Three Great Days in Amsterdam: Itinerary and Guide

Three Day Amterdam Itinerary

Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most visited cities and for good reason. From historical sites such as the Anne Frank House, world class museums, and one of the most renowned flower gardens, Keukenhof, Amsterdam is a fantastic destination. With three full days here, you can hit all the top sites plus do a day trip or two for a well-rounded itinerary that will only make you want to come back and explore more!

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 these 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

Late April/Early May. We were lucky during our visit as we did not experience any rain and temperatures were in the 70s. Locals kept commenting how lucky we were with the weather as it typically rains and temperatures are cooler.

Where we stayed

Ambassade Hotel | Amsterdam, Netherlands

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

We had a room with a canal view and spent our evenings sitting near the window watching boats go by. 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.

Three Days in Amsterdam: A day-by-day itinerary

We arrived into Amsterdam midday the day before this itinerary begins. That gave us time to just wander, grab a meal, and get a lay of the land. While leisurely strolling Amsterdam, we checked out the Bloemenmarkt.

Bloemenmarkt

It was lovely seeing the Dutch tulips for sale, sampling some cheese, and taking in the quintessential Dutch spring. This is a very touristy spot, however it was a nice intro into Dutch culture.

Cheese shops and Dutch shoes at the Bloemenmarkt

We always try to stay up until 7 or 8:00 pm and then get some good sleep so we are well rested for the next day!

DAY 1

On Today’s Agenda:

Van Gogh Museum – 9:00 a.m.
Vondel Park – 10:30 a.m.
Canal Cruise – 1:00 p.m.
Anne Frank House – 5:00 p.m.
Stroll the Canals in the 9 Little Streets area

Good morning, Amsterdam! Your day begins bright and early with tickets to visit the Van Gogh Museum for 9:00 am. Start with a nice breakfast at your hotel for the most efficient way to start the day.

The Van Gogh Museum

The Van Gogh Museum is located in Museumplein which houses some of the city’s best museums including the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, and Stedelijk Museum. We recommend visiting just one museum as you may reach museum burnout if doing too many in a day. Instead, consider saving one for another day, if you have more time in Amsterdam.

About Our Visit to the Van Gogh Museum:

We had tickets for 9:00 am, the first time slot of the day. We joined the 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.

Van Gogh Museum

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

Van Gogh’s early self-portrait | Van Gogh Museum

He then became 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 became known for.

A later self-portrait | Van Gogh Museum

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.

Bedroom in Arles | Van Gogh Museum

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

Sunflowers | Van Gogh Museum

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

Looking for the famous “IAMSTERDAM” sign? That was moved from Museumplein 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 | Schiphol Airport

Vondel Park

After visiting the Van Gogh Museum we walked through peaceful Vondel Park. What a nice place to escape the city, with a beautiful green space and a pond.

Beautiful Vondel Park

We had a canal cruise with Those Dam Boat Guys for 1:00 p.m. We had plenty of time in between visiting the Van Gogh Museum and wandering Vondel Park to grab lunch before the canal tour, which we did at a nice sidewalk cafe in the area.

Canal Cruise

At about 12:30 we checked in for our cruise with Those Dam Boat Guys. They recently opened a bar a few doors down so we had a drink while chatting with the bar tender while waiting to join the tour.

Those Dam Boat Guys are known for their fun, colorful commentary while taking guests on a historical cruise through Amsterdam’s canals.

Views on a canal cruise

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.

Views on a canal cruise, lots of bridges to go under!

The cruise was a little over two hours long and took us through some of Amsterdam’s most picturesque areas. Below are more highly rated canal cruises:

The Anne Frank House

The last stop of this full day is to the Anne Frank House.

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 is humbling to view them up close.

The church tower near the Anne Frank House

One thing that stayed with me from the time I read the Diary of Anne Frank when I was young 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 moving.

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.

DAY 2

On Today’s Agenda:

Day trip to Keukenhof at 8:00 am
Lunch: Trattoria Panini in Lisse
Red Light District
Dam Square
Cocktail at the W Bar

Another early start to the day, but it is a must to get to Keukenhof right when they open to have the best experience.

Keukenhof Flower Garden

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!

Keukenhof

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

Just a few of the gorgeous flowers at Keukenhof

Read our Keukenhof Guide: One Great Day at Keukenhof

Taking a tour to Keukenhof can make for a seamless visit. Tickets and transportation can be booked as one package and make for an easy day trip from Amsterdam:

Don’t leave the town of Lisse just yet. Instead, head into the town and enjoy a peaceful lunch while watching the slow Dutch life roll by.

