Amsterdam Travel Guide | The Best Places to See + Visit
We had both visited Amsterdam before, but this was our first time going together. Gabi’s grandmother lives in Amsterdam half the year, so we used this as an opportunity to not only travel but also see family. Amsterdam is such a fun and unique European city to visit, but you really only need a few days to see the whole thing. I think we spent 3 or 4 days in Amsterdam and thought it was the perfect amount of time to see the city (we even had time to do a day trip to Rotterdam!). Since we aren’t newbies to Amsterdam, we thought we would share our favorite places to see & visit in the city!
Where to Stay in Amsterdam
We stayed with Gabi’s grandmother at her apartment, but Amsterdam is so well connected that you can stay anywhere and get around very easily. We stayed in the Amsterdam-Zuid neighborhood and it only took us about 15 minutes by metro to get to the city center. But if you want to stay closer to city center or Central station you can do that as well.
You can find Amsterdam Hotels here on our favs Hotels.com
How to Get Around Amsterdam
Amsterdam is one city where you definitely do not want to have a car lol. Most of the street in the city center are car-free, and the city is so accessible in other ways that you really don’t need one. You probably already know that Amsterdam is famous for being a biking city. There are bike lanes everywhere and it’s the most popular mode of transportation in the city. We do recommend that you be a good biker though, because everyone is riding bikes there so you have to be very comfortable on a bicycle. You will see places where you can rent bikes everywhere so just find one that makes sense for you if you choose biking.
We didn’t trust ourselves riding bikes lol so we opted for walking & public transportation. Amsterdam has the metro, & trams to get you anywhere you want to go in the city. It’s a tap in/out system so you can use Apple/Google Pay or tap your credit card. You don’t need to get a physical ticket. We took the metro & trams everywhere and it was very affordable! We highly recommend going this route if you don’t want to bike everywhere.
Best Things to Do in Amsterdam
NDSM
Damrak
Check out Museumplein - An area in the city where you can find a lot of the famous art museums. This trip we decided to check out the Rijkmuseum, which has a lot of famous artwork from Dutch artists like Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Vermeer. We really liked the Rijks museum and if you want to visit we recommend buying your tickets online a day or two before. Entry is time-slotted so it’s best to buy in advance to guarantee you can go when you want to. Also in the Museumplein you will find the Van Gogh Museum, Moco Museum, and the Stedelijk Museum.
Snap a photo in front of Damrak - Damrak is a famous street along the canals with very picturesque Dutch houses. We loved this spot for a photo, but it’s just nice to sit and watch the boats go by in the canals as well.
Do the Heineken Experience - If you are a beer lover then this is for you! Heineken is made in The Netherlands and you can learn all about the history, process, as well as try some beer during the Heineken Experience. I believe tickets were around €20 per person and we bought them day of, but you can also book private & guided tours the are more expensive if you want that personal experience.
Visit Dam Square - The main plaza in the city center that houses the Royal Palace.
Take the free ferry to NDSM Wharf - NDSM is a former shipyard in the Amsterdam-Noord neighborhood that has now turned into a hip, arts & culture area. There’s tons of amazing street art & murals (there is even a street art museum here called STRAAT), as well as local shops, flea markets, vintage markets, and restaurants. This area is still up & coming, but I think every year it gets more & more popular. It’s best to visit on the weekends because that is when the most markets are happening, but if you visit on the weekday (like we did) there is still a lot of fun stuff to do! To get here, you can take the free ferry from Amsterdam Central or Pontsteiger.
Get lost in the streets - walking in the city center of Amsterdam is one of our favorite things to do. There are so many little streets and alleyways, and different canals and bridges you can pass. Each one is beautiful is it’s own way, so there is no right or wrong way to go. We found some of the most beautiful streets and bridges just by wandering!
Other notable things to do in Amsterdam: Albert Cuyp Street & Market, The Anne Frank House (we both did this the last time we went so we didn’t do it again but it is a must-do if you are a first timer), Vondelpark, Do a canal cruise, Visit the Red Light District
Find tours & activities to do in Amsterdam here on Expedia!
Where to Eat & Drink in Amsterdam
Uncomomon Cafe
Vegan Sushi Bar
Vegan Junk Food Bar
Uncommon Cafe
Vegan Sushi Bar
Saint-Jean Cafe
Manekenpis Fries (gotta try this to have fries the Dutch way!)
Cafe Het Bruine Paard
Vergulden Eenhoorn
Tales & Spirits
Bar Buka (lesbian bar)
Cafe ‘t Smalle
Coffee & Coconuts
The LGBTQ+ Scene in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is one the most inclusive cities in terms of being LGBTQ+ in our opinion. The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize same sex marriage in 2005, and you can tell that queer people feel comfortable being themselves in Amsterdam because we saw tons of other queer people & couples walking around. There are a few gay bars in Amsterdam, as well as a lesbian bar called Bar Buka. We visited right after Amsterdam Pride, so the city was still lit up with rainbows galore. We loved being in Amsterdam as a lesbian couple and we hope we can go back for Pride one day!
If you want to see first hand what we did on our trip to Amsterdam, make sure you check out our Amsterdam vlog on YouTube!
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