There are many different sides and personalities to Amsterdam. You can make of it what you want and in many ways, Amsterdam can become anything you want it to be. As a tourist, you’ll likely find it to be a very welcoming and acceptable place. The food in Amsterdam is exciting and also expected, at the same time. But you’ll never run out of thing to try!
If you’re thinking about a trip there, check out our one-stop travel guide to Amsterdam for the best hotels, neighborhoods, things to do, and places to eat and drink in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
You may also like these articles about Amsterdam:
- Great Places to Drink Beer in Amsterdam
- The Best of Amsterdam: City Discovery Series
- 29 Fun Things to do in Amsteredam (by Hostel Geeks)
Where to Stay in Amsterdam
Heading to Amsterdam soon? We like staying near Dam Square in central Amsterdam. It’s fun and lively, close to or within easy walking distance of many of the top attractions, and easily accessible for public transportation. Below are the hotels we recommend. You can read reviews or book directly through our affiliate links below. (We always appreciate your support by clicking through our links!)
- Banks Mansion ⇒ Read revies or check prices: Expedia | Trip Advisor
- Radisson Blu ⇒ Read reviews or check prices: Expedia | Trip Advisor
- The Toren ⇒ Read reviews or check prices: Expedia | Trip Advisor
- De L’Europe Amsterdam ⇒ Read reviews or check prices: Expedia | Trip Advisor
Fun Things to Do in Amsterdam
Want to build an itinerary with the activities listed in our shortcut guide (below)? Take care of everything all in one place: buy activity tickets on Viator. Use the links below to check out these fun activities:
- Buy an i Amsterdam City Pass
- Amsterdam Canal Cruise
- Amsterdam Pub Crawl
- Canal Cruise with Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam
- Offbeat Amsterdam Red Light District Nighttime Walking Tour with a Local Guide
Shortcut Travel Guide to Amsterdam
Find and book Amsterdam tours and activities on Viator.com. Book ahead to save time and money!
(Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links)
I see bitterballen on the list, so this post is approved 😉 Fun infographic, thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks! I love bitterballen. Glad you approve!
I currently live in Utrecht in the Netherlands and love your infographic. I highly recommend a canal cruise too! I’ve taken two different types when friends and family have visited, and since you can take one from various places including right outside the train station, and also just north of museumplein, they are very flexible in terms of fitting into your day!
Michele, you’re very right about the canal tours. They’re running all the time, so you can definitely find one to fit your schedule. We went on a candlelight cruise in the evening and really loved it.
The food in Amsterdam blew me away. I didn’t know anything about Dutch food prior to visiting Amsterdam but was so pleasantly surprised. I loved the whole city – the parks, the canals, the bikes, the tulips. I could seriously see myself living there on a little house boat. 🙂
Hi Bethaney, I totally agree with you about the food. I didn’t know what to expect either, but we found some really great food. We loved the little house boats too. I could definitely live there.
I love Amsterdam. Last time I was in the Netherlands, I only got to spend a few hours there. It was such a tease! I really need to go back.
We were there for two days this time and really wanted to stay longer. There’s something really alluring about that city!
Thank you for sharing this. I’m planning to take a longer trip to Amsterdam, but I could use your information even if it’s for one day only. You can always spend more time in each of these places.
What a brilliant idea to have all this information in such an easy to use and handy format. I’m saving this for when I go to Amsterdam and also sending it to a friend who’s headed there in a few weeks.
Great Guide!!
Wish I had read it before, last month I visited Amsterdam with friends and we had a blast, but we had a hard time to find “the place” for meat and BBQ. Now I have a good and tasty reason to go back 😉
Thanks for the info,
Nat
what a neat idea! I haven’t been to Amsterdam for few years now but I guess it’s time to come back! I saved your guide just in case 🙂
Thanks for this! Such a fab guide! Totally agree that taking a bike or canal tour is not to be missed – we loved both while we were in Amsterdam last year. Seems like everyone in the city rides their bikes! And OMG the fries! So glad there was info on this in the guide – you really can’t go past Danish fries!
They double fry the fries there, which is why they’re so addictively good. I’m also a sucker for dipping sauce.
mmmm fried Gravy Balls! will have to try those! this is such a great roundup! i will be checking out your other Shortcut guides for other cities as well!
This is awesome!! You had me hooked at “fried gravy balls.” I’d love to visit Amsterdam someday, and this little guide will come in quite handy!
This is perfect! I am heading to Amsterdam tomorrow and found this just in time!! 🙂 Thanks!
Awesome. Have a great time there. It’s so much fun!
The cheeses are Dutch, not Danish.
Like N says, it’s Dutch, not Danish 🙂
Danish is from Denmark, only 655 kilometers (to the border) from Amsterdam 🙂
When you are in Amsterdam, don’t forget to stop at one of the many FEBO. There you can “eat from the wall”. There are all kinds of snacks which you can pull out of little boxes in the wall, like a huuuuge vending machine. You can choose from burgers, kroketten (fried gravy saucages) and frikadellen (sort of hotdog-saucages).
Enjoy!
Thanks for the tip, Desiree! I’d have a hard time passing up the opportunity to eat from the wall!
Hi Nick and Laura,
I’m Esther and live in the Netherlands – (Zwolle). Thanks for following me on Pinterest. Nice to see that you went to the Amsterdam.
Great website you have! Most of the time I read that visitors who come to the Netherlands are going to Amsterdam, which I totally understand. When you are going to the Netherlands and do have some spare time left, wanting some typically Dutch, visit for example the places: Hattem, Zwolle, Kampen, Giethoorn, Deventer. All these placese are in the same area and have a lovely a Charles Dickens/ Harry Potter atmosphere. One of the famous Dutch Painters ” Anton Pieck” has lived in Hattem. There is a Anton Pieck Museum. If you see his work, you think it is like a Fairytale – Christmas Carol Art.