4 Days in Amsterdam

Day One - Arrival & Introductory Walk of the City

This walking route starts after dropping your bags at the hotel on arrival day.

1. 01

   Beginjhof

   allow 20 minutes

   Take a peek inside this secret city oasis.

2. 02

   Dam Square

   Photos and people watching in the city's main square.

3. 03

   Nieuwe Kerk

   photo stop

   This can either be a photo stop from the outside or take some more time and go inside if you're up for it.

4. 04

   Oude Kerk

   photo stop

   This can either be a photo stop from the outside or take some more time and go inside if you're up for it.

5. 05

   Our Lord in the Attic Museum

   allow 1 hour

   Book ahead

   Buy timed tickets online before arriving.

6. 06

   Pancake or Frite lunch

   If you're getting hungry, grab a quick lunch of one of the Dutch favorites. We went to Vlaams Friteshuis but Fabel Frite is another tourist favorite. For pancakes, Upstairs Pancake House (must make reservation one week ahead), Pancake Bakery and The Pancake Club all have good reviews.

7. 07

   Floating Flower Market

   quick stop

8. 08

   Evening Canal Tour

   allow 1.5 -2 hours

   Book Ahead

   After checking into hotel and having dinner, take a sunset canal cruise.

Day Two - Museums and Albert Cuyp

1. 01

   Vondelpark

   allow 1 hour

   Take a morning stroll before your museum tour.

2. 02

   Rijksmuseum

   Allow 3 hours

   book ahead

   Book a guided tour of this incredible museum. See Vermeers, Rembrandts, and Van Goghs up close and personal. The earlier the better to beat the crowds.

3. 03

   Albert Cuyp Market

   Allow 1- 1.5 hours

   Walk to the De Pijp neighborhood and check out the market for street food lunch. Try kibbeling, herring, stroopwaffles and anything else that looks good.

4. 04

   Anne Frank House

   Allow 1.5 hours

   Book Ahead

   You must book these tickets ahead of time. Tickets are hard to come by and are released six weeks in advance. Try TicketSwap if you cannot get any from the official site. Because you may not have your pick of time slots, swap Anne Frank and the Rijksmuseum if you need to.

5. 05

   Indonesian Rijstaffel Dinner

   Reservation Recommended

   Restaurant Blauw is my recommendation but there are a number of other Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam.

Day Three- Bike Tour & Windmills

1. 01

   E-Bike Tour to Zaanse Schans

   Allow 5 to 6 hours

   Book ahead

   Head out of the city to see the windmills. Book a guided tour to Zaanse Schans. We took an E-bike tour through the countryside. It also stopped in Zandaam and Noord on the way home. If you don't want to bike, there are many other guided tours from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans to choose from.

2. 02

   Traditional Dutch Dinner & Souvenir Shopping

   Try stamppot or another Dutch classic for dinner. Afterwards, stroll through the city and shop for souvenirs.

Day Four - Day Trip

Amsterdam is well connected by train at Centraal Station. Choose a destination and make it a day trip.

1. 01

   Day Trip from Amsterdam Centraal

   All day

   book ahead

   I took a day trip to Brussels via EuroStar. We left Centraal Station around 7 a.m. and returned around 7:30 p.m. Many recommend Haarlem and Utrecht for day trips. You can also easily access Rotterdam, The Hague and Antwerp via train from Amsterdam. Take your pick!

2. 02

   Final Evening Walk

   allow as long as you'd like

   Take one final stroll along the canals in the 9 Straats and the Jordaan before you say goodbye to Amsterdam.