10 Things To Do In Amsterdam
Amsterdam is one of the most unique and beautiful cities I have ever been to. There is a perfect mixture of a younger crowd and families, all striving to be healthy and active. The canals are mesmerizing, I could have sat on a bench and never left. Watching people walk by, others in their houseboats, and then the tours that went by on the water. It was the definition of a laid-back and beautiful day.
There are outdoor restaurants all around the city, with people chatting, laughing and enjoying delicious food. You will hardly see cars in this city because there are thousands of bikes. I literally mean thousands. There is even a new parking garage specially for bikes. For being a city, it’s full of nature and beautiful open spaces. Honestly, it’s hard to put Amsterdam into words. Pictures don’t do it justice, so if you plan on going, let me know I will will pack my bags and come along.
There are countless things to do in and around Amsterdam, but I want to highlight 10 specific things. This is a city where you don’t want to overdo it, take your time with each thing, and just wander.
1. Take a canal ride. The best way to see Amsterdam is from the canal, and there are several options for this. Just take a walk along the water and stop in a building for tours. We found one for 10 euros, and an additional 5 euros to take another one at night. We opted just for the night tour, and it was incredible. I highly recommend taking a tour at night, but I do wish we would have had the time to do both.
2. Visit museums. Amsterdam is the home of several interesting and unique museums. Spend time touring the The Anne Franke House, taking in the sites of the Van Gogh Museum, and exploring the NEMO Science Museum. You will also find smaller museums for Amsterdam favorites like Tulips, Cheeses and even Kittens.
3. Take photos with the I AMSTERDAM sign. There might have been tears in my eyes when I saw this for the first time. I was thrilled. The slogan started off as a Holland Tourism term, and quickly grew to be a tourist staple.
4. Rent bikes. Like I mentioned above, there is no shortage of bikes in this city, which also means endless bike rental locations. Get a bike with a basket, grab some snacks and head towards the outskirts of the city. Make sure you have a camera with you!
5. Take the Heineken Tour. Tour The Heineken Museum. We weren’t able to do this while we were there, but I have heard it is very informative and fun. They even offer you a free canal ride after the tour.
6. Enjoy the local markets. Just walking a few blocks we were able to see several different types of markets set up. Some were selling different types of flower seeds and flowers, others were more like farmers markets, and then a few had handmade souvenirs. It was fun being able to see what each market had to offer.
7. Buy a bouquet of tulips. Amsterdam is known for their endless fields of tulips, and the streets were lined with bouquets of brightly colored beautiful flowers. Even though we were leaving after 2 days, I wanted to buy some just to say I bought tulips in Amsterdam.
8. Hang out in a park. There are over 30 parks within Amsterdam. We took a break in several parks and enjoyed people watching, eating Stroopwafels , and taking in the sites around us. Some of them are full of sculptures, while others have a pond or bike path.
9. Grab some drinks around the National Monument. We arrived just in time for the hustle and bustle of the evening to begin around the national monument. We had dinner right in the square, and then the area became the nightlife scene once it got dark. It was so much fun being in the middle of the action, without even knowing it.
10. Go shopping! We found so many consignment shops, vintage stores, and other unique places. I could have easily spent a few hours going in and out of all of the stores along the canals and neighborhoods.
Have you ever been to Amsterdam?
