This guide offers tips on what to see, where to dine, and how to make the most of day trips during a 3-day adventure in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam is known for its rich history, stunning architecture, and diverse food scene. However, there’s much more to explore beyond the city itself. Many visitors overlook the incredible day trips just a short distance from Amsterdam. This guide will help you uncover these hidden gems and make the most of your journey.
Where to Stay
Hotel Iron Horse Amsterdam
Location, location, location. This hotel is nestled in a charming neighborhood only a 20 minute walk from Centraal Station, Amsterdam’s main train station. The neighborhood felt more local which is exactly what I wanted. Situated next to a grocery store, Vondel Park, and a tram stop (Leidseplein) made getting around the city easy. The hotel was clean, easy to check in, and easy to access directly from the airport. It was a short distance form the canals and attractions, making it a fantastic place to stay!
One con about the hotel was the luggage storage. Since we arrived in the morning, and check in wasn’t until afternoon, they let us leave our luggage so we could explore for a couple hours. There was no “back room” where the luggage went; it was out in the front lobby for all to see. I would have preferred a separate storage room in the back only accessible by staff, but the only way to keep our luggage at the hotel before check in was to keep it in the lobby, out in the open.
BOOK HOTEL IRON HORSE AMSTERDAM HERE
Day 1: Arrive in Amsterdam, Canal Tour, and VondelPark
We arrived around 10:00 AM on a Sunday morning, a seemingly popular time as numerous flights landed simultaneously, resulting in a backup at Customs. After clearing Customs, we collected our luggage and headed outside to locate the Amsterdam Airport Express. To catch the bus, walk to the platform at bus stop B17. We bought our tickets at the small booth across from the bus stop, although tickets can now conveniently be purchased online. For more details, visit their official website.
We took the bus to the Leidseplein stop which was less than a 4 minute walk from the hotel. Next was grabbing some of the famous french fries from VleminickX. I chose the small size with a side of ketchup and they were delicious!
We walked over to Staalmeestersbrug for some pictures of the canals and beautiful homes on our way to visit the Salon de Thé, the smallest house in Amsterdam!
Staalmeestersbrug
Salon de Thé
After that we visited De Oude kerk, or the Old Church. A core memory of mine is the church bells ringing, the sun shining, and looking over the beautiful canals and homes, feeling so grateful to be in Amsterdam. Visitors are welcome to enter the church with a ticket, and tickets can be purchased at the door. The church is open Monday–Saturday: 10 AM–6 PM and Sunday: 1 PM–5:30 PM.
Beautiful Canal
Next, we headed to the Begijnhof, a serene enclave open daily from 10 AM to 6 PM. This historic site features a charming collection of homes surrounding a picturesque garden. To avoid long waits, it’s best to visit early in the morning or later in the evening, as entry is limited to a capped number of visitors. Remember to be respectful, as these residences are still privately occupied.
At this point it was afternoon and time to formally check in and freshen up before embarking on more adventures. The trams in Amsterdam are very easy to use; you tap on and off. Be sure to “tap” on AND off at the little box near the entrance of the tram. Public transportation is operated by GVB and their app is easy to use as tickets can be purchased and stored in one place.
We decided to take a canal tour around 4:00pm and walked over to the dock for Captain Jack’s boat tour. There are many canal tour companies you can choose from. We were supposed to go with another company but the boat had just left and we didn’t want to wait. Conveniently, Captain Jack’s was next door and we were able to walk right on. Most canal tours, or cruises as they are often called, serve alcohol on board. The tour we took had alcohol for sale and we were the only four people who did not choose to purchase any! The tour lasted 90 minutes and was about $40 each.
Get Your Guide Boat Tours
After the canal tour it was time for dinner. We walked about 20 minutes to the Foodhallen, a large food hall! See my other blog on my Foodhallen review. We had a mix of burgers, pizza, tacos, and bitterballen. If you have not tried bitterballen before you must as it is a classic food to try in Amsterdam. Bitterballen, often, is a fried dough with a cheesy filling, though some places are very creative with their bitterballen flavors.
