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The Ultimate Amsterdam Bucket List Blog Post is a work in progress. Amsterdam is one of those cities that has so much to see that it would take several trips just to see the main attractions. We recently moved here so I’ll be adding more information about the city as we slowly become locals! I definitely recommend visiting Amsterdam during the spring. It’s the best time of the year to see the tulips, ride bikes, enjoy the parks, and stay warm on the canal tours.
Where To Stay:
If you want a great boutique hotel located inside of the city: I would definitely recommend Room Mate Aitana. We have stayed here twice and it continues to be our favorite place to stay in Amsterdam. It’s located right beside of the train station, across from a bike rental store, and has the best brunch that I’ve ever had in my life. Not exaggerating! Bonus: You can walk everywhere! (If you stay here, check out The Wolf Atelier Restaurant.)
But if you want to save some travel money and you are comfortable using the tram or maybe renting a bike, I would stay at Ramada Amsterdam. It has amazing views of Rembrandt Park and a great rooftop bar. You can easily take the tram into the heart of the city.
Don’t forget your travel insurance! We recommend World Nomads. Make sure to have coverage that includes medical expenses, trip cancellations, and coverage for your belongings from theft or damage. If needed, you may also want to include car rental insurance as well.
Ultimate Bucket List of Amsterdam Food:
I usually blog about finding Vegan and Vegetarian food, but this post includes all types of cuisine as my husband is not a vegetarian.
DE PIJP MARKET: My number one recommendation is to visit the Market in De Pijp. The restaurants are closed, but the markets are so much fun to visit. They are so diverse. You can find Dutch classics, Vietnamese, Italian, fresh juices, etc… The list goes on and on. It’s one of the largest open markets that I’ve ever seen while living in Europe, so it’s my number one recommendation as far as food experiences in Amsterdam. You can definitely find something to eat no matter what your diet restrictions may entail!
Ultimate Amsterdam Bucket List of Traditional Dutch Foods
(Non-Vegetarian):
BROODJE HARING DUTCH SPECIALTY: This is a Dutch specialty sandwich. It’s definitely not something that I was ready to try, but my husband, Steve loved it. Well maybe he didn’t love it, but he enjoyed trying the local cuisine. It’s a raw fish sandwich with toppings of choice. The tradition is to top it with pickles and onions.
I’ll work on grabbing a photo of one for you! You can find these throughout the city, but we recommend grabbing one at Stubbe’s Haring. It’s a famous street vendor location close to Amsterdam Central Train Station. I also recommend this location because it’s close to Brouwersgracht, which is the most instagram-like street in Amsterdam.
Traditional Dutch Foods (Vegetarian):
BITTERBALLEN: I first tasted bitterballen in Belgium, but they are also a traditional Dutch food. They are not traditionally vegetarian, but you can find vegetarian options in many places of the city. The traditional ones have a gravy meat sauce inside of a deep fried bread dough ball.
POFFERTJES: These are little fluffy pancakes that you can literally buy anywhere in the city. I was eating way too many of these when we first moved to the city. You can buy them at any local grocer and then bake them for about ten minutes. They even come with a packet of white sugar, so they taste like hot donuts!
GOUDA CHEESE TASTING: There are cheese shops all around the city, but we think it’s fun to try the gouda in Zaanse Schaans, the famous windmill site. We like the garlic and herb flavored cheese, but they have a variety of flavors.
CROQUETTES: These yummy fried food items are my weakness. You can find them in a variety of options; vegan, vegetarian, shrimp, and of course meat as well. The locals like to grab them out of the vending machines.
Where To Buy Traditional Dutch Gifts: yummydutch.com
On this website, you can find specialty traditional Dutch food items, pottery, and books. They make wonderful gifts and can be shipped worldwide!
Ultimate Amsterdam Bucket List of Best French Food Locations:
De Belhamel
De Belhamel is the first restaurant that we will visit again once things start to reopen. We love this restaurant and have visited it several times in our previous trips. After living in France for three years, we have developed a deep appreciation for fine French wine and cuisine. If you are visiting Amsterdam and want to have a nice meal, this is your spot. Make sure to RSVP.
Le Fournil De Sebastien Amsterdam
If you are into pastries and bread, make sure to find this bakery. This is the most well known French bakery in Amsterdam. There is always a long line outside of the building, but it’s well worth it if you appreciate perfect French pastries!
Brasserie Van Baerle
Have you ever had cava? I first tasted cava in Spain, but it’s easily found in Holland as well. Right now restaurants are closed, but you can grab street side oysters and sparkling cava at my favorite spot. It’s a place called Brasserie Van Baerle. It has a nice outdoor garden, a wine shop, and a warm and cozy environment.
