How to plan a 3 day trip to Amsterdam
Amsterdam is one of the most popular cities in the world to visit, for many good reasons. With beautiful scenic canals every corner you turn to, so many museums to visit, so much greenery everywhere. with the gorgeous Dutch architecture and brick buildings, and the history of the city (dating back to the 13th century), it doesn’t take long to fall in love with the city!
And let’s not forget that it attracts all the stoners in the world. With hazy coffee shops at every corner, filled with stoners that spend all day smoking and having a great time over snacks and meals whenever they get their munchies. Most tourists go there only to take advantage of the law on pot, and come back only to remember what hazy days the trip went through, and all spent in a cozy coffee shop.
A lot of people also go just for the Red Light district, where it’s a whole different world out there. Women always by the window side, trying to make eye contact with any man passing by, which to them is nothing but a customer. It’s a great place for a man visiting Amsterdam to have a bachelor party there! (We actually saw one)
So before we get into a very well and planned out itinerary, I have to say there is definitely way too much to see and do in this charming city. So here I have a 3-day itinerary which you can count on since WE did it successfully!
Day 1
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Free walking tour
We started our day with a free walking tour. And since we were in a hurry to make it for the tour, we just had breakfast at the hotel we were staying in. It’s always more fun to explore the city by first getting a walking tour from which you can gain knowledge about the history and major attractions of the city, get to know where all the landmarks are located. Like that you won’t waste anytime doing it on your own either. It litterally saved us a lot of time, which would have taken a whole day on our own to explore. The tour lasts about 2 hours, and they are pretty worth staying till the end.
Tip: Book in advance to make sure you have a spot, start with the earliest one in the morning, so you will be able to get to know the city before starting your itinerary of the day and of course save time! There are two companies I know that offer free walking tours and they are New Amsterdam tours and Free walking tours Amsterdam. They are both good. We just happened to book with Free walking tours Amsterdam. You can book online to be sure to have a spot or just head to the Dam square in front of the National Monument and be there 10-15 minutes ahead of time. The first one starts at 10:30, then 13:30 and 16:00. The New Amsterdam tours have slightly different hours which are 10:00, 10:30, 11:15, 13:30 and 14:15.
Lunch or snacks at Café Het Paleis
Since we were close to Centraal Station, we decided to get a quick bite nearby. We found a nice cafe, a 15 minute walk from the Centraal Station, where there were a ton of people so we decided to check it out. We werent so hungry since we had a huge breakfast at the hotel and we were anxious to check out the museums which was our next stop, so we decided to just order coffees and some delicious cakes they had on the menu. The coffees and cakes were delicious, so probably we will go for lunch the next time we are in Amsterdam. I mean if they do so well, it is definitely for a reason.
Rijkmuseum & Van Gogh museum
These 2 museums are part of the top main attractions in the city, and because of their popularity, are always full with tourists. So the best time of the day is to go first thing in the morning, between 9 am and 11am since those are the quietest hours of the museums! The reason I suggest to do both of these museums on the same day is because they are next to each other! About 75 minutes are required to visit each museum, so you can visit both one after the other easily.
Rijkmuseum is one of the most remarkable museums in Europe. It has a great collection from 1200th century to present day. So thrilling to see the original Rembrandt paintings. We spent about 2 hours here and had snacks at the café inside the museum, because right after this were headed to the Van Gogh museum.
At Van Gogh museum, we also had a great time. The gallery tells us the story of his life from his rural beginnings to his tragic death using his paintings. There are paintings from other artists as well. There is a café in this museum as well, so you can refuel here as well in order to keep up with your tour, with a view of Museumplein and the Kurokawa Wing. We had our coffee when we took our break at the museum.
Tip: Have your tickets purchased in advance, there are always going to be crazy lineups to deal with and waste your whole day. Don’t rush it, but give yourself a window of 2 hours for each museum.
