Getting the most from two nights and a full day in Amsterdam

I don't have any suggestions, but am looking forward to the replies of others as we will have the same amount of time after our river cruise ends in Amsterdam May 2018.

I hope we both get some good suggestions. I do wish I had been able to convince my travel companions to stay at least one more day. I hope to post reviews of what I actually do when I get back in September, so you may want to be on the lookout for that.

Instead of "Dutch food" which isn't great( pea soup, stews etc) try a rijsttafle, from the days when the Dutch controlled Indonesia/East Indies.

Thanks Suki, I had thought of that. What I remember from one I shared with friends in the Hague in the early 1970's is that the spice was so searing hot I could not enjoy it at all. Do you know of a place that will adjust the heat of the spice?

If you want to see the Anne Frank House, you need to book your tickets exactly two months prior to the day of your visit--for a September visit that means in July. The website goes live in the morning Amsterdam time around 8 a.m. or so. Tickets go very fast, so you may need to stay up late in the US and order them at midnight or 1 a.m. local time. I would visit Anne Frank first and then go the the Rijksmuseum, because reserved spots are only offered in the morning to mid-afternoon.

Thanks T. I do know to reserve ahead, which is just a little more than a week away. That is why I am working now on maximizing the one day we have. I know that doing Anne Frank House first makes planning easier, but I do want to have the least crowds at the Rijksmuseum for the Dutch masters and that means as soon as it opens. Still weighing options.

The answer to #1 is to allow the 3 hours (maybe 2 1/2 if it's early Sunday morning) as Schiphol has an extremely rigorous and thorough security process--carry-ons and purses are opened and items examined, some taken out for a second screening and it takes a lot of time. 1/2 hour for a taxi is perfect.

As for weighing your options of Anne Frank vs the Dutch Masters at the Rijks, consider that being IN Anne's house is an experience, a place where something occurred that is worth being a part of and seeing--if it truly matters to you. It was extremely important to me as her diary had a huge impact on me when I first read it at the age of 10. Don't get me wrong, I also love seeing art but it's not the same type of experience. As for ticket timing, if you leave the Rijks for lunch at 12, maybe 1:30-2:30 for Anne. It's an easy bus ride from the Museumplein.

3 hours should allow ample time to explore the Rijks, and there are a couple of restaurants nearby that I really enjoyed in April--Small Talk Café on Van Baerlestraat across from the Stedelijk (table service, full bar) and just across from the Van Gogh is Blushing, sandwiches, salads, pastries, etc.

In response to #2, I've been to the Van Gogh museum on a Friday evening, and I don't recall the band being too loud. The band and the cocktails are all on the first floor, away from the paintings. Once you travel upstairs, I don't remember hearing the band at all, and if you can hear it, I'm sure it will be muffled.

If you do go on Friday, be sure to get your tickets ahead of time - the lines to get in were still very long at around 7pm when we went.

I also vote for rijsttafle. I did not find it all that spicy. I can't recommend a restaurant as we had it in Haarlem.

Thanks so much for the feedback folks. Dawn, good to know you were not disturbed by loud music Friday night at Van Gogh Museum. I have noticed that tickets are still available a day or two ahead, so we can get those while on the cruise with WiFi and phone.

Crista, thanks for the restaurant tips on places near Rijksmuseum. I could not agree more about the Anne Frank House being an experience of where a significant part of history actually took place. I was very moved 45 years ago when I visited as a young woman. I am re-reading the Diary, I wish I could count on making a 9 AM time. There are just too many moving parts; having the taxi on time at the boat, hotel baggage check in going smoothly so that we can be at the doors a little before 9.