Two days is not nearly enough time to really see Amsterdam. But since AMS (Schiphol) is such a major airport into Europe, and the train station is right below the airport. This makes it super easy to jump on a high-speed train to another place.
Therefore, it’s great to know what to do if you have a little bit of time there on your way to another destination. Make the most out of your short stay there!
Rent a bike
The unofficial-official mode of transportation in Amsterdam is the bicycle. Everyone rides a bike everywhere, with babies and dogs along for the ride in baskets. It’s the best way to both get around and explore the city, especially on a short trip.
We took our baby in a baby carrier and he LOVED it! Biking through the city and Vondelpark is a blast. We even biked through the freezing rain in January and had a great time.
Keep to the red brick bike paths and pay attention to the other bikers. They are hurrying off to work and won’t be happy if you stop right in front of them or cut them off.
Visit the Anne Frank Museum
My husband, who dislikes museums in general, said that it was the highlight of the entire trip. It is a must for a first-time or short trip to Amsterdam. If you are a history lover or have connections to the Holocaust, you need to go.
We bought tickets with the introductory program add on. It’s €5 extra and a 30-minute introduction to the Frank family and the world at the time of them going into hiding. The whole experience gets into perspective, giving context as you move through the house. You imagine yourself as Otto Frank, ducking through the small hidden bookcase to check on his business downstairs in secret at night. As Margot and Anne, giggling as they cut out and paste magazine pictures on the wall. Or the family, frozen in fright, as the police storm in and take the family away.
You cannot take photos inside, and it is very quiet. Just go and let the experience wash over you. And take a little time in museum at the end to reflect before you go.
About getting tickets: Only so many people are allowed in a day. You have to buy tickets online and they sell out quickly. Get them as soon as your dates are available. Every person must have a ticket, even babies (they are free but need one).
Take a canal boat tour
Amsterdam’s iconic canals have run through the city for hundreds of years. Many people even live full time on house boats on the canals (you can rent one to stay in!). We took an audio tour that took us through different areas of the city, explaining interesting things as we went. On a short trip to Amsterdam, it’s a great and easy way to see more.
We took a night boat tour because of a special light art exhibit going on. It was a cool exhibit, but I would do a day-time tour next time. We felt that we missed parts of the city in the darkness.
Go to an art museum
Amsterdam has A LOT of museums, especially for such a tiny place. There is a museum for almost anything you can think of. Diamonds, tulips, modern art, classic art, bacteria art (really), photography, pipes, canals, purses, maritime, beer, cheese, torture, and family museums are just a FEW!
With limited time, prioritize the most interesting to you. The art museums are world class, and these are our favorites:
Rijksmuseum (The Royal Museum)
This is the State Museum of Amsterdam. You will find works by all the Dutch masters here, Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Frans Hals among others.
The building itself is a beautiful old-world masterpiece and looks like a palace at the top of the park. It’s a testament to the fact that, at one point, Amsterdam was one of the most prosperous and powerful cities in the world.
This is a large museum that will take a few hours, and can take all day if you are a person the reads all the plaques (*cough cough* like my dad *cough cough*). It is open 9 to 5 daily.
There is even a mini Rijksmuseum in the Schiphol airport after the passport check. It has original masterpiece paintings that change periodically. It is free to see and open from 7 am to 8 pm every day.
MOCO
The Modern and Contemporary Museum exhibits both modern and street art by iconic artisits from around the world. This hidden gem is a tiny little museum across the park from the Rijksmuseum. It was my husband’s favorite art museum that he has ever visited (including the Louvre). There are works by artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein and new artists like Daniel Arsham and the unknown street artist Banksy.
My husband and I love Banksy’s work ever since he shredded his art at auction. He takes a satirical approach that makes you both laugh and think about his meaning. Explore nooks and crannies in the old house to learn more about street art, laughing out loud as you turn certain corners and feeling clever when you think you get the hidden messages in the art.
If you are a lover of modern art it is a must. If not, you should still go it will only take an hour if you move quickly. It is open 9 to 7 Sunday to Thursday and 9 to 8 Friday and Saturday.
Van Gogh Museum
We have a friend who called this a “spiritual experience” when they went. Because the entire museum is dedicated to Van Gogh, you get to see how he progressed as an artist and a person over time. It was heart breaking and beautiful to see how he produced so many masterpieces, all the while fighting mental illness. Breath taking collection and a captivating story. Heads up that Starry Night is not there, it’s in New York.
Open Sunday through Thursday 9 to 7 and Friday and Saturday 9 to 9.
Buy tickets to as many activities you want to do at the same time.
There are companies with little booths around the city that can do this for you. Your hotel may offer this as well. They offer discounted prices because they buy in bulk to sell to tourists. Anne Frank House tickets you should still buy ahead of time online because they will sell out.
Make sure you are buying them from a real company that offers reasonable and not fantastic deals. If it seems too good of a deal to be true, it probably is.
Eat a waffle
I am an absolute foodie at heart and an adventurous eater! With that preface, the food in Amsterdam was not my favorite.
I felt that there was a lot of raw pickled fish or kroketten (my translation: fried sticks of beef baby food that are sold in hot vending machines). We may have just have had bad luck at the places we ate at……
What we did love was the waffles and pancakes!
On a short trip to Amsterdam, just focus on the great food.
Stroopwafels
Thin and crispy waffle sandwiches with caramel in between. The Great British Bake-off even featured them in a technical challenge (which everyone failed miserably). You can buy them off the street and even as toppings on ice cream. There are stands in the park between the Rijksmuseum and the MOCO. They are great as is, or warmed over a hot drink.
Poffertjes or Aebleskivers
Little baby pancake balls, they are sometimes filled and usually covered in powdered sugar and syrup. We have actually made these at home my entire life and I was surprised to find them here. My ancestry goes back to the Netherlands and it goes to show that food is often the most enduring part of a culture. Lincoln scarfed these down!
Dutch waffles and pancakes
There are a lot of variations. Some are yeasted, some not. Liege waffles are made with pearlized sugar and will keep you thinking about them for 2 months afterwards. (I had to look up a recipe when I got home.)
Some are even savory and served with meat and veggies. I had one with mushrooms and braised beef and it was absolutely delicious. I highly recommend getting them hot and fresh.
Check out the best waffle shops in Amsterdam.
Eat some Indonesian food
Also, a must try is all the Indian and Indonesian food that we found! South Asian food in western Europe is what Mexican food is to most western Americans. They love it and it is everywhere. (You think someone would come up with Satay Sunday like Taco Tuesday.) Luckily for me, I love it too!
We loved satay (meat skewers with a peanut butter sauce), gyros, and shawarma.
There was also an abundance of friet (french fries) with delicious sauces like satay, curry, and garlic with chopped onions.
After quickly realizing that we didn’t want kroketten, we ate noodle bowls, curries, falafel and various wraps (all with dutch friet of course) for the rest of the trip. Whenever we weren’t eating waffles that is!
What are your must do's in Amsterdam? What would you do next time?
