My now husband and I took a trip to the Netherlands in 2019 as fresh college grads. We made the most of our time walking the city, navigating public transport, and seeing the historical sites. Find our itinerary below!
Day 1: Arrival and exploring
On our first day in Amsterdam, we took things slow. After arriving around 11 AM, we were able to check in early to our Airbnb. We then took a train into the city to wander around. One mistake we did make was taking a river cruise- which proved to be a little too relaxing as we both may have dozed off a few times. After a long day of travel and wandering in the city, we headed back to our Airbnb to get some rest before a full day of activities the next day.
Day 2: Museums, Arboretum, and Ballet
On day two we decided to tackle all the amazing museums that Amsterdam has to offer. We started at Rijksmuseum, which is the national museum of the Netherlands. The museum is packed with notable works, but most famously houses “The Night Watch” by Rembrandt. We took about 2.5 hours to go through the museum, but if you want to read more about the art you could easily spend 4-5 hours perusing the halls. We highly recommend purchasing tickets online beforehand to avoid waiting in line.
Next, we headed to the ARTIS, which is Amsterdam’s public zoo. We spent about an hour wandering here. I would say this is a skippable stop, unless you are travelling with children.
After the Zoo, we took a quick 10 minute walk to Hortus Botanicus. I absolutely loved checking out this botanical garden- and found out it is actually one of the world’s oldest. You will find locals hanging out, reading, and working throughout the gardens. We also saw a large heron bathing in one of the water features which was cool. The cactus portion of the gardens alone is worth a stop in, it’s gorgeous!
Our last activity on day 2 was a stop to see the Dutch National Ballet. When we were visiting, the company was performing Swan Lake. I would highly recommend seeing them perform if you have a chance!
Day 3: Muiderslot Castle and Heineken Brewery
On day 3 we headed southeast to Muiderslot Castle. This castle is located along the Vecht river and is now a museum showcasing what it likely looked like in the 17th century. We enjoyed exploring not only the castle, but also the surrounding gardens. I even got to hold an owl, which was such a neat experience. I would highly recommend spending a half day exploring the area.
That afternoon, we headed back to Amsterdam to tour the Heineken Brewery. This is probably one of our favorite brewery tours we’ve been on. They did a great job of covering the history of the brewery, show the process of beer making, and had plenty of samples along the way. I definitely recommend visiting, even if you are not the biggest Heineken drinker, simply because the experience was so fun!
Day 4: Zaanse Schans Village
On day four we took a ride to Zaanse Schans, a neighborhood located about 20 minutes north of Amsterdam. Zaanse Schans is filled with historic windmills and houses to recreate what a 18th century village may have looked like. You can explore inside the windmills, see demonstrations of wooden clog carving, barrel making, and pewter casting. It was a quaint village that wasn’t terribly busy and made for a relaxed day of exploring!
Day 5: Anne Frank House and Cat Boat
Day five was our favorite! We started the day off with a tour of the Anne Frank House. This was probably my favorite part of the entire trip. Walking through the house and seeing what it was like to be in hiding during WW2 was so surreal. You get to see the hidden entrance behind the bookcase, climb up into the area where the Franks and their friends lived in hiding for two years in the hidden annex. It was such a powerful experience to take in. The museum does not allow photos, which I think also let you pay closer attention to all the details throughout the rooms. I did snag a photo in the gift shop of all the different translations of Anne Frank’s diary.
Next we headed to De Poezenboot: the cat boat! This was a fun, quick activity. De Poezenboot is a cat sanctuary located in a house boat. The cats are adoptable, but you can also provide a small donation to go in and pet them for a few minutes. It was fun to see the cats lounging, and was the only time we actually stepped onto a house boat during our trip. It was neat to have a small picture of what living on a house boat might be like. I would definitely recommend stopping in if you are in the neighborhood!
Day 6: Head home!
On day six we headed back to Amsterdam Schipol to head back to the US. It was a great quick trip to the Netherlands which left us inspired to return someday and explore more of this beautiful country!
I would highly recommend also checking out the below blog post to get more inspiration for your trip to Amsterdam from a local:
Abby Travels 