For a visit to Amsterdam starting with a free walking tour is a great way to get great insider knowledge and local anecdotes. The Sandeman’s guide is great, and doesn’t hold back on talking about local issues as well as the city’s history. One thing to note is that although they’re free, you’ll still have to pay a €1.50 “entertainment tax” per person.
For a different approach to the canals, we recommend trying a rental boat.
Now, lots of folk might want to visit a coffee shop or two while in Amsterdam. Things have changed slightly since pre-pandemic, and now most of them operate as take-away only.
Google Maps tells you which ones are “dine-in”, so you should have a good idea where you can chill before you get there.
A “must see” are those windmills. Getting to Zaanse Schans from the city takes half an hour by train, then you have a short walk through a cute little Dutch town with the scent of chocolate from the factory wafting over you.
Other highlights include endless samples in the cheese shop, trying on traditional clogs, sitting in a giant clog, and catching the “ferry” across the river.
You can catch it from beside the last windmill on the trail, and you’ll quickly realise it’s just a little motorised boat operated by a cute older Dutch couple.
And if you’ve got time on the way back, it’s worth stopping off in central Zaandam