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Help me plan 4 days w/Teens in May

Would love your feedback on itinerary plans. Flight arrives early on a Sat. 8:00 am
Must do's are :Anne Frank, Van Gogh Museum, Corrie Ten Boom House
We also love flea market, junktique type souvenirs.
Would love advice on specific places to eat with 4 kids while in each of these areas. (ages 19, 17, 14, 11) Food stalls sound interesting at the street markets?
Hotel is in West Amsterdam (Chasse Hotel). So when we arrive what is best way to get to our hotel to drop our luggage?

Saturday, Day 1: Drop luggage, do a overall city tour. Hop on/hop off? Bus or canal or bike? Would like advice. Visit a Flea Market

Sunday, Day 2: Anne Frank, Jewish Historical Museum. Explore Joordan

Mon, Day 3: train to Haarlem. Corrie Ten Boom house,. Will we see windmills on train ride? Is it worth going over to the beach? Zuid-Kennemerland National Park?

Tues, Day 4: Van Gogh Museum.

Posted by
11507 posts

We just eat anywhere so can’t help there , however I will say be sure to buy Anne Frank’s tickets online ahead of time - as soon as your dates are available for sale - keep checking - they are timed slots and they go fast !

Posted by
307 posts

Would suggest a canal tour
Might consider Zaanse Shans for windmills, maybe a little young for teens, but it is a nice, easy train ride into the countryside with lots of things to do. Might look at the Aalsmeer Flower auction.
Consider a rijstaffel at Blauw or Saba Sebo for a meal.
Can always fill up on American food at the Hard Rock Cafe - a great place for souvenirs!

You can get to your hotel by Uber; however, the trains, buses and trams make navigating easy.
There is a tram stop by your hotel - I would take advantage of this convenience.

Encourage the teens to help with the research, planning and itinerary - let them be an expert - may make the trip more fun for everyone!

Posted by
88 posts

Our friends (mom and 13yoa son) did a combined walk/bike/canal tour (about 3 hours, booked through AirBnB, I think) that they enjoyed very much. We all took an evening Those Dam Boat Guys canal tour that was lots of fun, too.

Posted by
115 posts

We stayed in Haarlem with our two boys. We loved the Corrie TenBoom House tour. Our docent was a child during WWII and she talked about eating tulip bulbs in 45 and my boys were allowed to stand in the actual hiding place. So moving. There is an awesome comic book store called Silvester Strips if your teens would like something like that-we bought a Dutch comic book. In the large market square we ate pickled herring which got a big thumbs up from everyone. Also (us adults) had Jopen Hoppenbier beer (recipe from 1501) which was great. The Grote Kerk ( great church) on the square was surprisingly interesting. I used the RS tour of it. The floor is made of graves and Bach played on the organ. It is only a 10 minute train ride from Haarlem to Zandvoort. We went to the beach because we wanted to “put our toes” in the North Sea and it was our last day and we needed a break from seeing things. However it is not “unique or special” but it can be enjoyable and relaxing. In one day we did the Corrie Ten Boom House first thing in the morning, ate lunch in the great square and then took the train and hung out at the beach and had ice cream. Went back to Haarlem for dinner and ate at De Lachende Javan and had what amounts to Javanese tapas which was delicious and “authentically” Dutch as Indonesia had been one of the Netherlands most important colonies. Have an amazing time!

Posted by
4020 posts

Two of those "kids" are young adults and the others getting close. Your shared experience will be easier for all if they are involved in the advance planning. Researching meals on the Internet would seem a good place to start, with the guideline that the places they choose must be practical for transportation, time, and budget. And the older ones can shepherd the rest to their own attractions if there is eye-rolling at something you alone want to see. I am interfering, I know, but I've had lots of experience travelling in groups and maximizing the flexibility of plans makes everyone happier..

Posted by
40 posts

Thanks Southam,
Actually they have been part of the planning all along. And I've adjusted the itinerary since I first posted this. I think we have a good plan and are excited!

Posted by
888 posts

We're going back to Amsterdam for our 2nd visit this summer.

Definitely do a canal cruise. It's worth it if for no other reason than a chance to see Amsterdam architecture without worrying that you're going to be run over by a bicyclist. In case no one has said, stay out of the bike lanes. They go fast and have zero patience with tourists.

A couple of items we've added to our list this time is a stop for lunch/dinner at the Foodhallen. It's a large food court not too far from the museum district. Also considering the A'dam Tower. There's websites for both of these if you want more info.

For markets, last visit we only made it to the Waterlooplein. Didn't think much of it and hoping to get to Albert Cuyp this time.

Posted by
12 posts

I would not bike with four kids and one or two adults together in amsterdam.
Rent a bike(tour) Haarlem to Zandvoort Beach much better! Drinks and Snack at Zandvoort Beach ok, dinners soso and overpriced!
Haarlem Frans Hals museum I can recommend

Posted by
809 posts

For flea market shopping, I enjoyed the Antiekcentrum on Elandsgracht. Dozens of stalls with a wide range of wares inside a building so it’s a nice stop even in bad weather. A canal tour would be fun; we also enjoyed our walking tour with That Dam Guide. If the weather is good, you could explore Vondelpark and try to get your internal clocks recalibrated to the new time zone.