Holland surprised me in the best possible way. I’d visited this charming city once before during a chilly weekend while studying abroad, but it was such a different experience seeing the beauty of the canals of Amsterdam, tulip fields of Keukenhof, and historic streets of Gouda in the warmth of April. We had the most perfect weather (other than a bit of rain the first night) and locals and tourists alike were out enjoying the sunshine.
There never seems to be enough time or days while exploring a new place — or even exploring somewhere a second time– but I definitely got to see the magic of Holland during this trip, and I wouldn’t have changed anything about what we did, or where we went. Enjoy this itinerary, and if you have recommendations for other great places to go in the Netherlands, please share!
Day 1: Amsterdam’s Museum Quarter
Heineken Brewery: Touring Heineken Brewery was the first thing we decided to do in Amsterdam, and I really didn’t know what to expect. But, boy did we choose the right afternoon to do the tour — we were just a few blocks from the entrance when it started to downpour in a passing spring shower. (Though the rest of the week was sunny and warm!) So we ducked inside, soaking wet, and thanks to our pre-purchased tickets (highly recommended!) we went right into the building. The tour starts off with the history of Heineken, and a 22 year old boy who in 1864 had a dream to open a brewery. Heineken grew and grew and now 150 years later is the second largest brewery in the world. You walk through the historic old copper kettles in this beautiful tiled room, and then you enter another room where two Heineken tour guides greet you. After that, the tour goes high tech! There’s a new part of the tour called the Brew You Ride where you essentially go through the process of becoming a bottle of beer through all these simulations and visuals. It was definitely a bit psychedelic but still a really fun feature! And the bar at the end of the tour where you get to try the delicious beer after hearing about it all afternoon is well worth the wait.
Vondelpark: Vondelpark is the equivalent of NYC’s Central Park. And when the sun is shining, hundreds of people are out and about running, having picnics, walking dogs, and enjoying dinner at charming restaurants. It was a bit of beautiful greenery amidst an enchanting little city, and it was so pretty watching the sun set over the rivers and ponds, and having a beautiful dinner at Vondelpark3, a restaurant right in the heart of the bustling park.
Museums & I amsterdam Sign: Unfortunately we didn’t have a chance this time to explore the remarkable museums of Amsterdam — there just wasn’t enough time! But if you do find yourself with an extra afternoon or a rainy morning, an Uber driver told us that if you go to just one museum in Amsterdam, go to the Rijksmuseum — it has a little bit of everything. (Book your tickets in advance!) And if you’re heading to the I amsterdam sign out front of the museums, get there early when the tourists aren’t out and about yet!
Day 2: Amsterdam’s Neighborhoods
Freedam Walking Tour: We went on a great free walking tour around Amsterdam with Freedam Tours. Our instructor Suzanne was a wonderful story teller with lots of laughs and fascinating stories about this iconic city. Like did you know that houseboats didn’t become a thing around Amsterdam until the 70’s? Now you can find them all along the canals! (Talk about waterfront views.) Or that there’s more bikes in Amsterdam than there are people, and some 20,000 bikes are pulled out of the canals every year from being accidentally toppled over?
Red Light District: Amsterdam’s iconic neighborhood was saucy, sexy, and full of history. It’s actually one of the oldest sections of the city, with the beautiful Old Church smack dab in the middle of it. And yes, the church always knew about the goings on in its own backyard. When sailors used to come ashore from their long months at sea, they would head straight for the red light district, first for romance, and then for repentance. But the Dutch have always been business-minded people, so the Old Church decided they would charge the sailors a fee for the forgiveness of their sins, and ever since have tolerated their promiscuous neighbors.
Begijnhof: Begijnhof is a courtyard of serenity amidst the bustling city of beautiful Amsterdam. I couldn’t believe how much it felt as though I was walking into another time as I stumbled across this historic garden space. Begijnhof is a centuries-old sacred community for women who choose to devote their lives to religion, and the courtyard is home to the oldest house in Amsterdam, which is also the last surviving wooden house in the city. It takes your ears a moment to adjust to the near silence, and then your eyes adjust to the beauty of the space and it’s just magical.
Coffee Shops: No, these aren’t cafes. Coffee shops are cannabis stores in Amsterdam, and they can be found scattered throughout the city because of their tolerant governance. Suzanne told us that the police in the city go by the unspoken law that, as long as it’s not hurting anybody, why make a scene out of it? And in fact, The Netherlands is one of the countries with the lowest “hard drug” uses in the world. The best part of the entire tour was when the older woman in front of me asked, “So does Starbucks sell marijuana?”
Canal Houses: Want to know why the houses in the photo above are famously known as the ”drunken houses?” All of Amsterdam is built on swamp land from the Amstel River, so houses were built on wooden stilts dug into the ground that have rotted over time, causing them to lean into one another. The houses are now secured by cement, but the structure will never be straight again! There’s a reason why the canal houses of Amsterdam are notoriously skinny and crooked. Many of these houses were built during the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, when the city was thriving due to the establishment of the East India Company. And when all these houses began being built, the government decided to tax homeowners on the width of their homes. So what did the Dutch do? They made their houses tall, deep, and very narrow. So even though these houses look like there’s barely enough room to stretch your arms out, on the inside, they stretch far back and many even have courtyards hidden behind them.
