Day 1: Amsterdam

Tips:

• Walking and cycling are predominately the two primary ways to travel around the city, but trams are convenient and fast if you get tired legs!
• The cheapest way to travel from Schipnol International Airport is by bus 197, which takes you into the city centre and runs frequent schedules.
• For visits to the Anne Frank House, all visitors need to purchase an online ticket with a time slot in advance (due to renewal work until 1st May 2018).
• Weather is very similar to the UK – but it’s a city you can explore come rain or shine, just be prepared to bring your brolly!

Day 1: Exploring Amsterdam

Now is the perfect time to spend a couple of days in Amsterdam, as the city has never been cooler – it’s ridiculously charming, unbelievable clean and extremely welcoming!

After checking in to your hotel, it’s time to dash outside and begin exploring….

Morning: Canal Cruise

The canals in Amsterdam have been granted a UNESCO world heritage title because of their historical status. With over 165 canals, touring the city by water is one of the most memorable ways to find your bearings and begin your trip. I think a visit to Amsterdam isn’t complete without a ride on the canal, you normally don’t need to prebook.

Most canal cruises take around an hour to circle the canal ring and travel your way under the city’s bridges. There are a large selection of guided boat tours and hop-on-hop-off cruises from various points of departure. A good departure point located in the city centre is Lovers Canal Cruises from Leligracht 51 (next to Anne Frank House).

Café Winkle 43

Address: Noordermarkt 43, 1015 NA Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Ask any local in Amsterdam where to find the best Dutch apple pie and chances are they will say Winkle. The homemade apple pie here is renowned in the city and serving this staple treat since 1983, it’s become the go-to-spot for the best apple pie in Amsterdam!

Expect to queue as word has spread, and this is now a very popular place for locals and tourists alike. The eat-in service is speedy, with staff slicing and dishing out apple pie against their clock, so that there’s no hanging about. Served with whipped cream, it’s the best way to take a break, grab a coffee and indulge in this do-not-miss Dutch sweet treat!

Early afternoon: Exploring Jordaan

The Jordaan district is one of the best loved neighbourhoods in the city and would certainly win the “best personality” competition. With narrow streets, flower-lined canals, quaint shops and artists’ studios is exemplifies the Dutch way of life.

Jordaan is clustered between the four canals of Prinsengracht, Lijinbaansgracht, Passeerdersgracht and Brouwersgracht, on the Western side of the city’s canal ring. You can walk there from the central train station, or if you don’t feel like walking the neighbourhood is easy to reach by trams 13, 14 and 17.

You can devote the afternoon to wondering the neighbourhood’s picturesque canals. Look out for the houseboat museum (to find out what it’s like to live in a houseboat), Het Grachtenhuis “Canal House” (to better understand how Amsterdams waterways became an integral part of city planning) and be prepared to stumble upon unique shops selling items that you won’t find elsewhere, like this place called Juffrouw Splinter.

 

The Negen Straatjes

“The Nine Streets” is an area near Jordaan with lots of quaint, quirky and fashionable shops, making it a great place to do some window shopping and leisurely wandering.

It’s called the Nine Streets because it is made up of three parallel avenues which are broken up by the Keizersgracht and Herengracht canals, making nine small sections.

Here you’ll find vintage fashions, home and speciality stores. It’s also a trendy shopping area with lots of cool fashion and accessories boutiques like Scotch & Soda, Denham and Samsøe & Samsøe, and for gifts you’ll be charmed by these quirky bath ducks!

Late afternoon: Amsterdam Cheese Museum

Address: Prinsengracht 112, 1015 EA Amsterdam, Netherlands

Prepare yourself for the strong whiff of this local museum, which is a great place to sample and buy Dutch cheese. The downstairs museum has free admission where you are introduced to the history, production, and extraordinary variety of Dutch cheese.

Upstairs is a shop for cheese lovers, with reasonable prices and the chance to sample everything they sell. They will vacuum seal any cheese, so you can bring it home on the plane – making it impossible not to purchase a block or two!

Cheese has been a passion in Netherlands for over 600 years now and different varieties of cheese are often named after its different cities. Sampling the different assortments of Dutch specialty cheeses was the best part of this experience!

Early evening: Anne Frank House

Address: Prinsengracht 267, 1016 GV Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The Anne Frank House is the 3rd most visited museum in the Netherlands, after the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, so because it’s popular I recommend visiting early evening (it closes on Saturday’s at 10pm and during the week at 8pm).

If you can before you go, re-read or read “The Diary of a Young Girl” as this will make your visit so much more real because it adds perspective to the guide through the house.

Important: Visiting the Anne Frank House is currently (until May 2018) only possible by buying tickets online in advance, which you’ll also need to do in advance to your visit!

 

It’s best not to take backpacks or big bags into the tour, as the house is very small with narrow staircases and tight turnings. It can feel cramped and crowded on the tour if it’s busy, so it’s best to take your time when walking around and remember that eight people lived here and never left the confines of the tiny space for over two full years!

You’re not allowed to take pictures inside because the experience is incredibly emotional and harrowing. At the end of the tour you’ll watch a film where friends and family talk about Anne and her life – bring the tissues as this is when the emotional impact kicks in!

Suggested duration: 1-2 hours

Evening: Restaurant Moeders

Address: Rozengracht 251, 1016 SX Amsterdam, The Netherlands

When “Mothers” restaurant opened over 25 years ago, staff asked customers to bring their own plates and photos of their mothers as donations. This is one of the reasons that I love this restaurant – today there’s a delightful hotchpotch celebration hanging on the walls. It’s one of the city’s best kept secrets, on the cusp of the Jordaan area.

They say that a mothers home cooking is always best and here they serve only the most traditional, comforting Dutch dishes. Some much-loved recommendations are the authentic “stampot” (potatoes mashed with veggies and smoked sausage, which also comes as a vegetarian dish) or the “suddervlees” the traditional “granny’s stew”.

Tip: I would recommend making a reservation before here

You’ll leave wanting to ring your own mother, with a new appreciation of love. The BYO photo concept still applies, so if you have a photo of your mother and want to share it, bring it all, as even if they struggle to find room for it, they will proudly display it!

After dinner tipple: Café De Prins

Address: Prinsengracht 124, 1015 EA Amsterdam, Netherlands

Full with warmth and comfort, a short walk from Moeders and you’ll reach one of the most beautiful stretches of Prinsengracht. Back opposite the Westerkerk (Western Church), which Anne Frank writes about. Open until 1/2am this elegant canal house and former coffee shop it’s remained typical of it’s “brown café” roots as a cosy, authentic place to enjoy a digestif before either taking a walk through the notorious red light district for an intriguing stroll or heading back for comfortable nightcap at the hotel.