Amsterdam Things to Do

I have to say it feels like the Rijksmuseum has been under renovation forever.

In 2000 the decision was made to modernise the 1885 building designed by Pierre Cuypers, and now the date given for the gallery fully reopening is 2013. It does sound like the new-look Rijksmuseum will be worth the wait – the architects are staying faithful to the lovely Cuypers fairytale building, but they are opening it up a bit, adding a couple of new buildings, and modernising visitor facilities, security and climate control for the art works.

As the pint-sized capital of The Netherlands, Amsterdam is not a massive metropolis in the fashion of London or New York – and most of the major attractions are walkable – but nevertheless a hop-on, hop-off tour on an open-top bus is the ideal way to great to know the layout of the city and to pinpoint its treasures.

Across Prinsengracht canal from the Anne Frank house and bordered by the streets Marnixstraat and Rozengracht, and the canal Brouwersgracht, Amsterdam’s Jordaan district is a gorgeous area of narrow streets and gabled houses. Wander the narrow streets – beware of bicycles clanking through! – and explore the shops, cafes and restaurants dotted throughout.

I don’t know about you, but the things that come to mind when I think of Amsterdam are its cafes, de Wallen and Heineken. For whatever reason, I forget that this city is also more widely known for its many canals.

I am positive that people visit Amsterdam because they want to experience its architecture, canals, museums and tulips. Of course, I am also positive that people visit Amsterdam because they want to experience the Red Light District.

I don’t want to pigeonhole anyone, but I think travelers tend to fall in two general groups. There are those who like resorts and buses and walking through historic plazas and then there are those who do their best to go as native as possible in the short time afforded by a trek through a given place. While both groups tend to meet fellow travelers on their journeys, I feel like the Go Native type of folks look for meeting people more than they do seeing monuments. If I had to guess, this latter type is probably found in bars as often as they are in museums.

There are two ways I’d recommend soaking up Amsterdam’s sights–the I AMsterdam city pass or the Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour. The former gets you into 24 museums, and if you pair it with a bike rental, this is a really fun way to see the city. As for the the latter, it’s also fun, and the audio-guide is very informative. Personally, I’d prefer the pass and bicycle route, because while Amsterdam isn’t huge, it’s still big enough to explore multiple times. If you’re a return visitor, buy the pass and rent some wheels; first-timers will be fine with the bus tour.