Amsterdam Things to Do

I’m not the first to say it but really the only way to get around Amsterdam is by bicycle. It’s cheap, the city is flat, and you can go where the mood takes you and see the real Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most interesting cities. On the one hand, it’s got quite a reputation – der Wallen, better known as the Red Light District has certainly made the city notorious, as has the Netherlands’ comparatively lenient policy regarding marijuana. There’s more to Amsterdam than sex and pot, however. In addition to its sex shops and cafes, Amsterdam’s top attractions include some of the top museums in the world, Madame Toussad’s House of Wax and much, much more.

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.

I can’t say enough about Amsterdam city tour cards. These passes are must-haves for world travelers of every stripe. The I Amsterdam card is particularly helpful, because it gets you into 24 different museums for free!

I’m going to cut right to the chase: If you want one of the best Amsterdam travel bargains, there’s a tour package called the Holland in One Day Sightseeing Tour. Especially useful if you’re in Amsterdam for a short time, this tour takes you all over Holland in a day (which isn’t that surprising given that Holland is comparatively small to say, the U.S. or Australia). You’ll get your fill of windmills, clogs and tulips, as well as charming spots such as the miniature town of Madurodam.

Did I mention Amsterdam has tulips and canals and museums? Well, these are probably why you’re visiting Amsterdam in the first place, and if you get a city pass, you’ll get discounted rates on much of the city’s top attractions.

Assuming you are going to Amsterdam for the tulips, you can book a pretty little tour to the tulip fields at Keukenhof Gardens. It’s a good way to fill up your camera’s memory cards with pictures of pleasant, Dutch scenery and millions of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. The tours are either half-day or full-day, and there’s plenty of picnicking areas, as well as several restaurants should you want a bite to eat.