14 Great Ways to Experience Amsterdam

14 Great Ways to Experience Amsterdam: Perfect for a First Visit!

Amsterdam is a fabulous city to explore, with its gabled 17th century architecture, beautiful canals, and some of Europe’s top sites. Our favorite thing to do was just to wander on foot, especially the 9 Little Streets area. On our recent trip to Amsterdam we compiled a list of 14 must-see sights, perfect for a first visit to this historical city!

A Little About Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a picturesque city in the country of the Netherlands located in western Europe. The Netherlands are one of Europe’s low countries with about 25% of the country sitting below sea level! Dikes and dunes have been created to help thwart the flooding. In Amsterdam the waterways are a part of the make up of the city. Several canals lace their way through Amsterdam with little stone bridges connecting the canals.

Amsterdam is also known to be a progressive city with its famous Red Light District, coffeeshops that actually sell marijuana, and liberal policies. We also found Amsterdam to be a beautiful, walkable city with helpful, polite people.

When we went

April 2025. The weather was fantastic during our visit, but it is not usually the case in the spring. While we had sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s, locals frequently told us it is typically much cooler, windy, and can be rainy. However, it is also prime time to visit due to the famous Dutch tulips in bloom.

Where we stayed

The Ambassade Hotel | Amsterdam

We absolutely loved our stay here. The hotel is located in the historic 9 Little Streets area of Amsterdam, a picturesque area of 17th century houses, bridges, and canals. The Ambassade is actually several homes laced together to create a seamless hotel.

We had a room with a canal view and pulled up chairs to the window, opened the windows, and watched the sites below as we relaxed for the evening. The daily breakfast was fabulous and service at the hotel could not have been better. Staying here absolutely contributed to a magical stay in Amsterdam and we would definitely stay here again on a return visit.

14 Great Things to do in Amsterdam

1. Stroll the Canals in the 9 Little Streets Area

The 9 Little Streets area of Amsterdam (De 9 Straatjes in Dutch) is a must see. Specifically, the area includes the following streets which are some of Amsterdam’s most picturesque: Singel, Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht.

This quaint area is comprised of tiny, cobblestone streets and stone bridges connecting the canals. Here you’ll also find cozy sidewalk cafes, a variety of shops, and restaurants with some of Amsterdam’s best views.

In fact, we recommend staying in this area as well so you can experience it at all times of the day. During the day, it is lively with shops and restaurants drawing in the crowds and cyclists buzzing by on their bikes.

In the evening, the canal lights turn on and it is enchanting. Boats slowly cruise through the lit canals and pedestrians take in the scene from above on the little bridges and streets along the canals.

Strolling the canals in the evening was my favorite thing to do in Amsterdam!

2. Go on a Canal Cruise

Cruising the canals is another must do activity while in Amsterdam. We went on a two hour cruise with Those Dam Boat Guys and had a good time.

Those Dam Boat Guys office

Those Dam Boat Guys are known for their fun, colorful commentary while taking guests on a historical cruise through Amsterdam’s canals. To be honest, our guide kept it pretty light and I think it might have been due to the rest of the folks on boat being on the older side. He was still fun and shared a lot of tidbits along the way, engaging all of us as well.

The cruise was a little over two hours long and took us through some of Amsterdam’s most picturesque areas.

Views from the canal cruise

From the smaller canals, we cruised into a larger waterway that was busy both on water and on land.

Our room at our hotel, The Ambassade in the 9 Little Streets area, overlooked the Herengracht Canal so we constantly saw boats go by, from small, private boats to large boat companies that cater to tourists.

View from our window at the Ambassade Hotel

We thought that the Flagship Boats would be another great option for a canal cruise based on what we saw. The boats were smaller, so not as crowded as some of the larger boats, and these Flagship Boats had a bar complete with a bartender in the middle of the boat. The boat below is a modified version of their boats, a private cruise with bunches of tulips for great photo ops.

Flagship Boats

These boats looked comfortable and guests happy so I would also recommend that as an option as well.

DRINKS WITH THOSE DAM BOAT GUYS: Those Dam Boat Guys have small boats, which is nice from the perspective of a much more personal experience. They don’t have a bar on board like many other boats do, but they encourage you to purchase drinks from their beverage fridge at their office (where you check in) and they will put the drinks in a cooler for you to take on board. They also recently acquired a bar, located a few doors down from their office. We stopped in there prior to our canal cruise and enjoyed the atmosphere while chatting with the bartender. I recommend a stop in here followed by grabbing some drinks to enjoy on your cruise.

Those Dam Boat Guys bar, just a few doors down from their office

3. Visit the Museums

Amsterdam has a great selection of museums to cater to your interests. There are several museums in Museumplein, an area which houses some of the city’s best museums including the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, and Stedelijk Museum.

Rijksmuseum

While here, we visited the Van Gogh Museum where we learned all about Van Gogh’s life while viewing his artwork.

About Our Visit:

We had tickets for 9:00 am, the first time slot of the day. We joined the massive line of other folks who also had tickets for the first time slot in a big line outside the doors. Once the doors opened, people dispersed and it did not feel crowded at all. We easily viewed his works and were able to move around comfortably.

