Travel Diaries: Amsterdam

Welcome to the first of many posts in a series I’m calling the Travel Diaries. I hope to create content for each of my getaways while I am teaching in southern Spain this spring!

First up, Amsterdam!

Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, is home to iconic canals, an avid bike culture, some of the best art museums in the world, amazing waffles, and famous “coffee” shops.

When I told family and friends I would be heading to Amsterdam, an overwhelming amount of people said that it was their favorite city in Europe and sent their recommendations on what to do, eat, and where to stay. It was extremely helpful but it also became clear that I would have to pick and choose what I could really do in just two full days. I still wanted to have time for spontaneous strolls and leisurely lunches so I tried to book just enough while also giving myself free time to explore this amazing city.

Without further introduction, here is a little description of my trip to Amsterdam including all the details of where I stayed, ate, drank, and visited.

Travel:

I arrived at Schipol Airport in southwest Amsterdam on Thursday afternoon. My first obstacle was navigating the public transportation system in the city. Thankfully it was extremely clean and easy to find my way from the airport to the train. Any sort of transport you may desire is located right outside the airport doors. It cost me 14 Euro for an unlimited 48 hour transportation pass. This includes the metro, tram, and buses. By far the best purchase of the trip and extremely worth the money. I suggest doing a little prior planning on what form of transportation is best to get you from the airport to your lodging. Ubers are pricey in Amsterdam but trains and the metro don't go everywhere so with a little bit of pre-planning you can easily ease some of the initial stress when you arrive in a new city. 

Hostel:

To save some serious money I stayed in a hostel outside the center of the city. A&O Hostel is the biggest hostel I’ve ever stayed in and feels a bit like adult summer camp with people always congregating in the lobby for cards, drinks, and food. It was fairly clean and easy. Definitely worth taking the metro, which is a two minute walk from the front door, into the city versus paying close to 100 euro a night for a shared dorm in the city center. Overall it was nothing to write home about but certainly did the job and was extremely convenient for public transportation. It was about 24 Euro a night for a six person shared dorm. Also the pizza in the lobby was so good!

Attractions:

Anne Frank House: A must see if you are in Amsterdam! The most important part of getting tickets to visit the Anne Frank House is booking about a month in advance, or as early as possible. There is nearly no way of getting a ticket within a week of visiting, unless you are a single person who has a flexible schedule. No matter how much you know about Anne Frank it is truly moving to be in the actual place she and her family hid from the Nazi’s while in Amsterdam. I learned so much and also had to enjoy some time in the gift shop.

Heineken Experience / Canal Cruise / A’DAM Lookout: We purchased a Rock the City package through Heineken. This included a ticket to the Heineken Experience, a 45 minute canal cruise, and a visit to the A’DAM Lookout. The Heineken Experience was so fun. If you are in Amsterdam with a big group who enjoys drinking or are visiting when the weather is poor this is the perfect spot. You learn about the Heineken company, how they brew their beer, and all their connections through sponsorships in the world. It is very interactive and ends with two free beers in the downstairs bar. It takes about 2 hours depending on how long you enjoy yourself at the bar and a single ticket is 18 Euro.

The canal cruise was operated by Heineken and conveniently located right across the street from the main building. We visited on a rainy and cold weekend so unfortunately the roof of our boat wasn’t open for the cruise. I really liked viewing the city from this angle and hearing the fun facts our tour guide shared, but it wasn’t a must do experience in the rain. There are hundreds of canal cruises offered throughout the city though, so I highly recommend researching others and finding one that you would enjoy, especially if you are visiting in the warmer months. They can range in time and services offered and I saw them advertised from about 12 Euro to 100 Euro.

The A’DAM Lookout was also a bit of a let down because of the weather. While it was great to be dropped off by our cruise right at the front door and get to “see” the city from the top of one of its tallest buildings we truly couldn’t see much. We enjoyed a drink in the cozy bar and then headed out to the top of the building to take a turn on Europe’s highest swing. I think the whole thing would have been amazing on a warm and clear spring or summer day but in the winter we might have been better off spending our time elsewhere. Tickets for the A'DAM Lookout are 13.50 Euro plus another 5 Euro to actually go on the swing. 

Overall a good bang for your buck combo ticket. All in, it cost about 35 Euro. Would have loved to be there when the weather was better but if you do go to Amsterdam and its nicer out this combination ticket is woth your time. Either way, make sure to stop by Heineken. 

