Amsterdam travel blog
Amsterdam travel stories, tips and inspiration — updated regularly.
Day trip from Amsterdam: Utrecht vs Haarlem — which should you choose?
Utrecht and Haarlem are Amsterdam's two most popular day trips. They're very different cities. Here's the honest comparison to help you pick the right one
Honest Heineken Experience review: is it worth €23 in 2026?
The Heineken Experience costs €23, takes 90 minutes, and ends with two branded beers. We went so you can decide whether it belongs on your Amsterdam
Three days in Amsterdam: a real budget breakdown with actual numbers
What does three days in Amsterdam actually cost in 2026? Here's every euro, from Schiphol arrival to canal cruise to final dinner, with honest mid-range
Best time to see tulips in the Netherlands in 2026: the honest guide
Keukenhof 2026 runs 19 March–10 May. Peak tulip bloom is 10–25 April. Here's exactly when to go and how to avoid the crowds.
Amsterdam in 2026: what's changed, what's opened, and what to know before you visit
New museum openings, transport updates, entry restrictions, and what's genuinely different about visiting Amsterdam in 2026 vs a few years ago.
The Damrak trap: what to avoid on Amsterdam's most tourist-saturated street
The Damrak strip between Centraal and Dam Square is Amsterdam's most overpriced corridor. Here's exactly what to skip and where to go instead — one street
Museumkwartier in a day: how to do Amsterdam's museum quarter without burning out
Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk are within 400 metres of each other. How to do justice to all three in one day without museum fatigue.
King's Day Amsterdam survival guide: what to expect and how not to hate it
King's Day on 27 April is Amsterdam at its most chaotic and joyful. How to enjoy it without being miserable — from someone who's done it badly and well.
A winter weekend in Amsterdam: what actually works in February
February in Amsterdam is cold, dark at 5 p.m., and almost entirely crowd-free. Here's a weekend itinerary that leans into winter rather than fighting it.
Amsterdam Light Festival by boat: the only way to see it properly
The Amsterdam Light Festival (December–January) is designed for the water. We took a heated boat cruise through the installations — genuinely spectacular.
One day in Rotterdam: the architecture that rewrote what a Dutch city could be
Rotterdam rebuilt after WWII to become Europe's most experimental architecture city. A day trip from Amsterdam that challenges every expectation.
Zaanse Schans at 7 a.m.: why arriving before the tour buses changes everything
Zaanse Schans is genuinely worth visiting — but only if you arrive before the crowds. Here's what we found at 7 a.m. on a Saturday in August.
We tried five Amsterdam canal cruises — here's the honest verdict
Audio guide, open boat, pizza cruise, evening wine cruise, cheese and wine — we rode them all so you don't have to waste money on the wrong one.
Giethoorn in winter: what happens when the tour buses go home
We visited Giethoorn in February — no crowds, frozen canals, and a village that finally felt like itself. Here's the honest account.
Amsterdam on a rainy day: what to do when the weather turns
Rain is routine in Amsterdam. Here's how to build a genuinely good day around bad weather, from museums to brown cafés to covered canal cruises.
Autumn canal photography in Amsterdam: the honest guide
October light on Amsterdam's canals is exceptional. Here's when to go, where to stand, and what to realistically expect from autumn photography in the city.
A food crawl through De Pijp: Amsterdam's most international neighbourhood
De Pijp is Amsterdam's most food-diverse neighbourhood. Here's how to spend a morning and afternoon eating your way through it, from Albert Cuyp to
Tulip season 2022: what actually happened and what we learned
The 2022 tulip season in the Netherlands was crowded, expensive, and still worth it. Here's an honest account of peak week, Keukenhof, and the tulip fields.
The I amsterdam Card in 2022: what changed and what it actually covers
Since 2022 the I amsterdam Card no longer includes Van Gogh or Anne Frank House. Here's an honest breakdown of when it's worth buying and when it isn't.
Cycling Noord: discovering Amsterdam's creative other side
Amsterdam Noord, across the IJ from Centraal, is the city's most interesting neighbourhood for cyclists. Here's how to explore it in a half-day.
Reopening season: visiting Amsterdam's museums in summer 2021
Amsterdam's museums reopened to visitors in June 2021 with new protocols. Here's what the experience was actually like, and what had changed for the better.
Canals without crowds: finding Amsterdam's quieter waterways
Beyond the Prinsengracht and Herengracht, Amsterdam has dozens of lesser-visited canals. Here's where to find them and why they're worth the detour.
Amsterdam in May 2020: the city without tourists
In spring 2020, Amsterdam's streets emptied of tourists entirely. Walking them revealed a quieter, stranger, more local city than I had ever seen.
A weekend in the Jordaan: how to spend 48 hours in Amsterdam's best neighbourhood
The Jordaan packs art, food, canals, and authentic Amsterdam atmosphere into a compact, walkable area. Here's how to spend a weekend there properly.
An evening in Amsterdam's brown cafés: what to know and where to start
Brown cafés are Amsterdam's best-kept secret: dark-wooded, low-ceilinged, quietly social. How to find and enjoy them without feeling like a tourist.
A spring trip to Keukenhof: what it's really like
Keukenhof in April is genuinely spectacular, but timing and logistics matter enormously. Here's what a first visit actually looks like, including the queues.
Why renting a bike in Amsterdam changed how I see the city
Renting a bike in Amsterdam costs €10–15 a day and unlocks the city in a way that trams and walking simply cannot. Here's why it's worth it.
What I learned on my first trip to Amsterdam
Hard-won lessons from a first Amsterdam visit: book museums early, rent a bike, skip the Damrak restaurants, and understand the I amsterdam Card.