Amsterdam is a fantastic city – beautiful canals, incredible history, great restaurants…you won’t want to leave. With only 2 days, focus on the first 2 days of the itinerary but add the Van Gogh Museum and Red Light District into the first two days (they’ll be packed) – it will fill the absolute can’t miss sites. If you visit in the spring during tulip season, you must see the Keukenhof gardens which you can get to by bus.
Length: 2+ days
Transportation: public transportation
Guidebook: Rick Steves Amsterdam and the Netherlands, Lonely Planet Amsterdam
Day 1 – Anne Frank House and City Walk
- Fly or train into Amsterdam
- Anne Frank House (reservations essential)
- Lunch – Cafe de Prins, De Twee Zwaantjes, or Cafe t’ Smalle
- Amsterdam City walk (self-guided or with this highly rated tour)
- Dinner – De Kas or select a place from Amsterdam Dining Recommendations
- Lodging – same place (night 1/4)
Day 2 – Rijksmuseum and Canal Cruise
- Rijksmuseum(reservations recommended)
- Lunch – Rijks at Museum
- Singel canal for the floating flower market
- Evening canal cruise
- Lodging – same place (night 2/4)
Day 3 – Van Gogh Museum and Red Light District
- Van Gogh Museum
- Red Light District walk
- Our Lord in the Attic Museum
- Vondelpark or bike tour of the ring in the inner city
- Drinks – Cafe t’ Smalle or In De Wildeman
- Dinner – Select a place not tried the night before
- Lodging – same place (night 3/4)
Day 4 – Keukenhof (Tulips) and More Amsterdam
- Bus or taxi to Keukenhof(34m drive)
- Tulip viewing (get online tickets in advance)
- Return to Amsterdam
- Select a few other sites in Amsterdam that sound the most interesting to you:
- Dinner – Select a place not tried the night before
- Lodging – same place (night 4/4)
In-depth itinerary
Day 1
Amsterdam is primarily known for its tulips, museums, canals, red light district, and, until recently, a place where tourists could imbibe in THC. Plan to spend at least 2 (preferably 3-4) days in this city exploring its pretty architecture, amazing museums, and abundance of culture.
If flying you’ll arrive into Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, if training likely Amsterdam Central Station. Either way, plan to take a local train, Uber, or cab to get closer to your lodging.
Amsterdam is quite walkable but some of the sights such as the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum are a bit further out. Your life will be easier if you use the efficient and easy tram system. To start, download the GVB app. Here you can enter your destination and the app will direct you to the closest tram stop and tell you which tram you want and which direction to take. You can buy one hour, one day or multiway passes to keep on your phone. Just be aware that the readers for the QR code on the app are not yet functional so show the pass to the driver.
Start your day with a visit to the Anne Frank House (reservations essential). You will need to reserve far in advance. As the Nazis took control there was a gradual worsening of conditions for the large population of Jews in this tolerant city. Eventually many were forced into hiding to avoid forced deportation to labor and later death camps. The Frank family moved into rooms hidden behind a bookshelf in Otto Frank’s former offices where they lived for two years before being captured and shipped off to camps just months before the war eventually ended. Remarkably, Gestapo headquarters was just around the corner from the Frank offices and the buildings even shared a courtyard.
Grab lunch, consider stopping at Cafe de Prins, De Twee Zwaantjes, or Cafe t’ Smalle, and then either meet your guide or take a self guided walking tour. We highly recommend a tour with Larae of Amsterdamsel Tours. The tour allowed us to see a huge amount and get a great feel for the history and the city. Don’t miss the lavish Tuschinski theater or the peaceful Beginjhof.
If you’re trying to cram a lot into minimal days, you can try to see either the Van Gogh Museum or Red Light District this afternoon.
For dinner tonight check out our Amsterdam Restaurant Recommendations.
For lodging, consider Mr Jordaan , Canal House , The Dylan, The Hoxton, ‘t Hotel, V Nesplein, Radisson Blue. You may also want to consider an apartment rental since you’ll be staying here for the next four nights.
Day 2
Start with a tram ride out to the fantastic Rijksmuseum (reservations recommended). This great museum offers a very pleasant journey through the best of the old masters/golden age art. Even if you don’t think this is your style, you’ll likely enjoy this museum. One thing they offer is a personal guide (available when you buy tickets). We tried this and found it to be very good. Allow at least three hours for the museum. In addition to paintings, there’s interiors, ship models, medieval art, and even an art library.
Right next door (head out the door toward the Van Gogh museum and look to the right) is the Michelin starred Rijks restaurant. Treat yourself to a fantastic meal if you have the time for lunch here (allow three hours) for a multi course meal (reservations essential, even for lunch).