I recommend getting the audio guide as it helps bring to life Van Gogh’s pieces. As Van Gogh created paintings throughout his life, he started off with self-portraits where you can see simple lines and muted colors.

He then was inspired by many other notable painters of the time, such as Monet, and his work became more intense with larger brushstrokes and more vibrant colors that he went on to be known for.

We viewed his work as a parallel timeline with his mental state at the time. He so wanted to be a successful artist and worked hard at his craft all while battling internal demons.

Sunflowers is one of his most famous works. I found taking in the large brush strokes mesmerizing.

His final piece was very different from his earlier works and is said to be trees and roots. He never finished this painting as he went out into a field and shot himself.

Overall, it was an interesting peek into his life while taking in his incredible art.

Looking for the famous “IAMSTERDAM” sign? That was moved from Musemplein in 2018 due to it becoming too much of a “selfie hotspot”. As of 2024, its current home is outside of Schiphol Airport.

The “I amsterdam” sign, now located at Schiphol Airport

4. Visit the Anne Frank House

TICKETS: Anne Frank House

Tickets must be secured ahead of time and they sell out almost as soon as they are released. Every Tuesday at 10:00 am (Amsterdam time) tickets are released for the following 6 weeks. I set my alarm for the day I could purchase for our visit and saw time slots already sold out by the time I purchased mine. If this is something you want to do in Amsterdam, you need to make note of when the date of your visit will be released and be ready to purchase right away. ONLY purchase tickets through the official website, which I have linked above.

In 1944, 13-year-old Anne Frank, along with her family and other friends in hiding, were discovered in a secret annex above a shop in Amsterdam. They were carted off to concentration camps and never again reunited.

Sadly, Anne, and her older sister, Margot, died shortly before liberation by the Allies due to typhus. Only their father, Otto, survived.

Otto was given Anne’s diaries by friend and helper, Miep Gies. He knew it would be important to share with the world the point-of-view of a young girl in hiding. The Diary of Anne Frank has been published in more than 75 languages and remains one of the most remarkable books of our time.

About Our Visit:

We had a reservation at 5:00 pm and joined the crowds outside the house to wait for our time slot to enter the building. Once inside, backpacks and large bags are stored in lockers and audio guides are given out. Note that no videos or photos are permitted inside the house.

The audio guide was fantastic, taking you through the timeline of the fate of Anne Frank and her family. You begin by touring the rooms just above what would have been the merchant shop area. Then you walk through the secret passage behind the bookcase that still houses books and other items on the shelves as they were left so long ago. From there, the stairs take you up to the living area, kitchen, and bedrooms. Walking through Anne and Margot’s room in particular was very moving as the magazine cutouts of various celebrities from the time were pasted on the wall, a symbol of hope from young girls.

Finally, you get a close up view of several of Anne’s diaries. I took my time really absorbing the simple pencil handwriting in these diaries. It’s such an incredible experience to see them up close.

One thing that stayed with me from the time I read the Diary of Anne Frank as a child was how Anne heard the bells toll from a nearby church. During our visit, the bells rang and I imagined a young, hopeful Anne hearing these same bells ringing 80 years ago. The entire visit was very compelling.

The church near the Anne Frank House

5. Check out the Blooms at the Bloemenmarkt

Yes it is touristy, but strolling through Bloemenmarkt is also a fun and colorful stop. In fact, we spent about an hour here wandering on the day we arrived. We never have set plans on arrival day because we don’t know how jet lag will affect us and we prefer to simply wander and get a lay of the land on day one. This was a great place to do just that.

There are many flower shops, hence the name Bloemenmarkt, as well as cheese shops and even some clogs out to remind you you are in the Netherlands!

It’s a great area to grab some cheap souvenirs, if you desire. Even though we had plans to visit one of the world’s best flower gardens, Keukenhof, in the coming days, strolling through Bloemenmarkt gave us our first glimpses of the fantastic Dutch tulips we would see on our trip here.

6. Day Trip to Keukenhof

Now for the best of the best of flower gardens: Keukenhof!

This amazing flower garden is just about 20 miles outside of Amsterdam in the town of Lisse. We have so much to share on Keukenhof that we wrote an entire article on our time here with planning and ticket information plus lots of photos!

Definitely book your reservation here in advance as they do sell out. Plus, Keukenhof is only open for about an 8 week period every year. If you find yourself in Amsterdam between mid-March and mid-May, visiting Keukenhof is a must-do.

Read our Keukenhof Guide: One Great Day at Keukenhof

7. Take in the Views from a Rooftop Bar

One of our favorite things to do when we travel is take in the views from above. We visited the W Lounge at the W Hotel and really enjoyed the views. The service was great and the drinks were good as well. It was a nice way to wind down after a busy day of sightseeing.

The W Lounge at the W Hotel

We also had LuminAir on our list, but never made it there. It looked like a neat place so I’m including it here as well.

8. Relax in Vondelpark

Vondelpark is an expanse of green space in the heart of Amsterdam.

Walking, jogging, cycling, or just sitting and having a picnic are great ways to enjoy this tranquil space. The weeping willows, ponds, ducks, and flowers are worth a wander and a break from city sightseeing.

