
The Dutch capital is sometimes referred to as the Venice of the north thanks to its UNESCO-protected canals and its Master painters (it was home to Rembrandt and Van Gogh). It’s the kind of city where you can take in its history and soak up the scene at a canal-side café or explore its museums on foot, bike or boat.
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Perfect forArt Lovers | Families | Intellectuals | Romantics
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When to goMarch-May | June-August | September-November
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Ideal length of stay3-5 Nights
Designing Your Journey
Work with Indagare to design the perfect itinerary for an immersive journey. Our travel experts know the destination inside and out, and they can make recommendations based on your travel needs and preferences.
- Courtesy iAmsterdam
4 Days: Essential Amsterdam
Amsterdam is a culture lover’s delight, but planning is advised. Museums lines are long and good guides can help you navigate the crowds and give a context to what you are seeing. Indagare can arrange a custom itinerary with behind-the-scenes access to museums, private canal tours and visits to the famous tulip fields. Here is just one example of what our destination experts can create for you.
Day 1: Amsterdam Art
Begin your first day with a guided visit to Amsterdam’s most iconic museum, the Rijksmuseum, which is home to Rembrandt’s The Night Watch and Vermeer’s The Milkmaid, among other famous Dutch masterpieces. After touring, visit the nearby Vondelpark for a picnic lunch, or, if you have energy, a tour of Amsterdam’s lauded modern art museum, the Stedelijk. Spend the afternoon leisurely and finish the day with dinner at a canalside restaurant.
Day 2: Boat and Bike
Start your second day exploring Amsterdam the way locals do: by bike. Those who feel comfortable can explore on their own; otherwise, sign up for a bike tour, which is a great way to get your bearings or explore the countryside beyond Amsterdam. Enjoy lunch at a classic city establishment and continue biking in the afternoon, making a stop at the Museum Van Loon, a double-sized canal house, formerly a private home, dating to 1672. After a quick tour, return to your hotel for a late-afternoon private cocktail cruise.
Day 3: Explore the Nine Streets and Jordaan
Rise early and visit Anne Frank Huis for a guided tour (it is crucial to pre-book tickets; contact Indagare for assistance). The exhibit is profoundly moving, but small so it shouldn’t take much more than an hour. After touring the museum, explore the Jordaan and Nine Streets neighborhoods, two of the most picturesque areas in the city and teeming with charming boutiques, and enjoy lunch at Amsterdam’s best Dutch pancake spot. Spend the afternoon at leisure or enjoy a painting class.
Day 4: Beyond Amsterdam
Today you will get out of Amsterdam to learn more about Dutch culture. Start your day in Broek, a village known for its beautiful landscape and old Dutch wooden houses. For lunch, take a ride on a flat bottom boat to a small café. Next, visit a cheese farm in Edam, a small town that is world-famous for cheese making. Finish the day at a windmill park with thousands of windmills from the 17th and 18th centuries. The park provides a sense of what it must have been like to live in a village with working mills.
Where To Stay
We only feature hotels that we can vouch for first-hand. At many of them, Indagare members receive special amenities, including upgrades, early check-in, breakfast, spa credits and more. Look for the Indagare Plus logo in the reviews.
- Courtesy Pulitzer AmsterdamRead More
Pulitzer Amsterdam
With its prime location alongside a canal in the historic Nine Streets neighborhood of Amsterdam—home to many of the city’s trendiest shops, bars and restaurants—the Pulitzer Amsterdam fuses the capital’s rich history with quintessential Dutch elegance and style. Deceptively large,...
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Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam
Set in a string of 17th century rowhouses on the iconic Herengracht canal, the Waldorf is Amsterdam’s most luxurious hotel.
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The Hoxton Amsterdam
A favorite of local trendsetters, the hipster-chic Hoxton boasts a beautiful canal-side location and is a great value option.
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Conservatorium Hotel
The first Design Hotel to open in the Dutch capital, the Conservatorium Hotel has fantastic rooms and friendly, attentive service as well as a restaurant and bar that’s luring the city’s beautiful people.
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The Dylan Amsterdam
The Dylan is the most stylish of Amsterdam’s boutique hotels.