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Whirlwind First-Timer's Trip
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My first time in Amsterdam was only three days long, but this is how I spent it!
 Day Note
Day 1 is a travel and preparation day. After checking into the hotel, make sure to walk around Schipol Airport (really!). The airport has its own casino inside it, in addition to an impressive array of shops.
The Sheraton has direct access from the arrival and departure halls by an enclosed walkway. The highway to Amsterdam is nearby. All 408 rooms and suites offer the regular five-star facilities, like tea & coffee making facilities, color television, in-house movies, Internet, videogames, direct-dial telephone with modem and fax connection, 24 hour room service and laundry cleaning service.
Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel & Conference Center
Day Note
Wake up and check out of the hotel as early as possible. When you get off the train in downtown Amsterdam, be sure to pick up your IAmsterdam pass for free museum admission and discounted food and shopping. On the way to the Museumplein, grab a fresh, hot chocolate croissant and a cup of Dutch coffee at one of the many bakeries. Head for the Rijksmuseum first (it opens one half hour before the Van Gogh museum) and enjoy their collection of Rembrandts, armor, and other historic Dutch art and objects. Don't spend too much time here, as you need to cross the Museumplein and get in line for the Van Gogh Museum. By now it should be lunchtime, so enjoy walking the Museumplein and find a bite to eat. This is also a great area for high-end boutique shopping.
After such hard work walking through the museums, jump on the tram to take you to the Heineken Museum. Three beers and a wild ride later, you should be ready for dinner (if not, there's a charming Irish pub kiddy-corner to the museum). Head over to Claes Claesz for a traditional Dutch dinner: bitterballen, split pea soup, some serious meat, and big beers. Grab a nightcap at In de Wildemann, a fantastic pub with a true conoisseur's beer selection. Have fun people-watching on the walk home, as the Park Plaza Victoria is only a block from the Red Light District.
The best beer cafe in Amsterdam? Quite likely. This bar is housed in an old distillery just off the Nieuwezijds Kolk. The translation of Wildeman is the wild man. This place is beer. It doesn't play any music and it even has a no-smoking zone. It all looks very authentic and the decor speaks of beer. The clientele consists of beer lovers who come from all over the world. If you're one, you should join them. About 18 draught beers are available at any given time, along with somewhere around 150 bottled beers. Of course, the beers are changed regularly to avoid boredom and there are special theme-weeks in which certain beers are celebrated for their contribution to the beer-drinking community.
Anyone wanting to try Dutch cuisine in a cosy atmosphere should visit Claes Claesz. The restaurant is located in a historic building, built around 1600 as an orphanage by the cloth-trader Claes Claesz Anslo. In the restaurant you'll discover a special combination of original Dutch cuisine and its modern counterpart. Dishes of high quality, prepared in a classic way, are served in a relaxed atmosphere. On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays live music provides a slightly different ambiance. Sundays find the restaurant organising special music and theatre dinners.
The world-famous Heineken company was founded in 1864 and opened its brewery just across the Stadhouderskade from the City Centre shortly after. Heineken now owns more than 130 breweries in more than 65 countries and has a portfolio of over 170 different beers, but it is still under the control of the Heineken family and uses the same beer recipe it used in 1864. The most famous of the Heinekens was Alfred or “Freddy” Heineken, who worked for the company—eventually as President and Chairman of the Board—from 1941 to 1989. During this time, he transformed Heineken from a local beer into the international brand known worldwide today, starting the company’s first advertising campaigns, creating the modern green bottle and logo, and taking over the company’s largest competitor, Amstel Beer. However, Freddy Heineken is most famous for being the target of a successful kidnap in 1983 (he and his kidnapped driver were both released after three weeks). This building was used as a brewery until 1988. Now it is the home of a popular self-guided tour of the company’s history, brewing methods, and branding. This tour is aided by many interactive technology features and games and three free beers and a gift upon exit.
