I can’t believe that it’s almost been an entire month since we left for our trip to Amsterdam, time sure flies! But before any of my memories from our trip fades away, I wanted to put together this post as quickly as I could since it’s still high season for the Netherlands. Hopefully if any of you guys have an upcoming trip to Amsterdam, this post will help serve as a guide in building out your itinerary.

We spent way more time in Amsterdam than most tourists do, but that was mainly because we really wanted to get a sense of what it was like to live like a local. But that’s not to say that you can’t get through everything in a way shorter period of time. Since most travelers typically spend about 3-5 days in Amsterdam, you can definitely condense down our itinerary and still get the full Dutch experience.

Before jumping straight into my compilation of 10 things to do in Amsterdam, there are a couple of things that I did want to note about the city:

• It is small, like very small. There’s no need to rent a car. Their public transit system is extremely easy to navigate, and while in the city of bikes, why not bike?! The whole entire city is very walk-able, so don’t stress about transportation because you can easily get from one end of the city to the next in mere minutes.
• If you do end up renting a car to travel outside of Amsterdam, be extremely cautious of the driving speeds. There are cameras everywhere on the highway and the Dutch don’t hesitate to ding you going a mere 5 km/hr over the speed limit. You don’t want to come back home to a surprise ticket waiting for you in your inbox.
• It’s an expensive city. It’s going to cost you a lot to eat, shop, and to get around, so be prepared to spend a bit of money. Even the cheapest places to eat won’t feel cheap here.
• The Dutch are extremely kind and nice people. Ask anyone for help and I’ll guarantee you that they’ll go above and beyond. A car honk is a rare sound, whereas in Toronto you can’t step foot outside without hearing at least one honk every few minutes.

Now that I’ve touched base on some general notes on the city, let’s jump straight into some things that you’ll want to include on your upcoming trip to Amsterdam! And if you don’t have a trip planned, hopefully this will inspire you to book a trip to the Netherlands.

Rent a bike and coast along the canals.

Like I said, the city has an amazing biking infrastructure and you should definitely rent a bike to take advantage of it. The longer that you rent a bike for, the cheaper that it gets by the day, so if you’ve planning on being there for awhile, definitely maximize your biking opportunity. Before biking in Amsterdam, make sure to brush up on your biking etiquette so that you’re not annoying any of the locals.

You can also easily bike from city to city since all of the highways also have surface level roads for bikes as well! In fact, you can take your bike all the way to The Hague and beyond, so if you’re looking for a good workout, take your bike for a whole day’s worth of exploration!

Besides being the most common form of transportation, bike theft is also just as common. When renting a bike, make sure to utilize both locks that it comes with to thwart any potential thieves.

Take a day trip to a nearby city.

If biking along a highway is a bit too much for you, hop a train to the next closest city, or rent a car for the day. Either way, make sure to also get out of Amsterdam and to explore the nearby cities as well. We spent an entire day driving down to Haarlem, Bennebroek, Hillegom, and Lisse to name a few. All of these cities are within very close driving distance to Amsterdam so you can easily check them all out within a day and make it back on time to Amsterdam for dinner.

If you’re into history like I am, then I’d highly recommend a visit to The Hague. This city is home to the UN’s International Court of Justice. Located inside of the Peace Palace, this active court is still fully operative so you’ll only be able to take a tour through it during the weekends.

With any extra time that you might have, take a drive up to Zaanse Schaans to check out their famous windmills. I would recommend taking a walk along the path during sunset (it’s also free then because all of the windmills will be closed to visitors) and enjoy the view as the sky turns a myriad of orange and pink shades.

Rent a private boat for a sunset cruise down the canals.

For those that prefer to stay in the city of Amsterdam, there’s still quite a bit that you can do! Renting a boat to cruise along the canals wasn’t even on our radar until my friend Tee mentioned it. We rented one for sunset and got to use the boat for about 3 relaxing hours taking in all of the sites and sounds around the city. There aren’t as many tourists along the canal as there are on the streets, so you’ll find this experience to be significantly more peaceful. If renting your own private boat is too pricey, then I’d still recommend joining a boat tour so that you can take in Amsterdam from a different perspective!

Spend a day at Rijksmuseum.

Art and history lovers rejoice because the Rijksmuseum will be your happy place. With a massive collection of artwork and artifacts from around the world, you’re bound to spend at least half a day here. At the moment, there’s a beautiful Rembrandt exhibit celebrating 350th years since the artist’s death, so if you’re a fan of his work, then I’d highly recommend popping in for a visit.

Don’t forget to check out their beautiful library. If you’re hoping to get a photo of the space without other tourists in the shot, then I’d suggest going in closer towards closing time as there will be less individuals milling around looking at the displays.

Once you’re finished with the museum, make sure to visit the back gardens for a relaxing afternoon along their water feature. There are also a variety of food and artisan stands strewn across the front courtyard for you to explore if you’re looking to pick up any souvenirs.

