Two days in Amsterdam in July -- what to see, eat, do? Itinerary ideas?

Your two days will go by very quickly. Haarlem, beach (Zandvoort) or Zaanse Schanse would each take up an entire day. The Vondelpark is very nice, but it is huge. There are several nice cafes there, Vondelpark 2 and The Blue Teahouse. The mansions on the south side are breath taking.

Beer: De Bradbantse Aap, or any Braun cafe. Lokaal 't Loosje is an old favorite of mine. It is on the Nieuwmarkt on the edge of the Red Light District. A very old part of town. Safe.
If you are in town on a Saturday, stop by the Noordermarkt. It's huge and authentic. Bordered by several cafes.
Gin: you could try Proeflokaal A van Wees.
Wander the 9 streets. Lots of shops and cafes.

Dutch food: Kind of a contradiction in terms, though it's getting better. No pickled herring, no cheese-ok. You should at least try the bitterballen. Deep fried dough balls with mustard. (do not bite into one fresh from the fryer..very hot). And poffertjes, little pancakes. The Dutch are also fond of a split pea soup. I've never tried it.
For meals in general, I'd stick to Indonesian or Thai.
The canal boat trip is definitely worth it. A fun way to see the city. Also, if you want to branch out, take the #12 tram for a ride and watch the centuries go by.
BTW, the Jordaan is probably my favorite area in Amsterdam.

PM me if you have any more questions.

Thank you, Kateja! This is super helpful! I will eat anything, but my husband is a bit picky about food. I would like to give herring a try, if we come across it. We’ll try bitterballen, too!

The mansions in Vondelpark do look lovely! The tram ride sounds like a great way to put our tired feet up for a bit.

I am looking forward to our visit! I do have one question, so I’ll message you later after my workday ends tonight! Thanks so much for the advice!

-Karina

very helpful. question: canal cruise -- day or evening is best? probably a preference, but was curious about your thoughts. we will be there in April. is there a "hop on/hop off" canal ride? I guess I could google it. also, could you expand on "take the 12 and put your feet up"? I am guessing a tram ride in the central part of the city... thx

@karyn — I haven’t bought one of Rick’s books on Amsterdam yet but I have found several canal tours online (viator.com offers lots of tours with reviews). I haven’t yet seen a hop-on/off cruise offered in A’dam.

I read on another thread a suggestion to take one cruise at night at one during the day. I won’t really have that option when I visit in July Because sunset isn’t until 10PM. If I did, I think it would be a great to see the canal lights at night glistening in the water.

Is your trip a short one, as well?

These were replies from my initial post that was mysteriously deleted:

Forget anything outside of Amsterdam, even Haarlem, unless you have a specific reason for going there. You will be doing the Anne Frank house, that in itself takes up a morning or afternoon, leaving you really only time to see the city.

Beer: Get yourself to the Proeflokaal Arendsnest. Smaller bar, right on a Canal near city center. They sell only Dutch beer, having nearly 50 on tap, plus an extensive bottle list, and no Heineken or Amstel in sight. They are exceptional at guiding you and helping you select. Another interesting stop would be the Brouwerij 't IJ, a good microbrewery with the bonus of being under one of the grandest windmills in Amsterdam. Other microbrews are popping up, so closer to your date, you might do a search and pick an interesting one. For Gin, google "best gin bars" pick one, most sell their own, not a great deal of difference, all good.

Food: Dutch food itself is somewhat subdued, ethnic and food of other countries is much more prevalent. Indonesian is excellent in Amsterdam, a Rijsttafel would be a great experience. The Albert Cuyp market is worth a morning stroll, some foods available there, and other places: Stroopwafel; Kibbeling (fried salt cod nuggets); Poffertjes (little donut balls); Fries, maybe better than Belgium, get the oorlog sauce; and Bitterballen. I also always hit up a FEBO, get one of the mystery meat croquettes, probably better after a few beers, trust me, just Google them.

A nice rooftop bar with a spectacular view in Amsterdam is the DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam Centraal Station.
I went to Harlaam and wasn’t wowed by it.
Favorite place to eat was the pancake house next door to the Anne Frank house.

Another rooftop with drinks is on top of the NEMO museum. You can get to the roof without entrance to the museum. There are fountains on a cambered roof. Not full of kids (NEMO is a kids' science museum. My husband and I go straight to the roof deck for drinks while the kids do their thing)

If you have any comfort on a bike, my favorite thing about AMS is renting bikes. It makes the city stand out from others. It can be harrowing but you get the gist fast and then the city opens up to you. You can ride from one end to the other in 15 determined minutes. Ride around Vondelpark. Ride out along the Amstel river for 45 minutes and watch the city quickly fall away and see windmills and sheep (we follow the path on the northeast side. As long as you are hugging the river, you wont get lost. Out and back). Bike rental from Black bike or Mac Bike. F.O.A.M. photography museum is fun

Foodhallen is a fun eatery - a food hall essentially but the food is really good and the scene is fun. Rijstafel is a fun experience. Puri Mas in Leidseplein would be near the Jordaan. Holocaust museum was more meaningful to me than Anne Frank Huis. Albert Cuyp is ok.

If you're only interested in NL beer and going to Vondelpark, the 't IJ taproom/beer garden over there is pretty nice on a July day. Have fun.

Thanks for these suggestions, everyone! I saw "Martine's Table" mentioned on a couple of other threads, so I did book a dinner with Martine and Olav.

I ordered the RS pocket A'dam book and will keep all of your suggestions handy, as well!

Hire a guide to take you bicycling. This would be a great activity on your first day to keep you awake. I was intimidated to rent a bike and ride in Amsterdam so we hired a guide and it was well worth it. Had an great overview of the city and some hidden spots as well. We did stop for a beer!

Look the people cooking Stroopwaffles on sidewalk grills, Two large waffle cookies that have warm caramel sauce between them. Yum!

The best pancakes I’ve tasted were next door to the Anne Frank House. When you’re facing her house it’s on the left. One of the best views in Europe is from the DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam Central Station and take the elevator to the rooftop bar.