Vondel Park
After a long day spent in museums like these two, it can get overwhelming. So head to Vondelpark for some late lunch and relaxation. We went to the Blue Teahouse. The best part about this place is that in summer and winter you can sit outside in the sun. I mean sure we didnt get any sun that day, but it was still very pleasant just sitting outside on a terrace in a park! The best on the menu is a basket with Turkish bread and homemade humus with a drink. It is just so relaxing after a long day at the museums and a real treat! It has been built since 1937 and since then it is the favourite place in the Vondelpark for tourists and locals to enjoy at the park.
Tip: Best way to enjoy the park is to eat and take it easy. If you are visiting in the summer time, there is theatre and dance performances to enjoy for free. After the Teahouse we took a nice walk along the pond.
Museumplein
After a nice meal, we continued our walk from Vondelpark to the Musuemplein which is few minutes away from Vondelpark. This square is surrounded by Amsterdam’s most important museums (Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum). People here are either playing sports, having picnics or just hanging out with friends.
Tip: Walk around and take pictures with the famous Iamsterdam sign here, by the way it is a huge sign so you might only fit on one letter only. I know I did!
Canal cruises
The best time to go for a canal cruise would be at this time of the day. When all the lights of the city are lit, and it just makes the ride more admirable, so much more peaceful too! For us, to be honest it was a magical experience, even though you discover the city in dark, nothing beats a city filled with lit areas on a canal. Finding tickets for an evening cruise is really easy, the shops are pretty much everywhere you can’t miss them.
Tip: The easiest way here is to get your tickets at the various places all around the canals, no need for tickets bought online in advance. But of course if you have bought Iamsterdamcitycard, then this will be free.
Supper at Restaurant Greetje – Dutch Cuisine
For a nice late night meal, head to “Restaurant Greetje – Dutch Cuisine”, where they have authentic Dutch food located in a monumental building overlooking the Montelbaanse Tower. Greetje is a lovely small high end restaurant and I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you are specially celebrating an occasion. The staff is very friendly and relaxed with customers. But be sure to have a reservation as this restaurant is quiet popular and known for their delicious meals! We had this there: pic and food
Day 2
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If you haven’t taken the free walking tour, now is the time, since you still have 2 full days to spend in Amsterdam so that can be still helpful!
Breakfast at De BakkerswinkelAmsterdam West
For breakfast, we decided to go to a local place, and our hotel suggested us De BakkerswinkelAmsterdam West. Fisrt, I must say, this place is greatly located which is pretty close to the Amsterdam city center on the west side of town! Since it is located near the city center, we wont need to be going out of our way to eat here. The staff here was very friendly and the atmosphere was really comfy, and everything on the menu looked amazing! They had a big variety of delicious pastries and sandwiches for breakfast, and a lot of fresh food on the menu. I had a french toast and husband had a scone and coffee, mmm and the food was pretty good! I would recommend this place to you if you are looking for a local breakfast place not far from all the attractions.
Flower Market
Our next detination is the Flower Market. No one can ever leave amsterdam without visiting the Flower market! We just had to see this since this is the only floating flower market in the world, in all seasons! It is quiet a market that is right on the water of the canal! We found all sorts of tulips here, and other bulbs and flowers too. So, I decided to buy some tulips to bring back home as souvenirs. What a great way to start our day with different types of smell of the flowers that surroundes us!
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Tip: The prices are very reasonable here, and for my North American friends, it is at least 2-3 times cheaper to buy flowers here than compared to back home! So if you are thinking of buying them, dont miss this chance.
Lunch in the Jordaan Area
Our next stop is The Jordaan area in Amsterdam. This area is one of the poshest and expensive area of Netherlands. Not many tourists hang out in the maze of shops and cafes in the Jordaan area, making it one of the hostpots for those who want a break from the tourist areas and the crowds. That is why we made this our next stop, since the day before we were surrounded by too many people!
