Museums featuring beer and sex, cafés offering the best ‘leafy greens’ anyone could ask for, and an entire district dedicated to prostitution. And they say Las Vegas is Sin City!
If you are wondering how to get the most out of a weekend in Amsterdam look no further! Here are my suggestions and tips.
Rent a Bike
This was hands down the best choice I made while exploring Amsterdam. You have to hire a bike if you visit this canal-happy city. First and foremost, it is by far the most popular form of transportation by the locals. You will find more bike lanes, bike racks, and bike rentals in Amsterdam, than anywhere else in the world. And I understand why. It is extremely efficient in making your way around the city. And fun! I couldn’t remember the last time I actually hopped on a bicycle {that’s not true, we did so in Bali but that’s an entirely different story involving bikes, sand, and alcohol, and was nowhere near as pleasant an experience}. It was a crisp, lovely afternoon when I hired my bicycle, so I opted to pay for three hours’ worth of riding. And the best part, it was less than $10! I spent most of the afternoon simply exploring the side streets and getting lost within the city limits. It’s the cheapest way to spend a day in a somewhat expensive European city.
Heineken Museum
So as many of you may, or may not know, I am not normally a museum kind of gal. There are the rare exceptions, but I try to steer clear of being indoors looking at ‘art’ for the most part when traveling. I know, I know. How uncultured of you, Rachel. Insert rolling eyes emoji. However, I visited two museums in Amsterdam! And although they may not be accepted in the traditional sense, I still considered it a win on my anti-museum outlook. First and foremost, I took a tour of the Heineken Museum! Yes, that’s right. An entire museum dedicated to beer. How could I not? Being gluten intolerant definitely has its disadvantages, one of them being my inability to consume beer. However, I indulged in the two free beers you receive as part of our tour purchase. Even without the beer it would have been worth the 16 euros. It is an interactive museum with very entertaining features. Buy tickets online beforehand and they will scan your phone upon arrival {or you can of course print them out}. And you get to skip the long ass line!
Sex Museum
The second museum I visited was the Sex Museum in Amsterdam. Was it a bit creepy? Yes. Was it completely uncomfortable? Yes. Was it worth the 4 euro? 100%. Okay, so maybe this museum isn’t for everyone. But hey, the youngest age allowed inside is 6 years old so who knows. More than anything, this museum was hilarious. There were mannequins, displays, and actual talking/moving puppets. You can only imagine… My best piece of advice: don’t take it too seriously!
Visit a Café
Now, this is not your typical café. As most people know, marijuana is legal in Amsterdam. And offered as part of the menu, alongside tea and coffee, in many places. At first glance, you will not be able to distinguish between those offering leafy greens and those sticking to the basics. I have never been interested in smoking. Anything. But my travel companion at the time figured, ‘When in Amsterdam’, and so we found ourselves in a small, dark café. He ordered a joint, I ordered some green tea {just plain, regular ol’ green tea, though it felt fitting to stick to some sort of green theme}. It was an interesting experience to say the least. He seemed to enjoy himself, and I was happily content being sober with my tea. We conversed like you would normally at any given coffee shop. Even if you do not engage in the activities surrounding marijuana, it is worth taking a peek inside a café to see how it operates.
Try the Local Delicacy
Once my travel companion had the munchies {jokes, jokes}, it was time to try an Amsterdam delicacy! Amsterdam is known for their stroopwafel, which is a thinner, crisper version of an ‘American’ waffle. I attempted to do some research and found the best place to try these sweet treats. Lanskroon seemed to be a fan favorite, so we took our bikes and made our way across the city. We got two different flavors, and to be completely honest I hated them both. And I truly mean despised them. This Amsterdam delicacy is by far the sweetest dessert I have ever tasted. It was as if I was loading spoonful’s of sugar directly into my mouth with each bite. I am usually a lover of all things dessert, but I couldn’t handle the stroopwafel guys. Maybe you’ll have better luck? It’s always worth tasting the local cuisine in any given country. But prepare yourself for sugar overload!
I AMsterdam Sign
I made my way to the infamous I AMsterdam sign at the peak of the afternoon. Rookie move, I know. It was so incredibly crowded and nearly impossible to capture a decent photograph. My suggestion would be to arrive extremely early before the mobs of tourists arrive with their selfie sticks and iPhones. You can get some pretty creative shots if you time it correctly. And unlike a museum or event, there is no ‘opening’ or ‘closing’ time to visit the sign. Which means… no excuses!
Anne Frank House
Amidst all of the provocativeness that is Amsterdam, lies the historical Anne Frank house. I was rather upset that I was unable to get tickets to this popular tourist activity. Tickets go on sale two months in advance, but multiple people have highlighted this portion of their trip as being the best thing they partook in during their visit to Amsterdam. Including many of my friends traveling the world last year. From 3:30 PM and until closing time, you are able to wait in line and purchase tickets at the door. The line get crazy long though, so plan to arrive early. This is something I highly recommend you plan in advance in order to guarantee entrance {unlike myself}.
Amsterdam by Night
And finally, you must explore everything on offer once the moon rises above Amsterdam. Okay, maybe not everything. Amsterdam is known around the world for its red light district. It made me quite upset to see women offering themselves to the public in the form of prostitution, but who am I to judge how another human lives their life? Aside from the red light district, there is plenty of shops open late for shopping and an entire amusement park in the city center. I went on some rides and strolled the brightly lit streets, all the while feeling a sense of magic overcoming me. But I swear my green tea was normal that day!
Amsterdam just has a great way of keeping you entertained and playful. It’s hard to take yourself, or anything else, too seriously while in Amsterdam. And I love that.
Have you been to Amsterdam? What was your experience like?