Amsterdam! A gorgeous progressive city located in the northern part of The Netherlands offers so much for everyone. I spent a weekend there and saw a few things here and there and here’s what I discovered on my second trip in less than 6 months!
Getting Around Amsterdam
The metro in Amsterdam is comprised chiefly of the trams located in the center part of the city but there are a subway and ferries too! The metro is run by a company called GVB. There are also several unlimited options for your weekend stay which I picked while I was there. This gets you the option for the tram and the subway which I used for all of my trips.
Zaandam
I did take a regional train out to Zaandam and started at the central station. This was a different ticket and cost about €6 for a round trip on an intercity or regional train. I used the regional train kiosk for those tickets which is different than the city metro.
Please remember, the Amsterdam metro is cashless and will require a chip card, NFC card, or phone contactless purchase.
Attractions in Amsterdam
Van Gogh Museum
The Van Gogh Museum was a fun choice to see. It was exactly as I expected. There were two main exhibits. The first is the main permanent exhibit and the second was a temporary exhibit showing the art from the end of Van Gogh’s life. The museum is exclusively the art of this famous Dutchman and I spent about 1.5 hours in the museum. I do feel it is one of those things to see once but I probably wouldn’t return if there wasn’t a reason.
Canal Cruise
I did take a canal cruise for about an hour around the city. The cruise was with Flagship Cruises. This was a basic cruise, lasted about 1 hour, didn’t include drinks, and was on a smaller boat. There are so many options for canal cruises in Amsterdam and you can find anything for anyone’s budget! Make sure to look for the right option for you when it comes to party boats, dinner boats, open bar, or any other style you can find.
I have been on canal cruises before and I don’t think it’s money well spent because many of the things you see you can already see from walking around. It’s a pure sightseeing adventure. If that’s your thing then enjoy, but it isn’t my thing!
Food
d&a Hummus Bistro
d&a Hummus Bistro was discovered by chance after walking around and being so hungry! It didn’t disappoint. I call it Middle Eastern fusion but it really is its own thing. The meals include hummus, North African dishes, lamb, meatballs, and all kinds of tasty items. There are several locations but my favorite is the one on the eastern side of town. It has a great outdoor area and the indoor area is quaint. You really should make time to visit this place if you’re ever in Amsterdam!
Eddy Spaghetti
This place was discovered on a late evening and just Google searching local stuff around us! This Italian eatery had wonderful dishes. This is a local neighborhood spot and there were lots of families and kids. The food was wonderful and had a mix of modern and old Italian staples. It was tasty, quaint, and relaxing. I left satisfied and I hope you do too next time you’re in the neighborhood!
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