Amsterdam Things to Do

Amsterdam in spring means flowers; Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse only open for a couple of months a year – in 2013 from March 21 to May 20. Every year seven million bulbs are planted here, forming a psychedelic carpet of flowers, with some 100 varieties of tulip as well as daffodils and hyacinths. The Gardens are xxx from Amsterdam and there is a direct bus from Schiphol Airport Plaza.

It’s the end of a long cold winter and time to get back outside and dance off those winter blues. To do that Amsterdammers will be heading to their iconic music venues Milkveg and Paradiso for 5 Days Off, an electronic music and art festival running from March 6 – 10. The art part is basically to make sure that people do see some daylight hours by providing 5 Days On, a non-music based part of the programming.

With some of the best markets, specialty stores, and boutiques in the world, Amsterdam’s shopping streets are easily explored on foot, from the pedestrianized Nieuwedijk-Kalverstraat to the cobbled side streets, canal-sides, and squares. You’ll find everything from big department stores to specialty stores glittering diamonds, crumbly Gouda cheese, and the famous blue-and-white Delftware.

As the capital of The Netherlands, Amsterdam is its biggest city and home to a hip and multicultural population, with a rainbow of nations all bringing their colorful heritage to town. The result is a vibrant, happening city with plenty of street life and cultural events.

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.

The Van Gogh Museum is one of Amsterdam‘s most popular attractions, flocked by tourists during all day long. But real insiders know that when the sun sets, the Van Gogh Museum really shines. Every Friday night, the museum is open until 10pm and hosts a variety of programming and events for all the late-night art lovers. Rotating DJs, guided exhibition tours, and lectures on contemporary art projects offer a lot for any curious mind.

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.