Top 10 things to do in Amsterdam
 

Going to Am. mid April. What are the top 10 things one MUST do during a week stay. can include partying hot spots, restaurants, museums, factory tours, canal tours (be specific) coffee shops.

Aalsmeer Flower Market, early early in the morning.

<BR>1. Reichsmuseum <BR>2. Van Gogh Museum <BR>3. Canal boat ride in the day. <BR>4. Canal boat ride at night. <BR> ( can get one in front of central station). <BR>5. Indulge at one of the coffeshops <BR>6. Walk around the Browersgracht and Herengracht and other grachts. <BR>7. Ann Frank house. <BR>8. Red light district. <BR>9. See 5. <BR>10.Rent a bike at central station <BR> and ride around. <BR>11. Take a sidetrip or 2 there are so many interesting old towns in Holland only a short train ride away. <BR>12. Get thee to the keukenhof. <BR> <BR> <BR>Amsterdam has partying all around just walk around at night and you will find it be it in one of the bars or coffeshops. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

1. Wander aimlessly in the Canal Zone <BR>2. Wander aimlessly in the Jordaan district <BR>3. Van Gogh Museum <BR>4. Rent a bike and (in April) peddle through the flower fields between Haarlem and Leiden <BR>5. Rijksmuseum <BR>6. Anne Frank Huis <BR>7. Walk through the Red Light District around 10 - 11 PM <BR>8. Go to any brown café to drink, or any coffeeshop to smoke marihuana <BR>9. Melkweg, Paradiso or Arena Hotel for life music <BR>10 Indonesian Rijsttafel for dinner. <BR>

I agree with the above. Also, do the Heineken Brewery Tour for $3. It is ~ 1hr long and has some good history. Go out to the bars after 11pm and hit a club for some dancing. People seemed friendly...I had a gathered crew of five people (whom I have never met), from different countries, bar hoping til 4am. Get into one of the shops that sell a crepe-like pancake with icecream and your favorite liquor. Have fun!

<BR>Sjoerd, Sorry for the misspellings <BR>I've been to your country 2x and can't wait to go back. I especially want to spend more time at the Rijksmuseum.

Thanks for the "top 10s". We're going in April and will take your lists with us. <BR> <BR>About the biking through the fields...are they very far apart? Don't know if we'd want to do this for a whole day but a couple hours sounds nice.

I just got back from Amsterdam on March 21st,(Wednesday), it was ALOT of fun. You should go see Boom Chicago in Leidseplein, it's a comedy show by Americans who make fun of peope from the US and Europe, very funny! The Rijksmuseum, was great, and it's big, the Van Gogh is small and there are long lines so go early. The Heineken Brewery Museum was CLOSED!! I almost started to cry, it'll open in May. <BR>There was a place we went to eat called The Vog, it's a old torture chamber, great food and atmosphere. There are no lights inside, just candles everywhere, I think about 500 of them. As for coffeeshops, we liked The Grasshopper, the Double Reggae, try the "Orange Bud", yummy, and by the Grand Hotel a little place called the Greenhouse. I think the tulips are in season in April, I hear it's great to see. I really can't remember anything else, hehehe. Just walk around and enjoy the sights, you won't be sorry.

Re: biking through the tulip fields. The best area to do this is around the villages of Lisse and Hillegom. (between Haarlem and Leiden) Best is to rent a bicycle at the railway station in either Haarlem or Leiden. From there it will take you about 30 minutes to reach the flower fields.

Hi, <BR>I would like to know where is located the Vog resto in Amsterdam (500 candles). I'm going to Amsterdam in April. Bye

Tip: Get in line at the Ann Frank House before they open at 9 AM.

