4 Days in Amsterdam!

 

Amsterdam is hands down one of my favorite cities in Europe! It may be a small city but it has so much to offer for people of all ages. From canals, cafes, museums and so much more. Come along with me and experience this eclectic beautiful city all in 4 days.

Transportation

Amsterdam’s transportation system is so easy and convenient, and its because of this I do not recommend renting a car. Not only is parking very limited in this city, the streets can feel like you are in a maze with a ton of one-way streets. If you arrive at the Schiphol Airport the train station is right below the main hall, and for about 7 euros you will be at Amsterdam central in 15 minutes. We chose to take a taxi to our bed and breakfast for 10 euros, even though it was literally only a 10-minute walk , we were just so pooped from our travels!

While staying in the city the above tram system is really easy to use. We used Google maps to get directions on the transit system, it would tell us what tram to take at what time, and even walk us through how to get there from our location. The other options are taxi, Uber, or if you are ready for an adventure –bike.

Where to stay 

The absolute highlight of our trip was staying on a houseboat! Where else in the world can you stay right on the water with a view of the Dutch canal houses, and bridges, all while ducks and wild swans visit you at your window? Yup that’s why we chose it! We rented our houseboat from Airbnb.com and so far have loved all our stays with this site.  Just make sure you do your research on the area, and read all the reviews from others who have stayed there.

The houseboat we rented was on the smaller side, just a studio with small kitchenette, but since it was only the two of us, it was perfect.  Waking up in the morning and having our coffee with croissants while feeding the ducks is a memory that I will never forget.

 

What to Eat

• While in Holland you gotta try Dutch food right?  Restaurant “Moeder’s” (Mothers in Dutch) located in the Jordaan district is known for its traditional Dutch food. Their famous for the Dutch “Stampot” of mashed potatoes and vegis, served with a sausage, meatball and bacon. If your not a meat eater, they have vegetarian and fish options. There meals range from 20-30 euro.

 

• If you like Indian food you have got to try “Ashoka”  their Indian and Nepalese cuisine. We stumbled upon this restaurant on our way home one night, and ended up going back again before flying out because we loved it so much. The food is bursting with flavor and the service is top notch. I recommend getting the butter chicken curry, vegetable biryani and naan bread. The portions are very generous, we shared this between 2 people and had left overs for lunch the next day. There meals range from 15-20 euro per person.

• “Jacketz” a baked potato and salad restaurant is great for a light lunch or dinner.  But these aren’t just regular old baked potatoes, were talking huge potatoes stuffed with choices of green curry, stewed beef, pulled pork and all kinds of other toppings to choose from. I only ordered the half potato, but trust me when I say I was stuffed and didn’t even finish it all! This place is really reasonable too, at about 10-12 euro per person (depending on how many toppings you choose).

What to See

• The Ann Frank House is a must see while in Amsterdam, but make sure you book ahead of time or it will be sold out. Walking through her house is like walking back in time, it gave me goose bumps seeing her writing on the walls and the height marks of Anne and her sister. It’s a short tour but well worth the 11 euros.

• The Van Gogh Museum and the Rikjsmuseum are both must sees while in Amsterdam!  The Van Gogh museum is modern and mostly features works by Van Gogh, but I loved learning about his history and seeing his art. The Rikjsmuseum is located in the museum square in a magnificent old building, and has works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals, and many more.  If you only have time to visit one of these museums, I would choose the Rikjsmuseum because of the variety of works that they offer, and because of the beautiful architecture of the building.

 

• Waterlooplein Market is the oldest flea market in Amsterdam. It’s here you will find tourists and locals alike doing there shopping, you can find anything from vintage clothing, antiques, tasty treats, collectables, books and so much more. Each stall is unique and different, and everyone is always so friendly!

 

• Take a canal tour! There are a ton of different canal boats, and they run all day from morning to night. We took an open-air canal boat right at sunset and it was amazing!  They offered beer and wine on the boat and we saw some of the city that we hadn’t experienced yet, all while getting a little history session from our boat driver.

• De Haar Castle located just a 30-minute train ride outside of Amsterdam in the town of Utrecht.  Walking through this castle is like walking back in time, it looks like a fairy tale castle with its medieval fortress, moat, and drawbridge. The grounds are beautiful too with gardens, deer park, and a walk through maze that is a blast for kids and adults. If you are hungry for soup or a sandwich, the little restaurant on the grounds was excellent. Also while in Utrecht make sure to visit the ancient and historic city center.

With so much to do and see in Amsterdam this was just a few of my favorites.  Planning on hopping over to Belgium?  Did you know Ghent, Belgium is only a 3 hour train ride from Amsterdam?  Check out this amazing little town in “5 Things You Must do in Ghent, Belgium”.

I would love to hear your thoughts about this article, and if you have already visited Amsterdam, I would love to hear your favorites?