I have been to Amsterdam four times, but each time was on a brief 24 hour layover. I knew I needed to explore this city more deeply, and on this travel itinerary we finally made it happen. Nine days to discover Amsterdam and the surrounding area. Here are my favorite things from Amazing Amsterdam.
Amazing Amsterdam History in Brief
Amsterdam began as a modest 12th-century fishing village built around a dam on the Amstel River
12th to 15th Century
- 1275: Count Floris V granted the settlement a toll exemption, marking its first written record.
- 1306: The town received official city rights.
- 1345: A Eucharistic miracle turned the town into a prominent medieval pilgrimage destination.
- 15th Century: Growing trade, the herring industry, and a beer monopoly expanded its local influence, though devastating fires forced a transition from wooden to brick architecture.
17th Century
- 1602: The Dutch East India Company (VOC) was founded, establishing a global trade and spice network.
- 1613: Construction began on the iconic Grachtengordel (canal ring), which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Culture and Wealth: The city blossomed into a global center for finance, the world’s first stock exchange, art (including Rembrandt), and a safe haven for religious refugees.
18th & 19th Century
- 18th Century: Competition from London and economic stagnation eroded Amsterdam’s trading dominance.
- 1795–1813: French revolutionary forces occupied the region, leading to the bankruptcy of the VOC and severe economic decline.
- 1814: Following the defeat of Napoleon, Amsterdam was designated the official capital of the newly formed Kingdom of the Netherlands, while the Industrial Revolution and the 1876 North Sea Canal revitalized its port.
Modern Era
- World War II: Nazi occupation brought severe hardship, including the tragic deportation of the city’s Jewish population and the “Hunger Winter” of 1944–1945.
- 1960s–1970s: Amsterdam reinvented itself as a global epicenter of counterculture, youth movements like Provo, and liberal social policies.
- Today: A thriving European metropolis of nearly more than one million residents, balancing a historic canal landscape and deep financial roots with modern tourism and urban growth. (Wikipedia)
Amsterdam Today
Home to more than a million people and a million bicycles, you will also be joined by more than 24 million tourists who visit Amsterdam each year. So you need to know the following;
Bikes rule. Bikes take priority over all other vehicles or pedestrians. Never step off a sidewalk without looking both ways.
Make a reservation. The day we visited the Van Gogh museum in October it was sold out. Many people were being turned away at the door. I made reservations a few months in advance. For the Anne Frank House even more. If you want to dine at any popular spot, even a casual Brown Cafe, make a reservation. I made four dining reservations several weeks in advance.
Use public transportation. A taxi or Uber will take longer and cost much more in this crowded city. Public transportation is very easy. We used the tram, the subway and the train during our visit. For the tram and subway it’s easy to tap on and off with your iPhone using Apple Pay or a credit card. Using the train you easily purchase a ticket at the ticket kiosk at the station. Amsterdam Centraal Station is a destination in itself and you should visit the transportation hub even if you don’t plan to use the train.
Wear layers. We saw rain, warm sun, wind and drizzle. Carry a small backpack so you can layer up.
Amazing Amsterdam Our Favorite Things
We spent four days enjoying the city and the things that are of interest to us – mostly art, history and food. Then we spent another four days doing day trips using the train to other famous cities in the region. Here are the things we recommend in no particular order;
Tours
Ollantay Food Tour – one of the best food tours we have ever done, and that is saying a lot. Our guide Barni was wonderful and we ate, and laughed and learned so much. In fact the food we had on this tour ended up being our favorite meal of all the places we ate in Amsterdam. Book this tour!
Walking Tour GPS My City. We use the GPSMyCity app in nearly every city we visit and in Amsterdam there are several options. We enjoyed the self-guided city tour which brought us to the Old Church, New Church, Dam Square, Centraal Station and the Royal Palace. Additionally the walking tours tuck you into small neighborhoods and show you lovely views of the canals.
Eco Tours Canal Cruise we chose Eco Tours because they are a smaller company and it seemed to fit our style. We boarded at the main canal next to Centraal Station for our hour long tour with wonderful historic and humorous narrative. It rained while we were on the boat but it was no problem and we still enjoyed it very much.
Museums
We did not visit the Anne Frank House since we had done it before and tickets are difficult to get. We booked in advance for both the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh. The Van Gogh was sold out on the day we visited…you definitely need to plan ahead for these three popular museums.
The Dutch Masters
Rijksmuseum My husband and I are big fans of the Dutch Masters, particularly Rembrandt, and the Rijksmuseum is THE place to go for these incredible masterpieces. We spent four hours and loved every minute of it. This museum underwent a ten year renovation in the early 2000’s. It is a remarkable place not to be missed.
Impressionist
Van Gogh Museum This is Amsterdam’s most visited museum. It really is remarkable. It has been expanded since the last time I visited about 15 years ago. Tickets should definitely be reserved in advance. The story of Vincent Van Gogh and his life’s triumphs and tragedies is told through narrative and his remarkable works of art.
Don’t Miss These Museums
Rembrandt House Museum – this was an unexpected treasure. I only learned about this museum after arriving in Amsterdam. We did not book ahead, walked in and got tickets easily. It is a fascinating look at the life of Rembrandt and his family, in the fully restored home he owned and lived in for twenty years. Learning more about this remarkable, talented and intelligent man was a bonus to our time at the Rijksmuseum.
