Amsterdam

We had flown in on an overnight flight Wednesday into Thursday. After checking into the hotel and having a nap (we paid for Wednesday night so we could check in right away) we headed out early afternoon to walk around and explore.

Van Gogh museum - We had reservations for the museum at 1:30pm (book these in advance, they sell out and are timed and you cannot sometimes buy tickets as a walk-in). Even if you are not a big art fan, this museum is small and manageable and a really cool way to start your Amsterdam trip. Tip: if you are with children - ask for a children's treasure hunt at the front desk! Our kids loved it.

Canal Cruise - We also had a pre-booked canal cruise for 4pm. We booked this using GetYourGuide.com, there are many different operators and you can see which ones leave from a spot closest to your hotel, or cater to what you want to see or do. It's a great thing to do on your first day to get a unique view of Amsterdam and some history in a fun group atmosphere. I linked the tour we went on, they had beer and wine and snacks. It was a bit chilly, they even had blankets. It's a must do for your Amsterdam trip!

Dinner at The Pantry - For our first dinner I wanted to book an authentic classic Dutch restaurant. I highly recommend The Pantry! It is small and intimate and family run, and you feel the coziness and kind service. The menu is full of authentic dutch delights - we tried pea soup (delicious!), hutspot, salted herring and Poffertjes. There was a line out the door of people waiting, so be sure to book a reservation in advance!

If you are visiting Amsterdam in the Spring (late April to early May) it will be prime tulip season. No visit is complete without a trip out to Keukenhof Gardens, 45 minutes outside of Amsterdam in Lisse.

Again I used GetYourGuide.com to book us a bus ride to and from the gardens plus the entry ticket. We had to take a tram over to This is Holland in the north part of the city on the water to board our 9:30am bus. The gardens were crowded, being the height of their busy tulip season, but worth the visit. We could have stayed for an entire day, but rain came in so we only spent the morning. There were windmills, parks, food trucks, and so many other attractions. Plan for a good half day at least to explore. You will pass some of the tulip fields on the way which was fun to see.

When we got back to This Is Holland it was raining, and we were walking distance from the NEMO Science Museum, so we decided to take the kids there and it ended up being such a great experience! Highly recommend for adults and children alike. Four or more floors of really interesting and interactive exhibits, and the perfect way to spend a rainy day.

If we hadn't been near NEMO Museum we would have spent the afternoon at the Rijksmuseum, but the NEMO was better for the kids.

Dinner was at Trattoria Toto, walking distance from our hotel. Great pasta and pizza!

On Saturday, we decided to get out of the city and explore a little of the Dutch countryside.

We went on a tour again booked through GetYourGuide, and while i loved the towns we visited, the tour group was much too large for me and it was not a great experience. Too many people on a huge coach bus and it was a bit rushed and chaotic. I would recommend touring the countryside on a small group tour, or with a rental car.

We went the quaint villages of Zaanse Schans (windmills!), Edam, Volendam and Marken. All were lovely, although we had terrible cold and windy weather with spurts of downpours, so it was not the most enjoyable day. But these towns were not far outside the city and would make for a great alternative sightseeing day to see a bit of the Dutch country.

Sunday was one of my favorite days. We had breakfast at The Pancake Bakery, which is famous for its Dutch pancakes. Get there a few minutes before they open at 9am as they do not take reservations and it is very popular.

After breakfast we had 10:30am entrance tickets to the Anne Frank House Museum. Please make this a stop on your itinerary if you plan to visit Amsterdam! Securing tickets takes some effort, as they are only released every Tuesday 6 weeks prior to your desired date at 10am Amsterdam time, and they sell out very quickly! I actually set a calendar reminder and alarm for myself to secure tickets for this trip. I was glad I did, it was a highlight for us. Even our children (8 and 10) got something from the experience listening to the children’s audio tour.

After the museum visit we strolled the canals, wandering the beautiful Jordaan neighborhood, the city centre, let the kids pop into a Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum, and had lunch at Foodhallen. Our final dinner of the trip was at The Secret Garden - really cool spot!