to shop!
I didn’t realize that Amsterdam would have so much good shopping, and I actually ended up buying a ton more here than I did in Paris!
6. Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum is a must for all history and art lovers! You’ll find world-famous artwork by iconic Dutch artists like Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Vermeer on display in the museum.
I recommend booking your tickets online in advance so that you don’t have to wait in a line when you arrive. The museum itself is huge – you could easily spend all day here.
7. Albert Cuypstraat (Market)
Albert Cuypstraat is a daily outdoor market with tons of food, clothing, souvenir, accessory and other stalls. It’s open every day from 9:30 AM – 5 PM except Sundays.
I recommend coming here hungry and trying popular Dutch delicacies, like stroopwafel and herring. You can get the famous Rudi’s Original Stroopwafels here!
Where to stay in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is a relatively small city, compared to other European cities. I think this makes it easy to get around the whole city, regardless of where you’re staying.
However, I’ll share my two favorite neighborhoods to help narrow down your choices for your trip to Amsterdam.
Museum Quarter
The Museum Quarter is, you guessed it, where all of the popular museums are located, like the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum and the Van Gogh Museum.
It’s also located right next to Vondelpark, which is a great place for your morning jog or sunset at night!
We stayed at the Amsterdam Marriott Hotel, which was incredible and truly made our stay. Check out this sunrise view from our room!
I would recommend staying here if hitting all of the museums is high on your list, and also being more centrally located to everything in the city.
I felt like we were right in the middle, and everything was a short (under 20 minutes) walk away.
Jordaan
The Jordaan is a really cute neighborhood in the canals with lots of shopping and restaurants. This is where the 9 Streets and the Anne Frank House Museum are located as well.
I would recommend staying here if you want to be able to walk right out of your hotel and be on the canal! There’s a ton of great restaurants around here as well.
Where to eat in Amsterdam
Bakeries
1. Melly’s Cookies Bar and StroopWafels
This is two separate shops – one dedicated to StroopWafels, and the other serving delicious cookies, cakes, pies and more.
This is a must if you have a sweet tooth!
2. Sea Salt & Chocolate
Sea Salt & Chocolate is an amazing little cake shop right around the corner from the Albert Cuyp Market. I had a slice of their vegan chocolate cake and it was SO good!
3. Rudi’s Original Stroopwafels
Rudi’s is a must. Stop by their old-fashioned stall at the Albert Cuyp Market for the full experience.
4. NU koffie & delicatessen
Disclaimer because this was recommended to me but I wasn’t able to stop by, but it has amazing reviews on Google and is known for their coffee!
5. Louren’s
Louren’s is the spot to get a crookie – a cross between of a croissant and a gooey chocolate chip cookie.
6. Madame Croissant
Madame Croissant is another spot to get a crookie, or another one of their delicious sweet & savory croissants!
7. Van Stapele Koekmakerij
You will likely have to wait in line for one of Van Stapele’s cookies, but they are 100% worth the wait.
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Restaurants
1. Foodhallen
The Foodhallen is an upscale food court with tons of great restaurant options! I recommend coming here especially if you’re in a group and no one can decide on what they want for dinner – this has everything!
I got a poke bowl from Meneer Temaki, which was amazing, but you really can’t go wrong.
2. ABC Clubsandwich
ABC Clubsandwich is a small lunch restaurant serving sandwiches and salads! I recommend stopping here for a quick, yummy lunch while you’re shopping the 9 Streets.
3. Casa di Sergio
Casa di Sergio is an Italian restaurant located by the Rijksmuseum. You can sit outdoors on the little patio and people watch, and enjoy an amazing Italian meal.
4. Moeders
Moeders is a traditional Dutch restaurant that was recommended to us by the staff at Melly’s Cookies Bar! They serve large portions of traditional Dutch food, so it’s the perfect spot if you’re looking to try the local cuisine.
It’s a small and cozy restaurant, so make sure you make your reservation in advance, otherwise you will probably be waiting for at least an hour.
How to get around Amsterdam
By Biking
Had to start off with the quintessential mode of transportation for the Dutch! You will see bikes everywhere all over Amsterdam – this is the most popular way to get around the city.
There are dedicated bike lanes on every street, and cyclists are always given the right of way.
Renting a bike can cost anywhere from around €10 to €20 for a day, depending on the rental company and the type of bike. I suggest looking up bike rental companies near your hotel, or asking your concierge for their recommendation.
By Walking / Running
Like I said earlier, Amsterdam is a smaller city so it’s really easy to get around by walking.
However, you will really need to pay attention to your surroundings while you’re walking around though, and especially when you’re crossing the street. Cyclists have the right of way, and are often going by quickly.
I felt like trying to cross the street was like playing a game of real-life Frogger; there are 2 bike lanes, 2 car lanes, and 1 metro lane, making it a challenge to cross.
To stay active, I would definitely suggest going for a run in the morning to explore and see more of the city! Especially through Vondelpark; there were so many people out and about in the park.
By Metro / Bus
The public transit in Amsterdam is a fast and efficient way to travel around the city, especially for longer distances.
Each ride is €3.20, which is pretty expensive in my opinion, so I would recommend reserving Metro use for when you want to leave the city center.
If you want to hit a lot of major attractions and take the metro, I recommend looking into an I amsterdam City Card. This will give you access to all major highlights and more than 70 museums, city-wide public transport, a canal cruise and bicycle rent for one flat fee.
By Car
I found that Ubers and Taxis were available in Amsterdam, but I often had to wait at least 5 minutes for one to arrive. They were also pretty expensive, compared to other European cities I’ve visited.
I would not recommend renting a car in Amsterdam. There are hardly any places to park a car, the streets are really narrow, and many are alongside canals.
If you plan to road trip around the Netherlands, I would definitely rent a car for that, but pick it up when you are leaving Amsterdam or drop it off before you get to Amsterdam.
If you’re planning a trip to Amsterdam, feel free to send me an email or DM on Instagram with any questions or for personalized travel tips!
mariss