As if the name isn't self explanatory (despite being in Dutch), Museumplein is home to a number of Amsterdam's biggest and most important museums. The Rijksmuseum, the Netherland's national and biggest museum has been undergoing a huge renovation, but still has a exhibit of masterpieces available. The Stedelijk is the place to go for modern art, while the Van Gogh Museum caters to a more specific crowd. The area also encompasses a variety of shopping opportunities as well as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
The Rijksmuseum is the centerpiece of Amsterdam’s Museumplein (or Museum Square, since “plein” is the Dutch word for “square”). The home of some of the country’s most famous paintings, the museum has been reduced to a few rooms forming a “greatest hits” collection, as its been under construction since 2003 and continues to be so indefinitely. Because of the constant delays in re-opening the museum, a group of squatters took over a section of the museum in 2007, making a political statement on the importance of maintaining such important national buildings. The Rijksmuseum is where you can find Rembrandt’s most famous work, the Night Watch.
Located next to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam’s Museumplein, the Van Gogh Museum has all of Van Gogh’s greatest hits. Well organized chronologically and containing information about the artists personal life, the museum is easy to take in and an informative visit. Walking distance from the Vondelpark and Albert Cuypmarkt, a visit to the museum is perfectly combined with a trip to the market and a picnic at the park, or at the adjoining Museumplein. Not only limited to Van Gogh’s works, the museum also houses various temporary exhibitions.
The Victoria Hotel Amsterdam is uniquely situated in the heart of Amsterdam, just opposite the Central Station. All 305 rooms offer the regular four star facilities. Also, the hotel contains a beauty salon.
Heineken Brouwerij
Day Note
This is another early morning, as you'll want to be in line for the Anne Frank Huis at least half an hour before it opens. After this stirring experience, head over to the Jordaan for a hearty brunch at the tiny Pancakes! where you'll enjoy traditional Dutch pancakes with nontraditional toppings: I loved the pancake with spinach, goat cheese, pine nuts, and garlic oil.
Pancakes! brings you right into the heart of De Negen Straatjes (the nine streets). These nine alleys house some of the best boutiques in the city. Expect one-of-a-kind jewelry, European designers, gourmet butcher and cheese shops, and steep prices. Be sure to talk to the shop owners, as they are an interesting bunch and know a great deal about the city.
After shopping, head to Amsterdams Historisch Museum where you'll learn quite an impressive amount about Amsterdam's history and its role in the world. On the walk back to the hotel to change for dinner, make a pit stop photo op at the Oude Kerk, the oldest church in the city.
Amsterdam is known for its global cuisine, especially Indonesian. Make sure to order the Rijstaffel (rice table) at Sama Sebo; rijstaffel is an Amsterdam phenomenon which equates to a huge Indonesian tasting menu. Continue your Amsterdam History Education at the Hemp and Marijuana Museum, where you will actually learn a great deal about the plant's history in Amsterdam and abroad. Since it's your last night in Amsterdam, make a point of walking through the Red Light District just to say that you did. Pop into one of the many pubs for a night cap before heading to your room to pack!
Amsterdam’s oldest church, it is no longer active but serves as a centre for art exhibitions. The famous World Press Photography exhibition starts its world-wide tour at the Oude Kerk each year in June, while during periods of no exhibitions, the impressive church is worth a visit on its own. If the Old Church isn’t inspiring enough, right next to it is the Old Church Coffeeshop, a place where you can sit and take in all of the city’s contrasts. In front of the church you will also find Belle, a small statue that is the first to be dedicated to sex workers around the world.
Many visitors to Amsterdam who truly enjoy shopping find the Kalverstraat and the tourist shops, but often miss Amsterdam's favorite place to shop: the nine little streets. Tucked into the canal belt just below the Anne Frank House, these blocks offer fun and authentic shopping, Amsterdam style. Whether you are looking for a shop offering second hand clothes and incense or selling designer bags and china, you will find it all among the shops in this district. Complete with a selection of cafes, restaurants and bar, this central shopping district is an often-missed Amsterdam gem.
