We arrived in Amsterdam from Brussels. A train ride away. As soon as I walked out of the main station, I was in awe of this beautiful city. Jumped in a taxi and made our way to our hotel. Right then, I smelled it, yes, it. Kush, greens, weed, marijuana. The smell of Amsterdam.
Once inside our hotel, we were told we did not need to wear a mask, it was our choice as there were no mandates, just be sure to wear it on public transportation and in museums and such. On the first day, as with most of our first days, we walked around a little, noting different places and things to do in our neighborhood. We were pretty central and were able to walk to everything. Yes, sometimes 20 mins away but we are used to all this walking already being in Europe. It was easier to walk as the main station, bus routes were still at least 10mins walks from the hotel. Might as well walk the additional 10 mins to get to things. And the walk was always scenic and beautiful.
Be sure to book in advance especially if you are visiting during Covid. We walked to the Van Gogh museum only to be told they were booked out for the day and we HAVE to reserve online as no tickets are being sold at the location. Bummer. So I hopped on my phone and booked for the next day. We decided to regroup and see what else we could get into that day. A few other museums were sold out also.
The kids have never been to Ripley’s so we decided now would be a good time. They absolutely loved it. We had a blast visiting. I am glad we couldn’t visit the museum because otherwise, I would not have gone to Ripley's as it’s not “Amsterdam vacation” enough for me I thought. It just wouldn’t have been on my radar. The children’s museum was completely booked out for our stay, which was a bummer because I am sure the kids would have loved it. Again, book in advance.
This is where we started to get a little chilly. The weather was not hot, not crazy cold, but enough to warrant a jacket. The kids had none so we went shopping. My fave! We ran into Primark and grabbed hoodies for them. Love this store now and have been to a few in Europe since.
A boat ride is a must. We were given earphones as we entered that narrated the journey. Gave us the history of Amsterdam, the buildings and sights we were seeing, and provided calming music for the trip. It was a blast and not at all expensive. It was around $12 for each person.
Food was not as pricy as I thought it would be, but still expensive as it is after all, Europe. We kept our tradition of supermarkets for breakfast. We always scoop out the supermarket that has fresh coffee, fresh baked goods, and head there. We loved the one we found as it had all that, fresh fruit juice, salad, and more to provide us with a filling, delicious and healthy breakfast on a budget. We grab what we need and join other tourists and locals on the side of the building or in the park to devour our feast.
Vondel Park is an amazing green space in the heart of the city. Beautiful park with so much to do, see and even eat. People everywhere relaxing, jogging, biking, dancing, chatting, and having a good ole time. It was beautiful. It is pretty close to the museum district so be sure to stop by when you visit Van Gogh or any other museums in the area.
The Van Gogh museum was amazing. A must-visit to learn more about the artist and man. See his work, his beginnings, his life.
Take the free ferry over to the other side of the city. We went over just to see it, walk around and check it out. You can grab a bite, go up to the top and overlook the city, and more. Just going over to be there was amazing for us. It was a super quick ride, not even 5 mins, and gives you a different view of the amazing city.
The Ruks Museum is another museum we stopped at. Again, we needed to book in advance with a date and time we wanted to visit. The line here is always long, not sure why as you have to have tickets to enter. Rembrandt’s The Nights Watch is here, so you HAVE to visit to see it in person, and was it beautiful. We even saw artists re-creating it live right there before us. The garden here is also amazing. it is free to enter and lounge about. there is also a cafe you can grab a bite. But keep in mind, you will pay premium price.
Amsterdam is a city you should def stop in if you get the chance. So much to do and see. We had a great time.
