We will be in Amsterdam for 1 day in May on a cruise and would like to know if anyone has a good walking tour combined with a canal trip. We have done the tour bus thing before and would like to explore more on foot or water. Thanks for any help you may have.

<BR>There are 3 or 4 walking tours outlined in Frommers' Amsterdam on $XX a day book(sorry Fodors) -- depending on what you want to see (Gardens, Museums, Shopping, etc.) <BR> <BR>Personally, I'd just get a good map with various points of interest marked & just start walking down a fun-looking street or canal!

Thanks much for your response. I have seen Fodor's walking tours, what I should of asked is does anyone have a suggestion or 2 of which direction to head in from the Central Station in order to get a good albeit brief feel of the city on foot.

In Amsterdam, take a stroll along the Herrengracht. It's the canal between the Singel and the Keizersgracht and has the most notable collection of Amsterdam's impressive canal houses. You'll obviously note the varied and distinctive gables of the houses, but keep your eyes open, too, for the cartouches on many of them. There are fascinating details by and over doors and windows that are too frequently overlooked by sightseers. It will only take a few minutes walking for your curiosity to be aroused about what the innards of one of these houses are like. At 605 Herrengracht at the canal's eastern end near the Amstel is the Willet-Holthuysen museum, a furnished three-story home dating from the late 17th century. The museum also has a fine collection of silverware, glass and ceramics. As a bonus, there's a garden in the French style! If you want to pass up the museum, the garden is visible from the Amstelstraat, the street on the banks of the Amstel River. <BR>You might want to look into the Van Loon museum, another late 17th century home with alovely formal garden, which is only open on Monday. It's at 672-674 Keizersgracht, the canal just south of Herrengracht. <BR> <BR>Visit the Bloemenmarkt, a retail flower market held on a dozen or so canal boats by the Mint Tower. The flowers and bulbs come from the tulip fields around Haarlem and from the Aalsmeer auction house. <BR>

<BR>Trust me, when you exit Central Station it will be fairly obvious what direction to head in (a map will prove this) because there's only one real direction directly out of the station! <BR> <BR>There will be a VVV (visitor's bureau) office that can offer maps and canal boat tour tickets right in front of you as you exit the station. <BR> <BR>As you walk out onto the main plaza, the red light district will be roughly to your left. The central business/shopping district will be straight ahead and the 'green' coffee shop and Anne Frank House is towards your right. If you want to go to the museums & Henekein brewery, you should hop on a trolly. <BR> <BR>Of course, all of this is a rough outline. It's a great walking city. <BR> <BR>Even though it would cut into your time in Amsterdam, you might want to ask at the VVV if the tulips are still in bloom at Keukenhof gardens. It'd take at least 3-4 hours out of your stop, but it's simply amazing. If you don't want to do that, maybe the city's gardens or flower market can give you a taste of it. <BR> <BR>Enjoy! <BR>

Thanks so much for your informative replies - just the info I was looking for.