Five Day Amsterdam Itinerary: Amsterdam Travel Itinerary
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A packed Amsterdam inventory with side trips to the famous Dutch windmills, Walibi Holland Theme Park, and nearby Rotterdam.
Five Day Amsterdam Itinerary: (Jump To)
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Day 1: Arrivals
We put together a great five day Amsterdam itinerary including some great day trips from Amsterdam. We saw the famous Dutch Windmills, took a day trip to Rotterdam, and rode the train to Walibi Holland theme park. We tried hard to find the best Amsterdam shopping, Amsterdam restaurants, and Amsterdam nightlife.
Tip: *If you’re visiting in Spring be sure to see the Tulip Fields (read more).
Every guidebook and video we viewed in preparation for the trip warned us that we should plan for rain. One YouTuber video even suggested that we be ready for rain on at least half of our days in Amsterdam.
After checking in we set off to explore the city, umbrellas in hand. We were very fortunate as today’s light rain would be the only rain we would encounter on the entire 18-day trip through The Netherlands, Belgium, and Paris.
Day 1: Dam Square Area
Our main stops for the afternoon were Dam Square, where we gazed up at the seventeenth century Dutch Classicist architecture of The Royal Palace of Amsterdam. The square is also a great place to people watch.
Day 1: Nine Little Shopping Streets
From there we walked over to the Nine Little Shopping Streets. The streets contain cute little shops of all kinds. We poked into the shops between raindrops. It's always a joy to find a shopping neighborhood that has managed to avoid becoming a gathering of international chain stores. The nine streets are joined by six bicycle-lined bridges over some of Amsterdam’s signature canals.
Day 1: Dinner and Drinks
Slightly jet-lagged we spent Sunday evening trying to find a fun bar that was open and lively. For dinner, we opted for a slice of street pizza instead of a proper meal. We had a few drinks at The Queen’s Head before crashing for the evening at an early 11 pm.
Day 2: Street Market
The next morning we headed to the Albert Cuyp Market, an outdoor street market a short subway ride from the city center. The market was talked up heavily online. We blazed through in about fifteen minutes, finding it to be pretty sad overall. The highlight was cheap, made on-site stroopwafels. The other stalls contained lots of used clothing, new kitchenware, and garbage souvenir trinkets. Perhaps the market is more lively on weekends or at different times of the year, but on this Monday morning we were underwhelmed.
Day 2: Zoo and Floating Flower Market
Next up was the Artis Zoo. Artis is one of the oldest zoos in Europe. The small yet diverse collection of animals live throughout 19th-century historical buildings. I really enjoyed the sloth enclosure and the adorable red panda. The tickets were on the pricier side, but worth the cost.
Tip: *During our Covid-times visit zoo tickets had to be purchased in advance online.
The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering the beautiful streets of Amsterdam. We made sure to ogle at the beautiful cuttings at the Floating Flower Market. We also made our way through a few dutch cheese shops. It’s very easy to find beauty in the city.
Day 2: Canal Cruise
We finished the day of sightseeing with a relaxing hour-long canal cruise with Lovers Canal Cruises. The tickets were surprisingly affordable (about USD$17 each).
The boat weaved through canals and under low bridges with a non-stop recorded historical commentary. The boat ride was a highlight of our time in the city.
Day 2: Dinner
For dinner, we enjoyed traditional Dutch food from Kop Van Jut Eetcafe in the Leidseplein neighborhood. My Zuurkool Stamppot, a dinner of sausage with mashed potatoes mixed with sauerkraut, ended up being one of the most unique meals of the trip.
Day 3: Windmills Day Trip
Day three started early with a day trip to Alkmaar and Zaanse Schans home to cheese making and windmills. Read more about the day trip here.
Day 4: Theme Park Day
Day four was spent at the wonderful Walibi Holland theme park located about 90 minutes outside of Amsterdam via public transport: More info.
Tip: *If theme parks aren’t your thing, replace this day with a day trip to Muiderslot Castle from Amsterdam.
Day 5: Rotterdam Day Trip
Our last day in Amsterdam took us on another day trip to nearby Rotterdam. Rotterdam is home to some of the coolest architecture in all of Europe as well as a very inappropriate Santa statue. (more here).
Day 5: Amsterdam Red Light District
After returning from Rotterdam we took an obligatory evening walk through the notorious red-light district.
The red light district seems to be the thing that people love to whisper about with curiosity and an undertone of judgment. I didn’t find the area to be pleasant, interesting, or shocking in any way. Don’t be afraid to skip it—Its more hype than substance.
We were also sad to have missed the Anne Frank House which was under renovation during our visit.
