Oh, Amsterdam. I have to tell you, this place ranks in my top five all-time favorite places in the world. When visiting the capital of the Netherlands, you have to do it the right way. First on the bucket list, stay in a houseboat along the canals. Secondly, you must visit all the world famous museums. And thirdly, make sure to grab a stroopwafel for all the Instagram-worthy photos!
When Allie and I were planning to visit, we knew we absolutely without a doubt were going to spend the night in a houseboat along the canals. In a city known for its canals, this was a no brainer. Allie and I booked our houseboat through AirBnB and had the most magical time. There are several opportunities listed and it beats staying in a hotel any day! It was such an incredible experience and our “home” was central to absolutely everything we did. The location and amenities were so phenomenal that next time, hopefully in the summertime, we’re planning to stay an entire week, especially for the rooftop patio aspect.
We had already spent a few days in Europe so we were surprised to see there was an Aldi (if you don’t have one near you, I’m sorry. It’s the best store ever!). We immediately ran into the discount grocery store and stocked up on wine, cheese, and olives to take back to our boat. We were ravenous after the train ride from Paris through Brussels. After snacking for a bit, we hopped on Amsterdam’s FREE public transportation and took it near the Red Light District. I say “free” because I’m still unsure to this day if we were supposed to pay somewhere and broke the law, or if it was in fact free.
We visited a “coffee shop” which is basically a dispensary, though they do actually serve coffee too! We heard Amsterdam was basically the weed capital of the world, so we wanted to experience what a coffee shop was like. Basically it’s very hazy inside and they sell coffee, moon cakes, and other edibles. Even if you don’t partake, it was super interesting to see how nonchalant everyone was with it being legal. Side note: also legal in Amsterdam = prostitution. When walking through the Red Light District or other areas of Amsterdam, don’t be too surprised if you see half-naked women just hanging out in the windows of buildings. It’s truly bizarre, yet seeing another country’s beliefs and customs is my favorite part of travel. You just have to have an open mind.
After people watching, we picked up the best Udon Teriyaki noodles and chicken pineapple fried rice from Wok To Walk. If you visit Amsterdam, check this place out! Amsterdam has the coolest grab and go options too, especially on Leidsestraat! Think McDonalds but as a vending machine! It was wild to witness! Plus, everyone was so ready for Christmas with the lights! Overall the city had such a historic feel to it with tons of delicious restaurants, coffee hotspots, and boutiques.
The nightlife in Amsterdam is booming! We were nervous to go into the Red Light District because of said legal prostitution. Also, we’d heard drugs were readily available. But honestly, ditch every stigma you’ve heard. Obviously, still take precaution but the city is super lit up and never once did we feel unsafe. If anything, we felt dirty and more so a bit squirmy from some of the things we saw. At the end of the day, we’re glad we got out of our comfort zones and went but we definitely preferred sitting in the coffeeshops instead. After walking around for a bit, we were excited to just sip wine and relax on our rooftop after a long travel day. So we went to a tram stop and headed back to our boat. (Travel tip: The trams run in two directions so make sure you know which way you want to head…).
After one night in Amsterdam, we woke up in our minimalist-style boat and literally just sat on our bed in awe at how freaking blessed we are. There is truly nothing quite like waking up to a swan majestically swimming past you at eye level. We hadn’t even been there for 12 hours and already we loved this place best. There is just such a sense of belonging in the air and I’ve only ever felt like a place was “home” one other time in my life. After eating breakfast on the roof of our houseboat, we took off to explore. Allie had obsessively been talking about a coffee place that had been on her bucket list forever. Upon further inestigation, we found it was less than a six minute walk, so we were off!
The walk was beautiful and the six minute walk took longer than expected because we wanted to hop into every store we passed. I mean, heck, we walked through Amsterdam’s first Cereal Bar that had just opened! It was the coolest thing ever! We grabbed coffee at CT Coffee + Coconuts, which is a social media dream spot. This coffee shop is bustling with people lounging around in hammocks and beanbag chairs. Plus, there are plants everywhere which gives it the best, natural beachy vibe. The baristas could not have been nicer and gave us a lesson on how to say some words in Dutch. For all you lactose-free people, almond milk = amandelmelk.
Amsterdam, most known for the bicycles and canals, has so much more to offer! With our morning fuel, we took the tram to the Rijksmuseum, which shares a lawn with the Van Gogh Museum. People come all over the world for Amsterdam’s museums. They are home to the Rijksmuseum, Rembrandt House, and Van Gogh Museum, to name a few. The air was so crisp and it was a beautiful morning snapping pictures at the I Amsterdam sign (this monument has since been removed which is a huge bummer!) The iceskating rink surrounding it was adorable. The sign was something we had seen all over Pinterest and had been dying to see for awhile. Watching Allie attempt to climb the letters and have a conversation with a 5-year-old Dutch girl was the highlight of my trip. Language doesn’t have to be a barrier, okay?
We had the most amazing, healthy vegan lunch at Deer Mama. The mushroom croquettes and crunchy sweet potato fries are an absolute must if you visit them! Side note, mayonnaise is the preferred condiment in Amsterdam so anytime you order a side of fries, you’ll most likely get some mayo instead of ketchup. I wasn’t mad about it honestly! Afterwards, we window shopped and then headed to the largest floating garden, Bloemenmarkt, taste tested cheese from Henri Willig, and got stroopwaffels from Van Wonderen’s. There are so many choices when it comes to waffles, but if you want an aesthetically pleasing and delicious one, then this is the place to go!
We wandered through the Dam Square and Damrik, which is the most dreamy neighborhood in Amsterdam. The homes were absolutely stunning and so European-feeling. You know the pigeon lady from Home Alone? I quickly became her doppelgänger walking through the square because God forbid I had a little waffle left and the birds wanted it! (Watch the video above if you don’t believe me). Seriously, if you don’t want to be physically assaulted by them, do not have food on you. At all. You’re welcome. Another neighborhood you should try to visit is the Jordaan. It sits on the Singelgracht canal and is lined with 17th century homes.
The sun was quickly setting, so we looked both ways across the street so we weren’t mauled by bikers, and took off to the Anne Frank House. Fun fact: there are more bicycles than people in Amsterdam hence why they are considered the most bike friendly city in the world. The Anne Frank House, where Anne hid during World War II, is now a permanent memorial and museum. Unfortunately, Allie and I picked the wrong time to visit because the museum was closed for a corporate party the evening we tried to go. The museum has recently been remodeled and it was so modernized now that we didn’t even recognize it at first. We were fully looking for the building we saw on The Fault in Our Stars movie. Although, we didn’t go inside, it was nice to take a step back and reflect on how much change comes with time.
All in all, our time in Amsterdam was better than expected. I had no expectations going into this trip and was pretty nervous about not knowing a lick of Dutch, but thankfully most are super fluent in English and all was well. If you do ever need help with translation, McDonalds and Starbucks are located all over the city and almost always have free wifi to assist you.
Have you ever been to Amsterdam? If I missed something and you’d like to add it, feel free to comment below. And if you go, tag me in your travels on Instagram at @kayliericks12 I love being included on your adventures!
——————
OTHER POSTS ABOUT AMSTERDAM:
