3 Unforgettable Days in Amsterdam: A Guide to the City's Best Food, History, and Art
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Exploring Amsterdam and London -- spending 8ish days in two noteworthy cities. This trip was actually fairly spontaneous. I knew I wanted to go somewhere for my birthday, so I went to google and played around with flights and found a non-stop flight out of Philly for Amsterdam and back from LHR for aroun $300. Obviously I had to jump on it and start planning my trip.
Bonus! I went with my mom who ended up having enough points to cover the trip, Happy Birthday to me! Our trip was broken up into 3 days in Amsterdam and 5 days in London. This post is going to concentrate on my time in Amsterdam. Check out my London post to see how we spent five days there.
With that in mind, let's get into my time in Amsterdam the city of bikes, tulips and canals.
Quick History
The city has a long, rich and speckled history that dates back to the 12th century. However, they became a world interest due to their shipments to the Western world in the 16th century notably their part in the trading of goods, the creation of the stock exchange, and also their participation in slave trade allowing them to be an important and financially lucrative world hub.
Amsterdam has plans to further acknowledge this part of their history by opening a National Museum of Slavery in 2028. Further building on their desire to have a culturally rich and diverse country.
Amsterdam is also known for being the top “Sin City”. They give Vegas a run for it's money with the well known Red Light District. Fun fact, Amsterdam is actually built on top of a swamp. While walking or riding around you'll notice some houses look a little askew, that's because of the sinking.
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With the accessibility of public transit stays within and outside the city center are convenient:
MET Hotel
Clayton Hotel
Monet Garden Hotel
Hotel NH Collection
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Restaurant Black Olive
Winkle 43
The Pantry
Restaurant Klein BREDA
New Dutch Amsterdam
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From museums to experiences Amsterdam has so much to offer:
Canal Cruises
Anne Frank House
Van Gogh Museum
Remembrandt House
Heineken Experience
I Am Amsterdam City Pass - Access to more attractions
Getting Around
Central Amsterdam is about 20 minutes from the airport. You can take the train, taxi or rideshare. The taxi is considerably more expensive than Uber, so if you opt out of public transport, I suggest Uber. The airport has a dedicated rideshare pick-up area.
The public transit system is easy to navigate and you can use contactless pay. For our trip we purchased the I am Amsterdam City Pass. Not only does this grant you access to loads of attractions you also get unlimited free transportation on buses, trams and metros (train not included).
This ended up being the best purchase, we were tapping that bad boy our whole trip.
Pro tip: If you do get the pass, DO NOT share tickets with someone after activating. It has to be done before or the original purchaser will lose access.
We did not know that and it caused an unnecessary headache. Once we got to Amsterdam Central we were able to go to the I Am Amsterdam store and they were able to quickly and easily resolve the issue by having me uninstall and reinstall the app.
We didn't have a car for this trip and it's not needed, unless you plan on exploring other areas.
As I'm sure you already know, Amsterdam is a biker's paradise. Did you know there are more bikes than people and that the average person has 3 bikes?! Walking around you'll quickly see this is definitely not far-fetched as bicycles line the city, locked up and parked seemingly everywhere.
Aside from biking the city is easy to walk around, though Google Maps can be a bit of a pain. They have a bunch of little streets so the arrow goes crazy if you use live view.
Where to Stay
The majority of attractions are located within the city center. Hotels in the city center are on the higher side. There are also a bunch of hostels, so make sure you're reading carefully. Last thing you want is to book a place and all of a sudden you're sharing a bathroom with the floor. I've read quite a few reviews that proved people did not read closely.
We opted to stay outside the city center at the MET Hotel and couldn't be happier with that decision. Yes, it’s about 20+ minutes outside the city center but it was considerably cheaper, quiet and updated.
The hotel was beautiful and conveniently located near two transportation stops. Even our driver let us know we picked a great spot, which is always a nice reassurance. Also, since we bought the Amsterdam city pass we didn't have to worry about public transport cost adding up.
Day 1: Arrival + Bike Tour
Highlights:
Central Station
We Bike Amsterdam
Eye Filmmuseum
A'DAM Lookout
We arrived early in the morning from our overnight flight and went straight to the hotel to check in. We weren't able to get our room yet, so we stored our luggage and headed off.
Remember that pro-tip I shared earlier, well I shared after activation and took entirely too long to figure out what to do. I really should've just tapped to pay then figured it out, but I was ultimately too frustrated to see reason.
Anywho, after my mild probably sleep deprived temper tantrum our app was all fixed up and we started walking around the city. Of course our first stop, finding food.
I've been on a bit of a mediterranean kick lately and we found a little hole in the wall Greek spot Greco taste from Greece. I ordered the pork gyro which was tasty and the perfect amount since I didn't want something huge.
We continued walking along, taking in the sites and stumbled on a cafe where we ordered some hot chocolate then sat by the window to people-watch.
That hot chocolate was divine and that’s also where we soon learned that they do not rush to bring the check in Amsterdam AT ALL. We literally had to hunt our waiter down to finally leave so we could make our bike tour.