We decided to walk through Vondelpark before heading back to our hotel. The park is stunning and absolutely worth a visit. It reminded me of Central Park in New York City as it had a variety of statues, ponds, and structures scattered throughout, like an open-air theater.
Tip: Visit an Albert Heijn, a Dutch grocery store, and browse the variety of snacks and the different set up. At the produce section, you weigh your items right there, and the machine prints out a ticket, which you bring to the checkout.
Day 2: Anne Frank House, Jordaan, and HAARLEM
Our second day started off bright and early as we wanted to explore the Jordaan neighborhood before it got busy! Jordaan is a charming neighborhood full of cute eateries, funky shops, beautiful canals and home to the Anne Frank House.
We were out the door by 7:00 am and made our way to the 9 streets of Jordaan. After exploring for about an hour we headed to Kessens for breakfast. I ordered the avocado toast with a scrambled egg.
Order the hot choclate- the whipped cream is hand whipped on the spot!
Originally, I had another breakfast spot in mind, but when we arrived, the line was so long so we decided to walk around and stumbled upon Kessens, and I am so glad we did! It turned out to be one of the best breakfasts we have had while traveling. It is a quaint cafe with delicious food located in the prettiest neighborhoods in Amsterdam.
Be sure to bring home some of the tiny cookies they have- these were delicious!
After breakfast we headed over to the Anne Frank House for our tour at 10:00am. Tickets must be purchased ahead of time, as early as 6 weeks in advance. Adult tickets are 16 euros, children ages 10-17 are 7 euros, and children under 9 are one euro. The Anne Frank House is absolutely with the visit and it is incredible well done. If you book the ticket with the museum and introductory program, you go straight to a large room for a 30 minute presentation from a museum educator on the history if the museum. The program is an extra 7 euros and is in English.
BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
After our tour it was time to explore more of Jordaan, including some beautiful streets: Huidenstraat 32.
De Kaaskamer, Prinsengracht 328, Reestraat 28-32, Hartenstraat, Wolvenstraat 32, and Berenstraat. One of my favorite things though was wandering Jordaan and getting lost in the beauty of it.
Tip: Make sure to stop by Biscuiterie Van Stapele, home of the famous chocolate cookie!
Next we made our way to Dame Square on our way to Centraal Station where we were catching a train out to Haarlem. It took about 15 minutes by train to get to Haarlem, a small city just outside of Amsterdam.
Our visit to Haarlem was intentionally unplanned, allowing us to simply stroll through the city and soak in its charm. During our wandering, we stumbled upon Wijngaardtuin—a hidden gem! This small, semi-private garden tucked away between houses was absolutely stunning.
Wijngaardtuin
Charming street in Haarlem
Stop by the famous Windmill De Adriaan or Molen De Adriaan.
Next, spend some time wandering the main marketplace and visit the Stadhuis, or Town Hall. Usually there is a small farmers market set up with various vendors selling kabobs, crepes, and some produce. The beautiful St. Bavo church is only a few steps away and worth a visit.
Dinner at Ristorante Lazaro
The weather turned to windy and grey skies, leading us to head back to Amsterdam for a walk through Vondelpark before turning in for the night.
Day 3: Vondelpark, Albert Cuyp Market, Rijksmuseum, and Utrecht
Waking up to the sun shining and birds chirping meant a morning walk through Vondelpark. Though we missed the height of tulip season in Amsterdam, I was happy to come across a few lingering tulips during our walk.
After the stroll through the park it was time to head to breakfast in an old carousel! De Carrousel Pannenkoeken was delicious! We all ordered a dutch pancake and it was very good. One thing I noticed was most breakfast places didn’t open until 10:00 am.
