Four Days in Amsterdam
View along one of Amsterdam’s many canals
Amsterdam – the city of canals, bicycles, and one of the world’s greatest confectionary creations, the stroopwafel. It is a city as picturesque as it is practical. I traveled to Amsterdam for four days in April with my husband, and here is how we spent our time in the city.
Day 0: Travel Day
Not wanting to lose any of our days off to travel, we booked an after-work flight on a Friday evening from Boston to Amsterdam. We arrived at Logan Airport about three hours before our flight, and as we had plenty of time to spare, we decided to explore the terminal for places to eat. It turned out to be slim pickings, as most of the restaurants had rather scant options when it came to vegetarian fare. We ended up settling on caprese subs from Monica’s Mercato, which cost an eye-watering $17.25 a pop. While I would not go so far as to say that they were worth their nearly $20 price tag, they were tastier than I had expected.
My caprese sub from Monica’s Mercato
We finished our subs with a little over an hour remaining until the boarding for our flight began, and we passed the bulk of that time sitting at our gate listening to the unharmonious combination of a screaming child and a lyre (yes, you read that correctly, a lyre). Once boarded, the fun continued with a sleepless six-hour flight featuring cramped legs, Saharan-esque dry air, and mediocre plane food.
Day 1: Arrive in Amsterdam and wander around in a sleepy haze
Our plane landed around 10:00am at Schiphol Airport, and after a 20-minute wait for the aircraft stairs, we were able to disembark. A bus was waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs, and it took us to the main terminal building. From there, we headed toward customs, which ended up being quite a hike from where we were dropped off by the bus. It took us about 45 minutes to clear customs, as there were only four agents working but a couple hundred of us in line.
After making it through customs, we followed the signs for the railway station (it is designated by a train on the signs), and once there, we bought tickets at a self-service kiosk for the train to Amsterdam Centraal Station. The tickets cost €5.70 apiece for second class, which given that the train ride is less than 20 minutes, is all that you need. Tickets in hand, we then walked over to a set of monitors to see which platform the train to Amsterdam Centraal was boarding on. We then made our way toward the entrance to that platform (there are signs marking each entrance) and descended a set of escalators to reach the boarding area.
Escalators leading down to the train platform in Schiphol Airport
The train arrived within a few minutes, and it took us directly to Amsterdam Centraal. From Centraal, we hopped on the subway for one stop to reach our hotel, Tulip of Amsterdam. (We were able to buy our subway tickets at a kiosk inside Centraal.)
Centraal Station train platform
As we arrived before check-in, our room was not yet ready, but we were able to leave our suitcases at the hotel while we set out to explore the city. Before we could begin our exploration in earnest though, we had to make a pit stop for food, as we were both bordering on hangry. We made our way to Mortimer, a quaint café with a vegetarian-friendly menu.
Exterior of Mortimer
We snagged the last available table, which was unfortunately outside (I say unfortunately, as it was quite windy that day). Lady Luck, however, was looking down upon us, for within a few minutes of having sat down, a waitress came out to tell us that a table had opened up inside. So, we grabbed our coffees and followed her into the warmth of the café, and once seated, we ordered our food. I opted for the Mexican Avocado, a slice of sourdough with black bean spread, avocado, and crispy quinoa. It tasted divine, especially after my last meal of a mystery grain and rehydrated fruit on the airplane. The staff was also incredibly friendly, and the decor was lovely, with a cozy, minimalist feel about it.
The oh-so-delicious Mexican Avocado sandwich from Mortimer
Refueled and with an hour to kill until we had to return to the hotel to complete our check-in, we set out on foot to see some of the city. We had no end destination in mind; we simply meandered through the streets, admiring the picturesque canals and beautifully preserved, centuries-old canal houses. Our route also took us by the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, which we viewed from the outside, electing not to pay the fee to see the inside.
One of the many picturesque canals spotted during our initial walk around the city
At 2:00pm, we trekked back to our hotel and were shown up to our room. The room was located at the tippy top of the building, and as the hotel is a 17th-century canal house, this meant we had to walk up a steep, Dutch-style spiral staircase. Although a tripping hazard, it added to the charm and quirkiness of the room. The hotel owners, David and Chris, thankfully brought our luggage up for us (and down for us when we checked out), so we were spared the task of trying to maneuver our heavy suitcases around the tight bends of the staircase.
The room itself was lovely and well appointed. It had plenty of natural light and useful amenities, including a microwave and mini fridge. There were also thoughtful touches, such as complimentary tea, fruit, and even a plug adapter. If you are planning a trip to Amsterdam and looking for somewhere to stay, I cannot recommend The Tulip of Amsterdam highly enough.