By the influence of students and artists, this slum area of back in time has changed to an artist’s district. It’s a labyrinth of narrow streets and little canals, we saw many courtyards and art studios as well. We just felt like taking our time to stroll these narrow artistic streets of this area. There is something particular about this place, we saw houses that have stone tablets, which are apparently a sign of the profession or family sign of the occupant, and those signs were pretty beautiful and colorful! That concept is pretty cool. The first stone dates from 17th century, it is pretty amazing to walk through streets and having to see art of stones that dates from such a long time ago!
Tip: This is a must-do on your itnerary, if you also like hanging out and taking a break in areas where you will find only the locals. Good idea to grab a bite to eat here, there are a ton of local restaurants to choose from. We had lunch at Winkel café which is right around the corner at Noordermarkt, and since they are known for their famous apple pie, well that is what we had for dessert! Noordermarkt (North Market) is a great place for a drink at night or simply dining, it even has a biological food market.
Yup, You got that right, these barrels on this gable stone suggest that the house was built by copper, or a brewer! Pretty neat, no?
Anne Frank House
After a nice meal, its time for one of the famous museums of Amsterdam; The Anne Frank House. This would be the best time of the day to go, since in the afternoon, it is the least busy and that you don’t need any online tickets after 3:30 pm as you can buy them at the museum entrance. We already had bought our tickets online, so we just walked in.
This musuem was nothing like any other one we have ever visited. We had to hold back our tears at times, reading all the walls, and everything about Anne Frank. Visiting the house where Anna lived and being there in those dark bedrooms, you can almost feel the moment back in time and imagine how times were for Anne and her family. I had to hold back the tears at times, it was definitely the most moving experience we ever had visiting a museum!
Tip: Although, it will be less busy in the afternoon, I would definitely NOT recommend you to buy tickets on the spot here, you will still deal with the long queue here. The internet will be your best bet here. And I dont mean buy the tickets online the day before or the day of the visit, but more like 2 weeks in advance or something like that!
In the multimedia space of the museum, you can actually get a “virtual journey” through the Anne Frank House. The virtual tour shows the secret rooms Anne, her family and four other Jews hid in during their two years in the house. The advantage in the afternoon is the museum is not very packed, and you can easily walk inside and take your time.
Heineken Experience
Next, we made our way to the Heineken musuem. We first thought it was an actual working brewery, but its isnt. Here, I dont have much to say since all we got out of this visit, was that, they give you an overview of the company. They give you a couple of drinks and play silly games. Apart, from that, we didn't find much happening in there. The visit is definitely overpriced and commercialized.
Tip: We went to this museum with a thought of an actual museum here, but to be honest with you, we didn’t come out of there the way we usually do from an actual museum. It is a rather disappointing experience, since it is not a working brewery and they could have done a better job on explaining the history behind Heineken. But if you want a few pints of beers included in the price, why not! And remember to get the tickets for this museum online as you will get a discount.
Relax and eat at Leiden Square (Leidseplein)
Our next stop is relaxation. We couldnt find a better place than Leiden Square. Summer or winter, this is a great square to hang out. With street performers everywhere, you can easily get entertained while enjoying a meal on the variety of terraces the square has to offer. In the summer, many terraces welcome locals and tourists, and in winter the terraces area is covered with an ice rink, where you can still enjoy the square with a nice hot meal sold at the stalls. It is a great place to hang out for food and shopping.
For a great Dutch meal idea, head to The Pantry restaurant, but make sure to have reservations, since the restaurant is quiet popular for their ducth meals, we were just lucky to find a place to sit in the restaurant and eat. We decided to take a long break here after all the activities of the day. This place really is perfect spot to enjoy what the city has to offer!
Tip: This place has a considerable amount of places with cheap snacks, if you are ever looking for a cheaper option.
Red Light district
Nobody usually goes o Amsterdam and leaves without the famous RDL. So we made our way to the Red Light District making this our last activity before ending the night. With a traditional 14th century look of streets and canals, whatever you may have heard about the Red Light District may be true. Here are plenty of sex shops, peep shows, brothels, a sex museum and prostitutes in red-lit windows.
Although it is very quiet at night, this area is jammed with all type of men at night, couples holding hands and pointing at the prostitutes, in shock of course, groups of women giggling. Just walking by people that are looking and mocking at the prostitutes, it’s a whole show on its own.
