Amsterdam is probably one of my favorite cities in the world. I spent the longest time of my Eurotrip here and still didn’t have enough time to see everything. The city isn’t crazy large but you’ll find history, politics, culture, amazing food and great nights here, all within walking distance of each other. Dubbed by its own residents as one of the most liberal cities in the world, Amsterdam will promise you a time that does not disappoint.  This will definitely not be my last time here.

Every story starts at the main square and this one is called Dam Square. The name Amsterdam comes from the city’s origins around a dam on the River Amstel. As a result, you’ll see many references to just the term ‘Dam’ around. Dam Square is a popular meeting point, being flanked by the Royal Palace, New Church, and the National Monument. I’ll admit, I didn’t know too much about Dutch history before coming to Amsterdam and was very surprised at the extent of activity that had happened here. From being an important trade center to being a focal point of politics, a walk around the main city will not stop providing you with interesting tidbits.

If you go east of the Dam Square, you’ll reach De Wallen, more popularly known as the Red Light District of Amsterdam. Ironically, right in the center of the district lies the Old Church, which stands as a museum currently. I followed a ‘Free’ Walking Tour and was told that the reason why the Dutch are so liberal is simply that it is more practical to be liberal. Apparently, rather than fighting the urges of disembarking sailors to have a quick sexual encounter, the church profited from providing forgiveness at a cost. Its location here allowed it to provide ‘salvation’ to as many people as it could. Of course, people soon realized the savagery of it all.

On a side note, while you will see women standing in window fronts with red lights above them, De Wallen is also home to a bunch of bars and restaurants and is known as a decent nightlife area separate of the prostitution.

Of course, we must talk about the Amsterdam Canals. Honestly, out of all the tourist attractions, the canals were my favorite sights. They’re everywhere and are named as roads are. Many of them are extremely pretty and the three main ones, forming concentric circles called the Grachtengordel, are in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This makes the city’s layout extremely unique and is one of the best things about staying in the city – you’re never going to have a bad view.

While you’re exploring the city, you may just miss the Begjinhof Park, a cloister where women who dedicated themselves to the Catholic faith (but aren’t nuns) lived in seclusion together to hide from the oppressive and dominant Protestant authorities. This area ended up becoming a quiet oasis, and until this day, people come here to find peace away from the raucousness of the city. There is a chapel here also.

Right outside the cloister, every Friday, the Spui Book Market occurs. Amsterdam has always been a haven for book lovers, again tied to the history of the city as a port and center for trade. Here lie books beyond the regular fare, including rare and collectible books, drawing visitors and seekers from all around the world at times.

Beyond exploring the city, you’re going to want to take advantage of Amsterdam’s cultural capital. This city has so many museums and galleries, you’re never going to run out of stimulation. I personally had to choose which places I wanted to go to and which I had to save for a second visit. The Museum Square, where the famous Rijksmuseum lies, is a good spot to start. This is also where the more infamous ‘I amsterdam’ sign is for everyone to take their ‘I’ve been here’ picture. I had to skip the Rijksmuseum this time unfortunately, but I plan to come back next time to catch the Rembrandts.

What I did end up doing, however, was to go to the Van Gogh Museum.  Van Gogh, as I hope you’re aware, was a famous Dutch painter who spent some time in Amsterdam. He has a lot of famous post-impressionistic work, including his self-portraits and his sunflowers. This museum holds a lot of the originals of some of his best work, including his earlier stuff. His other work can be found in the Musee D’ Orsay in Paris. What I liked a lot about the museum was beside the tracing of Van Gogh’s growth and eventual decline, also the overall culture of appreciation towards Van Gogh and his contribution to humanity. The spinoff works showing ‘modern renditions’ of Van Gogh are also pretty hilarious.

Amsterdam is also the home of Heineken and while they’ve moved their main brewery, the Heineken Experience remains in one of their first buildings for everyone to experience the brand. I strongly recommend purchasing the ‘Rock the City’ pass for 25 Euros as it offers a really good deal. Firstly, under the deal, you get to visit the Heineken Experience halls, which shows the history, process and current brand of Heineken. This isn’t a functioning brewery – it’s an invitation for you, the consumer, to fall in love with Heineken. The experience is pretty fun, and you get two beers at the end of it all, which makes it for an altogether good time.

