Between being known as the Las Vegas of Europe and the Venice of the North, how could you not want to visit Amsterdam? Okay, so maybe the red-light district and coffee shops aren’t your cup of tea, but there is definitely something for everyone in this fascinating city. 

Amsterdam can be experienced in as little as 72 hours but requires savvy planning in order to fit everything in. Below is an all-inclusive Amsterdam travel guide for the savvy traveler.  

Complete Amsterdam Travel Guide

Amsterdam Airports & Transportation

The international Amsterdam airport is Schiphol, located about 20 km from the city center. The airport is fairly large and has long security lines for departing flights, especially for international flights, so plan accordingly. 

There is a train that can take you from the airport to the city center that is very reasonably priced. Uber operates in Amsterdam, so we decided to Uber between the airport and our hotel because it wasn’t much more than the cost of two train tickets and was much more convenient, especially with luggage. 

Besides using Uber to get to/from the airport, we used the train or the tram to get around, depending on our destination. Biking is a very popular mode of transportation in Amsterdam as well, but I found the cyclists to be a bit too aggressive for my style so we opted not to rent them.

Where to Stay in Amsterdam

Dam Square is the city’s most well-known square and is a very central location to other popular sites. For these reasons, it’s very expensive to stay near Dam Square, and encouraging readers to stay in expensive areas is not what this blog is about. 

Amsterdam Hotel Review: WestCord Fashion Hotel

Prior to our trip to Amsterdam, I did an exhaustive search of affordable hotels and finally found the WestCord Fashion Hotel. I splurged a bit but it was definitely worth the higher price tag because after traveling Europe for almost two weeks and staying in sub-par accommodations, the first shower that I had at the WestCord Fashion Hotel was the best shower I’d had in weeks! 

The WestCord is almost 3 miles from Dam Square and there isn’t really anything within walking distance of the hotel except for the train station and a tram station that will take you to the city center. The hotel is very modern, clean, and safe. The employees that work at the front desk also speak English so they proved very helpful in explaining how to use the tram or the train to get to our various destinations.  

We definitely got our best bang for our buck staying at the WestCord Fashion Hotel and I think this is a great example of the type of affordable accommodations travelers can find if they do enough research on properties outside of the normal tourist-trap areas.

What to See in Amsterdam

A visit to the Anne Frank House is a necessity when visiting Amsterdam and so is the Heineken Experience, but beyond these popular attractions, there are a lot of other things to discover in Amsterdam. 

Anne Frank House

Tickets for the Anne Frank House are only for sale through their website. Every Tuesday at 10am CEST, all tickets become available for a visit six weeks later. There is no waiting list for tickets and if there are no more tickets available on the selected date, they are sold out.

We went to the Anne Frank House first thing in the morning to avoid the inevitable lines that grow as the day goes on.

Heineken Experience

The Heineken Experience is definitely an experience! It is essentially an interactive self-guided tour with periodic stops to see the evolution of the Heineken brewery, complete with Clydesdale horses in the middle. 

The tour, of course, comes with several opportunities to enjoy their beer which tastes even better in Amsterdam than it does in the US. Even though beer is not actually brewed in this location anymore, I highly recommend the Heineken experience to anyone who likes beer.

Canal Cruise

While there are several different options for canal cruises (including a “hop on / hop off” version) in Amsterdam, we went on an evening one that included pizza and unlimited beverages (including beer and wine) that did not disappoint. (P.S. it’s family friendly!) I highly recommend experiencing Amsterdam via a canal cruise to see a different view of the city.

Free Walking Tour

There is nothing savvier than free! My husband and I tend to participate in at least one free walking tour in every European city we visit (or in the case of London, we did three). Even though the tours are free, they tend to be high quality as the guides are working for tips, and our experience with the Sandeman’s Tour in Amsterdam was excellent.

Our tour guide told us the history of Amsterdam, explained the architecture, and showed us different sites that we would not have otherwise seen.  

Note: while the tour itself is free, tipping is definitely expected. Please tip whatever amount makes sense for your financial situation and the quality of experience you had on the tour.

Remembrance Day in Dam Square

If you happen to be visiting Amsterdam on May 4^th, Remembrance Day, you will be there to see how the country commemorates the civilians and members of the armed forces who have died in war. 

There is a Remembrance Day ceremony that takes place in Dam Square shortly before 8:00pm. that I recommend attending. The King and Queen lay a wreath on behalf of the Dutch people, there’s a speech, and a two-minute silence. While there was a large crowd at the ceremony, my husband and I thought it was a very memorable experience.

Pub Crawl

If you are looking for an entertaining, safe way to experience Amsterdam’s nightlife, then I recommend going on an organized pub crawl with a dedicated guide. My husband and I participated in a low-cost pub crawl of the red-light district as it included a pseudo-walking tour of the area and got us into various bars complete with free drinks!

Brouwerij ‘t ij Brewery

While Heineken is a good light beer, especially in Amsterdam, it does not have the flavor, hops, bitterness, etc. that true craft beer fans may be looking for in a pint of beer. After previously being in Paris and Rome, where Peroni is basically the only beer that is available, my husband and I were looking for a good craft brewery to experience. 

After more exhaustive research, I landed on visiting Brouwerij ‘t ij, which is a decent tram ride outside of the city center. The brewery is in an old windmill and has a lot of charm and the best part is that the beer is great! They offer a tasting flight so we were able try a variety of their beers and were thoroughly impressed.

So that wraps up this post on Amsterdam – raise a bottle of Heineken and say cheers!