If a European vacation is in your future, Amsterdam should definitely be considered as a destination. The famous canals, stunning parks, interesting museums, famous tulips, and exciting attractions make Amsterdam a great place to explore.

When to Visit

The best months to visit Amsterdam are April through November. If you want to avoid peak tourist season, visit in April and May or September and November. Travel to Amsterdam at the beginning of May to see all the incredible tulip fields. The tulips still bring countless tourists in May, but you can avoid peak summertime tourism. The tulip fields and Dutch windmills are worth a visit!

Trip Length

How long should you spend in Amsterdam? This really depends on how active and busy you like to be during your trip and if you plan on visiting other quaint towns surrounding Amsterdam. I spent three full days and three nights in Amsterdam, and it was the perfect amount of time to see all the top sights, explore the city and the parks, and plan some fun activities. My list of activities and sights will be posted below. We felt that we got the whole Amsterdam experience in three days, but we did not visit other surrounding cities.

Transportation in Amsterdam

How should you get around Amsterdam? A trip to Amsterdam is not complete without some time spent biking around the city! There are way more bikes than people in Amsterdam, and biking is certainly part of the culture and everyday norm there. You can find bike rental shops scattered around the city. If you stay in a hotel, they may rent bikes as well. We ended up getting a cheap rate from our Marriott hotel.

You may have seen some chaotic biking videos on Instragram suggesting that biking in Amsterdam as a tourist is a bad idea… It can be a bit chaotic in the city center as most people are biking, but I didn’t find it to be very stressful. There are spacious bike lanes, and bikers even have their own stoplights showing when to stop on red and go on green. The street rules are easy to pick up as a tourist. Biking around the city was one of my favorite activities in Amsterdam.

I recommend not only biking in the city center, but also biking through some pretty parks such as Vondelpark and Amsterdamse Bos. Vondelpark is a famous park where the locals gather to meet friends after a day’s work – the park fills up like crazy. Amsterdamse Bos is a peaceful forest you can bike through. It is the best way to start a morning!

Besides biking to get around Amsterdam, I was getting my steps in each day and ordered a couple Ubers. Walking around Amsterdam is a great way to take in the beautiful architecture and see where you end up. I always think it is fun to spend some time exploring by foot with no destination in mind. There are some trams or metros that you can use as well, but biking and walking is the way to go if you are centrally located.

What to Do in Amsterdam

Like I mentioned, to fit in with the locals in Amsterdam, explore the city by bike. It is a fun and efficient way to get between the top sights, but you should also head to Vondelpark and Amsterdamse Bos. When in Amsterdam, spend time by the canals. The canals create a maze around the city and are the perfect spot for a picnic.

When in the city center, head to the Albert Cuyp Market and try a fresh stroopwafel from Rudi’s Original Stroopwafels. Some shops sell overpriced stroopwafels for like 15 euros that aren’t even fresh when at Rudi’s you can watch them make the stroopwafel in front of you for 3 euros. Check out this website for the Albert Cuyp Market hours.

The Red Light District is a popular attraction for locals and tourists. I can’t say I enjoyed this section of Amsterdam, so I quickly walked in and out of this area. If you haven’t heard of the Red Light District, it is a center of prostitution and sex-related shops with unique history. If you walk down certain alleys, there are women waiting in windows for somebody to walk in. It is not a place for kids. I would have been happy avoiding this attraction, but other people find this district very interesting.

Next, explore the Jordaan and Damrak districts. Later, shop at De Negen Straatjes / The Nine Streets. Buy the most delicious croissants from Lourens, and eat some truffle fries from ‘t Pareltje.

Walk through the Anne Frank House. Some people say that going to the Anne Frank Museum is overrated for some reason as so many people visit it, but I think this museum is a must. The audio tour that is included is so interesting and emotional. You can expect to spend about one or two hours here. Head to the website and get tickets weeks in advance – they sell out quickly!

I recommend booking a canal cruise. I booked a canal cruise through Flagship and had a great experience. The 1-hour tour during the evening was 30 euros per person and included unlimited wine and cheese. We definitely got our moneys worth on the wine alone. The tour guides were so much fun and taught us so much about the city’s history. One of the tour guides said the local Dutch food was not good, and I have to agree with him. We tried bitterballen and it was not good, but I did enjoy the Dutch pie from Winkel 43.

Outside of city center activities, if you visit Amsterdam in May, the tulip fields are a must! There are a couple locations to see the beautiful tulips and windmills. I visited Keukenhof. This park is stunning and so expansive. Keukenhof is known as the Garden of Europe and gathers tourists from all over the world.

Itinerary List

I will include my itinerary recommendations in a list format below to make it more convenient for you as well. This was my trip’s list, so of course, there are more activities, events, and sights you can include in your trip!

• Rent bikes
• Walk the canals
• Spend time in Vondelpark
• Bike through Amsterdamse Bos
• Head to Albert Cuyp Market
• Buy a fresh stroopwafel from Rudi’s
• Red Light District?
• Jordaan and Damrak Districts
• Croissants from Lourens
• Truffle fries from ‘t Pareltje
• Shopping at De Negen Straatjes / The Nine Streets
• Anne Frank House
• Canal Cruise
• Pie from Winkel 43
• Keukenhof tulip fields and windmills

Conclusion

Amsterdam is a fun city to explore. There are plenty of attractions to keep you entertained, but this city is a great place to relax and slow down in nature as well. I loved my time in the Netherlands. Are you on your way to Amsterdam? I would love to hear what you think of the city!

Thanks for stopping by! Cheers to new travel experiences and making connections around the world. To read my other blog posts, check out the destinations tab on my website.