So you have decided to spend 4 days in Amsterdam! This capital city of the Netherlands is unlike any city I have traveled to. Because of its diversity, it truly has something for everyone. It is overflowing with culture through their innumerable museums and galleries, it is perhaps even more scenic in person than the picture-perfect postcards you have seen, and it’s heart beats with the collective hearts of a melting pot of 850,000 multicultural souls (ethnic Dutch make up a minority of the population).
Amsterdam is a photo waiting to be captured around every turn, over every bridge and in every beautiful face you meet. It’s a photographer’s dream just like you imagined it. Proudly offering over 60 miles (100kms) of canals, most of which are navigable by boat, giving Amsterdam a unique layout. The City is fanned out like a doily making it easy for pedestrians to get acquainted. We recommend a handheld, old school map for the first day at least to reference at a glance where you are in this lacey network of cobblestoned streets and waterways.
I want to say upfront, what I am laying out for you to experience over 4 Days In Amsterdam, I covered while I was only 3 Days In Amsterdam. It definitely can be done and won’t leave you running from place to place. Stretching your time in Amsterdam over 4 days, you’ll have a looser agenda and you will be able to amble a little slower, experiencing travel in its purest form… also stopping a little more often for their famed apple pie!
Let’s Pack For This!
Amsterdam has an oceanic climate which means in the winter, with its westerly winds coming off the North Sea… you will feel the damp cold through to your bones. This seems odd because if you were to look on paper at their climate, it seems temperate and fairly mild in the winter. If you are traveling there in the winter, definitely prepare for biting winds and cold nights. Nights rarely fall below 23F (-5c) and Amsterdam doesn’t get a ton of snow in the average year.
In Amsterdam, winter temperatures typically range between 30F and 40F (-1c and 5c). The city usually gets between one and four inches of precipitation per month in winter, including both rain and snow. We
In the Spring, Summer and Fall Amsterdam is a bit easier to pack for as it is temperate and really pleasant! Average temperatures in the Summer are around 72F (22c) and offer loads of sunshine!
For any season, pack very comfortable and sturdy walking shoes/boots. Ladies, leave the heels at home. You will be putting on the miles and not all streets have even pavement! Dressing in layers in always smart for any season and bring a day pack to store layers as you peel them off!
DAY 1 of 4 Days in Amsterdam
Depending on the arrival time of your flight, this may be a partial day or a full day. We will lay this itinerary out as if this day is a partial day leaving you time to settle into your hotel and get freshened up, getting to know the city a bit. First things first, grab that handheld map we talked about. You may only use this on the first of your 4 days in Amsterdam until you get the lay of the land, but you will be happy to have it! Have your concierge circle your hotel on the map so you KNOW you can get back there when ready.
Set off leaving your hotel, dodging wayward bicycles and head nowhere in particular. This might be a good time to mention
Thanks to the many bike paths (250 miles or 400
Taking a GUIDED WALKING TOUR is one of our favorite ways to get acquainted with a new City’s history and a great way to learn your way around. We prefer to use Free Walking Tours in each city we visit. Yes, you are right… nothing in life is FREE. However, these tours are run by folks who are passionate about where they live and they are purely working for tips.
What does this mean for you? It means they will bust their hump to give you the BEST tour they can knowing your “appreciation” will be proportionate to the job they do. In the end, we have often tipped more than what a ticket would have cost through a paid tour company when we have felt they truly did an outstanding job! You can find these free walking tours all over the world from Portland to Paris. The company we went with, in Amsterdam, was Free Walking Tours Amsterdam.
We can personally attest to the quality you will get with an earful of fascinating historical events, inspiring stories, and funny personal anecdotes. The tour is about 3 hrs long (trust me, it is a fantastic 3 hrs) and covers about 2 miles (3
After you are finished strolling through multiple neighborhoods, learning your way around a bit, you must be hungry! Time to feast on some of the local favorites! Start with an order of Bitterballen. Bitterballen are a Dutch meat-based snack, typically containing a mixture of beef or veal, beef broth, butter, flour for thickening, parsley, salt, and pepper, resulting in a thick roux. They are served up piping hot in a mound of mouthwatering aromatic goodness!
