Things to Do in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a city of layers, where the charm of the Golden Age meets a gritty, modern creative energy. Whether you are visiting for the first time or returning to find its hidden corners, the list of things to do in Amsterdam is as diverse as the city itself. From the iconic canal cruises that offer a postcard-view of the leaning houses to the historic halls of the Rijksmuseum and the Anne Frank House, the city’s heritage is undeniable. But to truly experience Amsterdam like a local, you must venture further; cycling through the lush paths of Vondelpark, exploring the boutiques of the Nine Streets (De Negen Straatjes), or enjoying a coffee by a quiet waterway. This guide will help you navigate the essential Amsterdam attractions while discovering the unique, authentic spirit that makes this city a perennial favorite.

Getting Around Amsterdam: Transport Tips

When traveling from Amsterdam Airport (Schiphol), your best options are the bus or the train, depending on your final destination.

During my second visit, I stayed near Vondelpark, so taking the bus made more sense. However, on my first and most recent trips, I took the train directly to Amsterdam Central Station.

Payment Method: Buses and trams now offer a contactless credit card option. You simply tap your card when you board and tap again when you get off.

Pro-Tip: While this system worked perfectly during my second trip, I encountered some issues on the tram during my last visit where none of my cards were accepted. To be safe, I continued my journey by purchasing physical tickets. It’s always good to have a backup!

Where to Stay in Amsterdam: My Hotel Reviews

I’ve stayed at two different hotels in Amsterdam, each offering a very different vibe:

Owl Hotel (Near Vondelpark)
The biggest highlight of Owl Hotel is its location. If you are a park lover, this is a fantastic spot; it’s tucked away from the city center’s hustle and bustle.

The Experience: While the location was perfect, I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the room; for instance, there was a persistent plumbing odor. However, for a short 2-day stay, it was manageable.

Ibis Amsterdam Centre (Next to Central Station)
If you want to “conquer” Amsterdam, this is the ideal base. Being right next to the station means the area is busier, but don’t let that worry you.

Safety for Solo Travelers: As a solo female traveler, I felt perfectly safe walking to and from the hotel, even late at night.

The Vibe: I was very impressed with this hotel. The rooms were spacious, the bar had a great atmosphere, and the staff were incredibly welcoming.

The View: One of the coolest features is that trains pass right underneath the hotel! Watching the trains and travelers from the hallway windows was surprisingly relaxing.

Places to Visit in Amsterdam

Amsterdam Centraal

If you arrive in the center of Amsterdam by train, the first structure you’ll see is the train station, Amsterdam Centraal. While inside, you don’t get the same “what a beautiful building” feeling like you would at Grand Central Terminal in New York, but get your camera ready as you step outside. By the way, according to the information I got from Piri, about 1,500 trains arrive at the station every day. Hopefully, one day, our stations will be this busy too.

Right across from the station is the Tourist Information center. Exactly 8 years ago, when smartphones hadn’t yet become part of our lives, we waited in line here for a long time and left without finding a place that met our criteria and budget. We returned to the station hopelessly, planning to catch a night train to another city. When those plans fell through, Turkish workers at the station came to our rescue. Anyway, I’ll stop rambling and return to my recent trip. You can also take your first canal photos from across the station. I used the luggage storage at the station, and if you need it, it’s self-service and easy to use.

Amsterdam Canals

The canals of Amsterdam are one of the city’s most iconic features, giving it the nickname the “Venice of the North.” In 2010, the Amsterdam Canal Belt was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognizing its cultural and historical importance. The canals are seen as an outstanding example of innovative urban planning and hydraulic engineering from the Dutch Golden Age.

Some of these houses along the canals are now museums, cafes, or offices, but many still serve as private residences. The interiors often feature high ceilings, large windows, and views of the canals. While wandering along the Herengracht, you’ll notice that the houses have wider facades and more ornate decorations. Historically, this was where the city’s wealthiest families lived. To make the interiors feel even more grand and spacious, residents used massive chandeliers and mirrors.

Interestingly, as a status symbol in older times, Turkish carpets were often displayed on tables or walls rather than the floor. These grand mansions also featured gender-specific social spaces: smoking rooms for men and tea rooms for women. If you want to see this preserved 17th-18th century lifestyle for yourself, the Willet-Holthuysen Museum on Herengracht is one of the best-preserved canal houses you can visit (though I personally opted to skip the interior tour this time).

