Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the capital of Netherlands and one of the most popular destinations in all of Europe. We visited Amsterdam in September (Fall Season) and the weather was great with sunny days and cool evenings.
We did some touristy experiences; but basically, just aimlessly walked around the city streets for a weekend of fun and laughter. This was my first trip to Amsterdam (and my first girls’ trip!) and loved the architecture and design of the city.The streets are all along the canal with historic buildings that line the waterfront; every view is picture-worthy. The city streets along the canals were very busy with people on bikes, in cars and on foot.
We pretty much woke up, ate breakfast, did a tour, had lunch by the canal, and then grabbed drinks before heading out for dinner. We did not venture out of the main town in this trip but I would definitely want to go back to explore the outskirts of Amsterdam.
Accommodations
We stayed at the NH Collection Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky, located in the heart of the city, right on Dam Square. It is a beautiful hotel and the location is perfect; walking distance to most key attractions, shopping malls, central station and the famous Red-Light District.
We took an Uber from the airport to the hotel. Uber at the airport is available at the bus stop outside Sheraton right opposite the airport.
Day 1
After an overnight flight from NY, we checked into our hotel and after a quick shower left to explore this wonderful city. We started at Dam Square which is home to the National Monument as well as the Royal Palace. Dam Square is crowded but it is the main square of Amsterdam. Next, we walked along Damrak – a big avenue going towards Amsterdam Central Station that is home to some iconic buildings. We were walking along Damrak when we saw this enormous line stretching out of a small food window. The line was for Manneken Pis; which serves fries in a paper cone and spoons the sauce on top. This place has over 20 selections of dipping sauces. The fries were crispy and well-seasoned; and the sauces were good too though I would have preferred mine on the side. Really enjoyed the fries and see why they are the #1 fries in Holland.
From the Dam station, we tooktram 24 to Marie Heinekenplein to get toHeineken Experience. The Heineken experience takes place at the former Heineken brewery where brewing began in 1867 by Mr. Heineken and continued till 1988. They don’t brew Heineken here anymore; but is used as an “experience” to show visitors how it is made. A guide walks with you and explains how beer is made using water, barley, hops and Heineken yeast. You then pass by a stable full of horses before enjoying a simulator ride. Next on is an interactive fun area where we rode faux bikes singing random Dutch songs. At the end of the experience, you reach a bar where you get two free beers. We spent about 3 hours here and it was definitely a fun afternoon.
We took a tram back to Dam Square, grabbed a stroopwafel from the local bakery before heading back to the hotel for an afternoon nap.
Refreshed, we were off to the W lounge for drinks. The W lounge is a rooftop bar on the top floor of the luxurious W hotel located on Dam Square. Unfortunately, that day they had a private party at the lounge but we grabbed a round of drinks at Mr. Porter; a restaurant next door.
Dinner was at Jun, an Indonesian restaurant near the Jordaan area. We had the vegetarian rice table; which included a variety of Indonesian items served in small portions. The food was plentiful and the flavors were amazing. My favorite was the soup. The service was exceptional too and you do not feel rushed to finish your meal. I strongly recommend this place if you want to enjoy a good meal in Amsterdam.
DAY 2
We started our day with an amazing breakfast at Pancakes Amsterdam. Pancakes Amsterdam is highly recommended and there a couple locations around town. We went to the one near the Anne Frank Museum. The menu here is extensive and includes a variety of sweet and savory pancakes, which are really like crepes. The Dutch pancakes here were awesome and the service was very friendly. We ended up coming here again the next day for dinner.
One of the most famous tourist spots is the Anne Frank Museum. It was the place where 13-year old Anne and her family stayed hidden during World War
This is where Anne wrote her famous diary and the museum tells the history of the eight people who hid there and also those who helped them. Tickets for the museum are only available online and they are sold for a specific time slot. 80% of the tickets are released two months in advance and the remaining 20% on the day itself. Every day at 9AM (Amsterdam time) the tickets are made available on their website for that day. https://www.annefrank.org/en/museum/tickets/
This museum is extremely popular and the tickets do get sold out very quickly; hence it is best to plan ahead. We could not get tickets in advance but luckily were able to get same day tickets on the website.
Being at the place where it all happened was very moving. The audio-visual system that they provide is also really good. The museum has an original bookcase that blocked the entrance to the hiding house; a steep creaking stairway leading to the annex. The hiding house holds the actual diaries and several other displays from that time. The museum was definitely very crowded but it is very well laid out and a must-do for all visitors to Amsterdam.
We had lunch reservations a De Kas, a restaurant located in a greenhouse that serves dishes made from ingredients grown on-site. We had to cancel our reservations due to the Anne Frank museum visit and I am hoping to go back to Amsterdam soon to give this place a try.
We then walked to the Tulip Museum and bought some US Customs approved tulip bulbs to bring home as souvenirs. I planted mine in the backyard; can’t wait to see them bloom in the spring. We then walked over to De 9 Straatjes – the 9 Streets which essentially are three streets that cross two canals with unique shops and charming food places. We had lunch at Café Het Paleis along the canal and then walked backed to our hotel.
That evening we went to the Sky Loungelocated on the 11th floor of Double tree Hilton for drinks. The lounge provided magnificent views over Amsterdam and the outside seating area had a nice vibe.
We went to Amsterdam’s famous Red-Light District. Here you can see establishments with huge signs advertising peep shows as well as rows of tiny rooms with scantily dressed girls offering their services behind glass doors. The Red-Light District is a network of alleys with hundred of tiny cabins that are rented by prostitutes. With old canals along the streets, bright red neon lights and old architecture buildings; this place definitely has some glamour to it.
Amsterdam is also one of those few places where you can legally buy and smoke weed as long as it’s from a licensed establishment. A coffeeshop in Amsterdam is a place that is licensed to sell cannabis products to visitors. Note: A Coffee House is where you would go get coffee and snacks. These coffeeshops have an extensive menu which includes all kinds of weed, hash sold either per gram or in pre-rolled joints. Some places also sell space cakes. We went to Jolly Joker located in the Red-Light District. It was a very small & casual place with a few seats and smoky atmosphere. We bought two pre-rolled joints; walked back to our hotel to enjoy our purchase.
Amsterdam does have a lot more to offer than the Red-Light District and the coffeeshops; but these two things do add a certain charm to this city.
DAY 3
We started our last day with breakfast at At James, the food was average; nothing worth writing about.
We then walked to the Amsterdam Flower Market(Bloemenmarkt). It is labeled as the only floating flower market in the world but all I saw was stalls selling souvenirs and some flowers. I was hugely disappointed as I was hoping the flower market would be similar to a floating market we had visited in Thailand. I found this to be a total waste of time.
On our way to the market we stopped by Kadinsky Coffeeshop to get a slice of space cake. The guy behind the counter advised us to get more but I am glad we didn’t listen to him. We divided this cake among the three of us and had it over the next several hours. The effect is incredibly different than smoking and it doesn’t kick for a few hours. But once it did, it was so intense; felt like we were floating with a lifeless body. It lasted for about 4 hours before it calmed down a bit. Luckily, we didn’t feel the effect until much later in the evening at which time we went back to the room. It was a little scary as we were a bunch of girls alone in the city and didn’t know what to expect.
We had lunch a Café P96, which has an area where you can sit alongside the canal. A canal tour is an absolute must-do in Amsterdam and we stumbled across theFlagship Canal Cruise outside Anne Frank House. We took the 1-hour canal cruise which was a very relaxing tour cruising through the canals of Amsterdam. The boat was very comfortable and they sell a great variety of drinks too. The tour was fun and the guide made it interesting by including lots of facts about Amsterdam. The boat dropped us back at the Anne Frank Museum and we went back to Pancake Amsterdam for their amazing pancakes.
With the effect of the space cake now starting to hit us, we decided to call it an early night & headed back to the hotel.
Day 4
Took an Uber back to the airport for our flight back home.
I think Amsterdam was a perfect choice for a Girls trip with some amazing bars, cafes, restaurants along with some historical sightseeing and unique adult experiences. I would love to go back especially during Springtime to visit their famous Keukenhof Gardens and witness the tulips blooming everywhere.