Pro tip: If you are in a rush, ask for the check when you get your food. In both Amsterdam and London we found that they take awhile to get back to you. Not in a rude way, they just allow you to really sit and enjoy.
Once complete we ventured off to meet up with our bike tour, We Bike Amsterdam. This hidden secrets tour would take us around some of the less notable sites to give a different side of the city.
It was a 3hr ride with a stop half way for refreshments. However, it didn't feel that long until we got closer to the end, then my bum started to hurt.
Some of the sites were: West Indian and East Indian Slave company building ,Museum Circle, Prince neighborhood and Vondelpark.
I wouldn't consider myself to be the strongest biker, but I felt comfortable going on this tour. We went at a nice pace and since we were a larger group we didn't have to deal with traffic as much as people instinctively let us go past. However, there were a few times things got dicey.
I definitely don't think I could survive biking in Amsterdam solo. People were zooming past us! I didn't realize how leisurely we were riding until someone literally jogged past us at the park.
We weren't that hungry so we actually canceled our dinner reservation and went straight to the Eye Filmmuseum and A'DAM Lookout. Both of these attractions are included with your I am Amsterdam City Pass.
You have to catch a ferry to get to that side of the island. The ferry is free and is only a 5 minute ride. It's a mad dash to catch the ferry with walkers and bikers alike piling in.
Once across it's a quick walk to the sites, which are right next to each other. The Eye museum is pretty small, only encompassing 2 floors, if you don't include the theaters. The bottom floor explores the evolution of film, while the top floor is for special exhibitions.
The special exhibit during our trip was….quite an experience to say the least. Let's just say it was something I'd expect from Amsterdam. Definitely freedom of expression.
Next up is A'DAM Lookout, which offers spectacular views of the city and gives you the opportunity to swing off the edge of the 20 story building. Entrance to the lookout is included with your city pass, but the swing costs $7 extra which isn't bad at all.
The line moved quickly and we had a few quick swings and were done. You get a QR code and you're able to download free pictures from your experience. That was a great perk!
With that our day is complete. We had some dinner at the hotel restaurant before calling it a night.
Day 2: Brussels Day Trip
Highlights Include:
Grand Place
Manneken Pis
Royal Palace
Comics and Figurine Museum
Mary's Chocolate
Getting There
Book a roundtrip ticket with Eurostar to get to Brussels. The ride takes approximately 2 hours and you'll catch the train at Amsterdam Central. You'll need your tickets to scan into the train area, you cannot miss it. Either download your tickets to google pay or get the eurostar app for easy access. Once in you'll check the screens to figure out your gate as it gets closer to boarding time.
Our train left at 8am and we opted to grab a quick breakfast inside the terminal instead of the cafe car on the train. I didn't want a heavy breakfast, as I knew I wanted to try a bunch of food in Brussels.
The train itself was comfortable, though I was surprised the seats didn't have outlets. You'll have a small tray table, seat pocket and hook up near the window.
When we got to Brussels I thought it would be relatively easy to navigate. I consider myself pretty good at navigating public transit but this place was so confusing!
I asked numerous people for directions and no one was assistive. We were so lost and ended up not making our tour time because we couldn't figure out the station. I felt vindicated when locals also stressed how confusing the station is.
Walking Tour
We arrived at Grand Place station and walked over to the Grand Place hopeful we'd might find our tour. No luck, but we managed to join a free walking tour that was just getting ready to start!
Brussels is a fairly small city and we walked all over it during our 3hr tour. Some notable sites: Royal Gallery Shopping, Royal Palace, Manneken Pis and St. Michael & St. Gudula Cathedral.
If you've read any of my other stuff you'll know that I love a good history tour. They are such a good way to get a lay of the land and learn about all the sites you are viewing. At the end of this tour he even gave us a link to a document with suggested food spots and sites, so clever!
Let's Eat
Like I said, I came to Brussels to eat. I had to try all the notable Belgian eats, starting with Belgian fries. Fries are my absolute favorite food and you're going to see a ton of fry stands littering the city. We really should bring this to the states. The most notable are La Friterie and Fritland. The aesthetic of Friterie got me and the line for Fritland was obnoxious.
Traditionally Belgians eat their fries with mayonnaise, but they have a bunch of different sauces to try. I decided to go traditional as I actually like mayo with my fries, though there's is more tangy than back at home.
Right next door at Maison Dandoy was the next food item on my list Belgian Waffles. There were two waffle varieties to try: Brussels waffles and Liège waffles. The Brussels and Liege both use a yeast batter but the Brussels is thinner, airier and adorned with powdered sugar, while the Liege is thicker and has pearl sugars embedded within. I liked the Liege significantly more, honestly I didn't even finish the Brussels one.
Two foods down, now to get some Belgian chocolate. We chose to purchase our chocolate from Mary's, the first woman chocolatier. We went to shop in the Royal Gallery where they still hand make all the chocolate. We went a bit overboard buying chocolate, but there were so many amazing options and the ladies were so helpful and patient.
For dinner we went to the Wolf Food Hall. There were cuisine options from around the globe, but unfortunately when we went there many of the options were closed. Which was surprising, since it was only 5pm and the hall didn't close until 10pm. We found out many of the stalls close during slow times, then re-open later, so this is something to note if you visit.
