Ohh Amsterdam! My favorite city of all the places we saw during this trip. It was so different than anything I’ve ever seen before, it looked like a movie set. Amsterdam is known for its famous canals in between the streets, the red light district, coffee shops and it’s historical architecture. This city was founded in 1275! Most of the streets are so tiny that cars can barely fit on them. Many people ride bikes, motor scooters or take the tram to get around the city. Even though we found the tram to be the slowest thing ever, and we basically walked everywhere. We walked for hours exploring parks, shopping, and checking out museums. Uber was very useful when going to further away places such as the airport and certain restaurants.
Overall Amsterdam is a picturesque, care free, breathtaking city. There’s so many English speakers, which was amazing! It was nice to be able to hold a long conversation with the locals and learn more about their culture.
Where We Stayed
We stayed in an apartment right off of a beautiful canal in Amsterdam Centrum. The apartment had an amazing view and was near a bunch of cafes and shops. However, it wasn’t the most comfortable and did not live up to my standards. Therefore I wouldn’t recommend nor stay at this particular apartment again. However, I would recommend staying in Amsterdam Centrum, as it is extremely central to most tourist attractions.
Where To Eat
1. Traiterie Chef – This small Dutch bakery near our Airbnb had one of the best breakfast sandwiches I’ve EVER had in my life. We had the special of the day, which was an egg burger. As well we had some fresh fruit smoothies and it was absolutely amazing. It was one of those meals that’s so good, you don’t want it to end.
2. Salmuera – An Argentinian restaurant serving a variety of South American dishes and yummy mezcal cocktails. It was good food but overpriced.
3. Mama Kelly – Cute, instagramable, pink paradise decorated restaurant with good chicken and wine. This place was also overpriced.
4. Friet Point – Amazing cheese fries!! Trust me you’ve never had gourmet fries like this. It’s the quintessential street food in Amsterdam.
5. Umaimon Amsterdam Powered – Delicious ramen place with a beautiful atmosphere and huge bowls of ramen to fill you up.
6. Pancakes – An epic pancake place serving some of the BEST pancakes I’ve ever had. I had a Dutch pancake (which is similar to a crepe) filled with bacon and cheese. As well, they also gave us free stroopwafels (dutch caramel cookie) and cute souvenir keychains shaped like a Dutch shoe. I highly recommend eating at this place during your visit to Amsterdam.
- One of my friends also recommended another delicious pancake place called The Pancake Bakery.
7. Foodhallen – An indoor food market full of an assortment of different cuisines. We tried De BallenBar which serves bitterballen, aka traditional deep fried crispy meatballs filled with many different flavors. This quick bite pairs perfectly with a Belgian beer. I’m not the biggest beer fan, however, I had a beer called White Mamba that I really enjoyed.
8. Chin Chin Club – We didn’t make it here but heard many recommendations about it. It includes a Chinese restaurant, three bars, nightclub, and karaoke. We will be going here next time we’re in Amsterdam.
*Tip* Make sure to stop in as many bakeries you can to enjoy a delicious waffle with an assortment of toppings.
Where To Drink/Smoke
1. Ice Bar – Really fun bar where everything down to the cups are made of ice. We had a blast here drinking and dancing in -10°C .
2. The Bulldog – A coffee shop (aka a shop where they sell marijuana), bar, and club all in one.
3. We bar hopped in Leidseplein Square. I don’t remember most of the bars names but there’s a variety of coffee shops, sit down and chill bars, and more lovely bars with a dance floor and DJ.
What To Do
1. Dam Square – Created in the 13th century, this area reminded me of Times Square with many stores, restaurants, and activities.
2. Vondelpark – Amsterdam’s largest and most popular park. A great place to walk, bike, people-watch, or relax.
3. Take a canal ride – The canals of Amsterdam are incredibly beautiful, and there’s nothing like cruising the city on a boat.
4. Van Gogh Museum – This museum features many of Van Gogh’s best works of art alongside a biography of his life.
5. Rijksmuseum – Dutch museum showcasing the art and history of Amsterdam.
6. Anne Frank House – I’d always loved Anne Frank’s story growing up. This house is where Anne Frank and her family hid during WW2. It showcases her life in the attic, as well as other information on the Holocaust. It is a sad and moving place. Visiting the households a special place in my heart. To avoid the unbearably long line, book your tickets two months in advance.
7. A’dam Toren – The day we wanted to go they were switching the swings, so unfortunately we didn’t get to experience this. This is definitely a must next time we’re in Amsterdam.
On our way back to NYC, we had a five-hour layover in Stockholm, Sweden. We maximized our time there by taking the Arlanda Express into the main city. We walked around and had lunch downtown in Gamla Stan. Gamla Stan is Stockholm’s oldest district and one of the best-preserved medieval city centers in the world. It was a nice short visit to a place that wasn’t top of our list, but now we can say we’ve been.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need any help planning your trip!