If you are planning a trip to Europe, include Amsterdam, period. Few reasons to do so –
Architecture and “feel” of the city – canals and houses are just amazing.
Windmills and beautiful countryside – Zaanse Sachs / Volendam is just an hour away.
Van Gogh Museum and Rijkesmuseum – see Van Gogh’s works. He was a genius of modern art.
Coffeeshops – yes, legal marijuana.
Getting in!
Amsterdam has direct connections to Paris, Brussels, Basel, Cologne and Berlin. Take Thalys high speed if coming from Paris.
Airport – Schiphol, regular shuttles to Amsterdam Centraal station. One way ticket costs EUR4.2
Train station – Amsterdam Centraal. It is literally in the center of the city. Dam street is just a minute walk away from the station.
What to do in Amsterdam – other than pot?
Well you have to do pot, but let’s park that for now. Start off with taking a canal cruise –
Canal cruise
Plenty of operators Dam street (just outside centraal station).
Take 60 mins canal cruise for EUR10, buy ticket at the counter, there is always some boat ready to leave.
They let you leave strollers/wheelchairs near the ticket counter, but weather is pretty random in Amsterdam so consider that.
Next, visit the Van Gogh Museum –
Van Gogh Museum
Home to masterpieces like “The wheatfield”, “Sunflowers”, and “The potato eaters”, Van Gogh museum is absolutely a must-see.
Entry tickets for EUR17, buy them online from official website (be aware of private tour operators selling same tickets at a markup).
There is usually an entrance queue, get in early and avoid rush from guided tours.
Photography is not allowed in the museum. There is a replica of “sunflowers”that you can take a pic with, but not really the same feel.
Take audioguide (EUR 5) – totally worth it, you get to learn a lot about Van Gogh and his paintings. They have an express 45 mins tour option in the audioguide in case you are in a hurry.
It’s a relatively small museum so can be clubbed with a visit to Rijksmuseum.
Fun fact: Around 22 paintings (including Potato Eaters) have been stolen from this museum, though most of them are now recovered.
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Take a day trip to the countryside of The Netherlands
I usually do not recommend guided tours but this one in particular is totally worth it, specially in summers.
EUR 45 for a visit to Volendam, Zaanse Sachs and Marken.
Total duration is about 6 hours – best part is Zaanse Sachs and scenic drive through the dutch countryside.
Carry some pot and instead of going to shoe making/cheese tasting, enjoy a spliff at the dutch countryside.
In case you are not guided tour kind of a person, stay a night at Zaanse Sachs or Volendam and enjoy traditional dutch cuisine.
Voldenpark
Perfect place to enjoy a sunny afternoon! Located close to Rijksmuseum/Van Gogh museum, Voldenpark is the central park of Amsterdam.
You can drink beers/smoke pot in the park.
Bikes are allowed – much like any other place in Amsterdam. Rent a bike and enjoy biking in this beautiful park.
It can be pretty crowded even on weekdays, specially if the sun is out.
Fun fact: Public sex is legal in Voldenpark.
Anne Frank Huis
Sadly, I wasn’t able to do Anne Frank house in any of my visits to Amsterdam. There was a 4 hour long queue on a weekday in winter. So purchase tickets (EUR 9) in advance from the official website.
Coffeeshops
Weed is legal in Amsterdam (actually, in The Netherlands) and coffeeshops are cafes where you can hang out with friends and smoke pot.
Plenty of coffeeshops around damrak – go to The Bulldog The First if you don’t mind smoking up in a crowded place.
Rates are EUR8-14 per gram of marijuana/hash depending upon the quality and origin. In case you don’t wanna roll, get a pre-rolled joint for EUR7-8.
Do try space cakes/edibles.
While carrying marijuana across borders is illegal, vaps are allowed. Buy a good digital vap if you smoke up regularly. They are for EUR80.
Famous Red light district of Amsterdam is just a couple of mins walk from Damrak if you are interested in that kind of stuff. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend it.
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Where to stay?
Hostels! yes, even if you are a group of friends.
Amsterdam hostels have a different feel to them. Try to get a hostel nearby a coffeeshop.
Rent a bicycle, no matter where you stay.
Some of the popular hostels – The Bulldog, The Flying Pig, Lucky Lake hostel, The student hotel, CLINKnoord etc. Book on hostelworld.
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