When I was a youngin, Amsterdam topped my list of cities to travel solo to. Alas, life happened and I only got to do it at the ripe old age of 30.
This city has it all — canals, great museums, (mom, stop reading here) the devil’s lettuce, and only the best stroopwafels in the world. 48 hours may never be enough to roam around a city this rich but I unfortunately only had 2 days in Amsterdam and I managed to cover almost everything I wanted to do!
So if you, too, only have limited time, this 2-day Amsterdam itinerary is just for you!
Day 1: Canals and sweet treats
My first day in any new city, I prefer walking around to get oriented first. Thankfully in Amsterdam, I also had a friend (and former boss!) show me around.
Breakfast
I was up quite bright and early when none of the shops had opened. And of course, I had to pee. Oops.
That’s how I stumbled across the Ambassade Hotel on Herengracht and crashed their buffet breakfast. 10/10 would recommend if you’re in the area as early as I was and the usual restaurants aren’t open yet.
This is also where I overheard (accidentally, I promise) an older lady tell her husband that when he didn’t wake up with the alarm, she assumed he had passed away and headed to breakfast alone.
Yeaaah.
My eyes were bugged out of my head the entire time.
Stroll along the canals
Post breakfast, wander along the main canal rings, Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht. There are plenty of photo opportunities here, especially in the break of dawn where the entire area is quiet and empty.
It was during my mindless stroll that I stumbled upon what’s pinned on Google Maps as The Best Bench in Town. Hilarious stuff.
My view from the bench was unfortunately just of scaffolding as some construction work was ongoing at the time I went but the sign on the bench and the reviews on Maps made me crack a smile.
Admire the architecture
You will hear more about this if you take the same canal cruise I did on Day 2. But it’s always nice to admire the architecture of the canal district both from land and the canals themselves.
I am no architecture student, though. This trip was just around the same time I had learned about gables — more specifically, the monkey top gables of Bengaluru. So it was nice walking along the canals and spotting different types of gables.
Keep an eye out for the houses with pulleys up top by the attic. These pulleys would apparently be used to hoist up furniture and other goods into the top floors of these narrow houses.
Anne Frank House
Book waaay in advance to get a chance to see the Anne Frank House. Tickets actually open 6 weeks earlier but if you missed your window, I would still recommend checking regularly in case a cancellation opens up a slot for you.
I saw a few open for the second day I would be in Amsterdam but using those tickets would mean mayhaps missing my flight. So I just stood outside the museum and yearned instead. Sigh.
Pro tip: If you’ve read Anne Frank’s Diary but didn’t get tickets, go check out Westertoren instead. It’s these bells Anne kept hearing while hiding out in the Secret Annex.
Close with cheesecakes
End the day with dinner and some sweet treats. Cheesecake Project has authentic Basque cheesecakes and I loved them even though I am so not a cheesecake person.
Day 2: Culture, a park, and some stroopwafels
While this day starts at the canals once again, you’ll also get a chance to immerse yourself in culture and some delicious caramel.
Canal cruise
Wake up bright and early for a canal cruise. 7am is not when you’d find a lot of boats on the canal so that’s exactly when you should head out.
I chose the first early morning cruise I could find and ended up having the best time. I even befriended this older couple from New Jersey and they ended up clicking some of my favorite photos of myself from this trip.
Modern art at MOCO
After the cruise, head to Museumplein for all of Amsterdam’s heaviest cultural hitters. I couldn’t get tickets to Van Gogh and I wasn’t keen on spending too much time at the Rijksmuseum so I chose the MOCO instead.
This small museum located in an old townhouse focuses on modern and immersive art. They have Banksy and Warhol and you can easily get lost in here for more than an hour.
I didn’t have to book tickets in advance when I went. I was able to walk in despite it being a weekend afternoon.
Albert Cuyp and Rudi’s stroopwafels
From Museumplein, it’s a short walk to find the famous Albert Cuyp Market. This bustling and chaotic street market will definitely make you spend some serious monies.
I ended up buying a book, a few souvenirs, and almost emptied my walled at a sweater stall before realizing I don’t need sweaters where I live. Welp.
But the highlight of the market is Rudi’s Original Stroopwafels.
Don’t get carried away by pre-packaged stroopwafels at souvenir shops. Those are for outer circle acquaintances at best. Instead, tolerate the waiting time (the line is huge!) and experience Rudi’s fresh, hot, gooey, surrender-your-first-born stroopwafel made right in front of you.
I think sat down for a good 5 minutes with my eyes closed after eating it.
I also bought several bags of their packaged stroopwafels to take back home to gift to family.
I did not gift them.
In fact, I ate them all.
In one week.
Wish I was kidding.
Decompress at Vondelpark
I chose Vondelpark mainly because my hotel was right next door to one of the entrances. I biked to the park and then sat there alternating between reading and people watching.
The sun was out and it was the perfect evening to spend outdoors before wrapping up my very short trip.
I grabbed a light dinner at Groot Melkhuis inside the park before heading back to my hotel to pack.
That’s all from me! I think I covered pretty much all the main sites I wanted to see in those 2 days. However, I would love to return at some point to check out more of the city. And hopefully with tickets to Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum the next time around. 🙂