2-Day Guide To Amsterdam

Hello everyone, welcome back to my Interrail series! This time, I'm going to give my personal 2-day guide to Amsterdam. I thought that I'd follow my 'Top 10 Things to See and Do in Amsterdam' with a guide in how to enjoy all of these lovely things. If you're interested in visiting this wonderful city, I suggest staying for more than 2 days to soak it all in, I really would have loved to stay longer! We all love a lil holiday away, with Amsterdam being quite close (and pretty cheap to get to for perfect long weekend) why wouldn't you want to go there? Here's my guide to inspire you!

Where to stay -

When Josh and I were booking our accommodation for Amsterdam, we found a wonderful place on a boat right in the center of the city. However, we got an email a while before our trip, stating that there was a 'fire on the boat'. Unfortunately, we had to book somewhere else so I definitely suggest in planning where to stay the moment those flights are booked to avoid any last minute stress. Amsterdam can be expensive, especially at peak times, so if you're able to go off-peak then you may find it cheaper and a little less crowded. I suggest in having a look at Airbnb (a personal fave) and Booking.com, providing you with accommodation at a reasonable price and great location.

Here is where we stayed, as we had to re-book, our hotel was a little further out but simple to get to the center by tram, thanks to trusty google maps.

XO Blue Tower, Bos en Lommerplein

Day 1 -

Van Gogh Museum

If you enjoy art galleries and museums then this is a great place which takes you through the life of Van Gogh. It contains most of his infamous paintings and letters in which he wrote to his brother. This place does require a booking so make sure to book well in advance. The renowned museums of Amsterdam are situated around the same area which is handy if you wish to visit them altogether.

Moco Museum

Just a 1 minute walk away, you will find the Moco Museum which I mentioned in my 'Top 10' blog post. This place is a must see if you are into more modern and contemporary themes, showcasing works of art with symbolic, political and environmental references.

Rijksmuseum

We didn't visit this museum however if you wish to see famous artworks in one of the most popular and grand buildings of Amsterdam, then this is the perfect place. You can walk through an arch in the grand building and if you're lucky, you might catch some awesome buskers underneath! This is where the (very noticeable) Iamsterdam sign is so you can catch yourself the ultimate Amsterdam tourist picture.

Food -

Around this area, you can find many pop up restaurants serving hot-dogs, sandwiches and other tasty things. It's cheap and a perfect pit-stop for when you need to sit down after all that art-gazing.

Canal Cruise

I suggest doing the museums in the morning and then after lunch, heading towards the more 'fun' things. The canal cruise and Heineken Experience are only a 10 minute walk from the museums. The canal cruise we took only lasted an hour but we got to see so much during it. It's definitely worth while to buy combo tickets (as mentioned before) to receive the best value for money.

Heineken Experience

Basically across the road from the Canal Cruise, you will find the enormous Heineken factory, now used as a museum/experience for tourists. A little tip: the experience is better towards the end of the day as there are drinks and a 'night-club' at the end of the tour.

Day 2 -

Anne Frank House

Now this place needs a reservation well in advance. So if you want to see the most visited place in Amsterdam, I suggest a few months prior to your trip. You are given a time slot before you enter the museum, lasting an hour, give or take.

Dam Square

You'll probably find that this will be the most crowded area of Amsterdam. Dam square is basically the heart of Amsterdam, about a 10 minute walk from Anne Frank house. The main square contains national monuments, old buildings and many many buskers.

Food -

Around the Dam Square, there are some wonderful places to eat with dishes from all over the world. Why not try the Argentinean restaurants, according to Josh, their steak was to die for!

Red Light District

Obviously not for families, the Red Light District is a rather bizarre yet intriguing place, only a 5 minute walk from Dam square. Definitely not an experience you can get anywhere else.

I made this (rather rubbish) guide to put all the different spots into perspective, I hope this helps!

I absolutely loved Amsterdam and will certainly be visiting this wonderful place again. I will hopefully be making some more of these city guides, what do you think about is so far?

Soph x