20 Awesome Things to Do in Amsterdam

Planning your trip and trying to figure out the best things to do in Amsterdam? Here’s a round up of everything I’ve done during my visits over the years!

Back when I was heavily considering moving to the Netherlands, I decided to visit Amsterdam in the dead of winter when it would presumably be at its “ugliest.” (Turns out I got lucky with nice weather and even some blue skies!). Since then I’ve returned twice more and have really enjoyed my visits. Here’s all I recommend doing.

20 Things to Do in Amsterdam

1. Wander around the city

I give this advice for pretty much every city I visit, but it goes double – no triple – for Amsterdam. I swear every corner of this city, whether you stay in the center or explore the lesser known neighborhoods, looks like it belongs in a painting or postcards. It’s gotta be the combination between the canals, the thin gabled buildings, and bits of nature sprinkled throughout! Even in the dead of winter, I found myself walking around and wanting to take a million photos.

2. Keep an eye out for the flower bikes

While you’re exploring, keep an eye out for these cheerful flower bikes. Most are made by Warren, aka @flowerbikeman, and the project all started as a way to help and cheer his wife, Michelle, when she began suffering from debilitating epilepsy. They’re spread around the city and, not to sound too earnest, just a really nice reminder of how beautiful love can be.

3. Go on a canal tour

Of course, one of the must things to do in Amsterdam is to get onto the canal, no matter the weather, and see the city from the water! There are millions of options but I actually booked the Amsterdam Flower Boat. It’s a special collaboration with Warren and Starboard Boats and a really pretty way to cruise around. I won’t lie – our guide didn’t give the best, well, guided tour but there was also like four of us and we started talking about the Taylor Swift concert, so I think they just kind of let us be after an initial introduction lol.

4. Check out Amsterdam’s Chinatown

I mean… it’s me. Anytime I see a city has a Chinatown, I’m there even if it’s a tiny street. Amsterdam’s Chinatown is right by the Red Light District and pretty small but still worth popping over to visit while you’re out and about.

5. Keep an eye out for flowers

I know, I know – how many flowers is too many flowers? I say the limit doesn’t exist, especially in a country that had an entire economic crisis called “tulip mania.” While I have not been here for tulip season and, according to everyone I know and basic logic, you are not going to find massive tulip fields in the middle of Amsterdam, I did find there are lots of flower stands and stalls all over the place. Bloemenmarkt is the most famous row of tents but every time I’ve seen it, it’s literally just been white tarp tents filled with seed packets and some more touristy trinkets. You’re not getting these packed flower tents like you’d imagine.

Instead, just keep an eye out as you walk, and you’ll find them all around. Like the one above was literally just on some random bridge!

6. Spend an afternoon paying Your Respects to Anne Frank

I was raised by a Jewish dad and got the Anne Frank package from Scholastic Book Fair back the day… Of course, I made sure to book tickets to visit the Anne Frank House on my very first visit! This place is incredibly somber and just a really sad reminder that a bright young girl was one of millions of Jews killed by extremist hate. The tour takes you through the house she and her family hid in for most of the war, and you really feel how small the space was.

I cannot emphasize this enough – book this tour well ahead of your visit. It’s like THE most popular thing to do in Amsterdam and will absolutely book up if you leave it too long. Don’t think of trying to rock up and get a last minute place – even in the lowest of low seasons this place is busy!

7. Learn all about Vincent Van Gogh

Another famous figure in Amsterdam? A fella by the name of Vincent Van Gogh. And the museum dedicated to his life and work holds the largest collection of his in the world. Spread across multiple floors, it really is a cool spot to visit even if you’re not a big museum, art, or Van Gogh person. Once you go through it, and I then urge you to go find the “Dr. Who” clip of him seeing how long lasting his art has become and then you can thank me when you start crying uncontrollably.

Again, like everything with Amsterdam, book tickets here ahead of time! It’s one of the most popular museums to visit in the world.

8. Visit the best museum in Amsterdam…

Now… with all respect to the major museums in Amsterdam, I must tip my invisible hat to the best museum in the whole city… KattenKabinet. Yes, it’s all about cat paintings and you may see the resident cat roaming about if you’re lucky. Yes, this is my dream if I ever get to be an eccentric rich person. No, I will not be hearing arguments over my crazy cat lady tendencies.

9. Speaking of, look for all the cats!!

Continuing on this cat line of thought, I have to say – the Netherlands is a surprisingly cat-friendly country! Apparently cat owners let their cats out during the day and they all just roam about before returning home, so if you stumble across one in the wild they likely belong to someone and won’t mind a pet.

I will say, you likely won’t find any cats in the main parts of the city. You’re more likely to see a handful towards the more residential neighborhoods and your chances really go up the minute you leave the city for smaller towns. Follow me for more cat travel advice haha.

