Our Ideal Itinerary
The sweet spot. This five-day ideal plan mixes the city's must-sees — a canal cruise, the great museums and a windmills day-trip — with relaxed free time, so you get the headline experiences without stretching the budget. Under-18s still go free at the big museums.
Day 1 — Canals & Culture
Meet the city from the water, then step into its history.
Morning: Book a tour of the canals, from Blue Boat Company or Amsterdam Canal Cruises to get your bearings.
Afternoon: Anne Frank House — book timed tickets well in advance.
Evening: Wander the Jordaan and the Nine Streets (stick to the west of the city).
Note Blue Boat Company states Under 12 to be a child, anything older is an adult.
Day 2 — Art & Masters
Three of the world's finest collections in a day.
Morning: Rijksmuseum (€22.50; under-18s free).
Afternoon: Van Gogh Museum (€20; under-18s free).
Evening: Moco Museum (€19.95; €17.95 for 7-17). Finish by relaxing on Museumplein.
Day 3 — Amsterdam-Oost
Hands-on fun, then animals and microbes.
Morning: NEMO Science Museum — five floors of interactive science (~€17.50 for all).
Het Scheepvaartmuseum — National Maritime Museum (€20.00; €8.50)
Afternoon: Artis Zoo & Micropia — the zoo plus the world's only microbe museum (~€32.50 / €22.50).
Evening: Hortus Botanicus, and tone down in Oosterpark
Day 4 — Modern trip up North
An energetic revival deep into your trip.
Morning: NDSM Werf and STRAAT Museum (€21.50; free for under 12)
Afternoon: Fabrique des Lumières, closes at 18:00-19:00 (€18.00; €14.00)
Evening: tone down with Westerpark.
Day 5 — Recap of West Amsterdam
See the culturally rich West Amsterdam more completely.
Morning: Hire bikes (~€12) and cycle through Vondelpark and the canal ring.
Afternoon: Explore De Pijp and the Albert Cuyp Market; lunch out.
Evening: Tone down with the Concertgebouw (prices vary)
What it Costs
Per person, excluding travel to Amsterdam, hotel and meals: the paid experiences add up to roughly €150 per adult, and much less for under-18s (free at the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, reduced on the cruise and at Artis). A 72-hour tram pass (~€21) is handy if you'd rather ride than walk between stops.
Our Green Tip
Take the train for the day-trip, choose the electric canal boat, get around by bike, tram and simply by foot, refill your water bottle, and keep your tickets paper-free.
Call to Action
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Note that this is a suggested itinerary, and not everything will be on here. But you're in luck- we've given you the opportunity to mix and match landmarks from Amsterdam. Simply choose your preference from the page.