9 Best Things to do in Amsterdam

I visited Amsterdam in 2018, but we stayed in The Hague. Our visits were mainly during the day so we didn’t go to many restaurants. However, we went to a LOT of museums and I’ll include some museums we didn’t get to visit, but I wanted to :)

1. Anne Frank’s House

   • You’ve got to book this out months in advance. The likelihood of you getting a ticket to visit within 2 months of you visiting is slim. We looked about 3 months out and we still couldn’t get a ticket. For obvious reasons though, you should still try to get a ticket to visit this landmark.

2. Museum of Sex

   • The website states, “A special museum in the field of love with an extensive collection of erotic images, paintings, visual material, objects and much more.” In a city so uninhibited by sexual bounds, it only makes sense to go here :)

3. Amsterdam Cheese Museum

   • After you’ve gotten your fill of erotic images, visit the Amsterdam Cheese Museum to try free Dutch cheeses (anyone like Gouda?!), learn about the history of cheese making, and learn about cheese tasting! Yum!

4. Rijksmuseum

   • Probably the most famous museum in Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum (pronounced like Rikes-museum) is home to art and history and is absolutely massive.

5. Van Gogh Museum

   • An entire museum dedicated to Vincent Van Gogh. 3 floors, all original pieces, all home in the Netherlands.

6. Moco Museum

   • When I visited, the Moco Museum had a Roy Lichenstein and a Banksy exhibit. I went to see the Banksy pieces and it was so neat. Obviously, you want to see a Banksy “in the wild,” but with the increase of tagging on Banksy pieces, it’s becoming impossible. Check which exhibits they have on display when you’re visiting! The building itself is pretty neat.

7. Red Light District

   • A must when visiting Amsterdam. The Red Light District is where legal prostitution takes place and quite a few coffee shops selling marijuana. Do not record the workers, do not take photos of the workers, don’t even bring your phone out.

8. Heineken Brewery

   • I love visiting breweries and distilleries when I travel. The Heineken Brewery was the first I ever visited and it was so fun! It’s a very interactive experience and you finish the tour with 2 Heinekens!

     • BV901 Tip: Do the canal tour add-on. It’s about $8 extra but you go on a canal tour to a rooftop bar after. It’s worth it.

9. Canal Tour

   • If you decide to not do the canal tour add-on at the Heineken Brewery, there are plenty of tours to choose from! They typically cost around $30-40 for an hour-ish tour. They take you all around and tell you some interesting facts about Amsterdam.

Do you have any tips for Amsterdam? Leave them in the comments below!