Click on the links in Blue below:
Van Gogh Museum The Vincent Van Gogh Museum is one of the most incredible museums in the world and a must see when you travel to Amsterdam. Not only is it the largest collection of Van Gogh art but also displays art from many impressionist artists and friends and colleagues of Van Gogh such as Emile Bernard, Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Gauguin, Georges Seurat, Charles Level, and others. Reserve your tickets at least 3-4 weeks prior to your visit and try to book either for early morning or late afternoon as the museum gets quite crowded after 10:30am.
Rijksmuseum The largest collection of Dutch Masters from the 16th century to the modern day. The museum includes a library, gardens, cafe, and incredible architecture. Reserve at least 3 hours for this museum although you can spend several days exploring the Rijksmuseum.
Anne Frank Huis The house that Anne Frank and her family hid until their capture in 1944. One of the most emotional and powerful experiences in Amsterdam. Reserve your tickets at least one month ahead of you can wait in line for tickets but this can take several hours if you show up without tickets.
Stroll the Neighborhoods We highly recommend strolling the Jordaan neighborhood for a local experience however there are many incredible corners of Amsterdam to explore for all types of interests. Rick Steves guidebooks have great walking tours. You can also pick up a map at any tourist office.
Jordaan District A residential area of Amsterdam with quaint neighborhoods, shopping, brown cafe's, and great restaurants. Also holds a weekly neighborhood market and has some of the most beautiful canals in Amsterdam.
Rent a Bike
(Click here for more information about bike companies & click here for advice on biking around Amsterdam.)
Cheese Shops: The Dutch make and consume some of the best cheese in the world. There are several excellent cheese shops in Amsterdam where you can sample and purchase cheese and other fine products. My personal favorite is aged Gouda. You can find cheese sold in open air markets around Amsterdam and many specialty stores. Click on the "Cheese Shop" link for more information.
Flower Markets: Amsterdam's outdoor flower vendors sell flowers. bulbs, and all you need to grow your own flowers are situated on houseboats and open all year around , although the best time to see the flowers of The Netherlands is Spring, Summer, and Fall.
Red Light District: the Red Light district (De Wallen) is located in one of the oldest inhabited stretches of Amsterdam and features many vices in addition to sex workers advertising in windows. There are many fine restaurants, brown cafes/bars, and speciality shops for all kinds of interests tucked in Alley ways in the red light district. While in the red light district you can visit the Oude Kerk, the oldest cathedral in Amsterdam. In addition, Chinatown is located on the eastern part of the red light district with great restaurants featuring food from all over Asia in addition to a Buddhist Temple. A few notes about sex workers in Amsterdam. Prostitution is tightly controlled in Amsterdam with sex workers having their own unions.
A few rules of note if walking through the red light district.
-DO NOT take pictures or video of sex workers in windows as that will be a good way to have your camera or phone confiscated or thrown in a canal.
-Typically prices are set but you can negotiate with sex workers on some occasions
-If walking through the red light district at night, especially down deserted alleyways you should always walk in groups and be wary of people approaching you out of the blue to ask you questions or try and sell you drugs.
-You may be offered illicit substances (cocaine, heroin, LSD, etc) by street dealers if walking through populated sections of the red light district especially at night. The Netherlands has strict laws about these illicit substances and if caught will be sent to jail. It's better to walk past these street dealers without engaging them.
-There are pick pockets operating in the red light district day and night, so make sure you keep your purse/wallet in plain sight.
Click here for more information about Amsterdam's
Chinatown: Located in between the eastern section of De Wallen/Red Light District & Nieumarket area is Amsterdam's Chinatown home to restaurants specializing in food from not only China & Tibet but cuisine from across Asia. Chinatown is also home to the Zeeddijk Buddhist Temple and many interesting souvenir, clothing, Asian supermarkets, and snack shops.
Rembrandt House: Visiting the home of the famous Dutch master, now an interactive museum, is an enlightening experience for children and adults. Rembrandt's house is well preserved and you can see how people lived back in the mid 17th century.
Verzetsmuseum Dutch Resistance Museum: A fantastic museum commemorating the Dutch resistance to Nazi occupation from 1940-1945.
Portugese Synagogue: A 17th century synagogue that survived the Holocaust is a must see for visitors to Amsterdam. The synagogue includes a museum in the basement.
Jewish History Museum & National Holocaust Museum: The Jewish History Museum of Amsterdam is located close to the Portuguese Synagogue and is a wealth of information about a vibrant Jewish community dating back 400 years ago. This museum has a kosher cafe and is filled with artifacts, art, and historical objects from Jewish life prior to the holocaust that decimated Amsterdam's Jewish population. The National Holocaust museum is a small but powerful museum documenting the genocide of the Jewish population of Amsterdam and Europe during World War II at the hands of the Nazis.
Stedelijk Modern Art Museum (next to Van Gogh Museum): A modern and contemporary art museum next to the Van Gogh Museum with illuminating exhibits and permanent collections.
