Planning a short trip to Amsterdam? Want to know what to do in Amsterdam in 5 days? This 5 dayAmsterdam itinerary includes all best things to do for first-time visitors, as well as all the most popular hotspots and hidden gems.
Five days is actually an ideal amount of time to spend in Amsterdam, as you have a chance to explore the city’s best attractions and even enjoy a day trip in the countryside. Amsterdam may have the exuberance and attitude of a big city, but it has the manageability of a small town, and whether you’re a city person or not, it pretty much offers the best of both worlds.
I think most people don’t expect to find that many cool things to do in Amsterdam, making it all about red-light districts and coffee shops. Short story: it’s not. Amsterdam is sensational and there’s a lot more to the city. But you’ll see what I’m talking about!
Let’s get on to the itinerary, shall we?
BEST THINGS TO DO IN AMSTERDAM IN 5 DAYS
Day 1: Arrival, Canal Tour, Dam Square
Goedemorgen my friend! Welcome to Amsterdam, hope you had a smooth flight. Have you already exited customs and received your baggage? Great, you now have two options. The first oneis to look for the cab service: this is the expensive option, as cab fare from the airport runs approximately €40each way. A lot of money that can instead be spent on, I don’t know, food! Another option would be taking the train from the airport to Central Station. You don’t have to look hard, it is easy to see, and you can easily purchase tickets at a vending machine for around €4.50.
Once you’ve checked in at your hotel and dropped your bags, it’s time to start exploring.
A good way to orient yourself to the city is with acanal tour, but make sure to choose a small boat, as you’ll be able totravel through many small canals that the larger canal tour boats can’t access. You’ll learn some history and be able to see how the city is structured. Plus, the view from the water is really stunning! You can check out the specific tour I went on here, but you’ll find several operators just outside the Central Station.
Just a short walk from the Central Station isDam Square, built nearly 750 years ago. This is where the Amstel dam was located, which gave Amsterdam its name. The square is used for official events, festivals, concerts, and an occasional market and it’s a good place to hang out for a bit and watch the city go by. There’s much to explore in this area and the many streets leading away from the square can take you to every part of the city.
Walk down Warmoesstraat, one of Amsterdam’s oldest streets. After a couple of minutes, you’ll reach the beautiful Oude Kerk, a gothic church founded in the year 1213 that also has the distinction of being the oldest parish church and the oldest building in the city. This church is somehow symbolic of Amsterdam and is situated right in the middle of Amsterdam’s red-light district.
That’s right. A church. In the Red Light District. I suppose this is the right time to explorethe district and see what the fuss is all about, right?
In the daytime, the red light district (“De Wallen”) looks like any other part of Amsterdam, with nice buildings and lovely canals. At night is when the red lights turn on, and the entire neighborhood gets filled with tourists, gawking male teenagers and frat boys. I guess you need to see it with your own eyes — if anything, you will at least get a good laugh out of it!
It’s also a good place to start if you’re looking forcoffee shops. Whether or not it’s your scene, it’s still cool!
Day 2: Jordaan District, De 9 Straatjes, Flower Market
By now you will have probably noticed that Amsterdam is a scary city to be a pedestrian, so get your stretch on and hop on a bike! I rented mine from Black Bikes but there are tons of stores throughout the city.
Bike your way to the lovely Jordaan District. If I lived in Amsterdam, this is where I would want to live. This residential area is probably the most missed attraction in Amsterdam and hardly any tourists enter this maze of restaurants, cafes, and stores. It’s very nice, so make sure to take your time to explore it.
In the Jordaan district, you’ll find a famous little house, famous for a tragic past and stories from only a few decades ago – the Anne Frank House.This is arguably Amsterdam’s most important and visitedlandmark. Lines are hours long, soI can’t stress enough to buy tickets online before your trip. It is amazing just to be there and acknowledge the power that this one girl’s story has over so many people that visit her house every year. It was a highly emotional and enlightening experience, at least to me.
After your visit, head to De 9 Straatjes (“the nine little streets”). Here three major canals (Keizersgracht, Herengracht and Prinsengracht) divide the canal district into nine small but picturesque streets that are big on personality. The Nine Streets are a vintage lover’s paradise and are full of designer boutiques, art galleries, jewelry shops, specialty stores, and cozy cafés.