Delicious lunch at Trattoria Panini

We had a great lunch at Trattoria Panini before heading back to Amsterdam.

The Red Light District

In the late afternoon we took a wander to the Red Light District, one of Amsterdam’s most infamous areas. When you first approach, you notice the beauty of the historical area with its canal houses and little stone bridges. Feel free to take wide view photos here, like the ones I share below.

The Red Light District

As you get closer to the Red Light District put your camera away and be sure not to snap photos of the workers. The world’s oldest profession is legalized and controlled with workers protected with security on call.

Getting here early gives you a chance to view the area without getting caught up in the rowdiness and seediness that sets in as the evening wares on.

Dam Square

From the Red Light District we walked through historical Dam Square. There were costumed people looking to “charm” tourists out of money for a photo op, trash 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.

Dam Square

Rooftop Cocktail Bar

Our last stop of the day was to the W Lounge at the W Hotel for high up views while relaxing with a cocktail.

The W Lounge

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. We also had Luminair on our list, although never made it there. The menu was intriguing and the views looked amazing. If you have extra time, this may be worth putting on your list as well.

DAY 3

On Today’s Agenda:

Day trip to Zaanse Schans
Dinner at Proeflokaal A. van wees with a Genever tasting

We took a day trip to Zaanse Schans to check out the working windmills. Located just a short distance from Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans is a popular day trip.

Zaanse Schans

This was not our favorite experience. The museum was kind of boring, not enough engagement was going on in the windmills, and you had to pay to enter each windmill. The area was very crowded and touristy, so our overall thoughts are that your time would be better spent exploring Utrecht, Delft, or Haarlem.

However, I’ll share our experience in case Zaanse Schans is a place you want to visit.

Our Experience:

We took an Uber to Zaanse Schans, arriving mid-morning. When we arrived, we were surprised at how crowded it was!

The crowds at Zaanse Schans

Many busses were parked in the parking lot 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.

The Zaans Museum

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.

A look down at the biscuit factory | Zaans Museum

We honestly felt it was just okay in interest level.

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

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. 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 the windmills

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 get up close, viewing them from their exterior.

Windmills | Zaanse Schans

After a few hours in Zaanse Schans, we headed back to Amsterdam.

Tours to Zaanse Schans are popular from Amsterdam. Consider booking one of these for an easy way to include transporation plus tickets and a helpful guide:

Enjoy a Flight of Genever, a Dutch Spirit

To end your last day in Amsterdam, enjoy a meal at Proeflokaal A. van wees, in the 9 Little Streets area.

Proeflokaal A. van wees

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.

A flight of the Dutch spirit, Genever

And bonus, the restaurant with the flight to try a few different types of Genever, Proeflokaal A. van wees, was just a few doors down from our hotel! Dining here and sampling the flight of Genever was a great way to end our time in Amsterdam.

From here we were on to Brussels, Belgium, where we continued our tour of Europe’s low countries. Amsterdam is easily connected to many areas in Europe so it makes a great place to visit as part of a larger trip.

Things to Know When Planning Travel to Amsterdam

Make note of festivals and holidays. King’s Day is one of the country’s biggest celebrations which can definitely impact your trip. Hotels will be booked well in advance and prices will high due to it being a time for peak travel within the country. We arrived into Amsterdam the day after King’s Day. We were glad to have missed the chaos, but we saw the aftermath: trees were strung with party favors and garbage was piled up along the canals. Over the course of our visit, the city worked hard to get it cleaned up, which included cleaning up the canals themselves. By the time we left Amsterdam was nearly back to her normal state.

Watch for cyclists. The bike culture is strong in Amsterdam, with people cycling to work, to grocery stores, and to bring kids to school. Not only do you need to watch for cars when crossing streets but for the bikes. Look both ways many times before crossing!

Book tickets ahead of time. Amsterdam has some of the most famous sites in the world which means they will be busy and purchasing tickets ahead of time is imperative. Once your trip is booked check out the official websites (linked throughout this guide) to get an idea of how far ahead of time you can book your tickets. For example, the Anne Frank House releases tickets six weeks out at 10:00 am (Amsterdam time) on Tuesdays. Mark your calendar for the day you can book and prepare to set your alarm to get your desired time slot.