Tip: There are Red light walking tours that take place 3 times a week. We personally never took any of this type of tour, so I can't comment much about it. But if you dont want to go in that area alone or simply want to broaden your knowledge with a historical perspective and facts related to 'Process and Procedure of this profession, then this tour is not to be missed. What I heard from friends that have taken this tour before, is that you even get to find out about how much these prostitutes charge their clients! That is a bit too much info. Oh and don’t forget though, it is strictly banned for tourists to take pictures of the prostitutes.
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Day 3
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Breakfast at Mook Pancakes
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This morning we were in a mood for pancakes. So we headed towards Mook Pancakes. We were pretty happy we chose this place for breakfast, they have a large selection of pancakes and they were pretty good! The place has very nice interior and the staff is pretty friendly! I would definitely recommend this place to you.
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Royal family Palace
After breakfast, we made our way to the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. This place is perfectly located right in the center of Amsterdam. The palace was used as a city hall in the 17th century. In the 18th century, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte transformed it into a Palace, which it has remained ever since.
As you walk in, you can still see the building’s original function. Now, the use of this hall is reserved for Royal Events like reception of the foreign heads of state during their visits in the Netherlands, the King's New Year reception and other official receptions. It is one of the three palaces still used by the Royal Family and open to public except on Mondays.
We went with the self-guided tour, so we can go at our own pace and admire the art and lifestyle of the Royal family. The audio is pretty informative and the tour lasts about an hour, so it is really short and sweet.
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Tip: If you are looking for a guided tour here, it is best to book beforehand on the palace's website. The cost is only 10 euros. Oh and again if you have your museumkaart, you dont need to buy a ticket.
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This picture was taken on our last day in Amsterdam wandering the "full of life" streets of Amsterdam
Hash Marihuana Hemp Museum
We didnt want to leave Amsterdam without checking out the Hash museum. We've had friends that have been here and told us the visit is pretty imformative as they offer extensive documentation and historical facts about the cannabis plant. We were ineterested in knowing mainly the medicinal use of cannabis. So we thought why not give it a try.
To our surprise, our friends werent wrong. This musuem gives in depth information about the hash’s medicinal, religious and cultural applications.
The tour is self-guided, so we can take our time and read about the cannabis plant's use in different aspects of life. To me, it was pretty interesting to find how hemp can be used even in clothing accessories and cosmetic products! I would definitely recommend this museum to you even you dont smoke. Knowledge doesnt hurt, and specially if it is provided properly, like this museum did.
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Tip: We bought our tickets in advance. This place is not as busy as all the other museums we've been to in Amsterdam, so it isnt necessary you buy your ticket in advance. If you are short on time, go to this museum and leave out the Heineken experience since this museum will actually give you information on hemp from the start till today. Yes, they wont give you some weed to go home with like does the Heineken experience, but it will be a lot more informative, then just sipping on a pint of beer.
Lunch at Oriental City and a walk through Chinatown
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For a change, after trying out many dutch dishes, we thought of keeping chinese for the last day. So we made our way to Chinatown which very well located, few minutes from Centraal Station. As we walked towards the town, we came across Oriental City, since it is 3 story restaurant, abd looked quiet busy, we wanted to give it a try. When we walked in, we felt the atmosphere here was really perfect for an authentic chinese meal, so we decided to stay. Since their specialty is dimsum, we both ordered one shrimp dimsum as a side dish, which I would highly recommend!
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Tip: Believe it or not, this place is excellent for a break from the crowds and for recharging the batteries, at least that is how we felt when we walked in the narrow streets of Chinatown. For my chinese friends, this place has even a supermarket, and even a buddhist temple! Another suggestion of restaurant in Chinatown recommended by our friends that have visited Amsterdam is Nam kee, we are definitely trying this one when we go back again to Amsterdam.
