Amsterdam is the ‘postcard pretty’ northern European city that captures the imagination of many. There are the iconic canals, painting Amsterdam as the ‘Venice of the north’. These are the true highlight of the city in our opinion, with photogenic locations and iconic views at every corner. However Amsterdam is definitely more than just the canals. There’s the iconic museums, up to 75 to be exact. There’s the food, and the coffee culture! Amsterdam also has the nightlife, and the infamous ‘red light district’.
We have visited multiple times, including a stop on our 2022 adventures, as well as a recent visit in 2024, where Ky and his friend Tim spend an afternoon exploring the city. We have detailed some tips based upon our multiple visits, and link you to our detailed guide below!
A few tips for your visit to Amsterdam:
- Prepare for the crowds: No matter what time of year you visit, Amsterdam will be busy! This particularly applies to the central streets and canals, however, it is easy enough to escape the crowds by getting up early, or wandering beyond the main canals.
- Walk beyond the main streets: We highly encourage you to walk beyond the main canals and streets. We found the most picturesque spots were often 10 minutes out from the heart of the city. Walk and get lost along the canals!
- Book in advance for the museums: This is an important point, especially if you want to visit iconic museums like the Anne Frank Museum. Book early to avoid disappointment.
- Enjoy the coffee culture: We LOVED the cafe scene in Amsterdam, so much so that we rate it as one of the best in Europe. You’ll easily find a good cafe without much effort, however Black Gold Amsterdam is our personal favourite.
- Visit nearby towns: Amsterdam is iconic and you should definitely visit, however we found that we enjoyed the smaller nearby towns more than Amsterdam itself. In particular, Leiden and Utretch are both very picturesque little towns that need to be explored. They are close enough for day trips via train, or can be a good base to stay and travel into Amsterdam for a day trip.
- If the sun is out, visit the parks: The parks around Amsterdam burst to life when the sun comes out. Grab a picnic blanket or a towel and head to the park to enjoy the vibe with the locals.
- Try the multicultural food: Amsterdam has excellent multicultural food, and we urge you to try it! We particularly enjoyed some of the middle eastern cuisine during our visit.
See our detailed Amsterdam guide below:
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