This guide is all about Amsterdam, the places to visit, activities, public transport, eating and drinking aswell as it’s famous coffee shops. Within this guide you can learn the best ways of getting around the city, and different places to visit from someone that has been and packed in a lot of things to do. I love travel, writing and nature so here I have taken my time to try and help others❤️

AMSTERDAM 🇳🇱

This is a guide on ways you can spend  time In Amsterdam. This guide consists of  , 5 facts, transport, food,drink, activities, coffee shops and more!

- Amsterdam is the capital city of Holland/Netherlands

- Amsterdam has over 1,200 bridges and have canals running all through the city 

-more bicycles are owned here than any other country in the world 

In Amsterdam, the main mode of transportation is bicycles however understandably as a tourist travelling here this may not be an option for you.

There are many modes of easy transport that can be used in and around Amsterdam and I’ll tell you the best way which saves you money, time and is super convenient! I used this myself when I visited.

The modes of public transport within Amsterdam is impressive! They consist of ferry’s,metros, buses, trams and trains.

When coming to Amsterdam an app I would recommend downloading on your mobile device would be “GVB”. This application allows you to buy a pass ready for transport! This means you do not need to individually buy tickets for the selected mode of transport you decide to travel on. You can buy hourly passes, a day pass or even a 72hour pass. The option is completely down to you. It saves the hassle of constantly buying tickets and it also saves money and gives you more freedom as it’s already paid for you don’t need to worry about keep spending each time for the transport and can use it as much as you like even if it’s to save yourself a 5 minute walk because you may as well you would have already paid for it !

Please note the GVB pass covers tram,ferry,night +day bus and metro.  The trains are not included in this pass however it is easy to buy tickets for train if needed. I would say you will most likely be able to get around every where you need avoiding the use of train anyway!

‎GVB reis app

Below is the links for the GVB app both Android and Apple compatible.

This mobile application also provides you with a map, tells you what transport you can take to get to your destination, the numbers and how long it will take. If your journey involves swapping to another mode of transport or any walking it will tell you here.

ADVICE:- I recommend going into the application setting after purchasing a travel pass and selecting the travel preferences and customising to suit your needs. I would recommend changing the setting to only use GVB transport as then it only shows you the transport options which are included in the price you’ve paid for the pass. Please note if you do not change to this setting options may appear for transport such as trains which are not included in the cost of your pass and you will have to pay a ticket to use.

In the settings of the travel preferences you can also change settings to “less walking “ and “accessible” to help you along your journey.

Below you will find a screenshot image of these settings within the application. 

Whilst in Amsterdam, there are many options of different activities such as sightseeing, museums and the coffee shops that Amsterdam is famous for.

Personally, when i visited Amsterdam i really enjoyed the museums. Below are the different activities that i would reccomend you to see and do whilst in Amsterdam.

The A'DAM lookout tower offers some great views across the city! Its an observatory tower with a swing on top of the building taking you over the edge! If you are a thrillseeker like me....The swing, is europes highest swing! If you dare, brave it and take a swing over the city of Amsterdam to see the views. Not only is it a lookout tower, there is historical centre with an interactive expedition with a free tour. The tower is also home to a panoramic restaurant. Here there is plenty for you to see and do during the time you spend here including but not limited to : 360' sky deck, Europes highest swing, Panorama restaurant & rooftop bar, Amsterdam VR ride, digital memories, interactive binoculars, night time dancefloor with DJ's, free audio tour as well as an 'spectacular elevator'. This elevator takes you 100 metres in just 22 seconds! Look up and youll see a light display put on for you as the elevator climbs to the top.

A'DAM LOOKOUT - Amsterdam Observatory & Sensational Swing

This tower is a must visit, you can book tickets online or on the door on the day. Included in your ticket price, you get a free photo memory included. Interactive photos are took of you placing you on a bridge for example! If you want to do the swing you pay extra on your ticket. A go pro is attached to the swings and a photo and video is recorded of your time on the swimg which you can buy after.With so much to see and do here, you can easily spend some time here taking in the views.

Check out the link attatched to this guide to read more about this activity and book your tickets.

Ripley's beleive it or Not are located worldwide, not only in Amsterdam but is very interesting to see with all museums having variances and differences. The museum consists of hundreds of rare and unusual artifacts with many hands-on experiences with unbelievable interactives. Many of these interesting facts and artifacts, are the sort of things that you need to see to believe. For instance, the worlds longest fingernails.... now your thinking ewww... but believe me when you see them you'll be shocked and curious! Shridhar Chillal of Pune, India, grew his record-breaking fingernails for 66 years. Now his cut fingernails, laid flat, span a length of over 9.4 meters — the height of a three-story building! In this museum, there is many interactive activities, illusions and brain teasers you can participate in and take pictures of. For instance, take a walk through the Vortex Tunnel, where illusions and a colorful light show transport you into a mind-bending dimension.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Amsterdam | Tickets, Hours, Events

Check out the link attatched above to this guide to read more about this activity and book your tickets.