Specialty Food and Drink:
CRAFT COFFEE: coffee district.nl
PORTUGESE SPECIALTIES: Located on one of the busiest streets of Amsterdam, there is a little place that may not catch your eye, unless you have had a Portugese Pastel de Nata. It’s called Casa Bocage. We had our first experiences with these tasty treats in Lisbon, Portugal. Make sure to stop in and grab one before you venture into your scenic canal walk.
Ultimate Amsterdam Bucket List of Craft Beer:
Homeland Brewery or Brouwerij Homeland Amsterdam has the best water view. It’s part of a hotel and restaurant and has the best water view of all! It would be the best one to visit if you have a wine drinker with you because they offer other beverages. Check them out at www.pensionhomeland.com
Recently one of the locals told us about a fun craft house brewery that’s located in an old warehouse. It’s called Butcher’s Tears. It’s conveniently located a short bike ride from Craft and Draft, which happens to be our local watering hole.
Located in Amsterdam Noord, which is a quick ferry ride from Central Station, is the Walhalla Brewery. The ferry ride is fun and free! In our opinion, Walhalla Brewery has the juiciest and freshest IPAs in the city. Hands down, it’s the best tasting beer! The taproom is cozy and they have a large outdoor biergarten where you can safely meet a group of friends with distance. Check out their site at www.walhalacraftbeer.nl. (Closed M, T, W)
Another craft beer store with a great variety is located in De Pijp. It’s called the Bierbaum De Pijp. It’s a to go shop, so it works perfectly right now during the pandemic. If you are looking for more of a sit down craft beer location, then check out Brouwerij’t IJ. It’s the one actually located inside of a windmill. Another craft beer spot that is located right beside of the De Gooyer Windmill Brewery is the Brew Boys. It’s a nice quiet spot by the water.
Ultimate Amsterdam Bucket List of Parks:
We are spending our weekends exploring the parks. Here are a few that we have explored so far:
Oosterpark:
Oosterpark is a charming park known for it’s bird watching, playgrounds, and roller skaters!
Rembrandt Park:
Rembrandt Park is large with winding trails, has lots of green space, and snack booths scattered throughout the park. It has the perfect bike path to cut through the city.
Sarphatipark:
I love the Sarphatipark because it’s located right by the popular neighborhood, De Pijp. You can walk through the open market, grab a beer, and then lay in the sun. It’s really the perfect way to spend a sunny day in Amsterdam.
Vondelpark:
Vondelpark is really close to Rembrandt Park. It’s the largest park in the city and also seems to be the busiest one!
Westerpark:
Westerpark offers cute shops and restaurants and it’s close to the water. I personally think it has the most to offer as far as food and culture.
Ultimate Amsterdam Bucket List of Sites and Tours:
Bikes and Brew Tours:
We rented bikes from Yellow Bike Tours. Then we rode through the park and to the Brouwerij’tl Windmill Brewery. Even if you aren’t into beer, I would still recommend riding by it for a photo op of a cool windmill.
Also the Heineken Brewery is another popular spot to visit in Amsterdam.
Boat Tours:
We have been on two different boat tours in Amsterdam. I recommend the smaller 90 minute canal cruise. We were actually the only ones on our tour and the captain was full of knowledge about the area. The other boat tour was a larger boat that had an audio guide but the sound wasn’t that great and I personally think its always better to tour with a small group and a local. If you end up booking the same canal cruise, you will probably meet your boat captain near the OBA library of Amsterdam. You can get a nice view of the harbor from the top floor of the library.
Visit The Anne Frank House:
We haven’t been to The Anne Frank House yet because the times that we have visited were with short notice and little planning. If that is a place you want to visit during your stay, book weeks if not months in advance. They sale out very quickly.
Visit The Rijksmuseum and The Van Gogh Museum:
These two museums are located side by side in the Museumkwartier. Although they have been closed for months, you can prepare yourself for the reopening of the Van Gogh Museum by reading the book, Lust for Life.
Ultimate Amsterdam Bucket List of Day Trips:
Visit Zaanse Schans:
Zaanse Schans is a part of Zaandam. It’s about a 15-20 minute drive from city center Amsterdam. They have a cheese tasting shop, lots of gorgeous windmills, and warm apple pies! There is also wood clog carving and barrel making. Try to visit on a windy day to see the windmills in actions!
Visit Keukenhof Gardens:
You can purchase tickets to the Keukenhof Tulip Gardens at the Tourism office beside of the train station. They will guide you with information about where to meet the bus. The park has several cafes and souvenir shops, so you don’t need to worry about going hungry or finding restrooms. We toured the gardens for three hours. I initially thought the time slot was way too long, but it turned out to be the perfect amount of time.
There are a lot of day trip options from Amsterdam. We happened to be here last spring, so we went to see the tulips. If you are looking for other day trips from Amsterdam, you may want to check out my Kinderdijk blog post or my Rotterdam blog post.
I hope that you have enjoyed this Ultimate Amsterdam Bucket List post. Have you been to Amsterdam? I would love to know in the comments below.
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