Visiting Amsterdam was a dream for me. Amsterdam is a place that will surely be somewhere on top of anyone’s travel list. And why not? It is a complete place covered with colourful houses, amazing bike rides, beautiful sunsets, and the hiatus of nightlife.
My Amsterdam trip was a tug-of-war between exploring and finding the best way of enjoying this city. You need a guide to save yourself a lot of money and to tell you the best way of making the most of your trip.
In this article, I am going to share my experiences and tips and tricks for Amsterdam. Also, it’s a two-day itinerary on how you can cover most of Amsterdam in just two days.
Day 1 of Amsterdam Itinerary
Anne Frank House
Start your trip by exploring the legendary brave girl, Anne Franks’s House. It was always on top of my list. After reading her story I was intrigued about how a girl would have survived such a cruel time.
Anne frank’s house is a memorial and museum in Amsterdam in honor of Anne Frank. It is the place where she spent her last days before her death. You can have a guided tour and the speakers are placed all over the house to inform you about her.
On the very top of the museum is the place where Anne Frank wrote her diary which later turned out to be an art piece. You can either hire a guide or can follow the instructions given by the speaker.
The tickets to the museum are available on its official site or you can buy them directly from the museum.
Royal Palace of Amsterdam
After that, I would suggest you go to the famous Dam square. It is one of the most popular places in Amsterdam and is highly known to be the busiest place in the city.
It is 10 mins walk away from the Anne Frank’s Museum. You can take a tram or just walk to the destination. Dam Square is the one-stop destination where you will also find the popular royal Palace of Amsterdam.
Along with that, you can also admire the beauty of the national monument of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Kerk Church. This place is known to be the house of the Royals of Amsterdam for many centuries and later was turned into a museum open for the citizen to explore.
Inside the Palace, you will find pretty rooms that were used by the royals at that time. The paintings and the furniture are all pieces of art and exotic for their time.
In order to enter the palace you need to buy tickets online or offline.
Jordaan Neighbourhood
Afterward, in a 10 minutes walk crossing the various canals, you can reach Jordan Neighbourhood. The best thing about this whole place is the vibe. The colorful houses with narrow canals are just too pretty for the eyes to see.
To be honest it is the best place to get your pictures clicked. The whole place is decorated in such an aesthetic way it looks so pleasing to the eyes. Definitely a perfect Instagram place.
Inside you will find some of the best boutique shops that are legit high-end and have some of the best clothes to try on. There are also many cafes and restaurants that serve delicious Dutch cuisine.
I will say that Jordan Neighbourhood is the must-visit place because it is the best way to experience real dutch life and see the beautiful side of Amsterdam.
The brown Café
This place is also a temple of many artworks and artists. If you are lucky you might some of the best art exhibitions in the place. If you want to take a bike with you to explore as much as you can from this place. Café de Dokter is one of the popular brown cafés in Amsterdam.
Brown bars used to be front rooms in the 19th century where the dutch people hosted liquor parties and patrons to earn extra money. Later they were changed into official bars. The interior of these bars is mostly brown with wood and little light.
It’s a must-visit for anyone who wants to enjoy a delicious dutch meal and beer. It was a great hangout spot for me and my friends and we enjoyed our time trying different beers and coffees.
Van Gogh Museum
After that, I will suggest you visit the masterpieces of the genius artist Van Gogh in the Van Gogh Museum.
It will take 10 minutes from the Jordan Neighbour hood or you can just take a tram to the place. It is a must-visit place irrespective of if you are a fan of art or not.
Vincent Van Gogh was literally a genius artist and all of his best works are stored here. It is an amazing experience to see these beautiful paintings, especially the Starry night. The stories and theories these paintings hold are truly shocking and interesting as well.
These are a few of the museums around the world I really loved visiting. You can also add a guide to show you around the museum and tell you about the famous paintings.
Boat Tours of the City
In the evening it’s best to rest your feet on a boat and stroll around the beautiful canals of Amsterdam. Sink in the mesmerizing beauty of the city and look at all the colorful aesthetic shops and cafes.
Don’t forget to click some pictures and finally see the golden hypnotic sunset. I can bet you will never see anything as bewitching and romantic as the sunset here.
You can find a boat ride directly there. If you are traveling in a group you should definitely try bargaining to get a good discount.
Senses Restaurant
Now it’s finally the time to end our very first day in Amsterdam with flavorsome dutch food. You can go to an exotic restaurant and try some of the specialties.
Senses Restaurant is a fine dining establishment, known for its creative and innovative cuisine that is inspired by Japanese cuisine, Dutch seasonality, and French flair.
Day 2 of Amsterdam Itinerary
Rijksmuseum, the national museum
Rijksmuseum is the museum of the Netherlands where the best Dutch masterpieces are kept. The museum is an Ode to dutch art and paintings.
It contains art and paintings from the golden age. You can have a guided tour of the museum or direct yourself with the help of information written everywhere. It is literally one of the most beautiful museums I visited.
You can check this website to book your tickets.
Red Light District
This place is highly famous in Amsterdam for adult life and there is rarely anything you will not find in this place related to this field. You will find several people offering their services but also be very alert as you might stuck in a fraud.
You can explore the place and it has some good bars and coffee shops. You can also find people from various places and make some new friends.
Van Wonderen Stroopwafels Cafe
Van Wonderen Stroopwafels is a perfect place to capture the classic Amster-street-food shot. You can indulge in these sweet treats and capture stunning photos.
Keukenhof Gardens
Keukenhof is called the garden of Europe for its mesmerizing beauty. It looks the best during the spring and you should visit it if you love flowers.
It’s the only place in the world where you will find several exotic flowers of a different colors. The place is open from 8 am to 7:30 pm. I would suggest you do this during the afternoon time as it is the best time to see it.
There is a total of 800 species of flowers in the garden with approx 7 million flowers. You can buy tickets to Amsterdam online through websites which might cost 35 euros.
Windmills of Zaanse Schans
On your way back to the city, visit the famous windmills of Zaanse Schans, a unique collection of authentic windmills that dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries.
This area is famous for its ancient windmill and wooden houses. You will find several museums showing the art and culture of the place.
There are also chocolate-making museums that exhibit how to make the best chocolate. You can get here by your private vehicle or book a Taxi.
FAQs
How many days are enough to explore Amsterdam?
2-4 days are enough to explore Amsterdam depending on the places you want to cover.
What is the best month to visit Amsterdam?
The best month to visit Amsterdam will be April or September.
What is the cheapest month to visit Amsterdam?
The cheapest month will be February as the tourism crowd is pretty low.
Conclusion
So here was my Itinerary for Amsterdam. I have ensured all these places are nearby and easy to explore. Do let me know your favourite place if you have visited already.
I would be happy to help with any doubts regarding the place. Do write in the comments if you have any suggestions.
