Amsterdam Travel Guide

With every justification, Amsterdam is one of Europe’s top short-break destinations. It’s a compact, instantly likeable city, that’s appealing to look at and pleasant to walk around. An intriguing mix of the parochial and the international, it has a welcoming attitude towards visitors and a uniquely youthful orientation, shaped by the liberal counter-culture that took hold in the 1960s. Also engaging are the buzz of its open-air summer events and the intimacy of its clubs and bars, not to mention the Dutch facility with languages: just about everyone you meet in Amsterdam will be able to speak near-perfect English, on top of their own native Dutch and often French and German too. If you are looking for a place to stay in Amsterdam you may find our expert’s guide to the best area’s to stay in Amsterdam helpful on deciding where to visit next.

Amsterdam has three world-famous sights: the Anne Frank Huis, the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum, with its standout collection of Rembrandt paintings. In addition, there’s a slew of lesser-known places to visit, from the Resistance Museum to the Royal Palace on the Dam. But for many tourists, the city’s canals are the main draw – take a cruise or stroll around the Grachtengordel and you’ll see why.

Beyond the sights, Amsterdam also boasts an unmatched selection of drinking spots, from traditional, bare-floored brown cafés to sleek designer bars and grand cafés. The city’s nightlife and cultural scene have a similarly edgy feel, with film, dance, drama and music that push boundaries. Add to that one of the world’s top classical orchestras, a lineup of great clubs, and one of Europe’s liveliest gay scenes, and you’ve got a city worth digging into. Wondering about the perfect length for a trip to Amsterdam? Three to four days is enough to cover the highlights and still leave room for spontaneous detours.

City canal tours

No one could say the Amsterdam tourist industry doesn’t make the most of its canals, with a veritable armada of glass-topped cruise boats shuttling along the city’s waterways, offering everything from quick hour-long excursions to fully-fledged dinner cruises. There are several major operators and they occupy the prime pitches, either the jetties near Centraal Station on Stationsplein or beside the first part of the Damrak. Despite the competition, prices are fairly uniform with a one-hour tour costing around €14 per adult, €7 per child (4–12 years old). The big companies, for example Lovers (t 020 530 5412, w lovers.nl), also run a lot of different themed cruises – candlelight cruises, cocktail cruises, etc – with tickets costing in the region of €32–35, though dinner cruises will rush you about €75. All the basic cruises are extremely popular and long queues are common throughout the summer. One way of avoiding much of the crush is to walk down the Damrak from Centraal Station to the jetty at the near end of the Rokin, where Reederij P. Kooij (t 020 623 3810, w rederijkooij.nl), which also has a jetty beside Centraal Station, offers all the basic cruises at cheaper prices. For other types of canal transport.

Royal revelry

After the abdication of Queen Beatrix in favour of her son, Amsterdam saw its last Queen’s Day on 30 April, 2013. Traditionally the city’s biggest party with up to half a million people packing the streets and canals, it remains to be seen whether King’s Day (27 April) will rival it. Knowing the Dutch, the orange wigs will be dusted off, the sound systems cranked up and the city will become one big waterside disco again in April 2014 (just book ahead if you want to be there).