The Netherlands: So Much to Eat & Enjoy in Amsterdam & Beyond

Amsterdam is obviously a very popular destination, and social media is filled with recommendations about where to snack and eat dinner. It can be overwhelming trying to narrow it all down!

A visit to the Rijksmusuem will allow you to see works from influential Dutch artists like Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Van Gogh.

Like I do for any European city, I always recommend starting with a food tour. It gives you a great lay of the land and gives you an opportunity to try some of the local delicacies that you would not have normally tried. I recommend Adam and Eve Food Tours, which focuses on Jordaan and surrounding areas and includes what you might expect, like Dutch fries and Gouda cheese, but also more unusual items, like bitterballen and Surinamese food.

Of course, in addition to a food tour, there are other must-try snacks. First, there’s Dutch apple pie. While you likely will get one on any food tour, you must try the pie at Winkel 43. It has a crust that I will probably spend my whole life trying to recreate. Second, if your food tour doesn’t have it, you must try Pat’s Poffertjes (mini pancakes in several locations in Amsterdam). Third, there are Dutch fries pretty much everywhere in the city. Make sure to try the ones at Fabel Friet or Heertje Friet—or try them both and compare!

The city is even more beautiful at night

While there is plenty to do in Amsterdam for a few days, it’s also really easy to take a train ride to other nearby cities and villages for beautiful scenery and unique experiences. I highly recommend taking the brief 17-minute train ride from Amsterdam Centraal to Zaanse Schans. Zaanse Schans is a living open-air museum just 15 minutes from Amsterdam where you can see authentic working windmills, traditional Dutch wooden houses, and artisan workshops producing cheese, clogs, and Delft-style pottery along the banks of the Zaan river.

Amsterdam Centraal Station: Your gateway to other memorable places in The Netherlands (and beyond)

Definitely try to stay on Jordaan or Centrum so that you can really enjoy strolling through the city streets and walking along the picturesque canals. We stayed at The Dylan, which is in a fabulous location. I would also recommend traveling during a shoulder season (e.g., May or early June) if you don’t like a lot of crowds. We traveled in May and still thought the city was quite crowded on the weekend. I can’t imagine what it looks like in prime season.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Amsterdam page.