Here’s the thing no one tells you about Amsterdam: the bikes are out for blood. I’m only half kidding. Within ten minutes of arrival, my husband and I had narrowly avoided being flattened by a peloton of locals who clearly trained for this.
But once we got over our near-death experiences (and vowed to remain strictly on foot), the city unfolded like a dream—equal parts canal-side charm, stroopwafel-fueled joy, and the kind of soft mornings that make you reconsider your life back home.
“Amsterdam rewards wanderers: every canal turn looks like a painting, every side street smells vaguely like butter.”
This Amsterdam travel guide is for anyone who wants the romance without the rental bike, the culture without the chaos. Whether you’re planning a long weekend or just here for the stroopwafels and sunflowers, here are the best places to eat, stay, wander, and quietly question your own city’s public transportation system. Spoiler: it doesn’t compare.
Let’s skip the clichés and get to the good stuff—because this wasn’t just a trip. It was a vibe shift.
Where to Stay: A Royal Sleep in the Middle of It All
We visited Amsterdam in June 2025—right before the European summer season really kicks off and the crowds descend like pigeons on a dropped stroopwafel. Thanks to our Amex Platinum card (a.k.a. our travel fairy godmother), we booked through the Fine Hotels & Resorts program and somehow ended up living our best lives at the Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky, right on Dam Square.
The Hotel
First opened in 1866, this place has hosted everyone from royal families to heads of state to wide-eyed Americans who just figured out how to work the light switches. It’s historic in that old-world grandeur meets five-star renovation kind of way—think sweeping marble floors, velvet chairs you want to fall dramatically into, and just the right amount of polished gold detailing to remind you you’re not at a Holiday Inn.
The location? Unreal. You’re steps from the Royal Palace, across from the Nieuwe Kerk, and a breezy walk or tram ride away from pretty much everything else (museums, canal cruises, and most importantly—snack options). But what made it top-tier wasn’t just geography—it was the staff. Warm, thoughtful, anticipatory in that magical way where they hand you your room key before you even say your name. The concierge gave us actual gems of local recommendations, not the tired tourist list, and somehow remembered our names every single time.
Oh, and the breakfast? A spiritual experience. Flaky croissants, fresh-squeezed everything, and a view of Dam Square while you sip your espresso and pretend you live there full-time. We’ve stayed in some beautiful hotels around the world, but this might be one of the few we’d genuinely come back to just for the hospitality alone. (Okay, and maybe for one more pistachio-filled pastry.)
“Flaky croissants, fresh-squeezed everything, and a view of Dam Square that makes you forget you’re technically a tourist.”
Other Great Stays
If you’re splurging like it’s your villain era:
Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam This is for the travelers who whisper “treat yourself” like a daily affirmation. Set across six 17th-century canal palaces, the Waldorf is basically what happens when Dutch elegance meets “do you need a pillow menu?” Luxury spa, Michelin-starred dining, and a private garden that feels like the Queen of the Netherlands might float by. It’s romantic, ridiculously refined, and best paired with a silk robe and zero responsibilities.
If you’re spending smart but still want the main character suite:
The Hoxton, Amsterdam Chic without trying too hard. The Hoxton sits along the Herengracht canal and offers a cozy mix of vintage furniture, handwritten notes, and that warm lighting that makes everyone look 12% more attractive. There’s a trendy lobby restaurant and bikes for rent if you’re braver than we are. A favorite among creative types and stylish overthinkers.
Pulitzer Amsterdam Tucked into a row of 25 connected canal houses, the Pulitzer is artsy, eclectic, and charmingly cinematic. It’s the kind of place where your room might have a hidden staircase, or a brass telescope, or a velvet reading nook. You will want to move in. Bonus: it’s perfectly situated between the Jordaan district and Nine Streets shopping.
If you want boutique vibes on a baguette budget:
Hotel Dwars A hidden gem with just nine rooms and all the aesthetic of a Pinterest board. Think exposed brick, Scandinavian bedding, and a location that puts you just far enough from the chaos, but close enough to walk to the fun parts. A fave among minimalists, honeymooners-on-a-budget, and anyone allergic to chain hotels.
Mr. Jordaan If Mr. Jordaan were a person, he’d bring you coffee and remember your dog’s name. This boutique hotel is cozy, stylish, and right in the heart of the dreamy Jordaan neighborhood. The rooms are compact but well designed, with canal views that make you rethink everything you know about real estate. Budget-friendly without feeling “cheap”—a total win.
