A weekend trip to the city of Red Lights, ~funky~ plants, and FAST MOVING bikes. Check out our itinerary of good (some bad) eats, breweries, and stumbled upon sights.
GETTING TO AMSTERDAM
There is a large Central Station that connects to many other European cities. We came from Paris' Gare du Nord.
WHERE TO STAY
The BOTEL!! This step up from a hostel- hotel is located at the NDSM Wharf which can be accessed through the free ferry that runs to and from Central Station until late hours. The Botel was cost efficient with basic rooms, a bar, rooftop access, and a place to store your luggage upon check-in/check-out!
CANAL TOUR
You must go on a canal tour while you're in Amsterdam and you must do it with Those Dam Boat Guys and Gideon must be your guide (I’m sure any of the guides are great but seriously we love Gideon)
-This tour was super personal, funny yet still informative, and BYOB/any substance
-90 mins
ANNE FRANK HOUSE
We unfortunately didn't have time to go inside but I would love to go back and take a tour. If you plan on going inside, I recommend buying tickets ASAP as it is always crowded.
CHEESE MUSEUM
Right across from the Anne Frank house, there's a small shop featuring a variety of cheeses to sample and buy. Although Johnny claimed not to enjoy cheese, I think he tried every single type and we settled on Italian as our fav.
RED LIGHT DISTRICT
Definitely a place to walk through although be prepared to see many women in windows and men walking out of the doors either awaiting a pat on the back from their pals or hanging their head in shame. Also be aware that there are no photos allowed and the women will seriously come ask you to erase them if they catch you.
PANCAKES AMSTERDAM
Stop here for YUMMY Dutch pancakes! I recommend the chocolate, banana, and almond one!
BROUWERIJ'T IJ (the IJ BREWERY)
This is a smaller brewery located near the De Gooyer windmill. We each got the 5 beer sampler then a glass of our fav one. Definitely recommend for a cool vibe a little outside the chaos of the city center.
VONDEL PARK
This place has such a relaxing vibe and reminds me of a mix between Audubon and Central Park. There are so many people biking, lounging, picnicking, or just enjoying their ~trip~
IAMSTERDAM SIGN
This is the sign that everyone will post a picture in front of on their trip to Amsterdam. It's located right near the Van Gogh museum and is an absolute tourist check list spot. Just make sure you watch out for birds so you don't have to pose for your picture with bird shit on your shirt (@ Joey).
COCETTE
After sleeping for maybe all of 3 hours in a Botel bed made for 2 people that we made work for 4, we crawled to Cocette for some crepes (which was probably the only thing that kept me from fully losing my mind that morning)
RANDOM TIPS AND TRICKS
1. Don't buy the club ticket that is promoted. It only works for weird clubs at weird hours. Instead just go bar hopping on your own schedule!
2. Do buy a 6 pack of Heineken and sit on the roof deck of the Botel during sunset
3. Definitely eat french fries with ketchup & mayo
4. If you like shopping, the city has really cute boutiques where I was able to get affordable jewelry and clothing
5. The flower market is the only floating flower market in the world and has the BEST scent ever so I would suggest taking a stroll by it
6. My grandma has an infatuation with the floating Chinese restaurant so if you pass it on your canal tour please take a picture for her
7. If you find a place that serves both pancakes and pesto pasta, STAY FAR AWAY.
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