We are 5 Texans arriving 8:00 at AMS. Traveling Business so hopefully getting a few hours of sleep. 3 have visited Amsterdam previously. Please tweak our initial itinerary before heading to Bruges.

Day 1 From AMS, visit Keukenhof (store luggage at garden)
Canal Cruise (trying to relax some after long night before)
Walk Jordaan and eat Cafe Sonneveld
Day 2 Opt 1 Rijksmuseum Vondelpark and Van Gogh (we have one accomplished artist in our group)
Opt 2 Zaanse Schans
15:00 Ann Frank House
Eat Moeders
Walk Red Light District
Day 3 Opt 1 Hague & Madurodam tour
Opt 2 A'Dan Lookout; Heineken Experience
Walking tour AMsterdam
Dinner Zwaantje

What improvements would you suggest? Thanks.

Diamond "museums", the ship museums,

When are you planning to do this?

Anyway, if you want to visit Keukenhof, I'd go there straight from Schiphol and store luggage there, and go back to Schiphol, pick up luggage, then go to Amsterdam. Take the 858 bus from Schiphol straight to Keukenhof. Make sure you time it qua season: late april, early may.

Not a fan of Zaanse Schans, zo I would opt for Rijks and Van Gogh.
I've eaten at Moeders, years ago, and I even hung a portrait of my mother there (it's the thing: if you have a framed photograph of your mother(s) they'll hang it) Food's nothing special though. In Jordaan I would go to Toscanini. And this is my secret address there: Koevoet. Restaurant Koevoet

I adore The Hague (lived there for 5 years) but nor Mardurodam. The Hague itself has a lot to offer: tip: the Sophiahof Museum, in the old house of the Baud family, in a beautiful area, filled with the villas of colonial entrepeneurs who became rich in the sugar trade of the Dutch East Indies. The The Hague Historical Museum is wonderful too. Make your way to the attic for the wonderful doll's houses.

And while you're there, have dinner at an Indonesian/Eurasian restaurant: our old favorite is Toko Frederik on Frederikstraat, or Bogor, on Van Swietenstraat https://bogorroemahmakan.nl/

RLD: please don't, unless you can go there early in the morning and enjoy the gorgeous architecture. However, do visit Our Lord in the Attic.

Just quick. I agree w/ menachem -- don't schlepp your bags to Keukenhof. Store them at AMS and pick them up when you head back to Amsterdam.

Great that is what we will do. Could I ask couple questions? Since 9/11 I don't think there is a luggage storage place at our airports. Based on your suggestion, AMS does have a place to store luggage close to the customs & Immigration? We are coming 3rd week of April, 2022. Since there are five of us, would it be easier to take a cab (instead of bus) from the Airport to Keukenhof AND then get a car at the garden back to the airport and then take us to our hotel?

Thanks for good suggestion.

https://www.schiphol.nl/en/at-schiph...uggage-storage

I think the NS (railways) storage lockers are a better option: more convenient as you transit from bus to train. Those are at ground level, in Schiphol Plaza.

We're planning to store 2 large bags @ AMS, taking the train to Ghent, & returning to fly home.
Would this be a better storage option for us too?
Where is it located?

To the OP, consider the Dutch Resistance Museum if you have any history lovers along.

The Resistance museum is less about the organized Resistance, as I had expected, and more about the day-to-day decisions the residents had to make to co-exist with their occupiers. As a tourist to military affairs, especially the non-combatants, I was fascinated.
On the other hand, a 15-minute walk-and-gawk through the Red Light district should be enough to extinguish any prurient novelty. I'd rather spend my time and money pursuing Dutch beer and the endlessly charming places to consume it.

Update!

Have made hotel reservations at The Craftsmen. Will leave luggage at the airport while we tour Kuekenhof. Tours pending.

Anybody been to the Bar The Tailor? What did you think?

It's a revamped Krasnapolsky hotel bar? Could be anywhere, really. Wijnand Fockink, adjacent to Kras is a more "Amsterdam" choice.
https://wynand-fockink.nl/ excellent barrel-aged jenevers there.

Visit Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh museum and Anne Frank House as top priorities! Skip Zannse Schans, a waste of time. Visiting The Hague is a good idea. Mauritshaus Museum is a treasure there. Instead of Maurodam visit nearby Delft.
We visited Keukenhof while jet lagged, ok to do but better when rested. We did it because it was peak tulip season, late April and our time was limited on that trip. We also enjoyed our visit to the Resistance Museum.

Look into the cost of a driver and van since there are 5 of you. You won’t have to store your luggage and it will save time and hassles

Schiphol-Keukenhof, and then Keukenhof-Amsterdam? That'll cost you. Even with 5 people. And what are you going to do? Have the driver wait there with your luggage in the Keukenhof parking lot?

Strongly agree with menacham about Toscanini for dinner in the Jordaan. But make sure to book ahead of time (like...now).

Also agree that Madurodam isn't anything special. There's a wonderful small art museum in the Hague called Mauritshuis that's really worth doing.

I'm no longer current on the Amsterdam restaurant scene and for some reason over two trips, we never made our way to the Resistance Museum. Amsterdam area art I DO know. My votes are therefore...

Day 2
Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh
15:00 Ann Frank House
Walk Red Light District

Day 3
Mauritshaus Museum (one of the best in the world) and nearby Delft.

So happy you are planning,
AZ