Amsterdam in a Weekend

Amsterdam is a great travel destination, especially in the spring. The city is full of life, food, and flowers. As a study abroad student, I see Amsterdam as an extremely livable city that is easy to get around. The city is full of history and you will never be short of things to do. Here are 3 reasons why Amsterdam should be at the top of your travel bucket list.

Easy Transportation

The city of Amsterdam is one of the easiest cities to get around that I have been to this semester. The main options for public transportation are bus, tram, and metro. After leaving the airport, I got a 48 hour pass that allowed full access to all public transportation. This was a great decision, as it ended up being much more convenient than taking an Uber around all day. 

The majority of the time I used the trams, as they ran throughout the main portion of the city that I was going to. Once we got to our first destination for the day, we typically walked from place to place after that. The city is very easy to navigate as a first-timer.

Meaningful and Exciting Attractions

The Anne Frank House is my biggest recommendation for your time

 in Amsterdam. Tickets sell out fast, so you need to book them in advance. The museum takes you through the entire building the Frank family hid in, with an audio tour included.

As you walk through the Hidden Annex you can see real artifacts that belonged to the family as well as learn about their story. I really enjoyed learning more about Anne Frank, and was incredibly moved by the museum as a whole.

If you are traveling to Amsterdam in the spring, you should go see the tulip fields at Keukenhof. The garden was beautiful and very enjoyable to walk around. We bought a ticket that included round trip transportation to and from Amsterdam, which I would highly recommend.

The last attraction that I would recommend is the Heineken Experience. Although I do not like beer, it was a super fun way to learn about the Heineken History. There were games, stories from workers, and of course, a lot of beer.

Food Galore

The food in Amsterdam is top notch. Especially the street food. I had seen on Tik Tok plenty of recommendations for fries and stroopwafels-and they did not disappoint. 

The first street food we experienced were the loaded fries. We went to Fable & Friet, a well known place in Amsterdam. I was unsure of what to order, but settled on parmesan cheese, truffle mayo, and ketchup as my toppings. This was easily one of my favorite foods I have had this semester. The fries were the perfect temperature and the right amount of toppings. 

The next day we decided to go towards a famous stroopwafel place, called Van Wonderen Stroopwafels. We waited in line for around 30 minutes before ordering. I picked a stroopwafel with chocolate candies on it and it was amazing. Once again, this place is worth the hype it gets on the internet.

If you are looking for a fun, delicious, and eventful getaway, Amsterdam is the place for you. There is more than enough to fill your time between sightseeing, eating, and even just enjoying the beautiful city. Got to the tourism board website for even more to do in Amsterdam!

Becca Malkin