Amsterdam does not need to see me again for a long time. I’ve worn myself out. I’ve been 2x — once on a great girls trip, and a decade later for a major music festival – Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE).
Here’s my Amsterdam travel guide — not just a highlight reel — but, exactly what I think.
Jump to:
- First-Time Visitor Essentials
- Amsterdam’s Beauty & History
- Nightlife: Where the City Truly Wins 🎶
- Famous Tulips at Keukenhof 🌷
- The Red Light District: What It’s Actually Like
- Museums 🎨
- Amsterdam Food Scene
- Zaanse Schans – Windmills in Holland
- Haarlem: The Netherlands Exhaling
- Final Thoughts
📝 Recommendations for First-Time Visitors
If it’s your first time, consider these landmarks:
- Anne Frank House
- Van Gogh Museum
- Canal cruise
- Wander Jordaan and De Pijp (2 iconic Amsterdam neighborhoods)
- Coffee shop visit
- Walk through the Red Light District
- Day trips to Zaanse Schans or Haarlem
- Keukenhof (Tulip) Gardens – if applicable.
- Shopping at Daily Paper & Olaf (Black Owned Fashion Brands)
Amsterdam’s Beauty & History
Amsterdam is objectively beautiful. The canals weaving through the city. The tiny bridges. Bikes everywhere. It’s effortlessly cinematic.
Fun fact: Amsterdam has more bicycles than people — around 880,000 bikes for roughly 870,000 residents.
But there’s a reason it looks this way, and I just want to talk about it because why not.
Amsterdam expanded rapidly in the 1600s as a global trading power. Much of that wealth came because of significant exploitation and forced labor across Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.
Indonesia (then the Dutch East Indies) in particular, which was hugely profitable thanks to the spice trade – nutmeg, cloves, and pepper. There was also Suriname, parts of Brazil, the Cape Colony (Cape Town) in South Africa, and the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao) and the SSS Islands (Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius, Saba).
Today, the Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of four constituent countries: the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten.
The famous canals were designed to move goods, store merchandise, and control water in a rapidly growing commercial city.
Today, the city has over 100 kilometers of canals and more than 1,500 bridges. The canal ring known as Grachtengordel, and it’s a UNESCO site officially recognized by UNESCO.
Demographics…there’s a lot of tall blondes in Amsterdam, but it isn’t completely homogeneous. There are visible immigrant pockets that add layers to the city. (Lots of previous dutch colonies have easier pathways to studying or working in Netherlands)
Nightlife: Where the City Truly Wins
If there is one thing Amsterdam does exceptionally well, it’s nightlife.
I attended the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), and the entire city felt like it was built around venues, warehouse raves, curated stages, and electronic music culture.
Amsterdam’s compact layout, liberal culture, and deep-rooted club scene make it uniquely equipped to host something this massive. During ADE the entire city transforms into stages — from industrial warehouses to historic venues.
Famous clubs in Amsterdam’s scene:
- Gashouder — massive industrial warehouse, legendary for EDM and ADE events
- Paradiso — a former church turned iconic live music venue
- Shelter — an underground techno club beneath A’DAM Tower
- Melkweg – Iconic former dairy turned hotspot for concerts and exhibitions.
- Bitterzoet – Small venue with live bands, hip hop, and club nights.
- NDSM Wharf – Former shipyard turned arts/warehouse venue; hosts raves, ADE parties, and alternative events.
- Eye Filmmuseum – Cinema and cultural space on the IJ river; hosts screenings, events, and talks.
It can be a lot though. After a few days, at my ripe age, I was genuinely sick of partying. The city doesn’t sleep during ADE — and neither do you.
Famous Tulips at Keukenhof 🌷
I highly recommend visiting this world-renowned garden.
The gardens were established in 1949 to showcase the Netherlands’ vibrant flower industry. Today, Keukenhof spans 79 acres and opens every spring to display over seven million tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and other flowers in elaborate gardens and pavilions.
Keukenhof is about 35–40 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal by train and bus. Here’s how to do it:
- Take a train from Amsterdam Centraal to Schiphol Airport (15–20 minutes).
- From Schiphol, catch the Keukenhof Express bus (#858) directly to the gardens — about 30 minutes.