Anne frank house, is another museum located in Amsterdam that i would really recomend you to take a visit to. 

Home

Van Gogh is a famous artist whom is no longer alive. The Van Gogh Museum is a Dutch art museum dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries in the Museum Square in Amsterdam South. I woul reccomend spending up to 2 hours here viewing all his artworks and exhibitions. Also here, is shops and a cafe alongside the museum.

The Museum about Vincent van Gogh in Amsterdam

In the city of Amsterdam, there are 165 canals and 1281 bridges that cross the canals in the City! The total length of these canals, add up to 75. Taking a canal trip is a lovely way to sightsee parts of the city whilst venturing down the canals! 

City Canal Cruise - Amsterdam Canal Cruises

Now whether your a beer lover or maybe not, this interactive tour through beer giant's history in the former brewery, is an interesting guided trip to see and do whilst in Amsterdam. 

Home Page - Official Website

GVB travel app - Apps on Google Play

My recommendation would be this package :

As you can see, this package includes 3 drinks within your price, the tour and veiw the views of the city from up above ! 

This is me and my partner on the swing! We did this for my21st  Birthday.

If you are looking to experience something different then I recommend trying this ice bar. If you haven’t done an ice bar before then here’s what to expect!

Amsterdam Icebar | Get stranded on the North Pole | Amsterdam Icebar

In the ice bar the drink options are shots, soft drink or  Heineken. Outside of the ice bar on the bar you wait in before going into the ice room (the same one you come back into after) is where you can order cocktails , sodas or juices. This bar is also heated! So warm up before and after ready for the cold !!

Whilst you are in the ice bar you can take your own phones for photos but a photographer also gets your shot which you can buy after for a small price. If you get your photo took you are not obliged to have to pay for a photo! 

Please note Amsterdam is also famous and known for its sex tourism so at the end of the activities section there is information on sex tourism and activities such as the museums!

Please note in this guide there is also information into the sex tourism. This is very famous in Amsterdam and attracts a lot of tourists. If you are interested in seeing some of the museums please find below under activities however if this is not for you then after activities please scroll past to the food section!

As you may already know, Amsterdam is famous and well known for its sex tourism. This includes but is not limited to the red light district, sex museums, prostitution and sex shops!  The most famous area for prostitution in Amsterdam is the Red Light District, or "De Wallen," where sex workers display themselves behind windows to attract clients. 

There is much more to do in the red light district then just the prostitution side. You can learn all about the prostitution industry through the likes of the museums! 

I wasn’t interested in any of the prostitution, however I was interested to know more about it and what made the city the way it is! If your like me then I would recommend checking out the red lights secrets museum!  This museum tells you the ins and outs about the industry and is very interesting !

Check out the links and information below of things I have attached that I recommend doing within the sex tourism industry.

The red light secrets is a museum all about the sex tourism in the red light district. It is the worlds first and only prostitution museum. I would say that it is an intriguing museum with the facts about the sex industry and the red light !

Tickets & Prices | Red Light Secrets

Please note the minimum age for entry to this museum is 16 years old due to the nature inside and is not wheelchair accessible ! 

Included  in your ticket price is a free audio tour spoken in different languages and has 12 stories from “inga” a prostitute that worked in the red light. Your Audio tour you hold and scan QR codes with it and it reads it in your language ! Also includes is a little booklet with information for you to keep!

This museum is actually in the red light district area and I would say allow up to an hour to get round it maybe up to 2 if you go slower! There isn’t a massive amount to do to be able to  spend hours here but long enough to learn about the industry as it’s actually very interesting! You can easily occupy yourself for 1-2 hours here!

As written on the website “ While the sex industry is very open and visible in this area, it is also shrouded in mystery and secrets. Who chooses to do this work? And why? How much money do they make? What types of people visit a window prostitute? And what happens when the curtains close? You can really only find out when you go in… or visit Red Light Secrets”

• Enter the intriguing world of prostitution

• Enjoy an interactive journey through the world of prostitution

• Discover what you would look like if you were a sex worker

• Take photos, it’s the only place in the Red Light District where you can

• Experience how it feels to sit ‘behind the window’

• Explore the prostitution rooms and the offices where the landlord works

• Read the personal stories of prostitutes themselves

• Listen to the explicit experiences of Inga, Amsterdam’s most famous prostitute

• Discover the neighbourhood through short films

• Read the erotic confessions of other visitors

AMSTERDAM 🇳🇱

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