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Before I go into the ins and outs of Amsterdam, I must say that without a doubt, this city continues to be one of my all time favorites (consistently top 5). Here are a few reasons why: its architecture is on point, easy to access from the airport as well as other Dutch cities, cycling is king (a great way to see ANY city), the labyrinth of canals means you find something new all the time, and the overall friendliness of the Dutch people.

Getting to the city center is quite easy. As soon as you get off your flight and exit security, you will find signs leading you to the Schiphol airport train station where you can purchase your ticket to Amsterdam Centraal. Departures there leave multiple times an hour. (timetables here)

Before I get started on suggesting what you should see in this city (Google map at the end of this post), I must first strongly suggest traversing this city by bike. You can find a myriad of bike shops around that will let you rent one for an affordable price. You may want to brush up on your bike signals before you let loose and try to have an understanding of the bike rules in the city.

Also, there are many people that don’t wear helmets while cycling and that decision is entirely up to them. Helmet or not, just make sure that while riding, you are being extra cautious of all traffic AND if you are a pedestrian, always be cautious of cyclists and stay out of the bike lane for your own safety.

The city of Amsterdam is steeped in history, hence some of the best exhibits to see in the city like the Anne Frank Huis (‘Huis’ = ‘House’), the Rijksmuseum, and Rembrandt Huis (just to name a few). Probably the most popular is the Anne Frank Huis. The Diary of Anne Frank (adapted into a publication) was a very common book that was used to describe WWII atrocities to younger children in the US. As such, her plight and name is one of the most recognizable from the era.

I’d say perhaps a cliché thing to do, however entirely necessary, is to take a photo near the one of a few ‘I amsterdam’ signs throughout the city. It’s a clever play on words and you can use this website here to see where they are at. There is a permanent sign just outside of Schiphol airport, and usually at least another sign in various locations. As seen from my ice skating picture down below, the sign that year was in front of the Rijksmuseum.

The museum takes you through the actual home where she stayed with many different exhibits and personal effects that were kept through the decades. It details her movements as told in her diary all the way to the end of her life. It is a powerful place to go but should be seen if you are ever here. It is immensely popular among tourists so I highly recommend booking your tickets well in advance of arriving to Amsterdam to avoid disappointment.

If you are keen on painting, don’t miss Rembrandt Huis, the former residence of the Dutch painter. I wandered through this house with an audio guide and found it to be very pleasant and extremely informative. What I liked the most was an employee describing all the different color pigments that was used by the painter and as a chemist, I was fascinated with what compounds were used to give certain colors. For example, cinnabar is Mercury Sulfide (HgS), and is a gorgeous red color. Cinnabar however is quite toxic, due to the mercury content, and its mining was often carried out by prisoners of the time as a sentence, which dramatically shortened their life spans.

I myself never made it to the Van Gogh Museum but since he was another prominent Dutch painter, it would make sense that he had his own ‘Huis’ as well.

In the mood to see more awesome museums? Head on over to the Rijksmuseum, the premier museum in the city. It is slightly further away from the city center but not too far of a walk. It features more pieces of Dutch art as well as historical collections. If you come around Christmas time, they will have an ice rink set up as well, which creates such a wonderful atmosphere during this time of year. They have food and mulled wine for your pleasure as well.

The Heineken Brewery is based in Amsterdam as well. Whether or not you like beer, they have made it quite the experience to tour through their facilities with interactive exhibits and excellent brand marketing. It is a fun place to go to, especially if the weather isn’t cooperating outside. The tour ends with 2 free glasses of Heineken.

Vondelpark is the large green area of the city and is great for escaping the fast pace of the city. It was named after the Dutch playwright and poet Joost van der Vondel. It serves as an open-air theater and also has a few restaurants. It is absolutely perfect in the autumn time.

The Red Light District, otherwise known a De Wallen, is probably one of the better known areas in the city for its red lit windows and concentration of sex workers. Tours to this part of the city have stopped, for good reason (IMO). From the first time I visited this city, it was stressed to us to keep our cameras away and this is something I still practice whenever I find myself walking through that part of the city. Seeing this side of Amsterdam may be uncomfortable for some, but this line of work is legal in the city and regulated. Regardless of how you feel, please, take no pictures in the Red Light District.

Once you have seen all the places you have wanted to, I highly recommend just taking a walk around the canals and different side streets altogether. There are so many hidden gems spread across the city and the Dutch architecture, city bikes, and canals make for some great photographic material.

Due to the excellent transportation links in The Netherlands, you can easily take day trips to different parts of the country. Groningen is a fantastic city in the north of the country. It’s known as a university town and I have very fond memories of it as I came to meet friends here for Freedom day back in 2019. Delft is also another popular city to see and known for its 1) ceramic Delft Blue pottery, 2) as the birth place of the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, and 3) its medieval architecture. Lastly, if you want to see those massive tulip fields that Holland is known for, you can make your way to Keukenhof, which is based in Lisse. This is the area that produces all of those flowers. As far as the best time to go, you need to be flexible since the flower blooms correlate with the climate in the region but Mid-Spring is your best bet.

I surely hope you get as much enjoyment from your trip here as I do. I have been several times and the city never gets old for me.

PROTIP #1: Once you get off at Amsterdam Centraal and make your way to the city center, you will find the busiest street in the entire city (Damrak Street). I highly suggest avoiding it. Try to take a parallel side street to get to your destination of interest.

PROTIP #2: If you intend on staying in the city for a few days (as you should), it may be cheaper to look into getting the I Amsterdam City Card, which will give you discounts on museum admissions and transport during your stay. It may save you money in the long run.

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