Amsterdam is one of the most aesthetically pleasing cities in Europe with narrow crooked houses squished against each other lining picturesque canals as an endless stream of bikes glide over bridges. With so many things to do, its not surprising that it attracts as many tourists each year, putting it almost in the same league as Paris and London. For some, it could end up being “too-touristy” and so, you will find polarizing views on both sides of the city on the internet. We visited Amsterdam on a short 2 day visit during our larger European adventure (with main focus on Iceland) during October 2024.
We arrived in Amsterdam by afternoon from Brussels through a train which terminated at the Central station. From there we took a short train ride to our hotel and freshened up/had lunch before heading to the city for our evening adventure.
Transportation system in Amsterdam
The city is well connected through a good network of trains, buses, trams & ferries. There are many ticket options available depending on how long you are in the city, where all you plan to travel and what all attractions you want to visit in the city. Some of the popular ones include –
- “I amsterdam city card” which gives you free transportation within the city only + entrances to many of the museums, canal cruise etc. This ticket is not valid on trains and does not include transportation from the airport. Can be bought in these increments: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 days
- Amsterdam Travel Ticket – valid on all metro, trams and bus lines operated by GVB, comes in increments of 1, 2 or 3 days validity.
- GVB ticket – valid on buses, trams, metro and ferries only within the city. Does not cover airport transfers and even trains. Validity from 1 to 7 days.
- OV chipkaart – valid on all transportation options and is re-loadable. There is a non-refundable cost associated (7.5 Euros) with buying the OV card itself initially.
- Individual ticket – If you want to avoid paying for the OV rechargeable card, you can consider purchasing for individual legs of the journey on the NS app. You could do the same on NS kiosks at the stations, but that gives you paper card tickets which is chargable extra (1 Euro per ticket extra). We were able to purchase multiple tickets on the NS app for the same route (for all of us), it gives you the tickets as QR codes which you can swipe for entry and exit at the stations, saving the cost of the physical card.
- Credit card/Wallet Tap and Go – you could also use your credit cards or Apple/Google wallets to tap and enter into the stations/trams/buses. Works just like an individual ticket.
Attractions
Here are the attractions we visited over the course of the 2 days in Amsterdam –
Centraal Station
Our first stop was the iconic Centraal station itself. This centrally located neo-Renaissance rail station was designed by P.J.H. Cuypers, the same person who designed the famous Rijksmuseum. It is one of the prettiest stations in Europe and well connected to other parts of the city through the network of buses, trains and trams.
Damrak
Damrak avenue, just a short walk from the Centraal station offers the first glimpse of the famous canals and narrow houses of the city to the tourists. Its a good photo spot for a short break before moving on to other attractions.
Dam Square
Close to the Damrak avenue you can find the Dam square which is Amsterdam’s most famous square. This is located just outside the Royal Palace and is busy with lots of tourists and pigeons. Madam Tussauds wax museum is also located here.
Canal cruise
If you are looking for the best and most “Amsterdam” thing to do in this city, hop on to a canal cruise. It will come across as a bit touristy and cliched but worth the hype none the less. This is the best way to experience the city and its famous picturesque canals. The unending network of canals dotted with colorful and well maintained buildings make for a well spent 1 hour on the boat. Prices start from around 20 Euros and can go upto 35 or 40 depending on whether you are taking their food and beverage package. We booked this tour on Viator starting at Anne Frank’s house. Pro Tip: Book these tours in advance as the slots around the sun set are usually in demand and get sold out quickly.
Anne Frank’s house
It is by far one of the most famous attractions of the city. Anne Frank was a German born Jewish girl who was living in Amsterdam when the Nazis invaded and subsequently spent 2 years hiding with her family in tiny concealed rooms and she kept a diary documenting her experiences during this tenure and which was later published by her father after her death which has now become one of the best sellers in the world. The place where she stayed has been converted into a museum which you can visit. Since we are not big fans of museums, we just saw it from outside.
Jordaan Neighbourhood
The Jordaan is a charming neighborhood in Amsterdam with picturesque canals, historic buildings, and a lively local vibe. Highlights include the Noordermarkt, Anne Frank House, and numerous cafes and art galleries.
Red Light District
Red Light District is that infamous part of Amsterdam known for legal prostitution. There is even a whole museum around the history of prostitution. To be honest, this is not a particularly exciting place to visit, but good to get it out of the way quickly, just to indulge your curiosity. Just remember to remain respectful and not take any photos while you are in the area.
Rijksmuseum
Also known as the national museum of Netherlands, it has an outstanding collection of 8000 plus pieces of Dutch art and is to Amsterdam, what Louvre is to Paris. It is said to be expensive to enter and time-consuming. We avoided going inside and admired the beauty of the building from outside.
Floating Flower Market
This is the world’s only floating flower market – a stretch of flower stalls that are all located on floating platforms on the water. It is one of its kind and great place to buy tulip themed souvenirs, bulbs etc.
Iconic “I amsterdam” sign
We went in search of this sign which was supposed to be located just outside of the Rijksmuseum. We could not find it there. We did eventually find it outside the Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.
Zaanse Schans
The Zaanse Schans is a beautiful historic windmill village located just outside of the Amsterdam city with centuries-old windmills and timber houses painted green. It is not an outdoor museum, but a special public area, a ‘regular residential area’ in the municipality of Zaanstad. It is about 20 mins train ride from the Amsterdam city and can easily be covered as a day tour (or half day tour) from the city. It is free to visit and turned out to be one of the most memorable things for us from our Amsterdam visit. It has a lot of interesting attractions like Cheese factory, Wooden shoes factory, make your own hot chocolate and more. It was a half a day well spent.
Things to eat and snack
Few of the things to try in Amsterdam are –
- Stroopwafels – If there is one food that you want try while in Amsterdam, it is this. These are made of 2 thin waffle wafers sandwiched together with a caramel filling in the middle. Ofcourse like any other famous dish around the world, there is the original plain flavor, and there are multiple flavor innovations with chocolate and other toppings.
2. Netherland fries with various cheesy sauces
3. Poffertjes – these are the small, fluffy pancakes served with powdered sugar
Additional things to do if you have more time in the city
- Vondel park – This is the large park (120 acres) in the center of the city. If you visit around April to May, you will see tulips in full bloom
2. Van Gogh Museum – Another famous museum in Amsterdam dedicated to the works of Vincent Van Gogh.
3. STRAAT – Amsterdam’s museum for street art and graffiti is a 8000 square meter open area built on a former NDSM shipyard. You can reach there by a free F4 ferry from Centraal Station and takes 20 mins tide way from the city center. It is a cultural hotspot for artists & Eateries with some eye popping art installations.
4. Smaller quirkier museums – Amsterdam has no shortage of museums and so, you can find many of these one of a kind museums such as the Pipe museum, Upside Down museum, Cat cabinet museum & Our House, which is dedicated to immersive installations around dance and music. Most of it are covered by the “I amsterdam card” and worth the visit if you indeed have purchased one.
5. Albert Cuyp market – The Albert Cuypmarkt is the largest and most popular outdoor market in the Netherlands, with 260 stands operating six days a week selling everything from shoes, luggage, fresh vegetables and fish to typical Dutch treats like raw herring or warm, freshly made stroopwafels.
6. Indulge in Heineken experience and tour the original Heineken Brewery
Unending Vacations 