Now I’m hungry. You’ll want to wash it all down with an Amstel or Heineken to really look the part! After trying the Bitterballen, you can wander down any street to come across one of the many bakeries to try either Ollibollen (donut type pastry balls dusted with powdered sugar) or Stroopwafels (two thin waffle-like wafers with a sticky, sweet
Ready to walk off lunch and explore some more? Why not wander over to locate The Anne Frank House? This is always a good idea if you have upcoming reservations which are known to be stringent on tardiness. This way you will discover a new area of the city and also be prepared to relocate it when the time comes to tour it! The House is located on a canal called the Prinsengracht, close to the Westerkerk, in central Amsterdam.
There is a petite bronze statue of Anne on the block approaching the house which makes for a great photo keepsake of your upcoming experience. Circle this area on the map so you can get yourself back here for your future tour. While here on this block, duck into Westerkerk and take in the tranquil interior filled with simple pews and imagine (if you are familiar with her diary) hearing the bells Anne Frank heard from her hiding place in the building next door.
From the Prinsengracht, wander over to another of the city’s most characteristically Amsterdam areas, the “Nine Little Streets” — a checkerboard of shop-lined, lanes connecting the Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht, and Herengracht canals just west of downtown. While it’s known as a “shopping area,” it offers an eyeful of skinny townhouses with fancy gables, manicured flower boxes, perfectly inviting cafés, and a constant swirl of bicyclists rattling over cobblestoned streets.
Making your way back towards your hotel, keep an eye out for dining options for dinner. Cheap dining in Amsterdam is possible. One of the most iconic sights is their “Wall Food”. You knew this was coming. The deep-fried empire of wall food was obviously made for the frugal and the drinking… but everyone ought to at least TRY it. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I indulged in it more than once! It’s cheap and handy and sometimes you just need a snack! Another inexpensive option is their multitude of pizza joints! Amazingly, there are still a bunch of spots in the Leidseplein area where you can grab pizza or pasta for €5 ($5.50).
DAY 2 of 4 Days in Amsterdam
Today you are going to reap the benefits of some of your pre-planning and enjoy a laid out itinerary of museums! Starting with the Rijksmuseum which is open from 9-5pm each day. Booking ahead you can avoid the queue at the ticket counter and save a nominal amount of money. A ticket plus an audio guide will cost you roughly $25/pp.
By heading here right as it opens, you can beat the crowds and enjoy a more intimate experience. If you need a break during your visit, the cafe in the foyer is quite a beautiful venue in itself and has delicious food. If you are interested in specific exhibitions being shown here, make sure to look into them and purchase the upgraded ticket accordingly.
The Rijksmuseum displays works by Ruisdael, Vermeer, and Rembrandt, as well as many others. The Night Watch by Rembrandt is, perhaps, the most famous piece in the collection. This is punctuated by the fact that it is mounted within its own room – the Night Watch Gallery.
After you’ve gotten your fill of the arts, break for lunch and refuel for a sobering afternoon full of emotion, at the awe-inspiring Anne Frank House. Don’t let this deter you in ANY way… I am just at a loss for how else to explain it. As you walk towards the Prinsengracht area, you could stop for an outdoor lunch (weather permitting) at a fantastic canalside pizza house with a view of the Bell Tower next to the Anne Frank House called Venezia Del Nord.
If you are looking to try a traditional meal, venture over to The Pancake Bakery. It’s not your regular Pancake House… they offer more than 30 Dutch and American pancakes on our menu. Savory, sweet, or a mix of both! These pancakes are the size of a large dinner plate and are a mix of something between a pizza and a pancake… coming together to create a delicious experience you won’t soon forget! Dutch pancakes, proper fluffy American pancakes and they have poffertjes (a sweet treat, served with powdered sugar and butter, and sometimes syrup). Something you just have to try!