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The Begijnhof
After a heavy meal from the restaurant, we wanted an activity that would require walking, since we were so full from the meals. So we made our way to the Begijnhof. The Begijnhof is one of Amsterdam's best known almshouses. It is made up of a group of houses built around a secluded courtyard and garden which provided homes to nuns. It dates back to the 14th century. The wooden house (Houten Huys) at Begijnhof 34 is the oldest house in Amsterdam!
For us, it was a beautiful and relaxing experience. Quiet a courtyard off the busy streets in Amsterdam! It was so beautiful and peaceful to walk through the courtyard.
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Tip: There couldnt be a better place than this one in Amsterdam if you wanted some authentic peace and be away from the crowd. I would highly recommend this visit if you have time, plus it is free! You cannot take pictures in the courtyard (you will see many people taking pictures anyway, and i wanted to show it to u guys on my blog) and the Begijnhof is a private property, and a place of silence. So you need be very quiet in there, since senior citizens live in the houses now. The entrance door is very small, and can easily be missed. But we asked the locals around and found it pretty easily afterwards! You can learn more about the history by arranging a visit from the website of Begijnhof.
Oude Kerk
After a visit to the oldest house in Amsterdam, comes the time to visit the oldest church of Amsterdam, as known as Oude Kerk, which actually means old church! This is a 800-year-old church that was consecrated in 1306 and is located right in the middle of the Red Light district. The Oude Kerk is the oldest building in Amsterdam that is still in use. Now, it is not only a calvinist church, but also hosts annual World Press Photo Awards, and can also be rented for parties, receptions or presentations.
When we walked in, I was a bit scared, because this church is not an ordinary church, it is built over a cemetry! The floor of the church is made entirley of gravestones. The structure is pretty nice though, very big windows, a wooden roof, which all provide great acoustics makes this church stand out from other churches.
Tip: The church also hosts cultural events. Check their website in order to see if one is taking place when you are in town.
Albert Cuyp Market
Since we were in a mood for snacks, we moved on to Albert Cuyp market. If you still haven’t seen enough street markets, now would be a good time, sincethis dutch market sells everything from food to electronics. You can find all sorts of things here, and the best part is, you can actually find a good meal for a late lunch, and the prices in this market are the cheapest in all of Amsterdam! As we entered the market, we smelled the stroopwafles and the smell is so tempting of course we could have not just walked away from them! These yummy, delicious Stroopwafles were truly the highlight of our day! We even got to see how they make the wafles, it was preet neat.
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Tip: If you were looking to buy something from Amsterdam, I would recommend you this market for sure, as we checked the prices and they were reasonable. Behind the Albert Cuyp street there are other shops with good deals as well, so be sure to check as well for whatever you are looking to buy.
Oosterpark
After all this walking around town, we decided to take a break. So we made our way to Oosterpark to relax and just take it easy. This is park is so beautiful with its ponds and streams and plenty of walking paths, where you can definitely digest your lunch or snacks from the market! This park is less busier with tourists all around you, than Vondel park, so you definitely do get to relax here. We saw this park being used basically by locals (which are the places we like to see)thats why it was awesome coming here, to be where the locals hang out) doing yoga and fitness classes.
Tip:The city provides plastic picnic blankets for free to public, just look for the sign!
Supper at Koh-I-Noor
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On our last day, we were in a mood for international foods, so since we had chinese for lunch we thought of trying food from back home. For all my Indian friends, this place is really worth it if you are in a mood for something other than a dutch dish. We found the prices to be reasonable for the quality of the food, I had chicken biryani and the husband went for chicken Tikka. I would definitely recommend you this restaurant if you like indian food.
Go shopping
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Magna plaza is a nice mall right in the city. the busilding was designed in the Neo-Gothic style by a Dutch architect st the end of the 19th century P.C.Peters. It mainly consists of for designer clothing and fashion accessories. We just took some time to window shop in the mall.
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Vending machines
For our last activity for the evening, comes my favourite part of the city, is buying food from the vending machines, called automatiek. We wanted to try these vending machines since we kept seeing them the whole time we were in Amsterdam, and we thought we can go for a late night snack. I had a beef croquette and my husband went for a burger! We went in colder time of the year, so it was really fun to eat comfort foods in the cold streets of Amsterdam.