Our room in the Tulip of Amsterdam
After a quick rest in our room, we headed back out into the city. Our first stop was Latei, an eclectic, retro café located a few-minutes’ walk from our hotel. Given our lack of sleep on the plane and the waning effect of the coffee we had had at Mortimer, we were in need of a caffeine boost to power us through the rest of the day, so we ordered some coffee and tea (coffee for my husband, tea for me). I also grabbed a slice of banana bread, which was sadly a bit dried out. The tea and coffee were good though, and from our table outside, we had prime people watching.
Midday snack at Latei
Recaffeinated, we began to make our way to Restaurant de Waaghals, an entirely vegetarian restaurant located in the De Pijp neighborhood. We had a 5:00pm reservation, and although when we initially arrived, the restaurant was empty, by the time we left, not a single table was unoccupied. It is the type of place where unless you have a reservation, you might not get seated.
There is no set menu at Restaurant de Waaghals; as our waiter told us, it is a “surprise menu.” Your meal will be determined by how you respond to two questions: vegan or vegetarian and three or four courses. I chose the three-course vegetarian meal, and it was phenomenal. The food was all fresh, and each dish incorporated vegetables in unique ways. For instance, the dessert consisted of a tart, and the filling contained, among other things, peas. Rather than overwhelm the dish, the peas imparted a very subtle flavor that complemented the other ingredients quite nicely.
One of the dishes from our dinner at Restaurant de Waaghals consisting of different preparations of a carrot
After dinner, we headed back to our hotel, where we promptly fell asleep and proceeded to sleep for nearly 12 hours (the joys of jet lag).
Day 2: Van Gogh Museum and continue to explore the city by foot
We woke up at 9:00am and had a simple breakfast of cereal and fruit in our hotel room (my husband had popped into a nearby store to buy our breakfast supplies). We washed down the food with “coffee” (by coffee, I mean an americano, which is typically the closest thing to filtered coffee that you can find in Europe) from San Francisco Sandwich Company, a café located a stone’s throw from our hotel. The owner was very pleasant, and the coffee was quite good.
As it was a nice day out, we decided to walk to the Van Gogh Museum, where we had an 11:15am reservation. It took us about 30 minutes to reach the museum, and the walk took us through a part of the city that we had hitherto not explored. So, we were able to sneak in some sightseeing as we made our way to the museum.
Beautiful, historic home spotted during our walk to the Van Gogh Museum
Upon arriving at the museum, we scanned our tickets at the front desk and were then permitted to proceed down the stairs to the start of the permanent collection. The museum is well organized, with pieces arranged chronologically. The collection begins with pieces from Van Gogh’s early years, and as you ascend, the artwork moves forward in time. This layout allows you to see the progression of Van Gogh’s work over time. From the choice of subjects to brush technique, you are able to observe the evolution of Van Gogh’s artistic style firsthand. The paintings also feature descriptive plaques, which provide context for each of the pieces.
The atrium at the entrance of the museum
In addition to the permanent collection, there are also temporary exhibitions (when we went, the temporary display was of Van Gogh’s olive grove paintings). Between the temporary exhibitions and the permanent collection, there are a lot of paintings to see, including some of his most famous ones, such as The Bedroom and Almond Blossom. We were so enjoying ourselves as we viewed all of the artwork that two hours passed without us even realizing it.
All in all, we had a lovely time at the Van Gogh Museum, and I can honestly say that it is one of the best museums I have ever visited. So, if you are planning a trip to Amsterdam, do yourself a favor and add the Van Gogh Museum to your itinerary, and be sure to book your tickets ahead of time online (for ticketing information, visit the museum’s website).
By the time we left the Van Gogh Museum, we were both feeling a bit peckish, so we walked over to Factory Girl, a vegetarian restaurant in the De Pijp neighborhood. I had the shakshuka, and it was hands down the best shakshuka I have ever had. The tomato sauce was perfectly seasoned, and the eggs were cooked just right – runny but not overly so. The bread that came with the shakshuka was equally satisfying, as was the iced matcha latte that I washed down the food with. I also loved that the menu had plenty of vegan options; it is always nice when a restaurant caters to all types of plant-based diets.
Oh-so-delicious shakshuka from Factory Girl
After lunch, we popped into a bakery called Saartjes Taartjes, which was located a few doors down from Factory Girl. We each got a fruit tart, and they were as tasty as they looked. The only downside was that the tarts were dusted with edible gold dust, which got all over my face. I was glistening for the next few hours.
Exterior of Saartjes Taartjes
Not wanting to schlep around our bag of souvenirs from the museum all day, we headed back to our hotel to drop them off. We relaxed for a little while before heading back out to explore more of Amsterdam. Specifically, we set out to see the Jordaan neighborhood, but before reaching there, we made a pit stop at Scheltema Bookstore. Opened in 1853, it boasts five stories of books, including a fairly large collection of English language books. I walked away with two new additions to my book collection (much to the chagrin of my husband).