The best ways to experience the canals is walking or cycling along the canals especially on a Sunday morning or by taking a boat tour. Various options of boat tours are available, from open-air boats to luxury dinner cruises, offering different perspectives of the city. I haven’t had a chance yet to experience this one.

Amsterdam has over 1,500 bridges, with many crossing the city’s canals. Some, like the Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge), are especially famous for their design and historical importance. The bridges are often beautifully lit at night, creating a romantic atmosphere.

The Famous 7 Bridges View
On Reguliersgracht, there’s a specific spot where the canal boats slow down. This is known as the “7 Bridges View.” But for me, it’s not really about the number of bridges; it’s about the atmosphere. This is where Amsterdam turns into the postcard we all know: quiet, balanced, and a little bit melancholic.

Houseboats: Amsterdam’s Floating Villas
The floating villas (houseboats) you see along the canals are true icons of the city. Some of the newer, more modern designs even feature an entire floor submerged underwater!

My Biggest Recommendation: A Canal Boat Tour

I finally took a canal boat tour during my third visit—and I say “finally” with a bit of regret. I wish I had done it on my very first trip! It is truly the best way to learn about Amsterdam’s unique architecture and history.

My Experience: I booked my tour with Strömma. While the guide was great, I have a small tip: if you don’t get a window seat, taking photos can be quite difficult. If I were to do it again, I’d probably choose one of the smaller, open-air boats for a more immersive (and photogenic) experience.

Booking Tip: Buying tickets online is usually cheaper. I actually bought mine online while standing in the queue! However, keep in mind that even with an online ticket, the wait to board can still be quite long during peak hours.

Weeping Tower

From here, my second stop was the Weeping Tower on the Piri route; you can also take photos of the Old Church with the canal from here. There’s also a plaque on the tower’s wall about the famous sailor Hudson departing from here to New York; the Hudson River is named after him.

Nieuwmarkt

I headed to Nieuwmarkt as the next stop. In the center of the square, you’re greeted by De Waag. It was a place where executions were carried out in the 16th century. I recommend taking a photo of De Waag and then diving into the market set up in the square, as the bread and sweets are so tempting that it’s hard to resist buying them. I even considered bringing bread as a gift instead of the usual souvenirs. There are quite a few cafes and restaurants around Nieuwmarkt, but finding a spot on weekends can be challenging, just so you know.

Red Light District

And here we are at one of Amsterdam’s most famous spots: the Red Light District. This neighborhood, dating back to the 1200s, is one of the world’s oldest red-light districts. Although I didn’t feel completely comfortable while walking around here, somehow, you find yourself passing through this area. The contrast it creates with the Old Church next to it was one of the things that intrigued me the most, both in the past and during this visit. One thing I don’t like about Amsterdam is that almost all the churches are treated as tourist money-making spots. As a result, I chose not to enter any of them, as I think I’ve seen enough churches in other cities.

By the way, one of the things that will catch your eye most when you first visit Amsterdam is the narrow buildings. Since taxes were based on the width of the buildings, they are very narrow, and there are hooks at the top of the buildings for moving furniture, as some houses are even tilted. Additionally, there are many houseboats; in fact, the latest issue of the Pegasus magazine mentioned villas built on water, with one floor submerged underwater. I don’t know if it’s a different feeling to sleep underwater at night, but it seems that these types of houses are quite popular too.

Dam Square

Dam Square is probably the most central square in Amsterdam. Madame Tussauds Museum, the not-so-new New Church, and the Royal Palace of Amsterdam are located here. I took two photos of this square, one on a Saturday and the other on a Monday, and they are proof of the weekend crowd; be sure to check out the square photo above to see what I mean.

Even if you don’t enter the Amsterdam Museum, I recommend walking through its courtyard, as it’s free to explore 🙂

Rembrandt Square

Rembrandt Square and its surroundings became one of my favorite areas. You reach the square by passing through the flower market, but it’s hard to enjoy the market on the weekends due to the crowds. Famous cheese shops are also along this route. In the square, in addition to Rembrandt’s statue, there’s a 3D representation of the characters from his famous painting The Night Watch. The canals around Thorbecke Square, which is nearby, are quieter than others, making it ideal for taking photos. According to what Mr. Saffet said, Rembrandt Square is also beautiful at night.