10. Visit Albert Cuyp Markt and the De Pijp neighborhood

For those that want a lesser known neighborhood to enjoy, walk over to De Pijp. Consider it a bit like the Brooklyn of Amsterdam but much smaller. Avani Museum Quarter is literally right De Pijp which means access to all sorts of low key eateries and a variety of cuisines. It’s also home to the Albert Cuypt Markt, an open air market that operates daily. I went with a foodie friend who showed me around, but if you’re not sure where to start, I’d book this tour to get acquainted.

11. Get some unique art at Carré d’Artistes

There are so many boutiques, art galleries, and souvenir shops in Amsterdam. Heck, we passed by one solely dedicated to rubber ducks, and I’m still confused how it makes any sort of profit. I really liked Carré d’Artistes. The women working were seriously so friendly and they stock so many different artists and styles in one store. I walked away with two smaller works that I can’t wait to hang up in my apartment!

12. Check out the various bookstores

You know me – see a bookstore, explore the bookstore. Especially if it’s a bit cold or rainy out! There are a surprising number of places that stock English books, but if you’re short on time – stick to The American Book Center and Athenaeum Boekhandel. They’re right next to each other!

13. Get out of the city

And, of course, one of the best things to do in Amsterdam is to… well, leave Amsterdam. The gap between the city’s visitors and the rest of the country’s visitors is insanely high. Like, you have to book everything ahead of time for high season in the city and just know you’re dealing with over tourism and huge crowds. But if I want to go to Haarlem or Delft? Eh, book a hotel last minute and just bop around to see what there is to see. I’ve never been to a country where the main city sees so much more tourism than the rest of the country!

Since the Netherlands is so small, pretty much anywhere can be a day trip. Just hop on the train and be anywhere else in as little as thirty minutes. Haarlem is uber charming and right by the beach, Delft is my personal favorite, Utrecht is a very cool student city, and if you want something whimsical – Castle de Haar is straight out of a fairytale!

Foodie Things to Do in Amsterdam

14. A stroopwafel a day keeps the doctor away!

Gouda may be the most famous creation to come from Gouda, Netherlands but stroopwafel is the sweetest and they’re best eaten when freshly made. Hans Egstorf is the oldest bakery in Amsterdam and literally smells warm and delicious when you walk in to order. But I’d also recommend Rudi’s in Albert Cuyp Markt which was my local friend’s personal favorite!

15. Try traditional Dutch food…

I won’t lie – traditional Dutch food isn’t packed with the most flavor, but it does have the nice, hearty coziness perfect for colder weather. I like eating it the same way I enjoy Sunday Roasts in the UK. I quite liked the options at De Blauwe Hollander, where we wound up got their hutspot and stamppot combination.

Herring and fish are another popular dish. I always like finding fried cod, and the one from Frens Haringhandel was delicious.

16. …and Dutch Snacks

I’m not gonna lie, this ASMR video from Isabel Imagination is one of my favorite ASMR videos of all time and made me want to try Dutch snacks so badly. (For those that don’t like chewing sounds – don’t click. But she’s good at not being obnoxious and something about the crunch of fried exteriors is so satisfying!)

Anyway, there are lots of friend Dutch snacks or fast food you can try! Bitterballen might be my favorite, and we got it as an appetizer at De Blauwe Hollander. Otherwse, I’d honestly look up a nearby FEBO to get your fix!

17. Try a rijsttafel

Given that Indonesia was once the largest Dutch colony, it’s no surprised there’s a blend of Indonesian-Dutch cuisine in the Netherlands. If you’re craving more spice and flavor per bite, look up restaurants offering rijsttafel. From what I gather, it’s a bit like nasi padang, but I will not pretend to know enough about cuisine from either country or the Dutch’s colonial past in Indonesia to say for certain.

While I haven’t gone to a rijsttafel restaurant in Amsterdam, I went to one in Haarlem called De Lachende Javaan and can confirm every dish was freaking delicious. Probably one of my favorite meals in the Netherlands.

18. Try the Poffertjes

Tiny circular pancakes served with powdered sugar and butter. Need I say more? If you stay at Avani, you can order them for breakfast. But otherwise, I honestly liked the ones at PANCAKES, right next to the Anne Frank House.

19. Cozy up at a café

Not to be confused with a coffee shop which serves up another type of relaxation, Amsterdam has a growing number of cafes. The neighborhood of Jordaan is apparently a mecca, and I quite liked Luuk’s Coffee Noordermarkt.

20. Check out the cocktail bar scene

I’m over thirty now, don’t look at my advice if you’re hoping for party secrets in Amsterdam. Even if I was only twenty-two, I don’t think I’d be posting about that online! However, I will say I enjoy a good cocktail bar especially when it’s a speakeasy vibe like Door 74. I may not drink alcohol but I like the vibes and most places these days serve mocktails!

And there you have it – some of my favorite things to do in Amsterdam! I know I’m missing some major heavy hitters like the Rijksmuseum. Truthfully – I thought I was moving to this country and was saving it for a rainy day! Just going to have to return one day to visit all the museums I was saving. Let me know what I need to add below.

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