If you’re just here for the vibes and the snacks (bless you):
ClinkNOORD Welcome to the fun side of the river. This colorful, contemporary hostel is located in Amsterdam Noord (just one free ferry ride from Centraal Station). It’s perfect for backpackers, students, or anyone who prefers stroopwafels over turn-down service. Dorms and private rooms available, plus a bar, communal kitchen, and enough neon lighting to keep things interesting. Bonus: you can walk to some of the city’s best indie galleries and food halls.
Stayokay Amsterdam Vondelpark Yes, it’s a hostel. No, it doesn’t feel like a college dorm. Clean, modern, and right inside Vondelpark, it’s ideal for travelers who want nature out the front door and museums ten minutes away. Private rooms available, so you can pretend you’re still a little grown-up—even while splitting a bottle of wine on the bunk bed.
What to Do in Amsterdam (Besides Almost Get Hit by a Bike)
Amsterdam is a city that rewards wanderers—every canal turn looks like a painting, every side street smells vaguely like butter, and somehow every local is either a model or a poet in disguise. But if you like a little structure with your soft chaos, here’s what we loved (and what we actually recommend):
Anne Frank House
You’ll want to budget more time than you think. We usually move through museums on the quicker side, but here? We paused. We read. We cried. The museum is powerful in its simplicity—quiet rooms, diary pages in glass, voices on loop that stop you mid-step. But what really got us was the final exhibit, where you learn about Otto Frank’s life after the war. His devotion to sharing his daughter’s story so the world would remember her—it stayed with us long after we left. If you didn’t plan ahead (we didn’t either, hi), click here for my guide on how to snag last-minute tickets—you still have options, I promise.
Canal Cruise
You have to do a canal cruise. It’s touristy, yes, but it’s also peaceful, pretty, and weirdly grounding. Seeing the city from the water gives you a new perspective—like backing up to admire a painting you didn’t realize was so big. We did an evening cruise with wine and cheese because we are nothing if not consistent in our brand.
Van Gogh Museum
Even if you think you’ve seen enough sunflowers to last a lifetime, this museum hits different. His letters to his brother are scattered throughout the galleries, and they read like the kind of diary entries you’d screenshot and send to your most poetic friend. It’s emotional and surprisingly tender. Also, the gift shop? Elite.
Food Tour
A food tour is a great way to pretend you’re absorbing culture while mostly absorbing carbs. We sampled stroopwafels, Indonesian rice tables, gouda aged to perfection, and at least two kinds of bitterballen. It’s history through your stomach, and yes—we highly recommend.
Rijksmuseum (but mostly for the library)
Yes, the art is impressive. Yes, the building is majestic. But let’s be honest: I was there for the Cuypers Library—the oldest and largest art history library in the Netherlands and possibly the prettiest room I’ve ever stood in. High ceilings, spiral staircases, and enough dusty books to make your inner academic weep. It’s tucked inside the museum like a secret—and worth the detour.
Free Walking Tour
This is one of our go-to moves in every city. We love a local guide with fun facts and the chaotic energy of someone who’s definitely done stand-up comedy at least once. We went with FreeDam Tours and loved them. Smart, funny, and just the right amount of sarcasm.
Tulip Museum
Is it a little quirky? Yes. But it’s also one of those small, lovingly made museums that reminds you someone really, really cared about this. You’ll learn how tulips once caused economic chaos, see bulbs that look like they belong in a sci-fi movie, and walk out feeling oddly protective of Dutch agriculture. It’s right next to the cheese museum, too. Just saying.
What to Eat in Amsterdam (A Love Story in Five Snacks and One American Named Todd)
We signed up for a food tour thinking it would be a nice way to taste a few local bites and get our steps in. What we got was a culinary pilgrimage led by Todd—an American expat turned Dutch food evangelist who spoke about stroopwafels with the passion of a TED Talk and guided us through the city’s food scene like it was a sacred text. If you want to taste your way through Amsterdam like a local (and have someone explain the bitterballen-to-beer ratio), this is the food tour we took—and yes, you should absolutely ask for Todd.
Hans Egstorf Stroopwafels
Follow the scent of caramelized sugar like a cartoon character and you’ll find yourself in front of Hans Egstorf, the oldest bakery in Amsterdam. They hand-make their stroopwafels right there in the window, and yes—the free smells alone are worth the visit. Warm, gooey, a little crispy on the edges… it’s basically what you’d get if a Dutch grandmother and a dessert wizard teamed up.
