24 hours in Amsterdam

Most museums close around 6pm. You probably won't reach the city center until 3:30-4pm. So your options are a bit limited. The Anne Frank house is open until 9pm everyday. Other than the evening candlelight canal cruises I'm not aware of any walking tours that late in the day. The city center is very compact and you can easily walk it on your own, the sun won't go down until around 10pm so you will still have plenty of daylight left.

Thank you, Michael. Would it be safe to walk by myself at night? That might be beyond my courage level!

Very safe, Amsterdam is a popular city, lots of other tourists will be around; you won't be alone:) This beautiful neighborhood near the Anne Frank House is only a few minutes walk from Centraal Station: http://g.co/maps/nej6p Since you'll only be around for such a short time the Ibis Hotel connected to Centraal Station would be a good choice for lodging.

Also check out this listing of walking tours there are a few in the evening but they seem to mostly centered around the Red Light District: http://www.amsterdamcitytours.com/walking-tours.html

Thank you! You're great!

Will you be doing any exploring when you are in Italy? Rome, Venice or Florence? If you can do that, you can most certainly explore Amsterdam on your own... Happy planning!!!

you should be able to get into the city by late afternoon, days will be long, so plenty of time to walk around and sightsee. wander along the canals. Also time to see some of the City the next morning before heading to the airport. get a hotel as central as you can as you dont have time for commuting.
I had no concerns wandering around Amsterdam (even red light district in daylight)

Hey, Jane~ Coincidentally, I'm also from Oregon, and am laying over for nearly eight hours in Amsterdam next week. (Enroute to Tallinn) My question was similar to yours about how to be most efficient yet not wanting to rush anything. Canals and perhaps one museum nearby is what I'm gathering, and food for sure. Sounds reassuring... My only uncertainty is that of my one checked bag: will it go all the way through to each final destination without concerning myself with Customs again? I'm, of course, taking a backpack with essentials. Happy trails! jan
pdx

What Michael said....Amsterdam is a popular tourist spot, and a relatively compact city. You definitely will not feel alone walking around in the evening, as there will be people everywhere

You can reserve Anne Frank house tickets online in advance - skip the line (and there was one even at 7 p.m. the night I went). In my opinion it's a don't miss site. You'll probably have to miss my other don't miss sites because they'll be closed. I don't think you need to do a tour to see a lot of Amsterdam. Get Rick's books, there are some good suggested self guided walking tours. I felt safe as a single woman walking around in the main parts of town. Since you're only staying one night, pack a change of clothes and your overnight essentials in your carry on bag, so you don't need to hassle with your big bag for the short visit (assuming they let you check it through during the layover). If they don't check your bag through, there are very easy to use storage lockers in the AMS airport - leave the big stuff there and take little with you into the city. I recommend Hotel Brouwer (http://www.hotelbrouwer.nl/hoteleng.html), an easy walk from the main train station. Reservations are hard to come by especially in the summer, so email right away.

Lots of Oregonians with Amsterdam experience... interesting. Agree with previous posters, esp. about leaving your suitcase at Schiphol. The train to Centraal Station leaves directly from the airport terminal and takes about 20 minutes as I recall. From the train station it's a matter of a few minutes' walk or a short taxi ride to any number of hotels. Straight out the front of the station is Damrak and Spui, major shopping streets. If you bear right, you'll head towards the Jordaan area, with lots of trees, beautiful homes, and cafes. Bear left from Damrak and you'll end up in de Walltjes, the red light district. Even without a formal tour, you can safely walk around the city in the afternoon/evening - as others have mentioned, you will have LOTS of tourist company. Amsterdammers are friendly, helpful, and have fantastic English skills. You'll enjoy yourself!