Things to do
Rent your own canal boat
Instead of doing a canal tour on one of the ubiquitous canal boats, rent your own electric boat at "sloep delen" ("boat sharing"). Lotsa fun maneuvering through the canals, just make sure to yield to the larger boats....
Discover Amsterdam by bicycle
Amsterdam is the Bike Capital of the World. The best way to experience Amsterdam is on a bike. You can rent them anywhere, this is just one of many options. Pay attention to those tram rails though! And don't be timid on your bike - the Dutch are pretty hardcore when it comes to cycling!
Visit a Brewery in a Windmill
Want to visit a brewery? Do NOT visit the Heineken Experience. First of all, their beer tastes like rehydrated goat piss, and secondly, the experience itself is pretty lame. Instead, go to Brewerij 't IJ. Their brewery is in a windmill, and they have a great range of beers. Rent a bicycle and go check it out!
Check out the Sunflowers at Van Gogh Museum
Definitely a must-visit when in Amsterdam! The world's largest collection of Van Gogh paintings, although Starry Night is in the NY MOMA. Plenty of sunflowers and other masterpieces to be seen though!
Check out the Rembrandts at the Rijksmuseum
The National museum of the Netherlands, with the world's biggest collection of Rembrandts and other Dutch masters. Also a spectacularly beautiful building that in itself is worth a visit.
Chill out in Vondelpark
Amsterdam's equivalent of Central Park or Golden Gate Park. Mark used to live less than 1 minute from this beautiful park. If you're into running or cycling or just love to go for a relaxed stroll, this is the place to be.
See Banksy and Warhol at the Moco Museum
Nestled between the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, this small museum offers a fun exhibit of works by the irreverent artist Banksy (whoever he is...), and some Andy Warhol works as well.
If you're inspired to buy Amsterdam diamonds and jewelry, visit Lyppens
Lyppens Jeweler is located in a tiny store in the heart of Amsterdam, and is the place where Lisa's nearly 100-year-old family heirloom engagement ring was repaired and polished, They also crafted two beautiful diamond rings out of another antique ring that had been in Lisa's family for many decades. If our wedding inspires you to pop the question, or if you want to treat your loved one (or yourself!) to a unique piece of jewelry (antique or new), this is the place to go. The staff is absolutely lovely as well.
Swing on a rooftop at A'DAM Tower
Check out this awesome rooftop bar with a great view over the city, and if you're up for it, try out Europe's highest swings! A'DAM Tower is in Amsterdam Noord - a very short (and free!) ferry ride across the IJ, behind Amsterdam Centraal station. In the same building is the Sir Adam, a funky hotel with vinyl record players in every room and karaoke in the elevator.
Dance to EDM at Marktkantine
Advice from wedding guest and expert on all things music, EJ Heijmans: Amsterdam is the World Capital of EDM. Market Canteen is a great place to get a flavor of the Dutch EDM scene. Built in 1936 as a canteen for Dutch market traders, De Marktkantine has a dynamic history in music, theatre and food within Amsterdam. It has functioned as a club since the 90’s when the dance scene began to evolve in The Netherlands. The 3,000 square feet building offers an array of dance areas and stages.
More dancing to EDM at Shelter Amsterdam
Another tip from EJ: across the IJ river lies Shelter, a new Amsterdam haven for quality dance music. Built around the idea of creating a home away from home for veteran clubbers and enthusiastic newcomers alike, Shelter Amsterdam provides a diverse clubbing experience in the Dutch capital. Next to its musical cornerstones of distinct House and Techno, Shelter’s programming is set on curating sounds from the vanguard of dance music, showcasing electronica from the defining outreaches of the industry.
Visit a real castle at Muiderslot
Wanna visit a real castle, with a proper moat and all the trimmings? This is the place to go to! It's only 15 km (9 miles) from Amsterdam. Very nice to rent a bike and go visit this place.
Go for a stroll in nearby Haarlem and visit the beach and dunes
Haarlem is only 15 minutes away by train, and is a cute town for a nice stroll. It has several interesting museums too. And you can continue on to Overveen by train, and hike in the dunes, or rent bikes and ride to the beach in Bloemendaal.
Windmills and stuff at Zaanse Schans
OK, this is super touristy, but if you want to get into this whole windmill and wooden shoe thing, this is the place to be. It's approx. 20 km (12 miles) from Amsterdam.
Say Cheese! in Gouda
We visited this cute town which is the home of, you guessed it, Gouda cheese (pronounced "Gowda", not "Gooda"). It has a nice town square, and is only 55 minutes by train from Amsterdam.
The Kids will have a blast in the Efteling theme park
This place beats Disneyland hands down! Fun rides for kids of all ages, and a magic forest that will enchant your kids. There's nothing else quite like it. It's about 110 km (70 miles) from Amsterdam, so best to rent a car. Snappcar is great for renting cars by the day directly from the owners - a bit like Airbnb for cars.
Visit the beautiful Belgian city of Antwerp
Antwerp is only 1 hour 15 minutes by high-speed train from Amsterdam. We visited in May 2018 and really enjoyed strolling in the beautiful cobblestone streets and viewing the Gothic architecture.
Farther Afield: Paris is only 3 hours away by high-speed train
If you want to bolt on a few days in the City of Romance, it's great to know that Paris is a direct train ride from Amsterdam, just over 3 hours. Definitely beats flying or driving.