We had such a ball on our recent weekend in Amsterdam. There was something new to do around every corner…or you can just stroll and people watch to your heart’s content! There are daily flights to Amsterdam from most airports in Ireland, so it’s an easy place to get to. Flights were cheap enough, but the accommodation was expensive! We arrived early on Day 1 and left late on Day 3 to make the absolute most of a two night stay. We’d definitely to that again!
Things To Do
Heineken Experience – This is a museum set in the first Heineken brewery. There is a tram stop just around the corner, so it’s easy to get to. I was pleasantly surprised that they stored our bags and coats for free. This was particularly handy for us, as our coats were soaked from a recent shower of rain. The museum was interesting enough. Nothing wow, but worth going. Especially as you’re given a few free drinks along the way!
The Bodies Exhibition– This was amazing and I would highly recommend going! Be warned – real cadavers are used, which at the start was a bit strange, but I quickly got over it! You leave thinking how amazing how bodies are and that we all need to get off our butts and move much more! We bought a combo ticket at the desk for this and The Icebar, which saved a bit of money.
The Icebar – This is a small bar where the temperature is kept to about -10 degrees . I have been in cold climates before so I didn’t think it would be much different, but it was scary how quickly I was frozen from the cold. We couldn’t stay there for long, even though we had put on the gloves and coats offered! Your ticket gives you two drinks inside and a cocktail in the regular bar attached. I love that the drinks were served in a real ice glass. Very cool! (Literally!)
If you’re here in spring…
Kuekonhoff Gardens – This tulip garden is only open 6 weeks of the year, so if you happen to be in Amsterdam when it’s open – definitely go! We booked this bus which brought us from central Amsterdam right to the gate. I loved that return buses were leaving every 15-30mins and we could just grab any one we wanted! We spent hours there. The flowers were truly beautiful, plus it gave a great opportunity to see what kind of flowers both myself and Trevor liked. When there was a display that we both loved, I was able to take note of the exact flowers used. Hopefully we can create a small flowerbed at home to remind us of here!
If you plan on seeing some of the major museums like Anne Frank, Van Gogh or the Rijksmuseum, you have to buy your ticket online through their website and book a timeslot in advance. Be warned, they can sell out weeks in advance if it’s a busy time of the year – especially the Anne Frank Museum.
Chill Out!
People watching! We grabbed a few beers and lunch at the Trinity Café and it was the perfect spot for a bit of people watching! It’s right along the canal, so it’s beautiful. It was teeming with people – The Red Light District is only one street over, so there is a lot going on! We did stroll over to see what the fuss was about – there wasn’t a lot to see during the day, but group of stags were already getting messy. I’d avoid it late at night for sure!
There are also these cosy bar cafes called Bruin Cafes dotted around Amsterdam. Make time to stop off in one! Whether it’s just for a coffee or a beer, they are comfortable, cosy places to stop and chill out in. We stopped in The Papeneiland Café. The interiors were moody, the staff were friendly and it was one of those places where I would have loved to have stayed for the day with a good book! I was dreaming of moving to Amsterdam at this point!
Getting Around
It’s so easy to get around Amsterdam. Coming from the airport is a breeze – just grab a train and it brings you directly to Amsterdam Central Station. From here you can grab a bus, tram or an underground train to get around the city. Google Maps is always the handiest one to use to help you get around. We also used Uber when we were there.
The city is awash with bikes – so much so, that when you’re crossing the road, it’s bikes you need to look out for, not cars! There are many bike rental shops around the city, if you want to try moving like the locals!
Food Spots
Amsterdam has unreal food! On our last day, we just strolled around stopping at the random places and ended up doing a mini-food tour for ourselves! It was unreal! We had heard about Amsterdam’s street food scene and in the beginning we were expecting lots of food trucks. But actually, it’s more like tiny shops that are too small to eat in, so you have to devour your tasty treat in the street! While walking around, you’ll notice lots of queues outside the popular spots – sometimes the queues can be as long as fifty people! Highlights for us were:
- Chocolate Chip Cookies in Van Stapele – The queue was absolute massive for this when we passed. We went back about an hour before it closed, but they had sold out. Unreal reviews!
- Bagels in The Breadwinner – small menu, but tasty.
- Chips loaded with parmesan cheese in Fabel Friet – If you’re a fan of crispy chips, these might be the best you’ll ever taste!
- Crispy Bacon rolls in Smoked Crispy Bacon Sandwich House – Check out the window and you’ll see a massive tray of the crispiest bacon.
- Stroopwafel in Van Holland – Massive queue in the waffle house a few doors down, but these ones looked just as good!
- The most amazing cheese shop I’ve ever been in! We bought loads to bring home! (Fun fact – I lived in Australia for a year and while I lived in Sydney, I worked at a cheese deli similar to this in the Sydney Fish Market!)
We also had dinner on our first night in the FoodHallen. Love places like these, where there are communal tables and lots of stalls selling a huge variety of food. Everyone just grabs whatever food they’d like. At night-time, people also hang around for drinks afterwards, so there was a great buzz in there! Perfect dinner spot for a weekend in Amsterdam!
Top tips:
- If you’re going to be using public transport more than twice daily, it’s worth getting the Amsterdam Travel Card.
- As I mentioned, accomadation in the city is expensive. It’s worth looking at hotels and airbnbs outside of the centre, as the public transport is so good. As we were joining a group of friends who had already booked their accomadation, we just looked for the most budget option we could find nearby. We stayed in Residence le Coin. It was in an amazing location, the rooms were large and clean, but expensive for what you get. Our friends stayed in Hotel Amsterdam de Roode Leeuw and the hotel seemed similar to ours.
- Keep an eye out for some of the cool house boats along the canals! This one was one of my faves!
If you’re looking for some other weekend trip ideas, check out my Lisbon and Rome blog posts!