The Van Gogh Museum: The Van Gogh Museum was another attraction that came highly recommended by so many. If you are a fan of art, it will be a fantastic experience for you. I enjoy art but I found the museum to be overly busy and truly just a bit boring. Not many of Van Gogh’s most iconic pieces were on display, which also made it a bit underwhelming. I realize I may have been unable to appreciate the beauty in front of me though, so use your own judgement to decide about visiting. Tickets where 19 Euro. Also, lines will be less daunting in the morning and evening.

Moco Museum: This was one of the highlights of the trip! The Moco Museum is Amsterdam’s modern contemporary art museum. While we visited it was highlighting the work of Banksy. Banksy is one of the worlds most talked about, well known modern artists. He obviously has a flare that draws you in and I was no exception. I loved getting to see his pieces and read about the meaning behind them. There were some other artists featured in the museum that were also great, such as Andy Warhol. I also suggest stopping by this museums gift shop. Tickets were 11 Euro with a faked (sorry not sorry) student discount.

Food:

I barely planned anything in reference to food for this trip. A friend of my travel partner Stephanie studied abroad in Amsterdam and she sent us a list of her favorite restaurants, but besides that we played everything by ear. Hannekes Boom, a bar and beer garden in the summer months, was our first food and drinks stop of the trip. We heard in the summer it's a great place to meet with friends by the water, but we decided to give it a shot in the winter months. It had a really cozy feel with string lights and candles and there was a live band. The beer, service, and munchies were great! A really pleasant surprise on a rainy night. The locals of the bar were also really friendly and curios how two American girls stumbled across this place in the dead of winter. Four beers and an appetizer type of munchie cost 50 Euro.

Another must have in Amsterdam are the street vendor waffles and fries. These might come out of an actual streetcar or a little storefront but they are to die for. The fries come in a paper cone fresh out of the fryer and typically dipped in mayo. The waffles, well they can come however you like! I opted for classic strawberries and nutella. Really good treats to cure your cravings on vacation.

Last food and drink recommendation is the Food Hallen. This renovated old factory building is home to dozens of food vendors surrounding three big bars. People congregate in the middle of the hall and drink while they hang out with friends after work or wait for their food. It was extremely busy but had so many yummy and eclectic options to choose from, it was totally worth the visit and definitely a local favorite. I hihgly recommend even though its off the beaten path. 

Add Ons:

“Coffee” shops are an Amsterdam staple. If you enjoy smoking weed or want to see what it’s all about, Amsterdam is the perfect place to do so. Coffee shops do usually sell some sort of coffee but mostly they are a destination where people go to relax with friends and smoke. If this isn’t an activity that you usually partake in but want to give it a try, definitely do so. It may seem intimidating at first but because Amsterdam is accustomed to tourists you won’t be the only person looking a bit lost. The Bulldog Energy Cafe is a really popular spot. If you get there early enough you’ll be able to grab a seat in one of their big comfy booths!

The Rijksmuseum: Full disclosure I did not go into this museum. I did however walk through its outdoor pathway which leads you into a big green square. This also happens to be the location of the Moco Museum and the Van Gogh Museum. I highly recommend walking through the area. The building is iconic and if the weather is nice it's a perfect spot to enjoy an outdoor lunch.

Red Light District: The Red Light district is one of Amsterdam's most famous neighborhoods. We had no interest in going into any shops in the area but we were curious enough to take an early evening walk through its streets. My understanding is that in 2019 the Dutch governemnt is enforcing much stricter alcohol policies and rules about what can be shown in store fronts and what can’t. This meant that the Red Light District was basically full of sex shops and empty storefronts. Still could be fun to learn about the history through one of the many guided tours that are offered but I wouldn’t go to far out of your way to make it happen. 

Pro Tip: The Dutch government also recently removed the famous “I Amsterdam” lettering. It used to sit right behind the Rijksmuseum but tourist traffic became to heavy in that small space so the lettering was unfortunately removed. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit Amsterdam but don’t get your hopes up about getting an iconic instagram photo in front of the letters.

I know this post is full of information so I hope I made it easy to navigate! I loved Amsterdam and know that I’m going to find my way back sometime in the warmer months and see more of the cities outdoor beauty.

Kate