Now with the Rock the City pass, you also get a boat ride on the canals. By this alone, you’ve already made your money back because every other canal boat ride charges you an average of 15-20 Euros. The canals are amazing to explore by boat, and I’d strongly recommend you do some way or another.

Finally, with the same pass, you get to go to the top of the A’DAM lookout, a spot loved both by locals and tourists, where you get an amazing view of the city. Not included in the ticket price but definitely worth thinking about is taking a spot on the swing which takes you over the edge of the roof. It’s quite the thrill and one way to see Amsterdam. Without the pass, once again, you’d have to pay to get to the roof so you’ve gotten a great deal from this.

Of course, the view is worth noting. Amsterdam is a beautiful city and all the canals provide a unique sight.

Another thing the Dutch are famous for is their tulips. If you want a burst of color in your Amsterdam itinerary, make your way to the Blomenmarket where you’ll see tons of flowers and their seeds for you to take home. Make sure you know your country’s agricultural laws before you do so though!

You’ve probably heard that the Dutch love to bike around everywhere. This is extremely true, almost to a dangerous level because your eyes move to the sides of your head to watch out for bikes. If you want a gander at it too, book a bike tour online. I booked one to explore the Dutch countryside, which I’d strongly recommend you to do so too. The city is a dangerous place and I didn’t want to run the risk of running into a car.

The countryside is across the river on the northern part of Amsterdam. In order to get there, you can take one of Amsterdam’s public ferries which are completely free. Be careful though, once the ferry is ready, tons of bikers just roll out at you.

The Dutch countrysides are exactly what you’d expect it to look like. Cows and grass, and beautiful rivers in between. Cute Dutch-style houses and friendly locals also accompany your ride.

Every visitor to Amsterdam has a list of stereotypes they wish to see. The windmill lands amongst them. It’s worth noting that Amsterdam itself has only two windmills, both non-functioning. In fact, one of them is transformed into a brewery worth visiting. This one, that was along our bike route, is called the Krijtmolen d’Admiraal and should fulfill your Instagram needs.

Speaking of Amsterdam stereotypes, you’ll also probably be curious about the weed culture. Any self-respecting Dutch person is going to tell you that they find it hilarious how tourists come all the way to The Netherlands just to consume weed almost as if it’s a treasure. None of them actually visit ‘coffee shops’, which are basically dispensaries. In fact, you’ll exclusively find tourists in these spots, but that’s where you’re going to find the famed Amsterdam weed.

As we make our way towards exploring Amsterdam’s best food spots, we’ll make a transition with cheese. Let me say this – Dutch cheese is amazing. It’s craftly made and you can taste the intentionality with the cheese. I could spend so much time just staying in a Dutch cheese shop and trying all the different kinds of cheese.

My top recommendation is De Kaaskamer, which makes on-demand sandwiches (they don’t have a menu) for you with the cheese you want. I had the truffle cheese sandwich which was just heaven.

Controversial opinion, but I do like local fast food. Every city/region tends to have fast food that can only be found there. In Amsterdam’s case, it’s FEBO. While having a counter service, the main way to get food here is these compartments where staff store food to be warmed till you pick it. You drop coins/notes in the machine and then open the door for your food. It really redefines fast food.

Their best stuff are their croquettes, especially their beef ones. They serve burgers as well but I went to FEBO mostly for midday snacks.

If you want something more traditional for fast food, you could also grab a pickled herring sandwich. You’ll find this almost everywhere in Northern Europe and it’s truly an acquired taste. The flavor is not awful but it definitely takes some time getting used to the explicit fishiness of it all. You’ll find pop up stands with herring all over so don’t waste too much money having one at a restaurant.

If you want more Dutch snacks, look for Bitterballs, which are basically meatballs with beef stew inside them instead. Have them with mustard and you’re set.

