Sharing a new travel guide from our recent trip to Amsterdam! Let’s start by saying that I absolutely loved this city. It has such a unique vibe and is a young and vibrant city. It’s so young, that MM and I felt kind of old while walking through certain neighborhoods, something I haven’t really felt in our travels so far. Am I getting old? Anyways, I loved it here!
It’s a crazy city filled with a lot of drinking, a lot of biking, and a lot of canals. If you combine all three of those activities, it might explain why 15,000 bikes are pulled out of the canals yearly. Isn’t that insane? There are a lot of bizarre facts about Amsterdam, but that one was one of the wildest. On the flip side of the craziness, I was happy to see there’s a real health and wellness boom happening throughout the city. We spent a long weekend in Amsterdam and if you’re considering it a trip, here are my recommendations for your stay.
How to Spend a Weekend in Amsterdam
Where to Stay in Amsterdam
Sir Albert Hotel: If you want to get a local feel away from the touristy center of Amsterdam, check out the Sir Albert Hotel, located in the hipster-y neighborhood De Pijp. The hotel is surrounded by great restaurants and bars. The neighborhood was perfect. You can easily walk or bike to the more touristy spots around town from here. We spent half our stay at this hotel and I loved it and the surrounding area. Highly recommend.
Kimpton DeWitt: If you’d prefer to stay more central, this is your spot. I’m a huge Kimpton fan and this is their first European location. The hotel is chic, offers a free wine happy hour each night, and is super central if you want to easily walk to the train (which will take you to the airport) and main tourist attractions. We stayed here for the second half of our visit. I loved the hotel and it made getting to and from the airport so quick. This hotel is everything you’d expect from a Kimpton, including a very cute courtyard.
Where to Eat in Amsterdam
Cafe Loetje: Order the Bali steak, one of the best steaks I’ve ever had. Also try the bitterballen, an appetizer local to Amsterdam.
Winkel 43: Order a big slice of Dutch Apple Pie and sit in the sun while you eat.
PANCAKES: What a creative name, right? But really, the dutch pancakes are really good here!
CT Coffee & Coconuts: A healthy spot where you can grab a coffee and brunch. We had the pancakes and avocado toast. Loved the food and the vibe of this spot.
Cottoncake: Half clothing boutique, half cafe. Get a coffee and the avocado toast.
van Kerkwijk: Great authentic dinner spot. There’s no menu, the waitress/waiter just tells you what they’ve got that day. Everything was excellent.
French Fries from Anywhere: I love fries and Amsterdam’s got some good ones. Wherever you see a line or delicious looking cone of fries, go get em! I don’t have a specific place to recommend, but wherever you go, I bet they will be good.
What to See & Do
Visit the Anne Frank House: This is an absolute must. Learn about Anne’s story and walk through the place where her and her family hid for two years from the Nazis. It only takes about an hour. The space is small and tickets are limited so make sure you book before you go. You can buy tickets up to two months in advance so buy them as soon as you can. I reread The Diary of Anne Frank during our trip which I recommend doing, it had been so many years since I last read it. If you’re really interested in WWII, you can also visit the Resistance Museum for a deeper look at Amsterdam’s involvement.
Take a Canal Tour: Get the scoop on Amsterdam’s history and view the interesting architecture (including lots of slanted houses) via a canal tour.
Check out the Heineken Experience: If you like learning about and drinking beer, visit the Heineken Experience. It was an interesting little tour ending with lots of beer.
Walk through the Red Light District: Woah, this area was so bizarre. It was like Bourbon Street meets…I don’t even know what. Walk through quickly just to see it, then move on to a less insane part of the city.
Wander the Canals: I loved strolling through new cities and Amsterdam is one of the most interesting. Take time to aimlessly wander while look at the unique houses and house boats.
Take a Day Trip to Keukenhof to see the Tulips: If your timing is right, visit the famous tulips. We got there just a smidge too early. A lot of tulips weren’t out yet, but it was still beautiful. Hard to time this one perfectly, but if the stars align, go!
Where to Workout
During my trip I went for a run and took classes at Rocycle, High Studios and PLTS. They were all awesome. I wrote a whole post about the classes, check out Get Fit in Amsterdam for more info. The wellness scene in Amsterdam is exploding, there are a bunch of great options for your workout. All the studios I visited were in English, thank goodness!
General Travel Tips
- I thought Copenhagen had a big biking population, but Amsterdam’s cycling culture totally blew me away. I’ve literally never seen so many bikes in my life. Be very aware while walking. The city is walkable, but trams and bikers have the right of way.
- Public transportation via the trams is an easy and efficient way to get around the city.
- Take the train from the airport to the city center, it’s quick, cheap and easy.
- English is widely spoken.
If you have the opportunity to visit Amsterdam, take it! It’s such an incredible city with so much to do, see and eat. It’s one of the few places that a weekend felt like just the beginning of all there is to explore. Let’s hope that one day I’ll have the opportunity to visit again!