Scheltema — a bookstore made for bibliophiles
Books in tow, we continued on to the Jordaan neighborhood, where we simply strolled up and down the streets, taking in and enjoying the historic buildings and quintessential Dutch architecture. Around 7:00pm, we stopped for dinner at Fou Fow Udon, a delightful restaurant that we stumbled upon while wandering through Jordaan. They serve up flavorsome, aromatic udon with perfectly textured noodles.
Just looking at this bowl of udon from Fou Fow Udon is making my mouth water
We then walked back to our hotel, stopping momentarily to listen to a street performer playing piano in front of the palace. We also popped into a grocery store to buy a few necessities, chief among which being stroopwafels.
After dropping off our books and groceries at the hotel, we headed back out in search of a fry shop. While wandering through the city the previous day, we had noticed that there was a fry shop on seemingly every corner, so we decided to sample this local delicacy. The first place that we stopped at was cash only, which given that we had no Euros on us, was a no-go. The second place, Chipsy King, did accept cards, so we ordered ourselves a medium fry with ketchup, and it was quite tasty. The fries were crispy and not overly greasy. I would show you a photo of the fries, but we gobbled them up so quickly that by the time I thought to take a photo, they were all gone.
Before calling it a night and heading back to our hotel, we set out to find a bar for some nightcaps. We walked through the Red Light District, which was a memorable experience, and after failing to find a suitable bar there, we walked back toward our hotel. In the same neighborhood as our hotel, we found Rosalia’s Menagerie, an atmospheric cocktail lounge with an eclectic decor. Their fables-inspired drink menu includes an array of unique, well-crafted cocktails.
Table at Rosalia’s Menagerie
After Rosalia’s, we returned to our hotel and watched some reality TV on Netflix before catching some Z’s.
Day 3: Tulip Fever, Stroopwafels, and Foodhallen
As with the previous day, we began our morning with a simple breakfast of oatmeal and cereal in our hotel room. We then made our way to Keukenhof in Lisse to view the tulips for which Holland is famous. We spent a little over four hours meandering through the tulip gardens and viewing all of the colorful flowers. (You can read all about our visit to Keukenhof here.)
Row upon row of colorful tulips
Once back in Amsterdam, we rested our feet for a few minutes at the hotel before venturing back into the city to do something that everyone must do at least once when in the Netherlands: try freshly baked stroopwafel. We found ours at Melly’s Stroopwafel. I got one dipped in chocolate and hazelnut, and it was delectable. We grabbed a tin of stroopwafels to go so that we could enjoy the confections once we were back home in the States.
My hazelnut-and-chocolate-dipped stroopwafel
We returned to our hotel for a couple of hours to relax and drink some tea while we nibbled away on our stroopwafels. A little before 8:00pm, we set out for Foodhallen, a, well, food hall. We took a combination of the subway and tram to get there, and once we arrived, we were blown away by just how many food stalls there were. We had no difficulty in finding vegetarian-friendly fare; in fact, there were so many different options, that it was hard to pick just one. I ended up settling on the Bowl Tofu from Viêt View, and it was phenomenal. The tofu was perfectly cooked and seasoned, and all of the ingredients, from the vegetables and noodles to the vinaigrette, complemented one another nicely.
Super tasty tofu bowl from Viêt View
Satiated, we hopped back on the trolley to return to our hotel for the night.
Day 4: Leave Amsterdam
After our usual breakfast of oatmeal and cereal, we left our hotel and said farewell to Amsterdam before catching the 9:15am train to Paris (read all about that train ride here), where the second half of our trip began (you can read about our time in the City of Light over at this post).
We loved our time in Amsterdam. It is such a vibrant, beautiful city with a wonderful culture. If you are planning a trip to Amsterdam and have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below!
Summing it up: The 3 Wheres
Where We Went
Royal Palace Amsterdam*
Van Gogh Museum
Scheltema Bookstore
Jordaan, Lastage, Binnenstad, De Pijp, and Grachtengordel neighborhoods
Red Light District
Keukenhof
*Saw from the outside; did not go inside
Where We Stayed
Tulip of Amsterdam
Where We Ate
Breakfast
Mortimer
Oatmeal/cereal at hotel
Lunch
Factory Girl
Dinner
Restaurant de Waaghals
Fou Fow Udon
Foodhallen, Viêt View
Dessert/Coffee
Latei
San Francisco Sandwich Company
Saartjes Taartjes
Melly’s Stroopwafel
Snacks
Chipsy King
Drinks
Rosalia’s Menagerie
Happy travels!