Van Gogh Museum The Vincent Van Gogh Museum is one of the most incredible museums in the world and a must see when you travel to Amsterdam. Not only is it the largest collection of Van Gogh art but also displays art from many impressionist artists and friends and colleagues of Van Gogh such as Emile Bernard, Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Gauguin, Georges Seurat, Charles Level, and others. Reserve your tickets at least 3-4 weeks prior to your visit and try to book either for early morning or late afternoon as the museum gets quite crowded after 10:30am.
Rijksmuseum The largest collection of Dutch Masters from the 16th century to the modern day. The museum includes a library, gardens, cafe, and incredible architecture. Reserve at least 3 hours for this museum although you can spend several days exploring the Rijksmuseum.
Anne Frank Huis The house that Anne Frank and her family hid until their capture in 1944. One of the most emotional and powerful experiences in Amsterdam. Reserve your tickets at least one month ahead of you can wait in line for tickets but this can take several hours if you show up without tickets.
Stroll the Neighborhoods We highly recommend strolling the Jordaan neighborhood for a local experience however there are many incredible corners of Amsterdam to explore for all types of interests. Rick Steves guidebooks have great walking tours. You can also pick up a map at any tourist office.
Jordaan District A residential area of Amsterdam with quaint neighborhoods, shopping, brown cafe's, and great restaurants. Also holds a weekly neighborhood market and has some of the most beautiful canals in Amsterdam.
Rent a Bike
(Click here for more information about bike companies & click here for advice on biking around Amsterdam.)
Cheese Shops: The Dutch make and consume some of the best cheese in the world. There are several excellent cheese shops in Amsterdam where you can sample and purchase cheese and other fine products. My personal favorite is aged Gouda. You can find cheese sold in open air markets around Amsterdam and many specialty stores. Click on the "Cheese Shop" link for more information.
Flower Markets: Amsterdam's outdoor flower vendors sell flowers. bulbs, and all you need to grow your own flowers are situated on houseboats and open all year around , although the best time to see the flowers of The Netherlands is Spring, Summer, and Fall.
Red Light District: the Red Light district (De Wallen) is located in one of the oldest inhabited stretches of Amsterdam and features many vices in addition to sex workers advertising in windows. There are many fine restaurants, brown cafes/bars, and speciality shops for all kinds of interests tucked in Alley ways in the red light district. While in the red light district you can visit the Oude Kerk, the oldest cathedral in Amsterdam. In addition, Chinatown is located on the eastern part of the red light district with great restaurants featuring food from all over Asia in addition to a Buddhist Temple. A few notes about sex workers in Amsterdam. Prostitution is tightly controlled in Amsterdam with sex workers having their own unions.
A few rules of note if walking through the red light district.
-DO NOT take pictures or video of sex workers in windows as that will be a good way to have your camera or phone confiscated or thrown in a canal.
-Typically prices are set but you can negotiate with sex workers on some occasions
-If walking through the red light district at night, especially down deserted alleyways you should always walk in groups and be wary of people approaching you out of the blue to ask you questions or try and sell you drugs.
-You may be offered illicit substances (cocaine, heroin, LSD, etc) by street dealers if walking through populated sections of the red light district especially at night. The Netherlands has strict laws about these illicit substances and if caught will be sent to jail. It's better to walk past these street dealers without engaging them.
-There are pick pockets operating in the red light district day and night, so make sure you keep your purse/wallet in plain sight.
Click here for more information about Amsterdam's
Chinatown: Located in between the eastern section of De Wallen/Red Light District & Nieumarket area is Amsterdam's Chinatown home to restaurants specializing in food from not only China & Tibet but cuisine from across Asia. Chinatown is also home to the Zeeddijk Buddhist Temple and many interesting souvenir, clothing, Asian supermarkets, and snack shops.
Rembrandt House: Visiting the home of the famous Dutch master, now an interactive museum, is an enlightening experience for children and adults. Rembrandt's house is well preserved and you can see how people lived back in the mid 17th century.
Verzetsmuseum Dutch Resistance Museum: A fantastic museum commemorating the Dutch resistance to Nazi occupation from 1940-1945.
Portugese Synagogue: A 17th century synagogue that survived the Holocaust is a must see for visitors to Amsterdam. The synagogue includes a museum in the basement.
Jewish History Museum & National Holocaust Museum: The Jewish History Museum of Amsterdam is located close to the Portuguese Synagogue and is a wealth of information about a vibrant Jewish community dating back 400 years ago. This museum has a kosher cafe and is filled with artifacts, art, and historical objects from Jewish life prior to the holocaust that decimated Amsterdam's Jewish population. The National Holocaust museum is a small but powerful museum documenting the genocide of the Jewish population of Amsterdam and Europe during World War II at the hands of the Nazis.
Stedelijk Modern Art Museum (next to Van Gogh Museum): A modern and contemporary art museum next to the Van Gogh Museum with illuminating exhibits and permanent collections.