Head to Singel canal to enjoy seeing a floating flower market, filled with vibrant flowers and fragrances every Monday to Saturday.
Again, if you’re short on time, you can try and see another museum or site this afternoon.
There are a lot of options for canal cruises in Amsterdam and you really should take one, preferably for the sunset. We enjoyed an evening canal cruise with Pure Boats Amsterdam that also offered wine, craft beer, and cheese as you sailed.
Day 3
The Van Gogh Museum is very near the Rijksmuseum from the day before, and sure, you could see both of them in the same day but it might too much. Instead split them up and start today here. For this museum advance reservations are even more important. You work your way up chronologically through Van Gogh’s life and work in the largest collection of Van Gogh’s anywhere. Allow a couple of hours.
After the museum it’s easy to grab a tram to Dam Square and see the lavish city hall (Royal Palace) with rooms from when Amsterdam was the richest city in the world. From here head over to the red light district and spend some time “window shopping” (prostitution is legal and regulated here – no pictures allowed). When men returned from their 8 month journey from the Far East they tied up their ships at the wharfs on the waterway (now in front of the train station), unloaded their goods in the warehouses and then headed to the entertainments of the red light district. This is actually the oldest part of town, and was set up by a bishop who figured it was better to control and regulate the prostitution (a very Dutch approach). Note that the Oude Kerk is basically right in the middle of the area. Next head a few blocks to the Our Lord in the Attic Museum – Liev Het op Soldier. In tolerant Amsterdam after the Catholic church was illegal a wealthy merchant built this three story 150 seat church in his attic to serve the Catholic faithful. You start by touring the merchant’s house before climbing up to the church space (audioguide recommended).
If you have more time in the afternoon head to the lovely Vondelpark for a walk around the grounds or walk or bike along the main canals of Amsterdam that form a ring in the inner city (the Prinsengracht, Keijzersgracht, Herengracht and Jordaan). The canal ring is actually on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Enjoy the pretty old buildings and stop for a canal-adjacent café.
Grab beer at a local brewery at Cafe t’ Smalle, a distillery set up in 1780 along a canal, or In De Wildeman with both Dutch and Belgian Beers.
Day 4
If you’re visiting in the spring your must see the tulips. The Netherlands is the tulip capital of the world and Keukenhof is the most amazing flower garden you will ever see. The Dutch and tulip history is fascinating. Tulips originated in Kazakstan and prized by the Turkish sultans. Some bulbs eventually made it to Leiden via the Austrian ambassador and the bulbs were then given to the botanist Carolus Clusius in the late 1500’s. This started the Netherlands tulip explosion where the tulips thrived in the sandy soil. Between 1634 and 1637 prices skyrocketed in the first recorded speculative bubble – where the price of a single bulb sold for the cost of an entire house. Tulips remain a big deal in Holland.
Get tickets to Keukenhof in advance – millions of people come to view the gardens. We recommend starting early as crowds grow later in the day. From Amsterdam it’s a 34 minute drive via taxi or Uber to Keukenhof, however arguably the bus is easier. After arriving, find your way to the whisper boats (electric boats that take you through the tulip fields near the gardens) that provide an explanation of the bulb cultivation business. After your boat trip spend the day wandering the gardens. They are truly spectacular. From here return to Amsterdam.
There’s a lot more to Amsterdam and your last day is a great opportunity to check out some things you’ve missed.
Consider which sounds most interesting to you:
- Rembrandt House – House where Rembrandt had his studio and lived. There are no actual paintings here, but it is furnished the way it would have looked during his time and includes his studio (audioguide recommended)
- Dutch resistance museum (Verzetsmuseum)– Offering an interesting walk through explaining the Dutch resistance (or cooperation for some) with the Nazis
- Stedelijk Museum – Modern art museum very near the Van Gogh museum.
- Hermitage Amsterdam – A branch of the Hermitage in St Petersburg with rotating exhibits for the main collection
- Netherlands Maritime Museum – An impressive museum of ships and all things seafaring including a full size replica of a Dutch East India ship from the 1600’s
- Houseboat Museum – In the 1930’s there were a lot of old wooden boats that became obsolete and were converted into houseboats (2500 in the canals of Amsterdam) and here you can step inside and see what life in one of these would be like
- Willer- Holthuysen Museum – An elegant furnished townhouse with furnishings from the 19th century
- Hash, Marijuana, and Hemp Museum – Explore the world of cannabis in the city where it’s famous
- Zoological Garden (Artis) – Europe’s oldest zoo
- Vondelpark – Amsterdam’s main leafy park
- Shopping – Head to the shopping haven of Negen Straatjes or “nine streets” around the canal area which is filled with pretty boutiques, art galleries and vintage stores