Finally, the rest of the evening, we just wanted to take the time to wander the narrow, yet packed streets of Amsterdam. You can either rent a bike or just peacefully wander and remember the beautiful moments you shared with the city and its people. Before heading back to our hotel, we wanted to try these vending machines we kept seeing the whole time we were in Amsterdam, and we thought we can go for a late night snack. I had a beef croquette and my husband went a burger!
Tip: These machines have a wide variety of menu options from milkshakes, french fries, hamburgers, croquettes, etc. They are real amazing comfort foods to try. But I would definitely recommend you to eat it while it is hot because the food gets cold and gelatinous.! And the prices are absolutely reaosnable.
Wander the streets
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Finally, the rest of the evening, we just wanted to take the time to wander the narrow, yet packed streets of Amsterdam. You can either rent a bike or just peacefully wander and remember the beautiful moments you shared with the city and its people. We finally made our way to the hotel to end our beautiful journey in Amsterdam.
Wandering the streets, we found a true gem for all of you that smoke
Budget tips for the shoestring traveller
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Take a free walking tour
It can be very overwhelming to visit a city without knowing much about it, so if you want a general overview of the city and find out where the major attractions and landmarks are, this tour is for you. That way you will learn about the city without spending any money. To be sure to get a spot, I would recommend to book online with the company.
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Stay at a hostel
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There are many hostels within the area of city center in Amsterdam. You can check online on the hostels website to see availabilty and prices. A few we saw when we were in Amsterdam, are The Bulldog Hotel, Hostel Meeting Point, etc.
Stay at Botel
If you are just looking for a place to rest your head, is to stay at the Botel. The location of this hotel is actually on the Amstel river. For transportion to the city, there is free public ferry that runs every half hour or so from the hotel. I wouldn't recommend it though if you are here on a romantic trip, or even with family though.
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Consider an Apartment for your stay cook your own food
An option on saving costs on your accommodation and eating would be considering Amsterdam apartments via Booking.com or an apartment through airbnb. You can definitely buy meats and vegetables from the various supermarkets that are in Amsterdam and cook your own meals. this is definitely a win-win situation here!
Consider staying near the airport
If you really want to save money and still stay at a luxury hotel, then staying near the airport might be your best bet. Sounds far, but literally short train ride and shuttle bus from the central station will take less than 40 minutes.
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Consider staying near the airport
If you really want to save money and still stay at a luxury hotel, then staying near the airport might be your best bet. Sounds far, but literally short train ride and shuttle bus from the central station will take less than 40 minutes
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Get the IAmsterdamcitycard
If you want to get most out of Amsterdam, then I would recommend you the I Amsterdam City Card. The reason for this is, there are many actually, I will talk about them later. They have options of 24H, 48H, 72H, 96H, in the range of 55 to 85 euros. Meaning, you choose the option depending on your length of stay. If you purchase it online, you can pick them up at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Amsterdam Central Station. And if you want to buy it in person, then again you can head to the Airport and Central Station, Museumplein, Waterlooplein, and some other locations.
Few reasons you should get the card:
Some of the reasons this card is a great buy:
Free unlimited public transportation (bus, metro, tram)
Free canal cruise
Free entrance to Amsterdam’s major museums & attractions
€2.50 discount on entrance to the Rijksmuseum
A very detailed map of the city
Discounts on attractions, concerts, theatre, rental, restaurants and more
And More again...
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Get Discount cards
Student discount cards, Youth discount cards, Senior discount cards, are also other cards that can help you save on accommodation, shopping, restaurants, entrance to attractions, air tickets as well as rail passes.Check out there website for requirements.
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Budget transport
GVB is the main public transportation company, that provides bus, tram and metro services. There are various options:
-15 strip ticket for 6.50 euros can be bought at a local supermarket
-For multiple use, a 24 hour ticket costs 6.30 euro, 48 hours 10 euro, and 72 hours for 13 euros, and can be bought at GVB opposite Centraal Station.
