The City That Does Everything on Two Wheels
Amsterdam is one of those cities that sounds like a cliche until you actually go. The canals are genuinely beautiful. The bikes are genuinely everywhere — more bikes than people, more bikes than cars, more bikes than you thought possible in any city. And the food scene has gotten serious in a way that guidebooks have not caught up with yet.
We went in spring 2025 and spent four days. That is the right amount. Long enough to get past the tourist checklist and actually explore neighborhoods. Short enough that you leave wanting to come back.
Getting Around
Do not rent a bike on your first day unless you are comfortable cycling in traffic. The Dutch cycle fast, with confidence, and follow rules that are invisible to outsiders. Watch for a day and then rent one. GVB public transit covers everything else — the tram network is efficient and cheap with an OV-chipkaart loaded at any station.
Neighborhoods Worth Your Time
The Jordaan is the prettiest neighborhood in the city and also the most expensive. Go for coffee and a walk, not for bargains. De Pijp is where locals actually eat — the Albert Cuyp market on weekday mornings is one of the best food markets in Europe. Noord across the IJ ferry (free, two minutes) is the creative district: warehouses converted into studios, the NDSM shipyard, and Pllek beach bar on the water.
What to Eat
Stroopwafels from a market stall, not a tourist shop. Bitterballen at any brown cafe. Raw herring with onion from a street cart — this is the one food that divides people, but if you eat it the Dutch way (holding it by the tail over your head, lowering it into your mouth) at least you will have a story. Indonesian rijsttafel at one of the many Indonesian restaurants in the city — the colonial history between the Netherlands and Indonesia means this food has been perfected over generations.
Practical Tips
- Book the Anne Frank House weeks in advance. It sells out. There are no walk-in tickets.
- The Rijksmuseum takes three hours minimum. The Night Watch alone is worth the ticket but do not rush the Dutch Golden Age rooms.
- Avoid the Red Light District after 10pm on weekends. It is a traffic jam of bachelor parties. Go during the day if you want to actually see the architecture.
- The canal ring is a UNESCO site. The best way to see it is on a boat, and several companies do evening cruises with wine that are genuinely pleasant.
Related Reading
Amsterdam in Spring 2025: What Was Different
Amsterdam in 2025 was mid-transformation. The city had been aggressively pushing back against overtourism — the famous “Stay Away” campaign launched in 2023 was still running, and new rules meant no more guided tours through the Red Light District. Cannabis coffeeshops were discussing a locals-only policy (not yet enforced when we visited, but the conversation was loud).
The Noord district across the IJ river had fully arrived by spring 2025. What was an industrial wasteland five years earlier now had some of the best restaurants in the city. The A’DAM Tower observation deck, the NDSM Wharf with its container restaurants, and the street art scene all felt like discovering a completely different city from the canal belt tourists.
Keukenhof was celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2025 with an expanded garden layout and over 7 million bulbs planted — the most in its history. The tulip fields between Lisse and Hillegom peak for only about two weeks in mid-April, and we hit them almost perfectly. The fields do not stay forever — they are commercial crops, so the farmers cut the flower heads off after peak bloom to force energy back into the bulbs. Miss the window and you see headless stems.
We visited the Rijksmuseum right after they completed the restoration of the Gallery of Honour floor — the original 19th-century encaustic tiles had been painstakingly cleaned for the first time in decades, and the difference in how the natural light bounced off the floor changed the way Rembrandt’s Night Watch looked from certain angles. A museum guard told us that even staff who had worked there for years noticed the difference.
Gear and Guides We Recommend
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- Lonely Planet Netherlands – Solid coverage of Amsterdam and day trips.
- Osprey Farpoint 40 Travel Backpack – Carry-on friendly for a long weekend city trip.
- Anker Nano Power Bank – For all-day exploring without hunting for outlets.
- eSIM International Data – Works across Europe without a local SIM.