Your favorite places to visit in Amsterdam
 

Will be visiting Amsterdam for a very short time at the end of this month on our way back from Africa.
Basically only 2 full days.

I would like to try to vist the following museums

Van Gogh Museum

Rijksmuseum

Tropenmuseum

National Museum of Ethnology Museum Volkenkunde in Leiden

I would love to see large collections of African Oceanic and other ethnographic art which is why I added the Tropen and the Volenkunde.

Do you think we would have time to vist all four of these and not be rushed? I believe Leiden is 35 minutes away by train.....so that may be a no go even though from what I have read and seen on their website their collection is huge!

If someone knows of other museums or public galleries in amsterdam that have large ethnographic collections please let me know. Since we will be there Sun and Mon only I know many of the smaller galleries will be closed.

My friend has been to Europe more than once while this will be my first time so we will probably skip Anne Frank House (He has already been)

Besides the museums we will probably do a lot of people watching and walk around a bit. Maybe do a canal tour while I take pics. Maybe sit down at a coffee house or two 8)

Any other suggestions for an Amsterdam newbie with very little time are welcome.

Thanks

I found the Tropenmuseum strangely wonderful. But I was in Amsterdam 5 days, and went on a day it was raining. Not sure I'd consider it a 'must do' in such a short trip.

The Volkenkunde museum, Leiden, is closed on Mondays.
I think you will have a enough to see and do in Amsterdam with only two days to see it. I'm assuming that is two full days. If you are flying back from Tanzania it is an overnight flight and unless you are in business class there is little chance of any sleep. This means you will e very tired on Sunday so you may not feel up to the trek to Leiden.
However if you do go there consider also the museum of Antiquities. it is open on Sunday afternoons. Sadly the Pilgrim museum is closed both days.

Hi, Kmank -

I would drag your friend back to the Anne Frank House...not to be missed, IMO.

Spend an afternoon/evening walking around the Jordaan neighborhood, I loved it. Lots of cafes, restaurants, neat shops, etc...

Have a great trip.

Thanks guys really appreciate the suggestions.....I just wish we had more time to spend in Amsterdam and the surrounding areas.....Oh well I will just have to start saving to plan another return trip just to Europe!! 8)

Been to Amsterdam several times (one of my best friends married a Dutch man).

My favorite museum is the Rijksmuseum. It was so fantastic, I went two days in a row.

I loved Anne Frank house - very surprised to see how different it was in person as compared to my visuals as I a read the diary.

A canal trip is awesome. Very nice way to see the city.

I also went to a diamond factory and learned about how diamonds are mined, cut and all that jazz.

Have a great time!!

I agree with the others- you MUST see the Anne Frank House. Incredible. Be sure to buy a reserved entrance time!

My wife and I really enjoyed the hop on / hop off canal boat tour. Unfortunately the Rijksmuseum was still under renovation, I hope you don't encounter the same. The lines were terrible, but it was still great.

I would agree with all the earlier posting of making sure you get to the Anne Frank House, well worth it.

I also spent a lot of time in the Van Gogh Museum, i really enjoyed that.

One of my favourite things to do in Amsterdam though is wander around. I love the architecture of the buildings and find it fascinating.

Oh and make sure you have frites with mayonaise. A gorgeous snack available all over

All the above are good ideas, but I would limit yourself to two (preferably smallish) museums. I also really liked the Dutch Resistance Museum, Our Lord in the Attic, and the Van Loon.

http://www.museumvanloon.nl/english/index_eng.htm

http://www.museumamstelkring.nl/onsl...r/eng/home.php

http://www.verzetsmuseum.org/museum/en/museum

Spend a lot of your valuable time just walking/looking and maybe a boat ride - don't spend the whole two days indoors!

I love to take the free pedestrian and bike ferries from behind Centraal train station across the Ij and back

it's a treat to see the zillions of bikers crowd on these boats that go back and forth incessantly

also see the view of old amsterdam from across the harbor

thanks guys gettin ready to leave now appreiate the tips

Another vote for the Amstelkring, it's literally a hidden gem!