One Girl and a Big World

Welcome back to the blog my dear readers!

This week’s blog is for anyone planning on visiting Amsterdam!

To make it easy, I will compile a list of Do’s and Don’ts for visiting Amsterdam.

Do’s

~ Take a cruise on the Amstel River. Amsterdam is known for its river canals that make up the majority of the old city. Taking a cruise is a different and restful way of getting to experience the UNESCO canals. Especially after walking all day, one can easily buy some food and enjoy lunch on the boat as you explore Amsterdam from boat. There are a couple different companies with different meeting docks so you can chose what is best for you.

~ Do visit the Rijksmuseum. The Rijksmuseum is full of beautiful artwork. One that is easily identifiable is the portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte as emperor. Depending on how much you love art, you can easily be here for hours, but it is possible to see the whole museum if you are more in a hurry in about an hour and a half. The building as a whole is incredibly beautiful with towering ceiling and stained glass in certain parts of the museum.

~ Do take a free walking tour. The free walking tours typically tend to be better in my personal opinion because the guides aim to give you the best experience possible to get a higher tip. The walking tours also give you little jewels of historical facts that bigger tours typically do not give you. My walking tour guide also introduced us to unique Dutch foods and small businesses that one might past by without knowing.

~ Do visit the Paleis Amsterdam. The Paleis is still in official Dutch royal use but is typically open to the public. The inside of the palace holds a lot of history and the free listening tour gives a visitor a great amount of information about the history of Amsterdam and the royal family. Just be sure to check the website to make sure the day you plan on visiting the palace is not available because of government business.

~ Do be aware that many tourist attractions have strict rules about large bags. If you carry backpacks, they will have to be left at the coat-and-bags locker. So unless you really need that backpack, try to carry only what you need unless you do not mind dropping off your belongings with the front desk.

Grey Area

~ My one gray area for visiting Amsterdam is determining when to visit. I visited Amsterdam before the tulip season (typically when tourism significantly picks up in Amsterdam and the Netherlands). The pro to visiting before peak season was the the wait lines for the museum and palace were essentially non-existent and I noticed that Amsterdam was pleasantly peaceful and calm compared to Paris or London. However, if you do go before peak season, the tulips will not be in bloom. I would have liked to see the tulips, but I think in hindsight, I would much rather prefer a calmer visit to Amsterdam before peak season.

Don’ts

~ Do not visit Amsterdam without buying tickets for tourist places beforehand. Every museum in Amsterdam requires for you to essentially buy your reservation before you visit. This is true for the Anne Frank house, the Paleis, the Rijksmuseum, and the majority of whatever else is specifically curated for tourists. I was not aware of this when I arrived in Amsterdam, but I was lucky because since I went before peak season, there were tickets available for the Rijksmuseum and the Paleis. Unfortunately, however, I was not able to visit the Anne Frank house because tickets were sold out for the time I was there and even a few days in advance. Make sure you do not arrive in Amsterdam ESPECIALLY after peak season without planning and buying your tickets for whatever you would like to visit.

~ Do not mistake a café for a coffeeshop. This is one area I could have been seriously hurt unintentionally. In Amsterdam, a café is a normal shop that sells coffee, liquor, and some small pastries. However, a coffeeshop is a store that sells marijuana in its food. For those who are not aware and are not marijuana consumers, it could lead to an unintentional consumption of marijuana. Be mindful of whether you are entering a café or a coffeeshop.

~ Do not romanticize the Netherlands. I think many people have this romantic view of Amsterdam and the Netherlands of it always being sunny. I know many people have probably seen a clip of a sprawling field of tulips and a gorgeous blue sky above it. However, the fact of the matter is that the Netherlands is one of the top European countries for most rainfall. Be prepared for cloudy days and gentle rainfall. A blue sky does pop up, but it is very likely that the Netherlands will be covered with light rain and clouds.

That’s it!

See you back for the next blog 🙂