Good Indonesian cuisine outside of Indonesia is hard to find, but at this prime restaurant, you won't walk away disappointed. The chef is famous for his delicious rice dishes, and a master at everything else. Try the traditional Daging Rending (beef in spicy coconut sauce), which is probably the best in town. The refreshing tropical desserts nicely clear the palate. There is a small terrace for open-air dining when the weather is fine. For shopaholics, the restaurant is located on the beautiful P.C. Hoofstraat shopping street.
Quite possibly Amsterdam’s most defining feature, the Red Light District is the place to see some truly unique things. If prostitutes in windows aren’t enough, you can also find an Erotic Museum, which takes you through the history of prostitution, the Hash Marijuana and Hemp Museum, which tells you all you need to know about weed, and the Banana Bar, a bar where waitresses are highly skilled in the various ways of eating a banana. If you want to learn more about prostitution in the Netherlands, visit the Prostitute Information Centre, located next to the Oude Kerk. If this doesn’t excite you, the Warmoestraat, which runs along the Red Light District, is full of coffeeshops, bars, hostels and gay S&M clubs. Walking through the Red Light District today you may notice that some windows contain out of place fashion exhibitions. This is a result of the city’s efforts to “clean up” the streets.
The house of Anne Frank is the city’s most visited tourist attraction. When the German’s arrested the Frank’s, they also confiscated the family’s personal belongings, and the house remains empty to this day to accommodate the thousands of visitors walking through it on a daily basis. Located on the Prinsengracht only a few houses away from the Westerkerk, you can hear the same bells that were so vividly described by Anne in her diary. Next to the church you can also find the city’s famous Homomonument; a monument dedicated to gay pride.
The Hash Marihuana Hemp Museum in Amsterdam was opened in 1985. Since then, it has drawn almost one million visitors from around the world. It is located in the heart of the infamous Red-Light District. The exhibits are completely dedicated to the cannabis plant and its diverse uses and fascinating history. Whether you are a smoker or not, a visit here will be insightful and enriching. Free admission for children under 13 yrs.
Pancakes!
Cuisine: American, Central European
When you visit Amsterdam, you must simply visit one of the city's many pancake houses and discover of the possibilities for pancakes that we ignore stateside (pancakes are a dinner meal in this city, by the way). When you are tired of the traditional Dutch pancake houses, there's Pancakes! The offbeat menu fits the nature of its '9 little streets' location and offers pancakes themed on different countries around the world. For homesick Americans, they even offer a fluffy American variety with real maple syrup--but visitors to the city should take advantage of the more adventurous options on the menu. While the decor is a bit plain and the restaurant closes a bit early, this is truly a place that is about the food.
Here you can stroll through Amsterdam’s exciting and often controversial history to learn how it became the city it is today. This complex of buildings developed in the 16th and 17th centuries as the city’s civil orphanage. In 1960, the orphanage closed and the buildings were reopened in 1975 as the Amsterdams Historisch Museum. The museum combines art, artifacts, and information to guide visitors chronologically through Amsterdam’s history from its start as a muddy village up to its life today and plans for the future, complemented by technological aids such as interactive maps, and often supplemented by additional temporary exhibitions. Visitors to the museum won’t want to miss the relics of the “Miracle of Amsterdam,” Cornelis Anthonisz’s Birds-Eye View of Amsterdam, Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Jan Deijman, and the playable carillon (Dutch church tower) bells.
A tour through this museum is easily combined with a trip to one of Amsterdam’s other top historical sights: the Begijnhof, located next door. If you are looking to follow up your visit with lighter fare, the museum is also bordered by the busy Kalverstraat shopping area. Those who don’t want to purchase a museum ticket can still enjoy three free areas within the complex: the former Governors’ Room (meeting place of the governors of the orphanage) just inside the entrance, an exhibit in the courtyard next to the museum café on the former orphanage, and a hallway connecting the museum entrance courtyard with the Begijnhof area which features portraits of the city’s former militia companies and charity governors.
Red Light District
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