Amsterdam - how much time

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A RS Guidebook will also be helpful. Do some research and see what interests you, and then come back with more specific questions. Everyone has different priorities, so we can be more helpful with detailed questions. We don't know your age, group size, travel style, mobility issues, budget, etc.

Enjoy your planning and safe travels!

How much time do you have? I'd try to do 4 nights at least which would give you 3 full days plus your arrival day where you might be tired from the flight.

To me Bruges is too far for a day trip. There are some places nearer that would give you the canal/old house vibe although nothing is really like Bruges, lol. Haarlem and Delft come to mind.

Even on the Eurostar, Amsterdam to Bruges would be closer to 6 hours round trip. I loved Bruges but would NOT recommend it as a daytrip from Amsterdam. You might consider Delf if you are looking for a daytrip to a picturesque historic center.

If you are not interested in any museums, especially any of the ones that require advanced tickets, then 2 full days might be enough to see major landmarks, get a feel for the city, and take a canal boat tour if that appeals.

The Rick Steves and the Lonely Planet guidebooks describe the different neighborhoods and types of accomodations available in Amsterdam.

Are you planning on seeing the Anne Frank House? You say you are not into museums but have you thought about the Dutch Resistance Museum? My point is that you need to take a look at what Amsterdam has to offer and then plan.

Good idea to get to Amsterdam ahead of your cruise departure. Three or four full days (not including jetlagged arrival day) would be enough "to get a feel for the vibe," see various non-museum sights, and take an easy day trip to a nearby city like Haarlem or Delft or Leiden. If you don't want to invest in a guidebook, see if your local library has some you can check out. Also click on "Explore Europe" in the upper left corner of this page and click through to Amsterdam for our host's planning and sightseeing recommendations.

We stayed near Leidseplein and Vondelpark, mostly because of the nearby museums. You might consider the busy central area or more laid-back Jordaan. On another visit (before a cruise) we stayed in Haarlem and made several day trips into Amsterdam -- the advantage was a quieter base, the disadvantage was that each trip into Amsterdam took us into the busy area near the station.

You need at least 3-4 days there.
Just to do the Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum will take 2-3 days.

We stayed at a small BnB near the Anne Frank House called the Hotel Nadia. I cost us $1000 for 7 nights.
Lodgings in Amsterdam are expensive.

We used to end our European trips in Amsterdam and consider it a perfect 3 night city.

I'd strike Bruges from this vacation. Or, I'd greatly extend the vacation if that was a must see, and add in many other towns/cities in Belgium and the Netherlands.

As others have noted, Amsterdam is a place you can spend a lot of time in - both because it has some great stuff to see and do in town, but also because the Netherlands is a relatively small country, and even other cities in the Netherlands are readily accessible as day trips (especially when used to American travel distances).
What to do and see in the Amsterdam really depends on your interests, so reading some guidebooks, blogs, and talking to others will help you focus on what is important to see vs okay to skip.
I usually note that my "process" for travel is ONE big cultural event per day, followed by medium & smaller stuff and/or "free time". So, the Rijksmuseum in the AM (2-3 hours) followed by lunch, lots of walking or riding or idling in a park or taking a canal boat tour. The next day, Anne Frank House (or Van Gogh or a side trip to Corrie ten Boom house or ...anything "big"), followed by a RS walking tour, or a free ferry ride to the other side of town for a ride or a nature tour in the flooded marsh land.

We're headed back in July (sailing out of Rotterdam), and will easily be adding several days just for Amsterdam (we have several dinners already lined up!), and then also days planned outside of Amsterdam or Rotterdam (this may include dipping down to Belgium).
If you KNOW you will be back, then you don't need to spend as much time extra (a shame though). BUT, if you are using it as the ONLY time there or as a TEST, you really ought to book a minimum of 3 extra days to get a mixture of things (longer if only time there). Some love the "city" part of the city (I disliked any parts filled with tourists like the Red Light district). Some love the museums or the architecture or the canal or the parks or the food, but that's always personal. If it's a test run for a later longer trip (when you could include Belgium too), then you don't want to do too little now and get a one-sided view of a truly multi-faceted city (and country). Too little means you might think you had "enough" but you really just had the wrong bits and missed the good bits.

You need three to four full days for Amsterdam.
Forget Bruges. Visit Leiden and Delft, The Hague, instead.

As much as I love Bruges (I got back from my 2nd time there in September), I agree it is too far for a day trip.

I stayed two nights in Amsterdam before starting a cruise in October, 2019. Because our flight didn't get arrive until early evening, we only really had one very full day to see Amsterdam....definitely not enough time. I've been trying to get back to Amsterdam since then, to really have time to appreciate all that there is there. I would try to stay at least three nights at a minimum.

My husband and I stayed at the XO Hotel Park West and really liked the location and the hotel itself. There is a tram line that stops basically in the parking lot of the hotel, and gets you to central Amsterdam in about 22 minutes. I plan on staying there again when I return to Amsterdam.