One thing you should try is the Dutch Pancake. Not to be confused with Poffertjes, which are equally great snacks but more of a hipster trend now, the Dutch Pancake is thin and light. They’re also much larger than American style pancakes and are normally eaten sweet with syrup or savory with some sort of meat (bacon or ham). I had mine at The Pancake Bakery, which was definitely a good choice. They do have a bit of a wait during meal times, but their location in a former Dutch East India Company warehouse is really quite special and their pancakes are memorable.

Another must try in Amsterdam is Indonesian Food. Yes, I was just as puzzled. Why is Indonesian food the top item to try in The Netherlands? The Dutch themselves declare that most of their food is tasteless so when they discovered (read: brutally colonized) Indonesia, they brought back the spices and realized how much they had been missing out on. Kantjil & Tijger have amazing rice bowls if you’re dining alone but in Amsterdam, everyone’s a fan of Rijsttafel which is basically a sharing meal. Yes, they’ve made sharing plates, something so common in Asia, an expensive experience in the Netherlands. The food is objectively good, and while similar to traditional Indonesian food, has a different flavor profile.

On to modern cuisine, if you love Dutch products, have the Dutch Burger at Lombardo’s. Known as one of the best burger spots in Amsterdam, the burgers are also freshly made with Dutch beef and goat cheese. Honestly, a solid burger.

Dutch cuisine is an emerging cuisine, as chefs try to rediscover their surroundings and bring ingredients into a fresh mix. A lot of the chefs are trying to break past the ‘boring’ stereotype of Dutch Cuisine and here at van Kerkwijk. This spot, run by two sisters, has a menu that rotates so much they just recite it you on the spot rather than provide you a paper. It’s like you’re invited into their home and you’re treated by what they have to offer. Prices are mid-range here but you get fine dining quality food. My favorite was the steak in strawberry sauce, which was very seasonal.

To have Michelin-starred fine dining, however, make a reservation at Restaurant Vermeer. For a fair rate, you get treated to a multi-course meal in a beautiful indoor dining area. A note of caution, while the menu isn’t too extensive, the duration of wait between dishes can be a while. I arrived at 7pm and only left at midnight, so use that as a gauge. The food was immaculately designed and full of thoughtfulness and creativity. The vegetables were the true stars of many of the dishes but I personally loved the monkfish the most.

For your sweet tooth, you’re going to want to have the notorious Dutch Stroopwaffles. These sinful gooey delights are amazing with coffee or tea, and one of the best ones can be found at Confectionary Lanskroon.  You can also find the generic ones at any tourist shop.

Finally, while this wasn’t on my list coming into Amsterdam, this vanilla ice cream was one of the most magical things I tried in my time here. In true fashion, I found this place because I followed my nose first and then my eyes to this packed place. Van der Linde has some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had and I don’t even know what goes into it. All I do know is that if you’re in Amsterdam, you have to make your way here.

On the note of nightlife, there’s many amazing bars and spots in Amsterdam. Leidsplein and Rembrantplein are the two main watering holes.

General Tips:

• I stayed at Flying Pig Hostel Downtown. If this is your first time in Amsterdam, I strongly recommend this be your one and only choice. It’s very expensive for hostel rates, but if you want to have a good time, this is the spot to be. It’s near all the main sights. Don’t incorrectly book the Uptown location though, many visitors make that mistake. Second visit onwards, you can be more selective about where you want to stay.
• Safety in Amsterdam is good, although I’d stay on lit paths and away from alleys. Dark paths are common in the city though, so know your route to and fro well. Pickpocketing is the other big crime here, so just practice general awareness.
• I didn’t try to use Uber just because walking is the way to go here, but if you must use some form of transportation, bikes are your best option.
• People speak English everywhere in the main city, so don’t worry about not knowing Dutch.
• Know the weather. It poured like mad when I was there (you’d be surprised from the photos), and I had to swap through 2 umbrellas. Plan your day around when it will probably rain because you don’t want to be caught out in it.

Amsterdam is really a wonderful place. I’ll update this post when I come here again to visit the Rijksmuseum and the Anne Frank House, but I feel like I got a great experience from the limited time I had. The people here are really friendly and the city has so much more to offer beyond the stereotypical ‘weed and prostitutes’ portrayal by the rest of the world. In fact, one could even forget that you had those available if you threw yourself into the culture and food. I can’t wait to go back.