I'm thinking of going to Amsterdam for one week early May. Which places or activities should I absolutely put on my list of things to see and do? Are there any daily excursions worth doing outside the city, for example visiting surrounding cities?
Thanks!
Posted by
St. Louis, MO USA
1976 posts
Hi Josie. With one week in Amsterdam you have a lot of time to explore. It's also important to build in some down time like sitting at a cafe by a canal for an hour or two or wandering the city away from touristy places. I highly recommend the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frankhuis, and Dutch Resistance Museum. For a stereotypical Amsterdam visit, check out the Red-light District, the Damrak, and Dam Square. Pop into a coffeeshop, even if you aren't interested in pot, just for the experience - you can order drinks. (The government is cracking down on foreigners' access to coffeeshops; I'm not sure what the status is now.) Chinatown is worth a stop - there's a big Buddhist temple (He Hwa, I think it's called) that you can go into. Take a canal boat cruise. The Begijnhof is a large enclosed-behind-walls residential courtyard space where nuns lived centuries ago. There's a church in the middle. The courtyard and church are open to visitors. It's a cool place to visit. The only daytrip I've taken from Amsterdam is to The Hague to see the Mauritshuis museum, where they have some fabulous Vermeers (if you're a museum person).
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9110 posts
For a weeks visit you can just about do it all:) The hot ticket in town will be the annual World Press photo show at the Old Church. It's the top show for photojournalism, and the best news photos from 2011 will be on display. http://www.worldpressphoto.org/ Head to this site and plug in your dates: http://www.iamsterdam.com/en/whats-on It will list all the temporary exhibits, concerts and shows during your stay.