De Carrousel Pannenkoeken
Albert Cuyp Market is a bustling outdoor marketplace filled with vendors offering everything from fresh produce and tasty food to clothing, handbags, and pottery.
One of my main reasons for visiting was to try the famous Stroopwafel from Rudi’s Original Stroopwafel and the classic Dutch mini pancakes, Poffertjes. While I couldn’t find any Poffertjes during my visit, Rudi’s Stroopwafel more than made up for it! It was absolutely delicious—fresh, perfectly gooey, and just the right balance of sweetness. I instantly wanted to go back for more. It was truly a delightful treat!
Rudi’s Original Stroopwafel
After the market we decided to visit the Renaissance and baroque garden at the Rijksmuseum. We didn’t go into the museum itself as the tickets were sold out by the time we checked. If you are looking or wanting to visit, it is a good idea to purchase tickets well in advance.
BUY RIJKSMUSEUM TICKETS
Heading to Utrecht
Now it was time to head on our day trip to Utrecht. Utrecht is about a 40 minute direct train ride outside of Amsterdam. We purchased tickets, same as to Haarlem, the same day from Centraal Station at the NS ticket machine. More information on train times and tickets can be found here.
We walked out of the train station and walked straight to visit their famous windmill, Molen de Ster. The windmill was much larger in person, as to be expected, and really interesting to see up close!
We wanted to grab some snacks and found this shopping mall, Hoog Catharijne, and visited Albert Heijn inside the mall! It was such a unique experience to visit a grocery store in a mall but it was well stocked with anything we could need. There are restrooms in the train station and in the mall but both do require payment. It was rare to find free restrooms.
We made our way to one of the main streets, Lijnmarkt, to walk along the shops and canals and stop on each bridge along the way for a photo. Some bridges had stairs next to them that took you down to the cancel level which was super cool and a different perspective. Some people live in the homes along the cancel level while others are restaurants or businesses.
We made our way over to St Martin’s Cathedral where we went inside to admire the beautiful architecture and history of the church. Next to the church is a gothic bell tower, called Dom Tower, with 465 steps which you can climb up! By this point we were so tired from walking around Amsterdam in the morning and Utrech so we decided to skip. Discover more information on Dom Tower here.
Downtown Utrecht
It was time for dinner by this point as we decided to eat at Beers & Barrels – Utrecht Veilinghaven. One of the most fun dining experiences I have had! The restaurant is situated inside a large barrel alongside the cancel. The food here was amazing and a must-visit restaurant when visiting Utrecht.
Beers & Barrels – Utrecht Veilinghaven
After dinner we wandered through some of the stores and made our way back to Amsterdam.
That’s a wrap on three incredible days in Amsterdam! We squeezed in an extra half day to explore the city before embarking on our river cruise, so I’ll also include a Day 4 suggestion for those who have a bit more time or need some extra inspiration.
Optional Day 4: NEMO Museum, Public Library, and Kinderdijk Windmill
This morning we checked out of our hotel and went for breakfast at Bagel and Beans, a cute restaurant in an old Dutch home serving… bagels! This restaurant was really cute inside and out with a good menu, affordable prices, and portions.
After breakfast we made our way to the OBA Oosterdok – Public Library. The library was beautiful, and housed a small restaurant, viewing deck with a lovely view of the city. The restrooms are free to use here.
After we stumbled on these cool swings overlooking the harbor : Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ– Amsterdam Swings.
If you have another day or want to take a day trip, I highly recommend getting out of the city as there is so much more to see.
HAVE MORE TIME? Consider the following options
Kinderdijk Windmill
Kinderdijk Windmill- we took a day trip on the first day of the cruise out to Kinderdijk and it was incredible. Kinderdijk is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and traditional Dutch landmark, and seeing one up close is such a unique experience.
CHECK OUT KINDERDIJK TOURS HERE
Museums:
OTHER DAY TRIPS
- Haarlem
- Utrecht
- Gouda
- De Haar Castle.
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