Pro Tip: Purchase your tickets online before arriving to save yourself €1 per person!

Have some fun at the MOCO Museum.

Other museum goers will enjoy the MOCO Museum for its focus on street and modern art. With the likes of KAWS, Banksy, and Daniel Arsham on display, you’re bound to find some interesting and thought provoking artwork to consider. I’m not sure if the Crystal Cavern is a permanent exhibit or not, but don’t forget to pay a visit to it on your way out to the main courtyard—it makes for a great photo opportunity.

Pro Tip: Purchase your tickets online before arriving to save yourself €1 per person!

Brunch at The Avocado Show.

Food lovers absolutely need to make brunch plans at The Avocado Show. If you’re a millenial like me, or you just plain love avocados (also like me), then this restaurant will probably have already been on your radar. Not only do they make delicious food (the entire menu is based off of avocados as the main ingredient), but they taking plating and food presentation to a whole entire level. With a mastery of colour and detail, each and every single dish comes out looks like a masterpiece. Although I was mainly drawn to the restaurant for it’s avocado dishes, I ended up fixated on their food purely because of presentation. How can you say no to a beautiful avocado flower?! I promise you that the food tastes just as good as it looks!

If The Avocado Show is on your itinerary, I would recommend showing up as early as possible because the place fills up quickly. The restaurant opens up at around 9 AM, but we found that it was hard to get a table by 10 AM if your party was any larger than 2.

Indulge in Stroopwafels.

While we’re on the topic of food, why not indulge in some sweets? Amsterdam’s most famous cookie that is—the stroopwafel! Although I didn’t get the chance to grab a photo of one, I swear that I had enough to scare my dentist into thinking that I had a cavity. These cookies are made out of 2 layers of paper thin waffles held together by a layer of syrup in between. The word stroopwafel literally translates to “syrup waffle” in English, which kind of makes sense, because that’s what it is.

These waffles come in a variety of flavours, but the most simple and basic being plain syrup and cinnamon. Certain stores will also allow you to dip your stroopwafel into a chocolate or caramel sauce, before then decking it out with sprinkles or mini marshmallows. Sweet tooths will totally get a kick out of this dessert because it goes heavy on the sweet side!

Try a Freak Shake.

Amsterdam’s food scene can be quite eclectic, and one of the most popular Instagrammable foods definitely has to be the Freak Shake. Served exclusively at a restaurant called Ree7, these crazy milkshakes rival a Canadian Caesar. Two different flavours are available (strawberry and chocolate), with different toppings for each respective one. One look at it and you can definitely tell why it’s call a Freak Shake. The name is quite fitting is it not?

If you’re lucky enough to go during a holiday or special time of the year, Ree7 sometimes has specialty flavours available. We were just a few days short of their Easter special so I was particularly bummed, but the strawberry and chocolate ones that we ordered tasted just as delicious!

Admire the Dancing Houses.

Ah the Dancing Houses, everyone has heard about the Dancing Houses. And if you haven’t, what sort of research about Amsterdam have you done?! These tilted houses weren’t always off kilter. Built way back when for the wealthy, these houses were originally constructed on stilts that over time wobbled as nature got to them. Now you can view them as slightly slanted, and they certainly exude a sort of charm to them. You can see the Dancing Houses almost anywhere in Amsterdam that is along a canal, but the most famous ones are along the Damrak body of water. Across the road from this boat dock is a set of houses that look much more crooked yet seem to have more personality than others. This particular set of houses are known as the Gingerbread Houses. Named after the the exterior decor of the houses that give them a comical look, these houses are definitely crooked and are a great fun to see.

Unfortunately for us, the entire strip was under construction during our visit to Amsterdam so we weren’t able to snag any good photos, but from what I’ve seen online, they’re definitely a sight to behold!

Explore the Wisteria Walk.

Should you be in Amsterdam during the Spring/early Summer season, make sure to check out all of the beautiful wisteria vining up the houses across the city. In Toronto, these beautiful blossoming vines would never withstand our cold climate, so I’m always impressed whenever I see them elsewhere. Although we didn’t do a specific wisteria walk to locate all of the beautiful florals (we walked and biked so much over the course of the 7 days that we essentially saw them all in passing), if you’re fond of flowers, there are many online walking routes available to give you the best wisteria experience.

And that’s essentially our trip to Amsterdam in a nutshell. Although we did so much more than what I listed above, these were essentially the highlights and what I would recommend focusing on. Any other things would just be additional and personal preferences. If you guys have any other questions or would like more recommendations for Amsterdam, let me know and I would be happy to put together another post with additional things to do!

I hope that this post helped you in building out your itinerary for any upcoming trips that you may have planned, or at least inspired you to book a trip to Amsterdam. It’s certainly a beautiful city, albeit a little pricey, but absolutely worth the visit!