The Anne Frank House is one of the tours you MUST book well ahead of arriving in Amsterdam and in my opinion, not something you want to miss. They release 80% of the tickets exactly 2 months before at noon of your arrival date. 20% of that day’s tickets are released at 9 am on the website. I recommend choosing a 2 pm or later time slot if you are following today’s itinerary (giving you plenty of time to take in the morning at The Rijk’s and catching some lunch in between. You will most likely be in the House for up to 2 hrs. Tickets cost $10 and can be arranged here…anne frank
That comes with a free audio guide. The two options are to book tickets for a regular museum visit, or for a museum visit + introductory program before your visit to the museum. In 30 minutes, they take you through the history of Anne Frank in the context of the Second World War. The program is in English. For either option, it is STRONGLY recommended you buy your tickets in advance as the demand exceeds the availability every day. No photography is permitted and it is recommended you arrive earlier than your ticketed time to allow for you to make it through the queue.
Afterward, across the canal, the Café de Oude Wester is a nice stop following an emotionally-draining couple of hours. Inside The Café de Oude Wester, you will find people are either locals reading the newspapers while sipping a cappuccino, or tourists who just visited the Anne Frank House – which is just around the corner – and need downtime to collect their thoughts. Either way, the welcoming smiles from the staff and the cold pints of Heineken or Amstel will welcome you back tot he 21st century.
Tonight, why not wander around alongside other tourists in the famed Red-Light District, ducking into pubs for refreshing drinks and a lively atmosphere. The Red-Light District’s history will already be known to you if you took the Free Walking Tour. It consists of a network of alleys containing approximately three hundred one-room cabins rented by prostitutes who offer their sexual services from behind a window or glass door.
Typically illuminated with red lights (duh), this is the most visible and typical kind of red-light district sex work in Amsterdam. It is completely safe to walk through this neighborhood and you will be among crowds of tourists marveling at the uniqueness of the whereabouts you’ve all only ever heard of! It is a spectacle, to say the least. Do show some respect and follow etiquette.
A really important Red Light District etiquette is to not take pictures of the sex workers. They value their privacy (they ARE human) and sometimes come after you if they see you taking a picture. … The Red Light District in Amsterdam is a normal neighborhood like any other part of town where regular people live, work and sleep. Please respect that.
DAY 3 of 4 Days in Amsterdam
Today we will ride a Hop On Hop Off Bus, and cruise along on a Hop On Hop Off Canal Cruise. Personally, I prefer the bus as it offers a wider range of coverage over the canal cruise which is limited in its stops. You can purchase a single day pass and try to do both in one day, or you can choose a 48 hr pass and really take advantage of the convenience of this mode of transportation around town.
For days 3 and 4 in Amsterdam, why not opt for this? This way you can rest your feet a bit after 2 days of walking and use this pass to get you around town. The cost of the ticket for 48 hrs (unlimited boat and bus combined) is very reasonably priced at $40/pp. They can be purchased in advance saving you 25% off the walk-up price here. City Sightseeing Amsterdam
The buses and boats used by Hop On Hop Off Amsterdam have GPS audio commentary in 18 different languages, which will give you all the information you need about the sights. They are also equipped with panoramic windows so you don’t miss a single thing while traveling.
Here is a list of sights you can cover over your 4 days in Amsterdam:
The Amsterdam Ice Bar ($22/pp) get there The Heineken Experience (recommended for tomorrow’s itinerary)get there Rijksmuseum ($25/pp). get there Jordaan (this neighborhood is a great place to hop off and see the narrow canals and streets flanked by indie boutiques, cozy pubs, and hip eateries. Stalls at the Noordermarkt square market offer jewelry, clothes, antiques, and food.) get there Diamond Factories The Jewish Historical Quarter. get there Dam Square. get there Delft Blue Store (great for pottery souvenirs), among many others.
DAY 4 of 4 Days in Amsterdam
Today you can continue to ride the Hop On Hop Off Boat and Bus to take you around town. One of the stops will land you at the Van Gogh Museum and we recommend you take this opportunity to experience this. You will find this at Stop 8 on the Red Line (bus). The Van Gogh Museum price is around $20/pp. Step into Van Gogh’s world. Here you will see his famed works such as Sunflowers, Self Portrait, The Bedroom (Mike’s favorite), and Almond Blossoms (my favorite)… among over 200 others of the Dutch painter’s works. Just so you aren’t disappointed, know that currently, Starry Night is at
Time to finish out your 4 days in Amsterdam with a big send off! Finally… let’s get you to the Heineken Experience! You thought we’d never get to this huh? Well… I hope you are thirsty and it’s a good thing you have a designated driver (Bus or Boat!) You have a couple of different ticket options for this excursion. I strongly suggest going out with a BIG FINISH… book the VIP tour. It is the ultimate Brewery Tour.