Vondelpark

Vondelpark became another of my favorite spots in Amsterdam. On our way here, we passed by Museum Square, briefly admiring the museums from the outside while listening to the Piri app. As we hurried to reach Vondelpark before it got too late, we didn’t linger long. Since I love parks, I absolutely adored Vondelpark, and seeing the year’s first storks there made me even happier 🙂 Even though we only explored a part of it, we found peaceful spots to enjoy the park despite the crowds.

Anne Frank Museum

The only museum I visited in Amsterdam was the Anne Frank Museum, for which you need to buy tickets online. How did I manage to find a spot one day in advance? Purely intuition. When I first checked, all the time slots were fully booked, but the next day, a little voice inside me said, “check again,” and I’m glad I listened. A spot had opened up at the perfect time. Considering you buy the tickets directly, I don’t think anyone canceled, so it might have been a tourist marketing trick, or maybe I was just lucky—I’m not sure—but I’m glad I went.

Even if you can’t visit the Anne Frank Museum, be sure to walk around the area, as the canal photos here turn out especially beautiful. The museum itself is quite small, and as you try to listen to everything while moving from room to room, it can get overwhelming; just as you start to get emotional, you’re suddenly surrounded by lots of people, and you feel the urge to move on to the next room. Still, being able to witness the story in such detail and up close felt like watching familiar scenes from movies come to life, as if history were unfolding before your eyes.

The list of museums in Amsterdam is almost endless. So far, I’ve only visited the Anne Frank House, but the other museums I’ve passed by truly complete the city’s cultural map. Here are the most iconic stops:

• Van Gogh Museum: A deeply emotional journey that tells the artist’s life story and showcases his work in chronological order.
• Rijksmuseum: The city’s most grand and majestic museum. It houses the most important masterpieces of the Dutch Golden Age, including Rembrandt’s famous The Night Watch.
• Stedelijk Museum: A must-visit for lovers of modern and contemporary art, focusing on design, photography, and experimental works.
• H’ART Museum (Formerly Hermitage Amsterdam): Known for its high-quality rotating exhibitions, offering a fresh experience every time you visit.
• Moco Museum: A more “Instagrammable” and fast-paced stop, featuring popular works by Banksy and other contemporary artists.

My Tips for Museum Lovers: While you don’t need to see every single museum to “complete” Amsterdam, it’s worth planning ahead. On my next visit, I plan to get the I Amsterdam City Card, as it makes visiting multiple museums much more budget-friendly. And the other activities such as boat tour are also included.

Important Warning: If you don’t have a city card, always buy your tickets online in advance.

Hidden Stories: The Architecture of Resistance

One of the things I love most about Amsterdam is that every building seems to have a story, and often, a rebellious one.

The “Stopera”: A Name Born from Protest

While on my canal boat tour, I learned the fascinating story behind the Amsterdam Opera House, known locally as the “Stopera.” The name is a blend of “Stop” and “Opera.”

When it was planned in the 1980s, locals launched massive protests, arguing that the building was too expensive and didn’t fit the city’s historic fabric. The slogan “Stop the Opera” eventually became the building’s permanent nickname. Officially called Het Muziektheater, this modern structure is now home to the Dutch National Opera & Ballet. It stands today not just as an architectural landmark, but as a symbol of Amsterdam’s protest-loving spirit.

The Victoria Hotel: The Houses That Said No

The Victoria Hotel near Central Station holds a legendary tale of resistance. If you look at the hotel’s facade, you’ll notice two tiny, old houses wedged into the structure that look completely different from the rest

Back in the late 19th century, developers wanted to buy the entire block to build the hotel. However, the owners of these two houses refused to sell. Instead of tearing them down, the hotel was literally built around them. Today, they remain as a silent reminder that in Amsterdam, not everything is for sale. They represent a small but powerful victory of heritage over money.

Shopping in Amsterdam: From High Street to Vintage Gems

If you are planning to do some shopping in Amsterdam, there are a few distinct areas you should know about:

• Nieuwendijk & Kalverstraat: This is where you’ll find all the famous global high-street brands.
• The Nine Streets (De Negen Straatjes): Located between the Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht, these charming alleys are home to independent boutiques, vintage and second-hand shops, and unique concept stores.
• Luxury Shopping: For high-end luxury brands, head to the side streets between Vondelpark and the Museum District.
• Local Markets: Near the Van Gogh Museum, there is an open-air market perfect for quick bites and lovely souvenir stands. Albert Cuyp Markt is also a must-visit for authentic souvenirs and local atmosphere.

You might also check out my post on “Where to Eat and Drink in Amsterdam“.