Our Lord in the Attic – in the mid-1600’s all religions were forbidden in Amsterdam except Protestant. Catholic Churches were seized and synagogues were closed. Slowly secret hidden places of worship sprang up in homes, basements and in attics. This museum is a unique and astonishing look at a wealthy merchants home, its narrow and winding stairs that lead to a most remarkable hidden church in the attic. The property has been authentically restored and few visitors even know it is there. You should visit Our Lord in the Attic. Fair warning – lots of stair climbing involved.
And More
As we wandered this beautiful city we also visited the Floating Flower Market where you can buy fresh flowers, bulbs to take home and many other souvenirs. We visited several cheese shops, and we recommend the Henri Willig that offers a museum and tasting. The area known as 9 Streets is the heart of the central district and is fun to just get lost in. The Red Light District is still an active working area…it’s not for everyone, but you might stumble into it without even knowing. No photos of the ladies!
For a quiet respite in this very busy city, take a stroll through Vondel Park. This beautiful, long and narrow park is a hidden gem of green in the middle of the city.
Amazing Amsterdam Where to Eat and Drink
Amsterdam is brimming with restaurants, but we found it to be more international cuisine than local Dutch fare. Our favorite foods of our entire visit were the foods we had on the food tour (see above). But we did enjoy the following restaurants below. It is highly recommended that you get a reservation for any sit down dining option or you may be disappointed.
Moeders – Reservations a must for this tiny spot where you can enjoy local dutch favorites.
Cafe de Rieger – One of Amsterdam’s famous Brown Cafes you definitely need a reservation here. Great service and food.
Heertje Friet– Amsterdam is known for it’s fries and we enjoyed fries at Heertje Friet twice because it was so good.
Herringstall Jonk Absolutely the best and freshest thing we ate during our entire time in Amsterdam was on our Food Tour and the stop at Herringstall Jonk. We had incredible local herring, perfectly prepared as well as the Dutch favorite Kibbeling, a traditional Dutch street food made from bite-sized pieces of white fish (traditionally cod) that are dipped in a spiced batter and deep-fried until golden and crispy. Amazing.
Brouwerij T’ij The Brewery in a Windmill I read about this place on another blog post and I knew my husband would love it. It’s a bit off the beaten path but easy access via tram and we visited for a couple of beers one afternoon.
PllekAmsterdam Noord We wanted to try taking the free ferry across the river Ij just for the fun of it. So on our final day in Amsterdam we did just that, and did a short walkabout and had a lovely dinner at Pllek. Built right on the river in a bunch of stackable containers, it was a fun destination.
Sea Salt Saloon in Utrecht – while visiting Utrecht we had our favorite meal of our entire visit to The Netherlands. Book ahead if you can and do not miss the freshest and most delicious seafood restaurant around.
Amazing Amsterdam Day Trips
Haarlem
Haarlem – If you have the time, a few hours in Haarlem is a lovely trip. Only 15 minutes by train from Amsterdam Centraal, we had a sunny day and spent three hours wandering around Haarlem. We enjoyed a lovely lunch right on the canal at Spaarne 66, had Instagram worthy photos at Molen de Adriann windmill. We visited the Town Square, Cathedral and a few cute shops as well as Jopenkerk, a brewery inside an old church.
Delft
Delft – It would be easy to combine Delft and The Hague on a day trip, but we did not realize this and only planned Delft. On our next visit we will see The Hague. Delft is very small, has an interesting Town Square, Old Church and New Church. But the main reason you visit Delft is to visit the Royal Delft Museum and Factory. I loved this so much, especially because you actually see the amazing Craftspeople at work. Three hours is enough in Delft.
Zaanse Schans
Zaanse Schans – do not miss Zaanse Schans. We were lucky to have beautiful weather for our visit to the outdoor Windmill museum. I highly recommend you do this visit on your own, not necessary to go on a big tour bus. It’s so enjoyable to wander at your own pace, go inside the working windmills and even take a short hike if you like. The Wooden Shoe workshop is also very fun and entertaining. We hoped off the train in Zaandam just to get a photo of the famous “Lego” building – a very unique architectural hotel right at the train station.
Utrecht
Utrecht – our final day trip by train was to the lovely town of Utrecht. Although Utrecht is the fourth largest city in The Netherlands, it feels so much smaller and more peaceful than Amsterdam. We did not know we needed to book tickets to the Underground Museum ahead and it was sold out. So plan better than we did. There is also a guided tour up the 456 steps to the top of the tower. I couldn’t do that because of my knee, but apparently it is worth it. Don’t believe anything you see about an elevator…it does not exist. We used our GPSMyCity app to do a self guided tour and enjoyed it very much. See above for my recommendation about the amazing seafood meal we enjoyed in Utrecht.
Amazing Amsterdam
You do not need to spend nine days in Amsterdam, but if you have the time it really is worth it. If you don’t have enough time, you might consider three days in the city, and one additional day for a day trip. Amsterdam has four seasons, so consider that in your planning. Our October visit was nice, a few showers and wind. The city was crowded even in October. I don’t think I would want to be here at the height of the summer season. And spring of course is when the tulips bloom, so that is a whole other scenario for crowds.
Thank you for reading my post Amazing Amsterdam. We really loved our long stay in this incredible city and I think you would too. See last weeks post The Baltic: Tallinn Estonia, Riga Latvia, Vilnius Lithuania here. From Amsterdam we now move on to a week in Egypt. Follow us on Instagram to see daily posts as we continue 103 Days of Travel.
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