An Amsterdam City Guide for your next trip to the historic Dutch city.
The month I spent in the Netherlands was one of my favorite months ever. If you’re curious about how I managed to make that work in between moving from Boston to Atlanta and also managed to work over there, here’s a little more about the trip.
My husband and I spent the month in Utrecht, which is a short train ride away from Amsterdam. Door to door, it took about 35/40 minutes. I loved that we got to experience the Netherlands a little more authentically than we would have if we stayed right in Amsterdam. In Utrecht, everything was in Dutch first (then English). In Amsterdam, it was the other way around. Everyone immediately speaks English, but in Utrecht Dutch seems to be the language of choice. I did my best to learn a little Dutch, but darn that language is tough!
If you’re going to Amsterdam and have time to explore other parts of the country, I say DO IT. And, if you’re only going for a few days, that’s okay, too! Who am I to tell you what to do, right?
So, whether you’re visiting just AMS or exploring more of the country, here’s how to spend about 48 hours in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam City Guide
Where to eat & drink in Amsterdam
- The Avocado Show: Whether you’re a vegetarian or not, The Avocado Show was one of my favorite spots in Amsterdam. Everything is made with avocados (everything!) and everything was delicious. So now imagine that you really love avocados. It’s like a millennial Disney World.
- Metropolitain: While our friends were resting up from their trip, Tim and I headed over to Metropolitain for coffee. It’s technically a restaurant (their brunch looked delicious!), they serve up some fantastic, unique coffee.
- Bar Feijoa: We stopped in Bar Feijoa on a whim after passing it one late evening and boy am I glad we did. The drinks were incredible! If you’re not sure what you’d like to order, you can let the bartenders know what liquor and what flavors you typically enjoy and they’ll whip up something just for you.
- Kade West: If you go grab a coffee at Lot Sixty One (see below!), then you should also stop by Kade West for a pint and some bitterballen. You’ll find pretty quickly that there isn’t necessarily a well-known Dutch cuisine, but that bitterballen is a national favorite there. I ate as much bitterballen as I possible could while visiting and Kade West’s was so tasty.
- Brouwerij ‘t IJ: Don’t let the difficult looking name scare you off, this brewery was awesome. It’s a bit of a train ride away (really not far, though, I suppose mostly just a train ride from where we were at that time), but so worth the trek. They’ve got a TON of beer on hand and, if it’s nice out, there’s plenty of al fresco seating. Bring some friends and make an afternoon out of it!
What to do in Amsterdam
- Rent a bike: Want to explore Amsterdam like a local? Rent a bike! I guarantee you that if you google “bike tour” + “Amsterdam” you’ll find plenty of affordable options. It’s important to be safe, too. So, observe your fellow cyclists and follow their lead (e.g., using your turning hand signals, speed, side of the road to bike on, etc.).
- Bring your walking shoes: If biking’s not your speed, or you’re simply looking to explore by foot for a bit, bring your walking shoes. Amsterdam is an extremely walkable city. In fact, you may miss a whole bunch by not exploring by foot.
- Book a canal tour: This was, hands down, one of my favorite activities in Amsterdam. We visited Amsterdam with a few friends and booking a canal tour was the right move. Some of the tours are BYOB and others stock wine and beer for the ride. Either way, you get to enjoy a little tour of Amsterdam by water with a glass of wine/beer in hand. We booked a sunset tour and it was beautiful. If you can snag a sunset spot, it’s worth the extra $$!
Where to get coffee in Amsterdam
- Lot Sixty One Coffee Roasters: The Lot Sixty One location we went to (on Kinkerstraat) was super tiny, but so cozy for the rainy morning we had while visiting.
- Metropolitain: See above!
Tourist attractions worth visiting in Amsterdam
- De Pijp: Vogue named De Pijp Amsterdam’s coolest neighborhood, and you know what? I’d have to agree. Well, I’d agree based on my short time spent in Amsterdam. I didn’t get to explore every neighborhood in Amsterdam, but this one is definitely a winner.
- Anne Frank House: We sadly didn’t book our visit to the Anne Frank House in time. In fact, tickets sell out months in advance. So, book your Anne Frank House tickets as soon as you book your trip to Amsterdam, if you’re hoping to visit.
- Museumplein: This is the park that lies between many of Amsterdam’s museums (get it now?). It’s also the spot where the I Amsterdam sign lived. Well, up until late last year. The sign was crawling with tourists from sun up to sun down and Amsterdam wanted to reclaim its city. Can you blame them? Even though the sign is now gone, Museumplein is still a gorgeous spot to sit and enjoy the afternoon.
Where to stay in Amsterdam
- De Pijp: Remember when I said Vogue called De Pijp the coolest neighborhood in town? Well, you should stay there, too. With Airbnbs averaging about $100 a night, you can’t really beat the location and price.
- Honestly, anywhere: If you’re looking near Amsterdam-Centrum (central AMS), you’re bound to be in a decent location. If you have specific questions, shoot me an email!
What’s on our list for next time
- Food Hallen: Everyone loves a good food hall, right? And, this one’s on my list for our next trip!
- More bitterballen. Seriously, y’all. If you’ve never had bitterballen, you must give it a go!
- The Duchess: Just look at the photos inside this spot. I cannot! It’s perfect.
- Bar Botanique: For obvious reasons. Again, just look at these photos.
- The Cottage: It looks like the coziest little pub in all of AMS.
- Mama Kelly: I haven’t been there yet, but this looks like an AMS version of Sketch.
What’s up next in your travel plans!? We’ve got lots of domestic travel this year (well, we did just come back from Brasil a week ago) and another Europe trip later this year. We’re off to Ireland again and Portugal! And, perhaps another stop back in the Netherlands – I miss it way too much!
g.