Dutch Cheese
Cheese in Amsterdam isn’t just a snack—it’s a lifestyle. Pop into a local Gastrovino and you’ll find trays of free samples calling your name like a dairy siren song. Start with a classic aged Gouda, then try a soft goat Gouda, and if you’re feeling adventurous: lavender cheese. Yes, it exists. Yes, it’s oddly elegant. Pro Tip: You don’t have to spend a fortune—just buy a small wedge or snack for the road. They also sell stroopwafel liqueur, which tastes like what would happen if Buddy the Elf opened a speakeasy.
Street Herring
Full disclosure: I couldn’t tell you the name of the herring vendor we visited, but it was the kind of little cart you only find by wandering. We stopped, we tasted, and while we were standing there—two different locals biked up and told us, unprompted, that this guy was the best in the city. The herring is fresh, pickled, topped with onions and pickles, and served on a little paper plate like it’s no big deal. But it is a big deal. Salty, tangy, and oddly satisfying—even if raw fish isn’t your usual vibe.
Poffertjes at Pancakes Amsterdam
Tiny pancakes. Powdered sugar. Butter melting into every crevice. The poffertjes at Pancakes Amsterdam are the kind of thing you order because they’re cute, and finish because they are perfect. Light and fluffy but somehow rich, they taste like a Sunday morning that never asks you to log into work.
Fries + Bitterballen at Heertje Friet
Dutch fries are thick-cut, golden perfection, and come topped with all sorts of sauces (shoutout to curry ketchup, which deserves its own love letter). But the real star? Bitterballen—deep-fried meat ragout balls with a crisp outer shell and a creamy, savory center that defies logic. We had ours at Heertje Friet, and if I could ship a crate home, I would.
Whether you’re here for the snacks, the culture, or the street food with mysterious local endorsements, Amsterdam serves up a food scene that’s equal parts comfort and surprise. Come hungry. Leave with stroopwafel crumbs in your passport.
A Love Letter to Dutch Blue and White
“Some girls fall for tall men or rooftop views. I fall for ceramics.”
Some girls fall for tall men or rooftop views. I fall for ceramics. Specifically: the Dutch blue and white kind that shows up in nearly every shop window in Amsterdam like it’s been waiting for me all along.
You’ll see it everywhere—on tiles, mugs, delicate little plates with windmills and tulips painted in that perfect cobalt hue that feels like it belongs in a storybook and your carry-on. It’s elegant without being stuffy. Playful without being kitschy. The kind of design that makes you think, “Should I redecorate my whole kitchen around a teacup?” (Yes. Obviously.)
Some of it’s Delftware, made just south of here, but much of it is just generationally good taste passed down in porcelain form. There are cow creamers and tiny hand-painted canal houses and dish towels that somehow feel poetic. I bought a tile that says “Gezelligheid kent geen tijd”—a Dutch phrase roughly meaning “coziness knows no time”—and honestly? That’s the energy I’m taking home with me.
So yes, I came for the stroopwafels and stayed for the blue and white porcelain that now owns half my suitcase and three shelves of emotional real estate.
Final Tips & Lingering Thoughts
Let’s end with a few final notes, stray thoughts, and one Dutch idiom that lives rent-free in our heads.
First: if you hear a bell—run like hell. That sweet little “ding ding” isn’t an invitation to pause and reflect. It’s a bike, and it’s coming fast. The Dutch ride like they’re late to a royal wedding, and tourists are merely obstacles in their expertly-laced path.
If you need caffeine, head to a café. Not a coffee shop. One will hand you a cappuccino and a slice of apple tart. The other will have you forgetting your name and trying to befriend a canal duck. Choose wisely.
Now, let’s talk language. Dutch idioms are our new favorite party trick. There’s “you’re walking with the mustard after the meal” (translation: you’re late and unhelpful), “to fall with the door into the house” (translation: being direct, not literally crashing through a door), and our personal favorite: “you gifted me with a dead bird.” Meaning: thanks for nothing. We’ll be using this in marriage arguments from now until forever.
Also—The Netherlands vs. Holland? A quick cheat sheet: The Netherlands is the whole country. Holland refers to just two provinces (North and South Holland) that happen to be very popular with tourists and branding execs. So technically, not interchangeable. But we’ll let you decide if you want to be right or popular.
Lastly, if we had more time (and fewer stroopwafels weighing us down), we would’ve hopped on a train to one of the nearby villages like Giethoorn or Zaanse Schans—places that look like Pinterest boards came to life, with crooked cottages, slow canals, and windmills that seem to know your secrets.
We came for the stroopwafels and stayed for the charm. And the chaos. And the idioms. And the fact that in this country, even the traffic sounds poetic.
Tot ziens, Netherlands. You may have gifted us with a dead bird or two (looking at you, surprise train strike), but mostly—you gave us stories we’ll be telling for years.
