If you’re considering cities to visit and explore, you should definitely add Amsterdam to your list. As one of the most popular destinations in Europe, trendy Amsterdam is an interesting city to visit with its charming canals and world-class museums. In just a few days, you can see the highlights and enjoy the Dutch culture. To help you plan your trip, here are my 10 great reasons you should visit Amsterdam.
To SIMPLIFY our time in Amsterdam, we used the “I Amsterdam” City Card. It covered most of our museum admissions, a canal cruise, discounts, and public transportation. Here’s the link to buy the 1, 2, 3, or 4-day card so you don’t stand in line-like we did-at the Amsterdam airport!
- The canals are a unique feature of Amsterdam and are one of the city’s main attractions. Like Venice, Amsterdam is a city of water and bridges. The canals form rings around the city center, and they provide easy transportation as well as lovely scenery. They can be enjoyed either from
the banks or from boats. Canal tours and rented boats are offered by many companies, so enjoy the Dutch canals!
2. You should include a visit to the famous RijksMuseum, the Netherlands’ national museum. This lovely 4-story museum is packed with collections of fine art and artifacts from the Middle Ages to present day. It features a 
Rembrandt hall that includes many famous paintings including “Night Watch” and works by Vermeer including “The Milkmaid.”
I personally enjoyed the sculpture collections the best. Look, I found Diana the Huntress at both the RijksMuseum (top photo) in Amsterdam and the Louvre (lower photo) in Paris! (Click here to see my post on planning your first visit to Paris.)
3. Follow the crowd and ride a bicycle around the city! There are more bikes than cars in Amsterdam, so you’ll be in good company. WARNING: If you are on foot, you are at risk of being run over by the bicycles. The bikes have the right of way and they don’t slow down for you if you step in the bike path—they just honk their horns and keep going. I decided that the bikes are equipped with horns but not brakes lol!!!
4. Get tickets ahead of time and visit the Anne Frank House. This historical museum is housed in the building where Jewish teenager Anne Frank was in hiding from the Nazis for two years during World War II. She, her family, and 4 others lived in the upper annex, concealed behind a secret door until they were discovered, arrested, and taken to concentration camps. Anne 
kept a diary that was published by her father after the war as “The Diary of a Young Girl.” It provides a glimpse into Anne Frank’s life for the two years she and the others were in hiding. My visit to the Anne Frank House was very moving and thought-provoking.
Tickets are only available online and go on sale two months ahead. Besides the standard tickets, special introductory tickets are released two weeks ahead (and sell quickly) and include a 30-minute educational presentation before entry to the museum. This presentation was interesting and a nice prep for visiting the museum (ticket is included).
5. Take a nap on a terrace! In Amsterdam, the locals flock to green spaces and enjoy the great outdoors. Maybe it’s all that bike riding!! I think they have the right idea, so head to a terrace for the perfect place to relax for some downtime. Better yet, take a picnic!!
6. Get your culture on and include a visit to the Van Gogh Museum. See this extensive collection of hundreds of paintings and drawings by Van Gogh and his contemporaries. It is definitely not to be missed. No photos allowed and online ticketing only. I was able to schedule same-day tickets at my preferred time.
7. One of the most enjoyable things that I did while in Amsterdam was to walk along the streets and canals and enjoy the picturesque views. The rows of colorful gabled houses that line the canals represent the 17th century Dutch Golden Age. I especially enjoyed strolling through the Jordaan neighborhood with its cozy, narrow streets, art galleries, unique shops, and lively cafes.
8. Get your picture made with the popular “I amsterdam” sign. These giant red and white letters are near the Rijksmuseum. You can’t miss them-there are people all over, under, and next to the giant letters.
9. Stroll through Vondelpark and see statues, ponds, fountains, playgrounds, restaurants, and people of all ages. This large, beautiful park near central Amsterdam is filled with locals enjoying the great outdoors as they ride bikes, run, walk, play, practice soccer, even do some yoga. What a great place to spend the day!
10. Eat Dutch treats when you visit Amsterdam! They are known for their love of pancakes (more like a crepe than American pancakes made from 
batter). And stroopwafels are another popular food in the Netherlands. These are 2 thin crispy waffles with syrup or honey in between. I worked up an appetite while walking through the museums and found outdoor vendors near the Museum Shop that were selling pancakes and fresh stroopwafels. I had to try both of these Dutch treats (guilty!). Yes, Dutch chocolate on my Dutch pancake!!!
There’s SO MUCH more to see and do when you visit Amsterdam, but I hope this list is a good introduction to help you begin planning your trip. Leave me a comment below about what you hope to do when you visit Amsterdam.
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