We basically tour a brewery (or multiple!) in every city we travel to (we like beer…and good people), and this VIP tour rivals any tour we’ve ever been on (yes… better than The Budweiser Brewery with their fancy Clydesdale stables and all or the Coors Brewery in the heart of the Rockies!).
A bit of an intro… The Heineken Experience is housed in the first built Heineken brewery in the city center of Amsterdam. In 1988 the brewery closed due to inability to cover high demand and since 1991 it has been welcoming visitors from all over the world.
We recommend you purchase your Heineken Experience ticket ahead of time to secure a time slot. The Heineken Experience is open daily from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm, with extended evening hours on weekends in July and August (until 9 pm). Last entry is typically two hours before closing. The best time to visit is before 11 am; after that, it can get crowded. Don’t worry, you won’t be offered your first drink until the end of the tour… so it IS going to be afternoon!
On the VIP tour, instead of a self-guided tour, you will have a Heineken connoisseur as your guide on this unique 2.5 hr behind the scenes tour and you will gain exclusive access to their hidden bar. You will be treated at the end to a private (small groups only on the VIP tour) room where you will experience 5 premium beers paired with Dutch cheeses and meats (you will leave FULL and buzzed) and get your own personalized Heineken bottle.
We really enjoyed this tour and never felt crowded or shuttled herded through like cattle. You pay for it with a steeper ticket price ($60/pp) than the regular self-guided tour ($20) where you do still get 2 perfectly chilled beers at the end. We just felt quite regal on our VIP tour and quite enjoyed being treated to the
The last adventure on your 4 days in Amsterdam should include what over 800,000 people do daily… and that is riding a bike! There are according to the most recent figures, 850,000 residents in Amsterdam. There are an estimated 847,000 bicycles. 78% of people 12 years and older own at least one bike. Bonus fact: each year between 12,000 and 15,000 bikes are fished up from city’s canals. Do not however, go fishing for a bike… instead just rent one! We have done the heavy lifting for you and found the cheapest bicycle rentals in Amsterdam. Some great options are – Yellow Bike Amsterdam Black Bikes Bike City Amsterdam
Grab a helmet (seriously… not a bad idea. After seeing the chaos of the bicycle world here… you will agree to protect that melon! I did… I love my brain!), grab a lock (yes… definitely grab a lock), and get on your bike a RIDE! You’ve been here a few days, it’s time to blend in with the locals! Keep your head on a swivel and use your signals… remember those from elementary school?
LET’S UNPACK THIS!
Amsterdam… before you got here, you may have had a naive vision of what Amsterdam would offer. It’s ok… most people do! There is so much more to this city than the famed Red-Light District and Canibus! Amsterdam is famous for its canals, beautiful houses, friendly locals, museums and galleries… and yes, it’s so-called coffee shops and Red Light District, but there’s plenty more to this liberal city than most visitors realize.
After 4 days, in Amsterdam, bobbing and weaving your way through the lace-like streets laid out like a doily, and over bridges and cobblestones… you will go home feeling as if you have just extended your family (by a mere 850,000) as it will leave you feeling at home like no other city perhaps has. I praise the melting pot of culture and the “everyone is from somewhere” mentality. When they’re all far from home… they make each other feel as if they are home and they extend this sentiment to you. Thank you, Amsterdam.
The take away from this is to pre-book both the Anne Frank House and The Heineken Experience to secure spots. Pre-Book the Hop on Hop off bus/boat tour to save a little money over the walk-up price. As for the museums, the price difference is negligible, so it is up to you if you want to pre-book them or not. For the free walking tour, it might be a good idea to secure your spot as to get in on this your first day (which will really help navigate the rest of your time there)
