We are traveling to the land of tulips just before Christmas!!!
We found ourselves in the city of thousands of bicycles, with countless bridges and romantic canals to spend 3 days just before the Christmas holidays. Welcome to Amsterdam in this article and what you should see if you visit in winter...
How to travel?
For Amsterdam you will find direct flights to its international airport where to reach the city center you will find 3 ways.
Train: 15 minutes, from $5
Bus: 30 minutes, from $7
Taxi: 20 minutes, from $50
If the airport you land in is Eindhoven and you want to go from the airport to Amsterdam there is a bus connection (details here). You will also find a connection by train and flixbus from the center of Eindhoven.
Accommodation
With an average price of accommodation all year round at €130, you will have a hard time finding an affordable and good hotel for your stay in Amsterdam. The cheapest hotel chain is XO Hotels where you will find double rooms under €90 and there is always the option of excellent hostels that offer economical accommodation in dormitories with shared bathrooms.
Our hotel was The Alfred Hotel.
How to move in the city?
The most popular way to get around in the Netherlands are bicycles, which you can rent from almost all hotels and businesses in the city center at a cost of around €10/day.
The next option is the public transport and the tram, which we especially appreciated!! The cost for the tram was 3.20€ while for 6.50€ you can get a ticket for all means with a duration of 90'.
If you choose the tram for your transport then you will find a day pass from €8.50 by clicking here
Also the I amsterdam City Card is the best solution for those who want to explore the museums, get around by all means and do free canal boating. You can choose how many days you want it for and save a lot of money. For details and purchase click here
What to explore?
Museums: Amsterdam has over 60 museums where you can visit but below we will write the main ones, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank Huis, Moco Museum Amsterdam, Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum Amsterdam, the tulip museum as well as the Sex museum. If you are interested in the anatomy of the human body, we also liked BODY WORLDS Amsterdam!!
Exploring the center between the canals of the city you will find:
The Royal Palace on Dam Square
Damrak Waterfront, where you will admire the Dancing houses over the canal
The Oude Kerk and Zuiderkerk churches to admire the panoramic view from their bell tower
Take a walk in the wonderful parks Vondelpark and Westerpark
Go boating on the canals and see the wonderful decorated city from a different perspective, for tickets click here
Visit the shopping streets of Kalverstraat & Hooftstraat, the Lindengracht Markt, Albert Cuyp Market and the colorful Bloemenmarkt flower market
Walk through the Red Light District and pass by the famous coffee shops
And of course, if you find yourself during the holiday season, visit the Christmas markets and the ice rinks. Below you will find the list of Christmas markets for 2022
Ice village at museumplein
Amsterdam light festival along the canals of the city
Funky xmas market at westergras
Amsterdam winter paradise at europaplein 1, information here
Christmas market Harleem in the Grote Markt
Royal Christmas fair in The Hague!!!
Food - Restaurants
In Amsterdam you will find all categories of restaurants as well as plenty of national restaurants.
Try their traditional waffles at van Wonderen Stroopwafels as well as their famous fries with your choice of sauce at Manneken Pis Damrak
In the Christmas markets you will find all kinds of sweets such as bananenbol, dutch pepernoten and kerststol that accompanies the coffee at Christmas morning
Excursions - Day trips
Our favorite excursion is the trip to Volendam to taste authentic gouda cheese at their factory, visit the huge windmills at Zaanse Schans and see how wooden clogs are made. Details and booking click here
If the weather permits, visit the unique village of Giethoorn where you will explore the village in a boat on its picturesque canals. Details and booking click here
Rotterdam, Delft and The Hague full day tour including 1 hour Rotterdam cruise, entrance to the famous Madurodam miniature city, guided tour of The Hague and entrance to the Royal Delft Museum. Details and booking click here
And of course visit the factory of the famous Heineken and learn how it is produced... Details and reservation click here
If you want a nearby escape, we suggest you go to the dreamy Haarlem just 30' by train from Amsterdam where you will see the De Adriaan windmill and the imposing Amsterdamse Poort gate.
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