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An evening and full day in Amsterdam

Posted by (Alabama) on

I piggy-backed on Texas girl's post but decided to post my own as my issues are a little different. We are ending our river cruise in Amsterdam and overnighting in port. We should get there by 6 on excursion that leaves Hoorn where the boat docks briefly before proceeding to the port in Amsterdam. We will travel through the villages on our way and end with a canal tour of Amsterdam before returning to the boat. We're traveling mid-September.

So if we are willing to forgo dinner on board (the Gala dinner is the night prior) we will have the evening to explore the city. I understand the boats dock behind the train station more or less depending on position.

Next night we have a hotel on Single canal and plane home next morning around 10.

I am hoping we can disembark by early and get to hotel to drop bags and have the rest of the day.

One of our party has Anne Frank Haus as a must see, another the Rijksmuseum. We will get tickets ahead for both. As the AFH is a timed ticket that is a dilemma as it gets more crowded as the day goes on. I would love to get tickets between 9-9:30 if I could count on getting there from the boat on time. Suggestions?

What else to do, see?

Restaurants?

Posted by
7828 posts

It is a great city to just walk bar cafe hop this is enough if you go to the museum. I just got back from there today. However last Friday I went to the Stedeliyk Musuem (modern art) and really enjoyed it. And of course there is the Van Gogh.

About Anne Frank Huis pay attention to the site and get the tickets while you can because your ideal time will be gone in blink. This has happened to me.

There is a native of the Netherlands tomfromlieden on this forum that can give you more advice hopefully restaurants. I usually only eat fritten or fast food drink and go to a buffet in China Town in the Red light district whenever in Amsterdam

Posted by
2487 posts

I have no experience with the Anne Frank Huis (not »Haus«, which is German), but isn't the whole idea of the timed tickets to prevent it getting too crowded? Wouldn't it be much more relaxed to visit the Rijksmuseum in the morning, and try to get tickets for the Anne Frank Huis early afternoon?
I'm also much in favour of a visit to the Jewish Historical Museum, which includes the impressive 17th-century Portuguese synagogue.
A visit to the Netherlands isn't complete without a rijsttafel (literally: rice table) in an Indonesian restaurant, a legacy of the Dutch colonial past. Use the search function (»indonesian restaurant amsterdam«) of this forum to get some suggestions.

Posted by
66 posts

Thanks for the feedback folks. I do have the date the Anne Frank Huis tickets go on sale and will start checking a few days before just in case.

I am guessing that what happens there is that some folks linger longer as the next group comes in and it all begins to pile up. But as I remember when I was there 30+ years ago they do gently nudge you along.

I will definitely check out the Jewish Museum since with whole reason for the trip is that our 94 yo friend has been wanting to take a river cruise for about 5 years. She is a widow and hoped her brother-in-law would go with her. He kept being non-committal about setting a date. So our little dinner group is going. She is Jewish.

Still hope to get restaurant recommendations. Also to convince the others Re: Indonesian rice table.

Posted by
1226 posts

Tomfromleiden has it right: another vote for the Jewish History museum (over Anne Frank Huis imo). And definitely the Rijks, and yes, walking, especially the area from Vondelpark/Rijks to the Jordaan/9 streets (take the street that juts north of the Rijks - can't remember the name, starts with an "S", car free - for a few blocks and then make your way right/west toward the Jordaan). Also, Foodhallen is a fun place to eat at least once...

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