Important Note: Best time to visit is Mon-Fri is 12pm-2:30pm and 6pm-10pm; Sat-Sun 12pm-10:30pm
Exploring
There is a ton to see within Brussels and we had a great time wandering around. Normally I'm pretty scheduled but for this day trip we went with the flow and had a great time.
We walked around and searched for the various comic murals around the city. Then we went over to the Brussels City Museum. It was only $10 to enter. There are multiple floors of exhibits and no elevators so keep that in mind.
We happened to come on the day of a large outdoor concert, so we spent some time listening to some local talent. One band in particular I absolutely loved and found myself quickly learning the lyrics and singing along. Which was easy to do since they had several encores.
You definitely need to make sure to check out the Brussels COMICS and Figurines Museum which houses a private collection of over 1,000 different pieces from various animations. This place was seriously so cool to walk around for children and adults alike.
Wrapping Up
There you have it that's how we spent a great day in Brussels. It wasn't nearly as difficult figuring out our train back, however it was delayed nearly 30 minutes. During that time I ended up striking up a conversation with someone at the platform.
I let them know I was from Philly which completely perplexed them, they exclaimed they keep hearing about this Philly place but have no idea what it is. I then gave him the government name of Philadelphia and could see everything clicking in his mind lol. Definitely a funny end to my day.
Day 3: Museums and Canal Cruise
Highlights Include:
Rijksmuseum
Moco Museum
Winkle43
Tulip + Cheese Museum
Dam Square
Red Light District
Remembrandt Museum
Canal Cruise
Finally, we decided to sleep in and have a slow start to the day. Today was a rainy day, so luckily I planned for today to be our museum day. For all the museums you'll want to reserve timeslots ahead of time. They didn't seem to be big sticklers about the exact time you come, but you have to have the reservation booked.
Important Note: Unfortunately I underestimated how far in advance Van Gogh and the Anne Frank museum would sell out, so we missed these. However, they are by far the biggest attractions in Amsterdam, so don't be like me and book well in advance when you book your trip. These museums also are not included in the city pass.
The following museums I visited are all included with the city pass, but still require a reservation. We started with Rijksmusuem. This building is at the far center of the museum circle and looks like a giant castle. It concentrates on Dutch Golden Age and European Art.
Next we walked over to the Moco Museum, this was by far my favorite one but I'm a fan of modern art. It's an ecelctic arrangement of works from various artists with collections from Banksy and Dali.
At this point it's time for some grub so we went to the highly recommended Winkle 43. This spot is renowned for their dutch apple pie. There was a wait and the service was slow. Remember they take their time with the checks, so I saw tables just sitting waiting to pay.
I've never had apple pie before (I know crazy), I don't like how it looks and I'm not much of an apple person, but figured I had to try it. I'll admit I was underwhelmed mainly because it was not warm like it's evidently supposed to be. This place is highly rated though by many locals, so you be the judge if you want to go.
Down the street you'll find the Tulip Museum and Cheese Museum which are right next to each other. These are smaller spots that'll take you 30-45minutes to get through. Next we walked 15 minutes over to Dam Square which is a popular public gathering spot and where the Royal Palace, Madame Tussauds and Ripley's Believe it or Not are located.
Next up the famous Red Light District. At this point it is pouring outside, so I barely feel like making this stroll but there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad preparation.
Important tip: Definitely make sure to bring waterproof gear for your trip. I had water resistant, IT IS NOT THE SAME.
RLD Rules: No picture taking, you will be fined, plus it's disrespectful. Remember activities in Amsterdam are tolerated NOT legal so still be safe out there.
Our last museum of the day was the Remembrandt House Museum. This is where the artist Remembrant actually lived and worked for 20 years. Included with your pass is a free audio tour that takes you through the various rooms.
Pro-tip: You'll be walking up 4 floors of exhibits and you are able to ask for a seat. I didn't learn this until we already reached the top floor where there is a large bench.
With our museum tour complete we had dinner at Restaurant Black Olive, before going on our night cruise with LOVERS Canal Cruises, also included with your pass.
You need to book your cruise at one of the cruise buildings. There is one across from Amsterdam Central and across from the Tulip and Cheese museum.
Cruising through the city at night is just gorgeous you really see everything come alive and it's a perfect end to Amsterdam.
Final Thoughts
There you have it. That's how I spent 3 days in Amsterdam with a day trip to Brussels. This itinerary allows you to see many of the notable sites and experience some classic Amsterdam adventures.
Some things I didn't get to see outside of the musuems were the Heineken Experience, Flower Market, Hortus Botanicus (Botanical Garden), and Albert Cuypstraat Market.
Additional Experiences
There are a treasure trove of experiences to have while in Amsterdam and Brussels. Here are some additional suggestions to make the most out of your trip!
If I could go back I'd plan one extra day to see additional sites. Three full days is best to see all that this great city has to offer.
If you enjoyed this trip plan, I've made a Google Maps list for both Amsterdam and Brussels you can use to help plan your trip. Follow along and subscribe to get updates on more travel ideas.
Happy Travels!
