Welcome to my travel guide for four days in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
If you’ve been here for quite some time, you might remember when I last spent four days in Amsterdam with my university lecturer and some of my classmates.
That was an experience to say the least and you can read all about that time here.
It was a long-awaited return to Amsterdam in June 2023 as I fell head over heels in love with the city on my first visit. This time, it was with my boyfriend for the same number of days, only we were also there to see Harry Styles in concert.
As with all of my travels, I vlogged the four days which you can find on my YouTube Channel, or you can view below where I’ve linked it to this blog post.
If you have any questions about Amsterdam or any of my recommendations below, don’t hesitate to reach out by commenting on this blog post or on the YouTube video.
Day One: You’ve Just Arrived
You’ve just landed and checked into your hotel room and it’s time for some dinner.
Where to eat
Bhatti Pasal. An incredible Nepalese restaurant that serve delicious momos and noodles. They have two locations, one spot is more of a small walk-in location, and the other (where we dined) was bigger and more formal, for a special occasion.
We had beautiful food, good drinks and the service was great too. I would definitely recommend for one of your evening meals in Amsterdam.
Night cap and dessert
After our Nepalese dinner, we headed for a drink along the canal and some dessert. We found a bar called Cafe ‘e Smalle that had outdoor seating canal-side and that served some apple pie.
I had my first Aperol Spritz of the trip which helped wash down my huge serving of apple pie and cream – delicious.
Day Two: A Full Day of Exploring
Wake up early and attack the full day you have to explore the city.
Grab breakfast at
Bakers & Roasters. An Australian brunch cafe that will probably have a queue outside when you arrive, but you’ll soon see why.
The brunch options are many and incredibly tasty. I had some pulled pork and himself had some salmon and eggs, but we had to have some pancakes to share for dessert as you always need a bit of sweet and savoury when it comes to brunch.
Walk around the different canals
We walked along the market area of Amsterdam, further along the canals and browsing some vintage fashion stores before it was time to hop on our canal cruise in the afternoon.
Take a boat cruise along the canals
Himself booked us on a cheese and wine boat cruisey that took us around the canals of Amsterdam. For someone that doesn’t like cheese, I think he knew what he was up to, keeping all the cheese for himself.
But the wine was flowing, so you could say I was happy drinking a few glasses while taking in the incredible views around the canals from my window.
The boat cruise is something I would definitely recommend as a way to see different parts of the city, a way to relax and also a way to learn some facts from the tour guides.
You can book the tour we took here.
Visit some top tourist attractions in Amsterdam
Once you dock again, you’re very close to some famous tourist attractions and sights in the city. This includes the Sex Museum (I visited here during my first time, somewhat a rite of passage when visiting Amsterdam), Dam Square and the Rubber Duck store.
Browse a few bookstores
I was obsessed with the American Book Center, which I actually went back to on our last day to have a last minute browse and another iced coffee.
This store has a few floors of English books and I picked up Happy Place by Emily Henry in paperback which was a big win as it was only available in hardback in the UK at the time.
I also picked up a tote bag from the store (not that I needed another one) and you can see me model this in the YouTube vlog. The store also has a small cafe on the first floor which would make for such a cosy working spot.
Then next door you also have a place called Athenaeum Boekhandel next door which mostly stocks Dutch books, but there is an English section downstairs. Plus they have a great magazine stand, so very much worth a visit.
Take a stroll around Vondelpark
One of my favourite ways to spend time in Amsterdam is to take a stroll around Vondelpark. Always busy with runners, walkers, cyclists and gym classes, you’ll see an array of activity happening when you visit.
It’s a gorgeous park in the heart of the city centre with water features and lots of grass area to park your bike up, sit on the grass and do some grounding.
Have dinner here
A large food hall in Amsterdam called Foodhallen. Not the most inventive name but it does what it says on the tin.
It was full of people when we arrived, so it was every man for themselves when trying to grab a table.
With sooo many food vendors it was a tricky call to make, but we went a little rogue (not quite) and had a platter of dumplings from Dim Sum Thing. Classic.
Finish the night with Dutch Pancakes
We headed back to our hotel and made one final stop at Dutch Pancake Masters to have something sweet before heading to bed.
They have a large selection of pancake toppings including savoury alongside the typical sweet options. I went for some nutella and banana – my favourite crepe topping.
Day Three: Foodie Tour and A Concert
There was a Dunkin Donuts by our hotel, so himself headed out to bring me a coffee in bed, something of a tradition when we’re in New York, so it was nice to experience it here in Amsterdam too.
Book tickets for Anne Frank’s House Museum
Don’t be silly like us and try and buy them on the day as it seems they are now sold online around six weeks in advance, so you’ll have to be quick on their website to get a ticket.
This is something I’ve always wanted to do, especially after visiting Auschwitz a few weeks previous in Krakow.
But, it only gives me another reason to go back to Amsterdam a third time.
Try some famous pomme frites
Another delicacy from Amsterdam is pomme frites. There’s a great hole-in-the-wall in New York on MacDougal Street that I love, so Amsterdam was going to have some tough competition.
We headed to Vlaams Friteshuis Vleminckx which is one of the most popular spots in the city and I must say, it really didn’t disappoint. We had onions, mayo and curry ketchup on top but I still think the Irish curry sauce I had in New York was better…
Sample some fresh herring
Another famous delicacy of Amsterdam is herring. You’ll see some pop-up shacks dotted around the city but we visited the well-known Frens Haringhandel and ordered the small serving of herring with onions and pickles.
I will say, be careful of the small bones in herring as there are many.
Do some people watching at a bar along the canal
After some tiresome steps and eating our way around the city, we stopped off at Cafe Kramer for a well-deserved Aperol Spritz to get rid of the fishy taste in our mouths.
This was a lovely spot to people-watch, boat-watch and bike-watch and the food didn’t look too bad here either.
Grab a famous Amsterdam Stroopwafel
Another famous eatery in Amsterdam is the overpriced Stroopwafels from Van Wonderen. It’s a magical little store with a queue down the street, but they are quite tasty.
Although a small fortune for the Instagram-worthy dessert.
Then it was a walk past the famous Bulldog Cafe (you can Google this one) and a few slices of pizza before heading to see Mr Harry Styles perform in the Johan Cruyff Arena.
For some incredible concert footage, make sure you check out my YouTube video above.
And to end the night, we took a walk through the Red Light District before heading back to our hotel room for a much needed night of sleep.
Day Four: Your Final Day in Amsterdam
It was our final day with a flight in the evening, so we had the morning to do some further exploring.
Enjoy a final brunch at
Ted’s in Jordaan. Another lovely location along the canal, you can sit outside in the sunshine and take in your final Amsterdam morning.
I had some eggs and salmon, but we ordered a side of waffle fries which were incredible (mostly the siracha mayo sauce) and I would recommend you order.
Do a spot of book shopping
At The Book Exchange which is a small store full of used books and I even managed to pick up one that I’ve been meaning to read for quite a while now.
Soak up the atmosphere before you leave
To end your time in Amsterdam, grab a spot along the canal and sit for an hour, people watching, boat watching and taking in the relaxed atmosphere of the city because I’m sure wherever you’re headed to next won’t be as relaxed as this.
Soak it all up and already picture yourself coming back to this city because it’s one of my favourite places to visit in Europe.
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