- Tickets for the bus and park can be purchased together online for convenience.
Keukenhof is only open during the spring tulip season, roughly mid-March to mid-May, so plan your visit accordingly.
The Red Light District: What It’s Actually Like
Legally, prostitution is regulated and safe to observe. You won’t be robbed walking through these alleyways, but it’s really weird and unsettling.
You see young women openly displayed in windows. It’s one of those experiences that feels sociologically fascinating but also uncomfortable.
Museums 🎨
Art and history lovers could spend days here.
- Van Gogh Museum: 200+ paintings, 500 drawings; book online to avoid lines. Fun Fact: Van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime. If you go, book tickets online in advance (€25)— the line is infamous and I’ve never been because I didn’t want to wait.
- Rijksmuseum: Home to Rembrandt’s Night Watch.
- Stedelijk Museum: Modern and contemporary art.
- Moco Museum: Banksy and pop art.
- Anne Frank House: Heavy, necessary, powerful.
Amsterdam Food Scene is Bad
I have a very low opinion of Amsterdam’s food scene, and I’m not the only one. I have tried highly rated ramen spots, popular brunch cafés and trendy canal-side restaurants. and I was consistently disappointed.
My advice: focus on immigrant-owned, family-run businesses. The only place I genuinely enjoyed was Nooch, an Asian fusion restaurant that actually had flavor.
Otherwise, manage your expectations. I haven’t explored fine dining yet, so it may be a different story. Here are a list of spots that come recommended I have yet to try.
- De Kas. Green surroundings, make sure to book far in advance.
- Foodhallen. A large food hall with a huge selection of street food.
- The Lebanese Sajeria. Grab and go Lebanese food.
- Dignity Hoftuin. Delicious brunch served in a gorgeous park setting.
- Pancakehouse Upstairs. A small 16th century house serving traditional dutch pancakes. Book in advance.
- For Fow Udon. Tasty freshly made udon in a casual setting.
- Jansz. Upmarket restaurant with jazzy cocktails.
- Box Sociaal. A relaxed Aussie inspired brunch spot with an epic menu.
- Thai Snackbar Bird. “The best takeaway in Amsterdam” get the pad thai to go and eat it by the canal.
- Izakaya. A high end asian restaurant with delicious sushi and small plates. Try their lychee martini!
Zaanse Schans – Windmills in Holland
After days of festival energy and late nights, I needed quiet and wanted to leave the city. I took a 20 minute train to Zaanse Schans, the famous windmill village just outside Amsterdam.
In the 17th century, this region was one of the earliest industrial zones in the world. At one point, there were over 600 windmills operating in the area.
Some still function today. It reminded me the Netherlands isn’t just party culture
Getting there is super easy you take the train from Amsterdam Centraal → train toward Zaandijk Zaanse Schans (15–20 min) and then it’s a 10-min walk from station. the signage is super clear and easy to follow.
Haarlem
After Zaanse Schans, I went west to Haarlem — another easy train ride from Amsterdam, just 15–20 minutes. This Haarlem is the namesake of Harlem in New York City. When the Dutch controlled parts of North America in the 1600s, they established a settlement called Nieuw Haarlem in what is now Manhattan. At the time, New York itself was known as New Amsterdam, before the British took control and renamed it New York in 1664.
Highlights:
- Grote Markt & St. Bavokerk: central square, perfect for slow lunch
- Teylers Museum: oldest museum in the country
- Frans Hals Museum: Dutch Golden Age art
- Jopenkerk brewery: church-turned-local beer spot
Haarlem is smaller, quieter, and feels like the Netherlands exhaling. Walking through its streets, you can actually breathe without dodging bikes every two seconds. Haarlem offers calm streets and 17th-century architecture.
So when you walk through Haarlem, you’re walking through a piece of early American history too – cute.
Final Thoughts
Amsterdam is beautiful, historic, and lively. Nightlife is a highlight; casual food is a disappointment. Not a city you must return to repeatedly — but it’s worth a visit once for the canals, culture, and unique experiences.
But for me, it’s not a city that pulls me back. And that’s okay.
Not every place has to be a forever place.