Vondelpark

9. Try a New Spirit: Genever

Our guide on our canal cruise told us about Genever, a Dutch spirit that is a precursor to gin. We enjoy gin based drinks so thought we would give it a go. And bonus, the restaurant with the flight to try a few different types was just a few doors down from our hotel!

Proeflokaal A. van wees, a distillery-turned-pub serving flights of Genever

It’s always fun to try foods and drinks local to where we are visiting, but Genever was completely off our radar. It is similar to gin with a bit less juniper taste. Paired with a charcuterie of Dutch cheeses and fondue we had a great meal and came away with a new spirit to stock in our home bar.

10. Check out the Red Light District

The famous Red Light District will likely make it on your list of things to see on a first visit to Amsterdam. In the early evening hours, curious tourists fill the streets, taking in the scene of workers in windows and characters on the streets. We walked through in the early evening when it was still tame. Word is it gets seedier as the night goes on!

The world’s oldest profession is legalized and controlled with workers protected with security on call. The area is actually a really beautiful, historical part of town, which you can see in some of these large view photos of the area. Broad view photos, like the ones I share below, are fine to take here, but of course no photos of the ladies in the windows.

The Red Light District

The smell of pot wafts through the air and sidewalk urinals are in place so it is not a place to stick around long. Rather it is good for a quick stroll through to satisfy your curiosity.

11. See Dam Square

After our trek through the Red Light District we passed through Dam Square on our way back to our hotel. There were costumed people looking to “charm” tourists out of money for a photo op, garbage on the ground, and just an all around not good feel of a place. If you are short on time this is an area I recommend skipping.

12. Stay in a Houseboat

As you walk or cruise through the canals, you will see houseboats docked on the sides of the canals housing residents…and even tourists! That’s right, a popular thing to do is to stay in a houseboat on one of Amsterdam’s canals. We haven’t done this personally, however I have heard that it is a great way to experience Amsterdam’s canal culture.

13. Try some Yummy Dutch Foods

The Netherlands has some unique foods to try during your visit. Most notable is probably their stroopwaffles, which translated means syrup waffle. It is quite different from the waffles and syrup we have in the United States, however. These small, portable snacks are sweet, but not too sweet, and often made fresh in street side bakeries.

Stroopwaffel shop

Bitterballen is something else we tried while here. They are sort of like really soft meatballs, breaded, and deep fried. We give them a 7 out of 10.

Bitterballen and a variety of Dutch cheeses

And what trip to the Netherlands would be complete without trying some of the famous Dutch cheese?! We dined on various Dutch cheese throughout our trip and found all varieties delicious!

Charcuterie featuring yummy Dutch cheese

14. Day Trip to Nearby Towns

Traveling to nearby towns makes for a great day trip from Amsterdam. We visited Zaanse Schans just about 20 minutes outside of Amsterdam to see the working windmills.

Zaanse Schans

Our Experience:

We took an Uber to Zaanse Schans, arriving mid-morning. When we arrived, we were surprised at how crowded it was! Many busses were parked which meant large tour groups were exploring as well. Starting off in the visitor’s center, we purchased the Ticket Zaanse Schans, which included entrance to the museums and two windmills.

We began our visit at the Zaans Museum and Verkade Experience. The museum was very clean and nicely laid out.

We had an audio guide for this portion of the tour while we toured past exhibits learning about the Dutch food industry and ended with a small sample of a biscuit. We honestly felt it was just okay in interest level.

From here, we made our way through the crowds to the windmills.

Touristy and crowded Zaanse Schans

The working windmills are definitely the best part of visiting Zaanse Schans as they are so quintessentially Dutch. However if you want to see them only from the outside, it is free to just wander the area and view them.

The windmills are much larger inside than I expected! Huge gears move around a large base. Climb to the top for a view down into the workings of the windmills.

Inside a windmill

Short-railed decks encircle the windmills for views beyond as well.

Our last stop was the windmill museum, which was small with friendly staff.

The Windmill Museum

Our take away was that we didn’t find Zaanse Schans worth the trip. Yes, Zaanse Schans is a cute area and the windmills are fun to see, but there just wasn’t enough going on to be interesting enough to recommend a day trip here, in our opinion. It was also very touristy and very crowded. There also wasn’t enough interaction inside the windmills, as we expected more talks or demonstrations from interpreters. To enter each windmill you have to pay a separate fee (the Ticket Zaanse Schans covers two windmill entrances). The way it is set up, you can wander the area free of charge but to enter any of the buildings, including the windmills, you have to pay.

After visiting this area, we walked across the bridge into the cute town, through a neighborhood, and ended at a pub for lunch.

The town of Zaanse Schans

We enjoyed a flight of beer and some really tasty food. From here, we caught an Uber back to Amsterdam.

In my opinion, your time would be better spent at some of the other amazing cities in the Netherlands such Utrecht, Delft, or Haarlem.

Amsterdam is one of Europe’s best cities to explore with gorgeous architecture and historical sites. This guide touches on some of its best and hopefully it will inspire you to plan a trip to Amsterdam!