-For one day unlimited use of the tram, night bus, metro and canal bus, All Amsterdam Transport Pass would be the best option, for 22 euros.
-For hop on hop off to the major attractions, and get discounts to these places, the best option is Canal Bus Day Pass, average price 15 euros. Like that you get to your canal cruise out of the way as well!
Worth noting: This card gives you special discounts at few museums, attractions and restaurants.
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Free events
If you are visiting Amsterdam in the summer period, which is the most busiest time of the year for Amsterdam, there are free concerts and theater performances at the Vondelpark.
Another free activity is Kings day on April 27th, good to catch a free street party!
Another big event is the gay pride in the first week of August, this event is pretty big. It is a parade that takes place on the canal, on boats! It is well worth the visit if you are already in town. There are live music, street parties going on throughout the weekend.
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Cheap food options
Buying food at the vending machines might be your cheapest option for eating out. They are operated by companies such as Febo and Smullers, and they have pretty much the same menu. They are basically an outlet of vending machines consisting of coin-operated compartments, selling french fries, croquettes, beverages, and hamburgers for cheap. Other foods like ice cream and soda are sold at the counter.
Another option is Falafels in pita bread, called 'Maoz,' sold at most hotspots in town. Great for salad lovers, since unlimited salad is served for the same price!
If you ever get really hungry though, like I did on the last of our trip, consider Vlaamse or Patat Friets, because they will surely fill you up, as they filled me up and I have a big appetite!
And if you end up in the area of Leidseplein or Damrak, there are considerable amount of places with cheap snacks available as well.
Cheapest way out of Schiphol airport to the city
Taxis can cost you 50 euros just to get to the city center from the airport. So go prepared by buying your railway ticket in advance for your transfer from and to the airport. One way will cost you 9 euros and 2 way will be 13.50 euros.
I would recommend buying ahead of time, because we bought our tickets from the airport and it was so so complicated and extremely busy, plus no instructions in English! But if you have them already purchased, you will be ready to head to the city in no time, since the It departs every 10 minutes from Platforms 1 and 2 in the main arrival plaza, and the travel time is 10-15 minutes to the Central station of Amsterdam. There is also the option of the airport shuttle but it is slightly more expensive.
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Consider an Apartment for your stay
An option on saving costs on your accommodation and eating would be considering Amsterdam apartments via Booking.com or an apartment through airbnb. You can definitely buy meats and vegetables from the various supermarkets that are in Amsterdam and cook your own meals.
Consider staying near the airport
If you really want to save money and still stay at a luxury hotel, then staying near the airport might be your best bet. Sounds far, but literally short train ride and shuttle bus from the central station will take less than 40 minutes
Rent a bike
Biking along the canals is one of the most beautiful ways to take in Amsterdam’s historic and majestic scenery. You will definitely feel like a local riding a bike since it is the main thing the locals do there! If you don’t want to take the public transportation, then this is your best bet! Since the prices are fairly cheap. Day rates average 8€ with some multi-day rates as low as €4.
You will easily find many bike rental shops throughout the city. The tourism office facing Centraal Station offers a bike-specific map with highlighted biking paths and touring suggestions. Otherwise, Leidseplein and Dam Square are all major rental hubs as well. If you did purchase the Iamsterdamcard, you will get a discount with MacBike. You can even sign up for a guided bike tour to learn about the history of Amsterdam.
Rent a scooter
If you are going towards the Dutch villages or the countryside, which is not part of my itinerary, but I would still like to have this option mentioned to the ones reaching out of Amsterdam. You get a discount with your IAmsterdamcitycard.
Buy all tickets in advance
One way you will definitely save money and get plenty of discounts is if you purchase your tickets online. Not only will you save money, but you will also be sure to have your place reserved for that specific day and time, and beat the queues! This will definitely give you bonus time to do other things and take it easy, instead of rushing through your itinerary.
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