Travel Diary: Amsterdam
Amsterdam! One of the quaintest cities in Europe. Upon my second weekend of my study abroad experience, I met my father in Amsterdam for a Father Daughter weekend of cheese, tulips, and river boat rides. From London it was only a () airplane ride and was super easy!
Amsterdam was definitely a city that caught me by surprise. Like most people, I was under the assumption that people were exaggerating about the amount of bikes and waffles, they were not! Just about every street will give the full “Dutch” experience! What was so nice about this city though was the fact that you could do it within 2-3 days and still find yourself with some down time!
Tips:
Never get in a cab! You can essentially walk everywhere, and will want to too! Walking through Amsterdam is as if you have be shrunken down to doll size and are walking among the antique doll house so many of us girls always dreamed of having as a young lady! The city though does have cabs and Uber’s if you need them!
Book all your tickets in ADVANCE! If you know where you want to go, then get your tickets online before even landing in Amsterdam! I ended up being able to go to all the museums that I wanted to, but I had to squeeze into some of the last or very first time slots! You also will get better deals if you book online so it’s worth the extra effort! Playing it by ear here if you actually want to experience Amsterdam culture will not work!
What to do:
Anne Frank House: This is my top choice! Definitely put it at the very top of your To Do list! And definitely book in advance or you will have to line up outside the building at 7 am with crossed fingers that you’ll get in! It’s the top choice to do in Amsterdam for everyone visiting, and will always be crowded! If you’re anything like myself, and grew up reading, writing reports, or dressing up like here for a school fair when you were in grade school, then you will not want to miss it. I also recommend reading her book or watching her story on the big screen which one can access off of Netflix! It’s worth knowing about her and will make the visit more meaningful!
Van Gogh Museum: Vincent Van Gogh is and will always be my second favorite artist (after Monet), and the museum brings to life not only his works, but also the history of his disturbed life. The museum has to be booked ahead of time and once inside you’ll be able to see many of his famous works (sadly not Starry Night) some self portraits, and works from his fellow colliques.
Canal Tour: You must take a canal tour! Especially if it’s raining, this is actually the perfect activity because they are enclosed! I took an hour long one with a guide and was able to learn about the history but also about famous places in the city itself! If you want a longer one you can do a dinner tour and have pizza or wine. I think what I loved most about the tour though was actually seeing all the bachelorette parties out on their own boats partying!
Flower Market: What girl doesn't want a bouquet of flowers? I loved seeing the multiple tulip bulbs one could buy (especially the multicolored ones), and the enormous sunflowers larger then your own face! Plus with the flower market being right on the side of the canal will make this a wonderful morning or afternoon walk! I loved doing it with my morning coffee!
I am Amsterdam Letters: These are seen at both the airport and right outside () which is in Museum Square. It’s one of the most Instragramed spots in Amsterdam! It is hard to get a good picture though because of how large it is and because of the amount of people trying to get a pic as well.
Rijksmuseum: This is the cities museum which hides many of it’s greatest artifacts! There’s so much to see and learn here! It contains paintings, and objects from all over the world! But if you really want to learn Dutch history, then this is the place to go! They have a phenomenal collection of Dutch artifacts and you’ll quickly learn about this lovely city which you reside in!
Other Places: Heineken Experience (beer tasting after each step of the brewing process), Sex Museum (not my thing but if you want to I guess…) Rembrandt Statues are also a phenomenal and fun works of art to stumble on!
Shopping:
Every great vacation involves great shopping! I’m not normally one for suvioners, but Amsterdam has some very cute and intricate shops along the canal. My favorites are the Christmas shops! So many blue and white ornaments with dutch themed figurines! Other shops long the canal consist of huge cheese parlors that have giant round chunks of cheese in multiple flavors! Truly a mouses heaven! There’s also waffle parlors and trinket shops along the rivers as well!
Scenery:
You will constantly be in awe of the architecture of Amsterdam! Most of the houses are squished and stacked together! There are many lopsided ones which make you gawk at the interesting idea of how they stay standing!
Pictures:
