A traveler's guide to Amsterdam
Book the museum and the dinner. Then let the canals do the rest. The city is small and the center is overfilled by midafternoon.
Amsterdam is a walking and cycling city that happens to have a famous nightlife. The morning is the masterpiece: canals without the cruise speakers, a museum you booked, and a neighborhood lunch. Stay in the ring. Leave the center at dinner.
When to go
Tulip season is late March into May and books out. September is kinder. Summer is long light and thick crowds. Winter is dark, cozy, and good for the Rijksmuseum. King's Day is a wonderful mess if you meant to be there.
Neighborhoods
The canal belt for the first day. The Jordaan for wandering. De Pijp for dinner. Noord if you take the ferry and want a newer city. The Red Light District is a street you can see. It is a poor place to spend the day.
Eating
Herring, a brown-bar lunch, Indonesian rijsttafel if you have the appetite, and fries with mayonnaise when you are honest. Book dinner. The good rooms are small.
If you only remember this
- Trams and your feet are enough.
- Watch the bike lane. It is not a sidewalk.
- Museum tickets sell out in the morning slots.
- Cash is rarely required. Cards are.