Dam Square: This square is the heart of the bustling city of Amsterdam. Here you’ll find shopping, restaurants, tours, cafes, museums, you name it! All centered around the picturesque Palace of Amsterdam. It can be a bit crazy with all the people, pigeons, and plenty of bicycles, but the history and beauty of Dam Square is well worth the chaos.
The Jordaan: One of my favorite parts of travel is just getting lost exploring the charm and beauty of new cities. We did just this on a beautiful afternoon, getting lost exploring the quaint streets and canals in the Jordaan neighborhood, known for its quintessential canal houses and charming views. The three most famous canals along the horseshoe shape of Amsterdam are Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht, boasting the most gorgeous and Instagramable views. I highly recommend just wandering aimlessly around these streets, checking out local shops and stroopwaffle bakeries, then finding yourself a cute little cafe on the canal edge for an afternoon latte or Heineken as you sit and watch the world go by.
Anne Frank House: I was fortunate to have gone to the Anne Frank house and museum on my first visit to the city a few years ago. This time though, the tickets were already all booked up a month in advance and the 3-hours long line just wasn’t in the plan on this whirlwind tour. But for your first time in the city, this museum is a must. It’s moving, emotional, and will make you truly appreciate life. It’s an experience you won’t forget.
Those Dam Boat Guys Canal Cruise: Amsterdam is known as the Northern Venice, but actually the city built on the Amstel river has more canals than Italy’s iconic place. Yes, Amsterdam has more canals, and therefore you can’t truly experience the magic of the city without an idyllic boat ride around those picturesque canals. We had a great time with Those Dam Boat Guys. It was a smaller, more personalized tour of the canals where you could BYOB and enjoy cheese and crackers, or any snack you want to bring on board. Because of the small groups, make sure to book your tickets in advance! It was the perfect was to end a long day of exploring the same city streets we could see from the water.
Day 3: The Tulip Fields
Getting to Keukenhoff: We definitely took the long way around of getting to the tuilp fields. We tried taking an uber to a train to a bus and it was jsut a mess. Little did I know there’s a shuttle bus that lease right from Amsterdam Centraal station. I’m not even sure how much it is because we didn’t know when we hopped on the shuttle that we had to buy return tickets in advance, and the driver kindly just waved us on anyways. So, CTA to you, take the shuttle and book your round trip ticket online or at the train station.
Van Dam Bike Rental: We decided to pass up the expensive admission and throng of bus-group tourists at Keukenhof gardens, and decided to take the road less traveled… by bike! We rented bikes from Rent a Bike Van Dam for only $10 for the day and had the best time exploring the hundreds of tulips fields all around Lisse. We even managed to find reindeer roaming the woods along the trails and a beach on the ocean with a delicious lunch. (Just follow the bike path map they provide, and watch for directional signs with the bike rental logo on it to direct you!) It was the perfect way to experience the magic of the famous Holland tulip fields .
Day 4: Gouda
I fell in love with the charming city streets in Gouda in the south of Holland. It’s way more than just the namesake of a yummy cheese (though the Gouda they sell is AMAZING) the whole city is rich with history and centuries of tradition and I couldn’t help getting lost in the beauty of it all. And the best part, it’s an easy ~30 minute train ride right from Central Station in Amsterdam to this charming place.
Cheese Market & Weigh Station: But of course, what Gouda is most famous for is its namesake cheese! Every Thursday, the 700 year old Gouda Cheese Market comes to town, where farmers sell their delicious cheeses to both locals and tourists a like. Sadly we missed the market, but there’s Gouda cheese all around the city, and let me tell you it’s the BEST cheese I’ve ever had in my life! Gouda, I’ll be back for you again someday.
City Hall: All the buildings are from the 15th and 16th centuries, like the city hall (stadhuis) here right in the center of the market which dates back to 1448! The building acted as a town hall up until just 5 years ago when it was converted into a beautiful wedding and event space! (Destination wedding anyone?)
Gouda Cheese: It’s the namesake of this delicious cheese and there’s one charming cheese shop that has every flavor of Gouda you could ever imagine! There’s garlic, truffle, pesto, and even lavender flavors infused into the perfect cheese. And the best part… you get to try every single one of them! The shop is called Gouds Kaashuis and is located right off of the main square behind the beautiful and historic Sint-Janskerk Church.
Gouda’s Windmills: Did you know that windmills in Holland date back to the 1400’s? These iconic Dutch windmills were vital for farmers to drain their lands and pump the water back to rivers after a massive flood in 1287 turned much of the region into swampland. Even today, much of Holland is actually below sea level! Nearly 1,000 of these beautiful buildings are still scattered across The Netherlands for tourists to visit and see just how beautiful they are. Like this windmill house in Gouda, some are now privately owned and many of them have been restored to their former glory.
Where To Stay
We were torn between staying in an Airbnb or hotel on this trip, but we ended up finding an amazing deal on the cutest studio apartment right along the canals of the Jordaan. Our host, Eveline, was so accommodating and lovely, and there was a homemade stroopwaffle bakery across the street which just added to the charm of our little Amsterdam home. If you can find a great deal on a private Airbnb, that’s the way I’d go in Amsterdam. It just adds a little quintessential touch.
Amsterdam, thank you for the most magical 4 days. Have you been to Amsterdam before? Where else would you reccomend? I need to start planning that return visit!
