Things to do in Amsterdam

Walk

Walk out of your hotel, and just carry on walking along, taking in the atmosphere of Amsterdam with its canals (165 in all), bridges, boats, bikes and coffee shops. Everything within the old city of Amsterdam is reachable on foot, especially if you have a hotel room in the centre. Head for Prinsengracht, one of the most picturesque canals with its lines of trees and its houseboats that line-up along the side of the canal. At some point you will arrive at the home of Anne Frank, the wartime diarist. You can follow the Amstel through the centre to find many of the major tourist sites of Amsterdam.

Amsterdam feels like a village compared to London, so you can actually cross the road safely without getting run over by a white van, you do need to watch out for the cycle lanes however, as they are often busy with cyclists going to work or going about their daily business.

Combine a visit to the Rijksmuseum, or the Van Gogh Museum with a walk around the Vondel Park, the largest green space in Amsterdam. Here you will see more cyclists, skateboarders, joggers, sunbathers and all the usual people-watching opportunities you get in any municipal park.

Cycle

So why not do what everyone does in Amsterdam? Get on your bike. You’ll get to see a lot more in a shorter period of time. Parking the bike does tend to be tricky in places but there are no hills save the occasional bridge. Many of the hotels have bike hire, but there are a number of bike hire services in Amsterdam to choose from, which the hotel reception can help you with. Be careful though, don’t ride side-by-side (a big no-no), put lights on at night, and make sure you lock the thing up or you’ll come away a few hundred pounds lighter than you expected. You can join a group tour of Amsterdam by bike from near the Heineken Museum, but there are other departure points too.

Boat it

An angle of Amsterdam’s streets that must be experienced is from water level, aboard one of its superb canal boat tours. Prinsengracht is a good place to pick one up, as is the canal next to the Heineken Museum. Prices start at €16.00 for a basic tour but you can pay a lot more if you want dinner as well. 

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

The Rijksmuseum is undergoing a full-scale renovation job until 2013, but don’t let that put you off. You can still see all the artistic masterpieces of the Dutch Renaissance including works by Vermeer (remember the girl with the pearl necklace) and Rembrandt. Ticket prices start at 12 Euro per adult, but under 18’s go in for free. 

Van Gogh Museum

The Van Gogh Museum is pure magic. The largest collection of paintings by this genius in the world, so surely can’t be missed. Follow the painters’ life through his periods in Arles, Paris and Auvers sur Oise and how his brilliance finally caused his illness and his descent into depression.  

Anne Franks House

Learn about Anne Frank’s life and how she spent the early years of her life escaping Nazism. See the very place where she hid from them and how the tragic final days of her life unfolded after she was betrayed by a neighbour. 

Dam Square and The Royal Palace

Dam Square is a great place to hang out to watch the street performers and visit the Royal Palace. Admission for the Royal Palace is €7.50 but check opening hours at the website to avoid any closures due to Royal engagements.