Amsterdam

The capital of the Netherlands was a major port in the Dutch Golden Age, and a hub for trade, finance, diamonds, and more. It is famed for its canals, tulips, cycling, and liberal attitudes, balancing the modern with its heritage.

Our list is drawn from review sites, visitor numbers, and our own visits. 

Where relevant we've included some links for booking the following highlights - just use the underlined text.

Rijksmuseum

The museum celebrates Dutch art and history, benefitting from an extensive refurbishment in 2013. It is the country's most visited museum and has works by Rembrandt, Hals, and Vermeer, among many others, including the former's The Night Watch, and the latter's The Milk Maid. Rijksmuseum

Canals

Known as the Venice of the north, Amsterdam is famed for its canals. Whilst they offer a practical transport option for people and goods to this day, they are also popular with tourists and the design of their routers makes navigating the centre of the city fairly easy. There are lots of tours available such as this Canal cruise

Van Gogh Museum

Dedicated to the famous artist, this museum has also vied for the title of most visited and it contains the largest collection of his works. The heart of the collection passed from Van Gogh himself to his brother and then his brother's widow, before passing to the Stedelijk Museum up until the current museum was commissioned in 1973. Van Gogh Museum

Anne Frank House

This museum is located in the house the Frank's lived in with others and is preserved in two parts. First, there are the real remnants of the factory and living quarters of the family and others, then there is an informative museum about the era and the Holocaust. In addition, you can find out more on a ​Anne Frank themed walking tour

Royal Palace

On the west side of Dam Square, the Palace was initially the city hall of Amsterdam. Today it is one of three Palaces that are deemed the property of the Crown and is used for state visits, as well as being open to the public as a stately home. Royal Palace

Exploring the city

Amsterdam is a very easy city to navigate. It is mostly flat and the Central station is more or less on one side with streets leading away from it. Then the canals are patterned in an easy-to-understand way. It's great to spend a day wandering but always able to circle back to find your way. With the flatness in mind, you might want to try a Hidden Gems cycling tour

Need more information about Amsterdam (Schiphol) airport? Just click the image below.