There is a ton to do in Amsterdam.  Which was lucky for me because it was the first stop on my first ever solo vacation.  Because there are so many things to see and do, trying to narrow down how to spend a limited amount of time in Amsterdam turned out to be the bigger challenge.  It’s a gorgeous city with views that don’t stop.  No matter how you spend your time, you’re sure to enjoy every minute.

Top 5 – Amsterdam

1 – Ann Frank House
Ann Frank house is really amazing experience and an absolute must visit in Amsterdam.  It’s one of the best museums I have ever been to.  To walk through the secret door, into the annex where this family hid for 2 years, in hopes to save their lives, is horrifying and moving at the same time.  With actual audio and video from Otto Frank (Anne’s father), and personal belongings from Anne and the family throughout, the museum is a touching and an honest recollection of one of the darkest times in history.

Tickets are €10.50 and available only online.  80% of the tickets are released 2 months in advance and the remaining 20% are released the day of.  If you are planning your trip enough in advance, get the tickets as soon as they are released online to save yourself the stress of fighting for day of tickets.  But if you are planning last minute, try all day, everyday while you are there, because you may get lucky.

2 – Keukenkof Gardens
Keukenhof is the spring spectacular in Amsterdam.  It is only open in April and May each year, after 40 gardeners spend the remainder of the year preparing for it.  Keukenhof is about 45 minutes outside of Amsterdam, but most definitely worth the trip.  The theme this year was “Flower Power” and there was lots of 1970s/hippie exhibits.  A half day is a perfect amount of time to walk through the gardens and see all of the gorgeous flowers.  There are several places to stop to grab a bite/drink.  I would suggest booking a day or two in advance, but not much sooner so that you can check the weather.  There are many different tours that take you to and from the gardens.  I took the Hop On Hop Off company, which was great getting there.  Coming back there was a longer wait to get on a bus, but eventually you’ll make it back to Amsterdam.

3 – Windmills at Zaanse Schans
One of the other things synonymous with Amsterdam, is windmills.  I took a day trip with Zaan Tours to Zaanse Schans to see the windmills and the Zaanse Schans village.  It’s adorable and definitely worth a visit.  In addition to the going inside and exploring the windmill, there is a Dutch clog store where you can see a demonstration for how they are made, a chocolate maker, a cheese shop with the opportunity for lots of tastings, and a few other places to check out.  I highly recommend the cheese shop. They were so good that I spent over $50 to bring some home with me.  The tour is a half day and a nice break from the city to explore another part of the Netherlands.

4 – Flagship Canal Tours
One of the best ways to see Amsterdam, is from the canals.  There are several companies that do tours, but I think got lucky when I stumbled upon the Flagship tour boat right outside of the Ann Frank house when walking past.  The tour was so much fun and the guides were so friendly and knowledgable.  You learn a lot about Amsterdam, while sipping on cocktails they have available for purchase on board.  And I mean, who doesn’t enjoy being on a boat?

5 – Museums
There is no shortage of museums in Amsterdam.  As two of the worlds most famous artists, Van Gogh and Rembrandt, are Dutch, it is no surprise that there are several highly rated art museums, the most famous being the Van Gogh Museum.  Other highly recommended art museums are Rijksmusem, Rembrandt House Museum, the Moco Museum, and Museum Van Loon.  Most museums you can pay admission upon arrival, but the Van Gogh museum sells out in advance.  Unfortunately it was sold out during my trip so I wasn’t able to go.  I did visit Moco Museum, specifically to see the Banksy exhibit, which I loved.  I also visited Museum Van Loon to see their beautiful gardens.

In addition to the art museums, Amsterdam has a variety of quirky, fun museums as well, including the Houseboat Museum, the Amsterdam Cheese Museum, and the Tulip Museum.   The Houseboat Museum is an actual houseboat that you can explore and learn about the history of houseboats in Amsterdam.  It was so interesting and highly recommended.  The Amsterdam Cheese Museum  offers the history of cheese and tastings of 25-30 delicious cheeses.  READ: well worth a visit.  I didn’t go to the Tulip Museum, but I’m sure it’s well done and interesting for people interested in flowers and gardening.  With all of the museums to visit, there really is something of interest for everyone.

Honorable Mention

Sandeman Walking Tour
I love Sandeman walking tours.  I’ve done them in several cities around Europe and have enjoyed each one.   It’s a great way to get your bearings in a city and to get some steps in and learn some history along the way.  The free tour in Amsterdam was about 3 hours long and covered a good portion of the city center.

Westerkerk Church Tower
Going up in the Westerkerk church tower is a great way to get panoramic city views from above.  It is located next to the Ann Frank house and costs €9 to enter.  The tours are every 30 minutes and includes a guide who takes you on the tour and provides some history about the church and Amsterdam.  It’s a decent amount of steps, but worth it for the views.

 

Amsterdam is one of my favorite places I’ve traveled.  It’s a beautiful city, rich with history, and so much to see and do.  I think visiting in spring takes Amsterdam to another level because of the tulips.  But if you have an opportunity to visit, it doesn’t matter what time of year, go!