AMSTERDAM TRAVEL GUIDE
Amsterdam is famous for its coffee shops, red lights, houseboats, historic architecture, and famous canals. Founded in 1275 (supposedly by two fishermen and their dog), the city grew in importance and wealth as Dutch colonies were set up around the world, and companies like the Dutch East India Company (VOC) controlled trade around the world.
Everyone visits or backpacks Amsterdam as they come through Europe and the city has become so crowded during peak season, locals are trying to limit the number of visitors! (So try to avoid the busy summer months!)
There is more to Amsterdam travel than its infamous dark side. Here you’ll find dozens of art museums (from the eclectic to the traditions), beautiful parks, wonderful outdoor cafes, lots of history, and love of life here. This city is by far one of the most beautiful in the world. There’s nothing like cruising around the canals on a sunny day or lying in Vondelpark reading a book!
I used to live in Amsterdam, and I can tell you the best of Amsterdam is found outside the city center in the smaller neighborhoods with their canal-side cafes.
This Amsterdam travel guide can help you plan your trip to what remains one of my favorite countries in the world.
Other Things to See and Do in Amsterdam
1. Visit the Amsterdam History Museum
This museum features a comprehensive history of Amsterdam. It’s big, and you’ll need 3–4 hours to really go through it in detail. There are a lot of relics, maps, paintings, and audio-visual displays throughout the museum. My favorite is the computer graphic at the entrance showing the growth and construction of the city over time. I can’t recommend this museum enough. It’s one of the best history museums I’ve ever visited. Admission is €15 ($17 USD), and it’s open daily from 10am-5pm.
2. The Tulip Museum
Located in a room inside a tulip shop, this little place does an interesting job of telling the history of tulips in Holland and the infamous tulip craze. Best of all: you’ll never find a crowd. It’s pretty off the beaten path! And at €5 ($5.55 USD), it’s the cheapest museum in town.
3. See the Jewish History Museum
Located near Waterlooplein and often overlooked for the Anne Frank House, the Jewish Historical Museum tells the history of the Jews’ prominent and influential position in Amsterdam. It also has an excellent section on World War 2, the Holocaust, and how the Dutch dealt with the guilt of mass deportations after the war. Admission is €17 ($19 USD), and it’s open daily from 10am-5pm.
4. See photography at FOAM
The photography museum houses wonderful pictures and sees few crowds despite being in the main part of the city. I really enjoyed all the black and white photographs and the outdoor garden. They change the exhibits all the time, so you never know what is exactly going to be there (but it’s guaranteed to be good). I visit each time I’m in the city. Admission is €15.50 ($17.20 USD), and it’s open daily from 10am-6pm, except Thursdays and Fridays when it’s open until 9pm.
5. Squeeze into the Houseboat Museum
Not much of a museum, but this decorated houseboat gives you an interesting glimpse into what living on the canals is like. I walked away with one impression of life on the canals: a bit cramped. Admission is €4.50 ($5 USD), and it’s open daily from 10am-5pm.
6. Explore Oost
The area east of the city has an amazing park, a zoo, and lots of good Muslim eateries. Wandering around here, you’ll be hard-pressed to find more than a handful of tourists, most of whom are probably lost. It’s an off-the-beaten-path and underrated part of the city. Also, spend some time hanging out in Oosterpark — I enjoy coming here because it’s far quieter and more peaceful than Vondelpark.
7. Relax in Rembrandt Park
Not to be confused with Rembrandtpleinin the city center, this park west of the city is a leisurely place to wander. The area around it is built for the working class and is more modern than elsewhere in Amsterdam – a good contrast to the historic center. You’ll know you are there when signs suddenly stop being printed in English and are only Dutch.
8. Take in the Heineken Experience
I find it to be overpriced and commercial, but the Heineken Experience will give you an overview of the company, a few drinks, and some silly games to play. Note that this isn’t an actual working brewery. Admission is €18 ($20 USD), and it’s open daily from 11am-7:30pm with an extended hour on the weekends (last entry is 2 hours before close).
9. See the windmills
Setting out on an adventure to visit the windmills surrounding the city is another great way to tour. There are eight in total – most of which are in Amsterdam West. De Gooyer is the closest to the city center and also happens to be a brewery, making it the perfect place to start (and maybe never leave). It’s just a quick 20-minute train ride from Amsterdam Centraal!
10. Stroll through the plantage
The is an entire district in Amsterdam, comprised of green neighborhoods, tree-lined boulevards, quintessential canal scenes, several gardens and parks, and the Artis Royal Zoo. Beyond the main zoo area, Artis is also host to a Zoological Museum, a Planetarium, and an Aquarium. Tickets start from €20 ($22 USD).
11. Drink at the House of Bols
This is one of the most underrated attractions in Amsterdam. Run by the Bols distillery, this is a Dutch gin museum. The self-guided tour takes about an hour and includes the promise of a cocktail and an interesting smelling test. Admission is €16 ($18 USD), and it’s open daily from 1pm-6:30pm, except on Fridays and Saturdays when it closes at 9pm.
12. Visit the Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum is located right next to the Van Gogh Museum, and after years of renovation, it’s now beautifully remodeled. The museum still features an extensive Rembrandt collection, and you’ll be able to see the famous painting “The Night Watch.” Besides Rembrandt, there’s also an incredible and robust collection of other classic Dutch painters, like Frans Hals and Johannes Vermeer. Over one million works of art, craftworks, and historical objects are kept in the collection, and around 8,000 objects are on display in the museum, so be sure to budget a few hours! Admission is €19 ($21 USD), and it’s open daily from 9am-5pm.
