Amsterdam: Local Things To Do, See & Eat
In this blog post, I want to share some local tips on things to do and see in Amsterdam, as a lot of the things in this Dutch city can be quite touristy. So here, I want to focus more on the local things to do!
Also check out my vlog: A Weekend in Amsterdam on Youtube! I show some of the neighbourhoods and areas described in this blog post ☀️
Things To Do & See
Take a stroll in De Jordaan area
De Jordaan is an area to the west of the city centre and features historic houses and beautiful canals. The streets are filled with cute cafes, boutique stores and art galleries and it’s just a gorgeous neighbourhood to take a stroll. There is also the Noordermarkt market which is a flea market on Mondays and a farmers market on Saturdays. On top of the, the Anne Frank house is also located in the Jordaan area.
Also check out The 9 Streets (“De 9 straatjes”) which is an area that contains some very picturesque streets, many cafes, cute boutique stores and beautiful canal views.
Check out the Albert Cuyp Market
The Albert Cuyp Market is a famous market located in “De Pijp” which is a neighbourhood in the south of Amsterdam. You can find loads of Dutch snacks and foods here as well, such as cheese, stroopwafels, herring and more. There’s also stalls with more international food.
It’s fun browsing the market and then having a coffee at one of the many cafes you’ll find in this area. This is quite a popular area for locals to hang out as well.
Go for a bike ride around the city
If you truly want to experience the local living, then you need to go for a bike ride! Do take caution when going for a bike ride as local cyclists can be quite aggressive if you are too slow or don’t abide by the rules 😅.
You can also join a bike tour, which is a fun way to explore the city with a guide, for example this one on GetYourGuide.
Visit the Westerpark
The Westerpark is, as you may have guessed, towards the west of the city, and is quite a lovely park to soak in some greenery. In the summer on a nice day, many locals gather here to bike, take a stroll or have a picnic on the lawn.
Within the park, you’ll also find the old factory, called Westergasfabriek, which now contains a bunch of cafes, restaurants and shops.
Check out Amsterdam Noord (North)
From Central Station you can hop on a ‘pondje’ aka a small ferry and you can visit the other side of Amsterdam. There are a few things you can check out, for instance:
Eye Filmmuseum - A film museum with exhibitions and movie screenings
A'DAM Lookout - a place where you can have a panoramic view over Amsterdam
Pllek - a cool bar and restaurant made from shipping containers
Oedipus Brewery - Sample experimental craft beers at this local brewer
(Half) Day Trip to Haarlem
Haarlem is a cute Dutch town just 20 minutes by train from Amsterdam. If you want to see more of a local side of The Netherlands, I’d recommend you to do a day trip to Haarlem. You can walk around the city centre, check out the main square and the church, visit some specialty coffee shops, and do some shopping.
Do a boat tour around the canals
While this is slightly touristy and maybe not very ‘off the beaten track’, doing a boat tour is a great way to see Amsterdam, especially on a sunny day. Also Dutch people love to go on a boat during summer, so there are actually quite a few people who own boats and on a nice day, just hop on their vessel and sail through the canals (without the sails part of course 😂).
Here are a few boat tours/canal cruises you can join via GetYourGuide:
Attend a concert at Paradiso
Like a true local, check out a concert at one of the main venues in Amsterdam, Paradiso. You can find the concert agenda on the Paradiso website. They usually feature pop, indie, alternative artists but also other genres. If you’re a music lover, it’s definitely worth checking out!
Where To Eat & Drink Coffee
Restaurants
Paon Bali, Balinese restaurant - An amazing Balinese takeaway spot (although you can also eat there) which serves authentic Balinese food. It’s a bit far from the centre, but I think it’s worth the trek!
Fou Fow Ramen, Japanese retaurants - For a bowl of amazing Ramen check out this place.
Jinweide Lanzhou Beef Noodles, Chinese restaurant - Seemingly a very good Chinese noodle place. I haven’t tried it yet but it’s high on my bucket list!
nNea Pizza, Pizza restaurant - This pizza place is featured on the Top 50 best pizzeria’s in Europe (outside of Italy).
Ken Sushi, Japanese restaurant - More of an upscale sushi place but is apparently excellent. You do need to reserve well in advance.
Specialty Coffee & Breakfast
Five Ways Coffee Roasters - An amazing coffee place with great pastries and breakfast as well. They have two locations - one in the South Eastern part of Amsterdam and one more in the Western part.
Little Collins - this is a really excellent brunch place, located to the south of the city. it’s an Australian restaurant so no wonder they do brunch pretty well!
Rumbaba - another great coffee spot, Rumbaba has amazing specialty coffee. It’s mostly a takeaway spot.
4850 - Excellent specialty coffee and mouthwatering pastries is what you’ll find at this beautiful cafe.
Back to Black - a cozy little cafe right at the canal. Serves excellent coffee and sweets.
How To Get Around
Public transportation in The Netherlands is really excellent, so you can access most places in and around the city via bus, tram or metro. Just tap with your credit card so you don’t even need to get a different transportation card.
Another great way to explore the city is by bike. Rent a bicycle and do it like the locals! Yes, that might even mean cycling through the rain.. but then you have the full Dutch experience 🙃
Where To Stay
I’m going to recommend a bit more local spots to stay in Amsterdam, while still being close to the main sights and the centre:
Amsterdam West
This is quite a local area in Amsterdam, even though it’s super central and very close to the central station. Here are a few hotel options:
Linden Hotel - Cute, mid-range boutique hotel in Amsterdam West
Mercier Hotel - Upscale hotel in Amsterdam West, and very close to the Anne Frank House
De Pijp
As mentioned previously, De Pijp is a cozy and local neighbourhood just to the south of the city centre. It’s also very close to many of the museums in Amsterdam.
Here are a few options to stay in this area:
Avani Museum Quarter Amsterdam - 4 Star hotel with great reviews
Boutique Hotel Notting Hill - Cute boutique hotel located right next to the canal.
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