NL · North Holland · 52.37°N 4.89°E

amsterdam

Canal houses, Dutch masters and market snacks between the bridges.

Best time
April to June and September have good walking weather, and mid-April is peak tulip time in the fields outside the city. July and August are crowded; November to February is damp, chilly and dark early.
How long
3–4 days
Getting there
About 13 hours direct from KL on KLM's overnight flight. Trains from Schiphol reach Amsterdam Centraal in about 15 minutes. The Netherlands is 6 hours behind KL in summer and 7 in winter.
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NL · North Hollandamsterdam52.37°N 4.89°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Canal houses, Dutch masters and market snacks between the bridges.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingAmsterdamNL, North Holland
KLamsterdam
≈ 10,191 km from KL, as the crow flies
AMSTERDAM HOLLAND APRIL 2013

Photo: calflier001 · CC BY-SA 2.0

1 / 5

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Amsterdam's narrow houses lean along canals crossed by more bridges than you'll count. The big museums deserve time, but so do the street markets and a slow walk through the Jordaan.

Makan

  1. StroopwafelTwo thin waffles with warm syrup in between, best fresh from a market stall.Map ↗
  2. HerringRaw, lightly salted herring from a street stall; in Amsterdam it comes cut into pieces with chopped onion and pickles.Map ↗
  3. PoffertjesTiny puffy pancakes with butter and icing sugar.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. The canal ringGabled merchants' houses, humpbacked bridges and houseboats, best seen from a canal boat.Map ↗
  2. RijksmuseumRembrandt's Night Watch, Vermeer and the other Dutch masters in a grand palace of a museum.Map ↗
  3. Anne Frank HouseThe hidden rooms where Anne Frank wrote her diary, kept as they were.Map ↗
  4. JordaanSmall canals, hidden courtyards and neighbourhood cafés, made for wandering.Map ↗
  5. Albert Cuyp marketA long street market in De Pijp, with snack stalls between the everyday shopping.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Anne Frank House tickets are sold online only and go weeks ahead, so book as soon as you have dates.
  • The red lanes are for bikes, and the cyclists won't stop for you.
  • Halal food is easy to find: Turkish and Moroccan places fill De Baarsjes and Bos en Lommer in the west and the streets around the Dappermarkt in the east. Indonesian rijsttafel often includes pork.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.