Or...get to the Anne Frank House about an hour before closing on a Sat or Sunday. That's what we did, and though there were some other people, it was not a mob scene. And no line at all. <BR> <BR>....sample some jenever (Sjoerd, you 'splain, ok?)

thanks to everyone for your top ten lists...they were great and i'm sure will prove to be invaluable. i'm printing them now. <BR> <BR>any additional restaurant ideas (good value)?

definitely go to boom chicago - it was so funny we were rolling in the aisles laughing <BR>also go to leidseplein at night, its less seedy than the red light and great <BR>bourbon street is a good bar with live music and you definitely have to go to the rokerij- its a coffeeshop but they also serve beer, which supposedly they arent supposed to be allowed to but they did (dont know how/why, but we were enjoying those pints with our smoke for sure)

Everyone's top 10 list was great. Does anyone know of Acro Hotel? I would appreciate any recommended hotels/inns (double room) under $80 USD a night.

Great thread. I am going to The Netherlands at the end of May. I've read that the tulips are gone by then. Can someone tell me if this is true? Will there be any tulips to see this late in the Spring?

<BR>1. If you are planning to go on the Heineken Brewery tour, while you are waiting for your tour, there's a little round restaurant on a park across the street that used to be a merry-go-round. I believe it's called The Carousel. You can't miss it because it is right on a traffic round-about on the main trolley line. <BR> <BR>Anyway, this place has the BEST dutch pancakes for both breakfast and lunch. I recommend getting a ham & cheese and a desert (strwaberry jam and powdered sugar) one. Everyone I've told about this place has loved it. Very fun. <BR> <BR>2. Keukenhof Gardens are amazing at this time of year. Even if you're not that into flowers, it's worth it. You can take a special train from Central Station (buy tickets and get a schedule from the VVV tourist bureau across the street from the central station). It's a short 40-min train ride although you may need to walk a ways to the garden after getting off the train. <BR> <BR>3. The Doors Cafe is my favorite 'green' cofeeshop. It's on a cool canal outside of the real touristy areas. It's got a big picture of Jim Morrison on the wall & The Doors are always playing. I don't even really like The Doors' music -- but it fits here for obvious reasons. <BR> <BR>4. Argentinian Steakhouses -- with the <BR>F&M & Mad Cow stuff, I don't know how these places are doing but they were very yummy 3 years ago. <BR> <BR>5. If you like electronic music, go to a place called the supperclub -- it's a resturant/bar/nightclub. <BR> <BR>6. Just walk around & Enjoy. <BR> <BR>(I know that's only six but I've got to get back to work so I can save up for my next trip to the Dam!) <BR>

Just back from Amsterdam..If you visit the "coffee shops" for pot or hash, here is some advice..do not go to La Canna in Hotel Nieuwendijk Amsterdam...they sold me a joint with 100% tobacco. Yes I know the Dutch roll a little tobacco in their joints but this was a $4.00 mistake...Also stay away from the Bull Dog cafes..although they are popular with the tourists..they don't offer the value and comfortable coffee shop atmosphere...try Tops at leidsestraat and prinsengracht..i got some great skunk there.

You will find tulips in April, but the Dutch raise tulips for the bulbs for export. They snap the bud from the stem to avoid taking the energy away from the bulb. You will find tulip farms all over Holland. In regards to Amsterdam, don't bother with the canal cruises, they are a waste of time. Go to the Anne Frank House as early in the day as possible -- wear sneakers, the steps are very narrow and steep. Go to the Riijksmuseum and the Van Gogh museum. I stayed at the Jolly Carlton, which is a wonderful hotel next to the Flower Market - great rooms, great breakfast buffet. Don't bother going to the replica of all the buildings just outside of Amsterdam, it's a waste of time.

I think both day and night time canal tours are worth doing. You gain a totally different perspective of the city when seeing it from the water. Anne Frankhuis, Reijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Musuem of Modern Art (Stedlijk or something like that) are definitely worth seeing. The Jordaan and the Red Light District (the big touristy one) are both interesting neighborhooods for walking. Ride the trams and metros and buy some tulips at the Bloomenmarkt - I got 50 tulips for about US$10 and put them in a vase on our houseboat rental. Oh - for an interesting dinner, try The Supper Club - they have a website. Definitely have an indonesian rijfstaffel (rice table) while you are there.