Guide to a Weekend in Amsterdam 🇳🇱

I’ve now had the joy of visiting Amsterdam twice in my life, and I can say with certainty it truly is a special city. From the winding canals, the streets full of more bikers than you’d see anywhere else, to the incredibly friendly people and the deep history of this city make it well worth a visit. I could see myself returning to Amsterdam time and time again, for brief visits of enjoying the restaurants, city culture, museums, and more.

Tips for Planning a Trip to Amsterdam

1. Book Tickets Ahead of Time

This was our fatal mistake which made it impossible to visit the Anne Frank House — it’s a very small museum with limited numbers of tickets that sell out weeks in advance. You have to be on top of it — however I was told that the sometimes you can get last-minute cancellation spots on Tuesdays, so you can check to see if any have opened up, but we were not lucky. Normally tickets go on sale for 6 weeks out every Tuesday at 10am Amsterdam time, so just plan ahead and make sure to buy from the official Anne Frank House museum website.

2. Know the Rules of the Road (and bike lanes)

You really need to keep your head up and be alert when walking around Amsterdam. There are so many bicyclists, and one wrong step into a bike lane when you’re checking your GPS could prove to be a serious accident. Only check your directions when you’re in a safe space, not at risk of being hit by a biker. Also be aware of where the bike lanes are — some appear to be pedestrian paths along the canals, but they are actually intended for bikes only.

3. If you have hotel points — use them

One thing that really shocked me in Amsterdam was how expensive hotels were. We could not find any mid-range or budget-friendly hotels, so thankfully, my wonderful mom let me use her hotel points that she had racked up. We stayed at Leonardo Boutique Museumhotel, which was in a great location and was a comfortable, spacious hotel, but the prices were high. Be prepared to spend a bit on accommodation in Amsterdam — if you can use your credit cards rewards points, I’d say do it.

One day I would love to return to Amsterdam with TrustedHousesitters — a company that pairs people who want to live in another city with people who need a trustworthy petsitter while they are gone on their own vacation. I think Amsterdam would be a fantastic place to stay and watch someone’s cat for a week or two.

Non-Museum Things To Do in Amsterdam

Half Day Trip to Zans Schaans

Venturing to Zans Schaans is a fantastic activity to fill half a day in Amsterdam if you’re lucky with great weather. After breakfast, we jumped on bus 391 from Amsterdam Central Station to Zaandijk. There is also a train that runs multiple times per day and is faster, but you can grab the bus if you’d just missed a train departure. It was a smooth ride to this idyllic Dutch town that sits about 20-30 minutes away from the city and cost just a few dollars.

It’s a unique heritage park with windmills, gardens, and canals, with a few shops and cafes to stop into if you’d like to get some souvenirs or a drink. There are many historic houses that were relocated here from other parts of the country to help preserve them, and it’s a fabulous place to spend a few hours wandering around.

Day Trip to Haarlem

Albert Cuyp Market

This huge, outdoor street market extends for ages and sells everything from produce to electronics, dishes and homewares, clothing, prepared food, and more. Here we ate some great food, including Kibbling — Dutch battered, fried cod. It was delicious, served fresh and piping hot, and I got a massive pickle as a side. I would definitely recommend a stroll through the Albert Cuyp market if you’re looking for souvenirs, a quick bite to eat, or any Dutch goods to take home as gifts.

Canal Boat Trip with Wine & Cheese

Want to sit back, relax, and eat cheese? Look no further than Amsterdam Boat Trips! You can typically walk right up to canal boat tour operators who are selling seats on the canal boats leading up to the departure, but we booked ahead which was nice to make sure we had a spot. With a captain and a tour guide onboard, we cruised calmly through the canals while indulging in delicious gouda cheese and sipping wine. It was a short tour, about an hour, but it was great for getting to see the sights, learn a bit about the history of the city, and of course enjoy pre-dinner bites and drinks. It cost about €30 per person and included as many glasses of wine as we could drink in an hour.

Walk the Canals & Explore

Amsterdam is a great city to just wander around. The canals, iconic buildings, and other sights are fun to see while you wander with a coffee. I found it really hard to get my bearings in Amsterdam — the winding canals and lack of a grid meant we got turned around a few times, but the views everywhere you looked were great and worth getting lost for a little bit.

Restaurants & Bars in Amsterdam

Cafe Karpershoek

Located not far from the Central Station, this spot is touristy but worth a visit. Operating since 1606, Cafe Karpershoek is Amsterdam’s oldest pub, a historical bar that is great for a quick drink and a snack. Here I opted to try Dutch Apple Cake — sort of like apple pie but honestly I’d argue it’s even better. The servers were really nice, which was something that really pleased and surprised me, because I think if I had to deal with tourists all day every day, I wouldn’t be as nice as them.

Breakfast at De Carrousel

While this is 100% a touristy spot, the food was still really good and the service was friendly. We visited right at opening and were the only ones for a while, which shocked me. I expected a line out the door. After we ordered, a few small groups trickled in but nothing overwhelming. De Carrousel is a cafe set up in an old carousel, serving up delicious Dutch pancakes that are more crepe-like, and poffertjes, the smaller, more puffy pancakes. Choose from a variety of syrups and toppings, and enjoy it all with a coffee to get a sugar rush before embarking on a day of walking around the city.

Cafe Hans en Grietje

Another touristy stop — very guilty of not venturing into the “locals only” hidden gems on this trip but nonetheless this was the perfect little cafe to stop and have an afternoon drink in the sun. The “Hansel and Gretel” cafe is near most of the popular museums so could be a great place to unwind after staring at paintings and sculptures, and they have a nice patio area and prompt service even when it was super busy.

Brasserie Zuiderbad

Located super close to our hotel, this little cafe was clearly a locals spot that was ideal for a quick afternoon snack to kill some time before checking in. I tried Bitterballen here, a Dutch bar snack, similar to croquettes. They were really tasty and perfect with some fries to tide me over until dinner. The cafe itself is super close to the Rijksmuseum, so if you need a break after wandering around in there, check out Brasserie Zuiderbad just around the corner.

New Season Chinese Restaurant & Noodle Bar

Need a break from European cuisine or craving Asian flavors? Head over to Chinatown in Amsterdam, a district in the city boasting lots of Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese, and Indonesian restaurants and shops. There is also a temple and a Buddhist monastery in this area, which was cool to see! For dinner, we ventured to New Season Chinese Restaurant & Noodle Bar, a place I was a little wary of due to the range of options on their menu, but the Laksa I ordered was delicious and I would definitely venture back to this restaurant.

That’s a wrap on our weekend in Amsterdam! I really want to go back sometime in April to see all the amazing tulip fields and gardens, explore more museums, enjoy more restaurants, and maybe take more day trips around the Dutch countryside. The Netherlands is a small country, but it has so much to offer, and I look forward to my next visit.