Netherlands 4-day Itinerary (Part 1: Amsterdam)
Planning a trip abroad in 2021 is no easy feat, but we’re happy to share our November 2021 trip to the Netherlands was a major success. If you checked out our previous post about our trip planning, you’ll see that it was stressful, to say the least. Between the fact we had to reschedule this trip three times and the overall uncertainty of COVID restrictions in the Netherlands, there was a ton of research that went into our prep.
While this may not have been our first trip to Amsterdam, we believe our itinerary is great for anyone who is looking to make the most out of a brief trip to the Netherlands. In a future post, we’ll include some iconic sights we tackled on our first trip to Amsterdam that would be especially good for a first-timer.
This blog post is Part 1 of our Netherlands itinerary that covers our time in Amsterdam (days 1 and 2 of our trip). Part 2 will cover our day trips from Amsterdam to Zaandam and Utrecht (days 3 and 4 respectively).
Note: When visiting in the fall, the sun rises later and sets earlier, so be mindful of planning your activities accordingly. Also, it’s chilly and rains a lot during this time of year so bring warm, water-repellent gear (there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing!).
Netherlands Itinerary (Part 1 - Amsterdam)
The Brief - Trip Highlights:
Day 1: Hotel Jakarta, Starbike Rentals, Brouwerij ‘t IJ, Albert Cuyp Market, Rudi’s Original Stroopwafel, Bloemenmarkt, Sampurna Indonesian Restaurant
Day 2: Westers Bakkerij, COVID testing, Amstelpark, Zuidas, Vondelpark, Umaimon ramen, canals, Amsterdam Museum, Henri Willig cheese tasting, Seafood Bistro
Day 1 - Welcome to Amsterdam: Biking, Stroopwafels, Beer & Rijsttafel
From Chicago, Illinois, we flew overnight and arrived at Schiphol Airport around 9:00 a.m. to make the most out of our 4 days. We took the train from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam Centraal (a 15-minute ride). From there we took a leisurely stroll to our accommodations, Hotel Jakarta Amsterdam (a 25-minute walk).
Hotel Jakarta is a beautiful oasis on Java-eiland, a quiet neighborhood located on a peninsula. It’s a bit further away from the hustle and bustle of the city center, but easily accessible by bicycle. After we dropped our bags off and checked into our room, we walked over to Starbike Rentals to pick up our e-bikes. For a 4-day rental it was about €20 per day, which is extremely reasonable. Having the e-bike allowed us to cover more ground in such a short period of time.
Pro tip - be sure you understand how to properly lock your bike given that bicycle theft is a problem in the more popular areas of Amsterdam. Also, if you’re renting an e-bike, be sure to bring your battery into your hotel room nightly to charge for the next day.
Once we picked up our bikes, we ventured out to Amsterdam Centrum (i.e. city center) to do some exploring. We saw a historic windmill situated right next to a small craft brewery, Brouwerij 't IJ. Later in the day, we went back to this brewery for some delicious beer - including their fruity tangerine IPA. We continued towards Albert Cuyp Market - the most popular street market.
At Albert Cuyp Market you will find every Dutch delicacy and souvenir you can imagine. From fresh flowers, produce, and kaas (cheese) to raw herring and iconic stroopwafels, there is plenty for visitors to enjoy. If you’re looking for the best stroopwafel in town, be sure to check out Rudi’s Original Stroopwafel for a freshly baked treat.
As the sun set, we visited the Bloemenmarkt. This is the world's only floating flower market. While from the outside it does look pretty impressive (and great for pictures), it’s quite the tourist trap filled with souvenir shops and very few fresh flowers. We would not advise going out of your way to check this out, but it happens to be on the way to our favorite dinner spot.
Sampurna Indonesian Restaurant is a must-try if you’re looking for an authentic Rijsttafel experience. Rijsttafel is a Dutch word that literally translates to "rice table." With this type of meal, you’re treated to a wide variety of small Indonesian dishes, which makes it great for sharing (and extremely filling!). Our favorite dishes include the Nasi Goreng (fried rice) , Domba Bakar (grilled lamb chops), and Daging Rendang (tenderly stewed beef in Sumatran coconut sauce).
Day 2 - A Dam Good Day: Dutch Food, Architecture, Parks, Canals & History
The myth that there is never good food in your hotel is debunked at Hotel Jakarta. Not only do they have their own fantastic cafe filled with Dutch and Indonesian dishes (including beef rendang kroketten), they also have a wonderful bakery. Westers Bakkerij quickly became our go-to place for breakfast. Our favorite baked goods included the ham and kaas croissant, chocolate croissant, and the cassis hazelnut pastry.
Since we were 3 days away from our flight back to the USA, we biked over to the Coronalab.eu for our COVID tests. The ride was about 30 minutes and the actual test took less than a couple of minutes - we were in and out in a flash. We received the results and a travel certificate in under 2 hours.
From there we explored Amstelpark, which was a big surprise when we got there. Not only was it stunning with brilliantly yellow fall leaves, but we didn’t realize it has a farm and petting zoo including different types of wildlife like alpacas, donkeys, goats, and so much more.
About 15 minutes away (via bike, of course) is Zuidas, the city’s financial district. The reason we decided to check this area out was due to its unique, modern architecture. This rapidly developing area has an incredible amount of interesting buildings such as Valley - a mixed-use project containing apartments, shops, offices, cultural institutes, and a creative center. It was still under construction when we visited, but seeing the jagged stone terraces combined with the mirrored exterior blows you away.
We took the scenic route through Vondelpark back to Amsterdam city center to meet a friend for ramen. Umaimon is a casual Japanese ramen kitchen located at the vibrant Leidse Square (Leidseplein). Our favorite dishes included the takoyaki (squid balls), Ebi furai Miso Ramen (included fried shrimp), and Mala Chicken Ramen (if you like heat, order it extra spicy).
Since it was the start of the holiday season, we ventured over to Dam Square to see the Christmas lights. De Bijenkorf, which is the Dutch equivalent to Macy’s in America, has a stunning display. While we couldn’t go inside due to the long queue wrapping around the building, we later got to experience the store’s Utrecht location.
From there we roamed around Centrum to enjoy the architecture, iconic canal views, and our favorite British bookstore Waterstones. Eventually we made our way to the Amsterdam Museum. Filled with interactive exhibits and educational videos, this museum gives you a deeper appreciation of the city’s history. Our favorite part was a new exhibit about Freethinkers. It was eye-opening to see the similarities and differences between the Dutch and American points of view on freedom of expression and thought.
We ended the day in the Zeedijk district, where we did a Dutch cheese tasting at Henri Willig. This cheese store is a staple throughout the Netherlands and offers a wide variety of samples - the noteworthy one for us was a goat cheese with red wine pearls. Finally, we grabbed dinner at Seafood Bistro, a family-run restaurant where all of the fish is delivered fresh from the morning’s catch.
Keep an eye out for Part 2 of our Netherlands itinerary featuring our day trips to Zaandam and Utrecht!