Keep bikingalong the Singel until you find yourself between Koningsplein and Muntplein.
See those boats floating? That is the famous flower market. Here you will find various types of flowers and gardening equipment. Plenty of locals come here in the spring for tulips, roses, and in December for Christmas trees too. You can easily spend hours walking through the various stalls.
Midway through the market, you may come upon the ‘De Kaaskelder’ (The Cheese Cellar) offering cheese tasting. If you are visiting Amsterdam, this is one of the best places to do some cheese tasting. Oh boy, you’re in for SUCH a treat.
A good way toend the dayis tohit one of the many nightclubs in the Rembrandtplein area. The scene changesalmost every night, so the best thing is just to walk around, listen to the music coming out of each place, and thendecide.If it’s a Friday/Sunday night and you feel like dancing, you might want to know that the smaller clubs tend to have the greatest DJs.
Day 3: Museumsplein, Vonderlpark
On day 3 of your five days in Amsterdam, you’re going to explore the city’s art scene. Make your way to Museumsplein (trams 2 and 5 and 20 from Central Station), where the Van Gogh museum and Rijksmuseum will keep you occupied for hours. The order in which you visit them is up to you, but make sure to buy your entrance tickets for the Van Gogh museum before your trip – unless you don’t mind waiting in line for more than 3 hours. I mean it. Buy the tickets. Here’s link.
The Rijkmuseum collectionspans a broad range of styles and periods with a focus on the glorious days of the Dutch Republic and displays masterpieces by the likes of Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Mondrian. In a sequence of 80 superb galleries, this museum tells you the story of 800 years of Dutch art. You’ll find many celebrated masterpieces, including The Night Watch by Rembrandt.The exterior is also impressively photogenic and is often mentioned abroad as one of the most iconic buildings in Amsterdam.
Now, let’s hit up the Gogh! Perhaps the most obvious must-see museum in Amsterdam.
This museumis entirely dedicated to Vincent van Gogh and carries many of his most famous paintings, like The Sun Flowers, The Self Portrait, and many many more. The museum also features some works of other impressionists & post-impressionists and lets visitors appreciate some of Van Gogh’s personal letters to his colleagues.
At the end of your day 3, walk to Vondelpark, the “green lung” of Amsterdam. This place is loved both by locals and tourists enjoying a sunny day, dog-walking, jogging, people-watching, or just lazing about in the grass. Just relax and soak up the sun!
Day 4: Zaanse Schans, Rembrandthuis, Magere Brug
A visit to Amsterdam wouldn’t be complete without visiting the world-famous windmills. Start your day with a trip to the famous Zaanse Schans, an open-air museum where the 18th and 19th centuries are brought back to life in The Netherlands. To reach Zaanse Schans, head to the Central Station, take the train to Uitgeest (€6), and get off at the fourth stop Koog-Zaandijk. You will arrive in about 15 minutes. You can also take the bus 391 and in 40 minutes you will arrive at your destination.
For a detailed description of this place, check out this article.
After lunch — does cheese & chocolate count as lunch? —make our way backto the city.
Just a shortwalk from Amsterdam’s Central Station (or a couple of stops with lines 9 or 14) is the picturesque Rembrandthuis. This museum lets you peek inside the life of the famous painter and art dealer.As was common at the time, Rembrandt used his home as his office,and buyers met in his living room to purchase paintings that are now priceless treasures displayed all around the world.
Continue walking south along the canal’s west side and you’ll soon reach a fascinating bridgebetween Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht, theMagere Brug. This is one of Amsterdam’s most famousbridges, and one of the most lovely I might add .
Did you know this wooden bridge before 1871 was once so narrow that it was hard for two pedestrians to pass each other?
Toast an exciting and busy day of intensive sightseeing and art-watching with a drink at a co*cktail bar or a refreshing Dutch beer. When your stomach starts talking, just take a walk andyou’ll find more than enough restaurants to choose from.
Day 5: Doei-doei Amsterdam!
There’s no better way to spend your last morning in Amsterdam than by taking in the canal lifestyle and pulling up a chair at a cute café.
It’s now time to say goodbye to this wonderful slice of the world. I hope you enjoyed your time in Amsterdam – although I know that you did!
What would you add to your 5 day Amsterdam itinerary?
Tags: 5 days in Amsterdam; Amsterdam in 5 days; Amsterdam 5 days itinerary
