Two of us (early 60s), reasonably seasoned travelers, visiting Amsterdam the first two weeks of September. Staying at the RS recommended Wildervanck B & B in the south canal district.
What's on in Amsterdam at that time? What's the weather likely to be? Would be interested to hear about your favorite experiences while visiting Amsterdam.
Would be interested to hear about your favorite experiences while visiting Amsterdam.
Two weeks in a city gives you a very nice chunk of time to hit the majority of "must/should sees". It also, being the Netherlands, affords you the option of time in the surrounding areas with day trips including many other cities and cultural areas.
Are you planning to stick solely to Amsterdam or are you also planning to branch out a bit beyond the city. That will greatly affect recommendations and the "must/should see" suggestions.
We are open to suggestions re: day trips.
Evening boat tour with Those Dam Boat Guys. We were there in mid-September, and we definitely needed our puffer jackets in the boat.
I'm going back in March and looking forward to the Eye Film Museum, the Resistance Museum and its "podwalk," which is an audio tour of resistance sites, and Sam&Julia, which is a shop but also kind of a mouse museum(?). I'm also planning to go out for rijstaffel.
Matt, regarding day trips, I'd recommend Delft and Leiden. Both are interesting cities, great history, lively and easy to get to from Amsterdam by train.
There's a lot of other day trips that I'm sure would be worthwhile, but those are two in particular that we enjoyed a great deal on our trip from last June.
There are no major events during that time, but maybe some niche things going on. I did see a 10k run and a swim event, there are some music festivals (Jordaan Festival, Amsterdam Fringe Fest), Sep.14 and 15 there are some museums and government buildings that are open for entrance free, but overall it seems like there are lots of small things going on if you have an interest.
The weather can range from cool, maybe a bit rainy, to warm. I bring a light fleece and a rain shell for that type of weather, maybe a few layers.
If you are interested in craft beer, I can help with that in another post, same if you want to taste some of the local Jenever (gin like liquor)
There are lots of towns within easy distance from Amsterdam; Haarlem, Leiden, Delft, Den Haag, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Alkmaar...just to start. They all have museums, botanical gardens, canals, parks...depends on your interests which are best.
Trains are a breeze to use, simply use your credit card or phone to tap in and out, download the app to help figure out the best train for where you want to go.
Hopefully my 2024 Trip Report can have some helpful info. I can't wait to return. Enjoy!