13. Wander the Museum Van Loon
The Museum Van Loon is a double-sized canal house (built in 1672) located on the Keizersgracht canal in Amsterdam. The house was owned by the wealthy Van Loon merchant family who set up a beautiful art collection. Now it’s a museum with period furniture, art, and family portraits. There’s a beautiful garden here too. This is definitely a place not to miss. Admission is €10 ($11 USD), and it’s open daily from 10am-5pm.
14. Shop at the Waterlooplein Flea Market
This open-air market is like a giant flea market — everything and everyone can be found here. People sell secondhand clothes, hats, antiques, gadgets, and much more. You can also find new and unused items. If there’s something you want, you’ll probably find it here. Open Monday to Saturday from 9:30am-6pm.
15. Take a day trip to Haarlem
Just a quick train (or bike) ride from Amsterdam, Haarlem is a quiet Dutch town that has a beautiful central church, great outdoor market, and all the beauty of historic Amsterdam with fewer crowds. The train costs between €4-8 ($4.45-9 USD) and takes about 15 minutes.
16. Visit Noord
Leave the city center, take the ferry across the IJ, and visit the up and coming area of Noord Amsterdam. In the last few years, a lot of people have moved here (it’s cheap), cool markets and restaurants have opened, and a lot of old industrial land has been reclaimed for public use. It’s the new hip place to be! If you’re into obscure cinema, be sure to visit the famous EYE, Amsterdam’s film museum. Admission is €11 ($12 USD).
17. Read at the Amsterdam Library
The city’s library is a beautiful modern building built in 2007. It’s gigantic, overlooks the IJ, and has a wonderful top floor cafe for impressive views of the city. It’s one of my favorite to relax in the city. It’s quiet, peaceful, and there’s nothing like reading a good book with a great view!
18. Take a food tour
Located in Amsterdam West, this place is what the name implies – a food hall! This indoor food market has various vendors serving a variety of delicious food. It’s like food trucks in one location. Personal favorites include Viet View, Le Big Fish, and Friska.
19. Take a walking tour
A great way to orient yourself to the city is with a walking tour. You’ll learn some history, find out where the major sites are, and explore all those winding canals. I think free walking tours are a wonderful first activity in any city. I recommend Free Walking Tours Amsterdam and New Europe. For paid tours, go with Walks. They offers in-depth history, food, and cultural tours through cities in the world, with a specialty in Europe. This company gets experts to lead tours (i.e., a chef to lead a food tour)!
(Hey there! Wait one second! Did you know I also wrote an entire guidebook to Amsterdam filled with – not only even more detailed information on the things included on this page but also itineraries, maps, practical information (i.e. hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, prices, etc), cultural insights, and so much more? It has everything you want in a guidebook – but with a focus on budget and cultural travel! If you want to go into more depth and have something to take on your trip, click here for more about the book!)
Amsterdam Travel Costs
Hostel prices – Dorms in Amsterdam cost a lot. This isn’t a cheap city. If you want something centrally located, expect to pay between €20-40 ($22-44 USD) per night for a bed in a dorm with eight or more beds. A four to six bed dorm will cost up to €54 ($60 USD) per night. In the off-season, dorms with eight or more beds cost about €23 ($25 USD) per night. Dorms with four to six beds will cost between €27-32 ($30-35 USD) per night.
A basic private room with an ensuite bathroom costs from €90 ($100 USD) per night during peak season. In the off-season, private rooms are between €68-77 ($75-85 USD) per night.
Budget hotel prices – Nightly rates for a budget two-star hotel room start at about €113 ($125 USD) in peak season. In the off-season, budget rooms start from €95 ($105 USD).
Amsterdam has lots of Airbnb options, although it has become more tightly regulated in recent years. A shared room (like a bed in a dorm) averages about €53 ($59 USD) per night, while a private room is about €73 ($81 USD) per night. An entire apartment averages about 119,993 CRC ($205 USD) per night, but you can find plenty of apartments under €145 ($160 USD) per night.
Food – Cheap Dutch food (like fries and burgers) at the famous FEBO is between €2-7 ($2.20-7.75 USD), but don’t expect anything fancy for vending machine food (FEBO is Dutch drunk food!). Other street food like pizza slices or falafel will cost between €3-5 ($3.30-5.55 USD).
There are plenty of budget-friendly fast-food restaurants in Amsterdam, ranging from McDonald’s to Maoz to Wok to Walk (which is by far the best). Combo meals here will cost you between €8-15 ($9-17 USD). Cafes in the city for many prix-fixe lunch specials for between €10-15 ($11-16 USD).
Mid-range restaurant meals average between €20-25 ($22-28 USD) for a main dish with a drink. Vegetarian and pasta dishes start from €15 ($17 USD), and a beer to go with it will cost about €5 (5.55 USD).
In a high-end restaurant, a five to seven-course menu will cost between €70-80 ($76-89 USD), while a wine to go with it is about €6 ($6.65 USD).
For restaurants, I love Cafe de Jardin, Pankcakes!, Modoers, and Burger Bar. There’s also Foodhallen, located in Amsterdam West. This indoor food market has various vendors serving a variety of delicious food. Personal favorites include Viet View, Le Big Fish, and Friska.
If you cook your meals, expect to pay €55 ($61 USD) per week for groceries that will include pasta, vegetables, chicken, and other basic foodstuffs.
https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-guides/the-netherlands-travel-tips/amsterdam/